MSNBC’s Chris Matthews is no longer willing to call the White House troubles involving Benghazi, the Internal Revenue Service, and the leaks investigation "scandals."
No, on Tuesday’s Hardball, the host called them “kerfuffles,” once even correcting himself after accidentally referring to what happened at the IRS as a scandal (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CHRIS MATTHEWS: See, my problem with Obama, and it continues, and I don't understand it. You know, the reason he's been in trouble the last four or five weeks, and it’s because of these kerfuffles. They're bad, but they’re not awful. […]
Has the White House learned any lessons from the scandal, the kerfuffle rather, over at the IRS?
For those unfamiliar with the term, Dictionary.com defines "kerfuffle" as "commotion; disorder; agitation."
Is that how you would describe the controversies surrounding what happened at our consulate in Benghazi last year, the IRS targeting conservatives, and the Justice Department's treatment of the Associated Press and Fox News's James Rosen?
Kerfuffles?
It appears that we've entered the phase when the media are going to downplay the signficance of these scandals - even by not calling them scandals.
Not surprising, is it?
Question is: will it work?
Stay tuned.
