As the "Hardball" discussion turned to the new television ad released by Cheney's Keep America Safe, the MSNBCer invited on a Republican and Democrat strategist to offer their views.
"The message of that ad is Dick Cheney`s still out there and he`s still angry about the way his war is being treated by history," said Democrat strategist Steve McMahon.
Matthews interrupted with a laugh, "So, this is Daughter of Dracula?" (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t Story Balloon):
CHRIS MATTHEWS,HOST: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Time now for the strategists. Steve McMahon is a Democratic strategist, and Todd Harris is a Republican strategist. The day will come when I will not have to introduce you gentlemen. Let`s start with a new ad put out by the organization Keep America Safe. It`s a conservative group co-founded by Dick Cheney`s daughter, Liz.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The pendulum is starting to swing. America run by progressives is about to happen. We`re going to be looking for people who share our values.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So who did President Obama`s Attorney General Eric Holder hire? Nine lawyers who represented or advocated for terrorist detainees. Who are these government officials? Eric Holder will only name two. Why the secrecy behind the other seven? Whose values do they share? Tell Eric Holder Americans have a right to know the identity of the al Qaeda Seven.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEWS: What do you make of that?
TODD HARRIS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I like it. I think that`s a pretty effective ad.
MATTHEWS: What`s the message?
HARRIS: The message is, basically, are there people who don`t support the military tribunal process formulating detainee policy inside the Justice Department. You`ve got the administration all over the map now on this issue. You`ve got Holder saying one thing. You`ve got the white house --
MATTHEWS: Do you think a person who has played his role as a defense attorney for an accused terrorist, that that person is suspect?
HARRIS: I think someone who has argued in court against military tribunals, if they`re going to be formulating detainee policy within the Justice Department, then the justice administration should just come out and say that.
MATTHEWS: I thought these were just people who defended these guys in court. Now we`re against the whole system.
HARRIS: No, one of them in particular has called military tribunals a kangaroo court. So if that woman`s going to be formulating detainee policy, they ought to come out and say that`s what the policy is.
STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: The message of that ad is Dick Cheney`s still out there and he`s still angry about the way his war is being treated by history, by historians, and frankly --
MATTHEWS: So, this is Daughter of Dracula?
MCMAHON: Well, it`s Daughter of Dracula.
MATTHEWS: Like in the old movies, gothic.
Amazing what you're allowed to call a former vice president and his daughter on MSNBC, isn't it?
The folks at General Electric and NBC must be so proud.
