GOP Congressman Tells Chris Matthews 'By Your Standards the New York Times Is a Right-Wing Newspaper'

January 31st, 2012 6:01 PM

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on Tuesday asked a Mitt Romney supporting Congressman, “Why do you call the Washington Post a liberal newspaper?”

After the Hardball host told his guest, "It’s the most hawkish paper in the country," Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fl.) marvelously responded, "By your standards the New York Times is a right-wing newspaper” (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

The segment began with Matthews asking his guest about all the negative ads his candidate is running in Florida.

Diaz-Balart responded, “This is a tough game, and if anybody thinks that this is tough, wait until you run into the close to a billion dollars that Obama is going to be throwing out in all negative campaigning. Remember that already the Obama administration has been called out by the Washington Post - not exactly a right-wing, you know, publication – where they gave it four Pinocchios, the top Pinocchios for their claim that the Republicans were going to destroy Medicare as we know it.”

This led Matthews to ask when the Congressman finished, “Why do you call the Washington Post a liberal newspaper?”

Diaz-Balart replied, “Well, I’m saying it’s clearly not a right-wing newspaper. It’s definitely not a conservative newspaper.”

“Well, it is by my standards,” Matthews responded. “It’s the most hawkish paper in the country.”

“But Chris,” Diaz-Balart shot back, “by your standards the New York Times is a right-wing newspaper.”

“No, no,” said Matthews, “the New York Times is a liberal paper and almost always right.”

Anything else you need to know about what Matthews thinks is conservative or liberal?


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