Matthews Bashes Gingrich Citing Wrong Marx Brother: 'Who You Gonna Believe - Me or Your Own Eyes?'

During his umpteenth day in a row bashing Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, MSNBC's Chris Matthews began a lengthy segment Thursday by referencing the famous Marx Brother line "Who you gonna believe - me or your own eyes?"

Problem is the high and mighty "Hardball" host, despite playing a clip from "Duck Soup" clearly identifying the distinctive voice and accent of the speaker, gave credit to the wrong brother (video follows with transcript and commentary):

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGARET DUMONT: Your Excellency, here’s your water. What in the world’s the matter? Your Excellency. I thought you left.

CHICO MARX: On no, I no leave.

MARGARET DUMONT: But I saw you with my own eyes.

CHICO MARX: Well, who you gonna believe – me or your own eyes?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MATTHEWS: “Who you gonna believe – me or your own eyes?” The great Groucho Marx line. Welcome back. That famous Marx Brothers scene encapsulates the situation Newt Gingrich finds himself in right now. He’s on the record on “Meet the Press” criticizing the Republican plan on Medicare, but he says his own words are not to be believed even if they turn up in Democratic ads.

For those unfamiliar with the film, during the scene in question, Chico and Harpo were both dressed up like Groucho trying to steal war plans out of Margaret Dumont's safe. Moments later, Groucho and Harpo engaged in the famous mirror scene duplicated by Lucille Ball and Harpo on "I Love Lucy."

Anyone familiar with the film, and the Marx Brothers themselves, knows that was Chico in Dumont's bedroom saying that line because Groucho was locked in the bathroom:

Everyone but the holier than thou Matthews, that is, who after getting this wrong moments later had the gall to bash Sarah Palin's intellect. Having shown a video clip of the former Alaska governor speaking to Fox News's Sean Hannity Wednesday, Matthews raved:

MATTHEWS: This is so pathetic watching her on television. It’s so pathetic that Roger Ailes has put her on television, sitting up in some box, some loony bin up in Alaska, sitting there answering these questions she doesn’t know anything about. Did you hear what she just said, John? She said he should continue to attack the Republican plan. What’s she up to here? Is she just not thinking or capable of thinking? What is going on here?

Before you accuse someone of being pathetic to watch on television, maybe you should make sure you know who's speaking in the video clip setting up your entire ten-minute segment - unless of course you're not thinking or capable of thinking.

Glass houses, Mr. Elite Media Member.