Chris Matthews Admits: MSNBC Bosses Were "Basically Pro-War"

In a speech at Harvard's Institute of Politics on Monday, Chris Matthews admitted that MSNBC bosses were "basically pro-war during the war." The remark came in a larger discussion of top-down editorial control at the network — of which Matthews claimed there was none, citing the fact that many of his bosses supported Hillary Clinton while he has been very vocal for Obama.

His full statement, in response to a question whether MSNBC officially supports Obama (via Politico's Michael Calderone):

"Well, it's not official." (LAUGH) "Well, I don't think Joe Scarborough has. And I don't think Tucker Carlson did. And Keith does his thing. He does his thing--it's something and it's very successful. I do my thing. I don't think that's true. I think... my sense is that everybody that lives in New York is for Hillary. The people I work with--all my bosses--seem to be for Hillary. I just sense it. They don't actually say it, but there's no sense from the top I can tell you that it's pro-Obama.. by any means. That's not what I get. And it was basically pro-war during the war.. the bosses were. And I was up against that. And if there's anybody telling me to push Obama, I haven't heard it yet. And by the way, they're so fickle.... but there seems to be a New York thing about Hillary. Just the people from... it's like the Yankees and the Mets... it's their thing. You know? It's Hillary. You know? And I feel it. I find it. It's hard to figure sometimes. But I don't know who you are talking about. I know who you are talking about."

As revealed in the New York Times Magazine profile of Matthews by Mark Leibovich, Matthews idolizes NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert like an older brother:

Tim -- as in Russert, the inquisitive jackhammer host of "Meet the Press" -- is a particular obsession of Matthews's. Matthews craves Russert's approval like that of an older brother. He is often solicitous.

In her new book Right is Wrong, Arianna Huffington critiques the media for being too compliant with administration policy during the run-up to war, and she particularly lays into Russert, saying, among other things, that he helped pump up the terrorist panic:

Take Tim Russert, whose July 1, 2007, Meet the Press interview with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was about as priapic a display as you're ever likely to see outside of a porno film or the monkey cage at the zoo, with Russert desperately trying to get Chertoff to pump up the panic meter...You could almost hear the blood rushing to his loins--and the palpable sense of deflation when Chertoff refused to stroke his fantasy

Comments

[timothe]

Chris Matthews...the highest example of integrity and non-partisan journalism.

Right!! What's an ark?

[realpolitic]

Ask Bush where the ark is. He believes in the literalism of the bible.

[Nyland8]

The parent company, NBC, is owned by GE - General Electric. Do you remember their jingo?

"Gee EEEeeeeeeee, we bring good things to death" ...

... which is what they do - in spades. Among other things, they make gas-turbine engines for military aircraft and are involved in all kinds of weapon systems. For them to call what they do "news" is a conflict of interest. The "news" they give us is never meant to conflict with their core businesses. It's like that with ALL the major networks and has been for many decades. It should come as a surprise to nobody that anything affiliated with NBC is pro-war. They donated 1.1 million dollars to Bush's campaign in '00. Our "war" in Iraq is one of their babies.

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/47530.php

And the other networks are no better.

8

[ChiMan1]

Hello "Mouth Foamer" all these years as a Political Analysts?, and you still don't get IT!
Must be a problem with that thing "running up your leg" LOSER!

[ProfessorVP]

The MSM was pro-war??!!!!!! What revelation next-- Bullwinkle is a moose?

[Durango]

Bullwinkle was a BOXER!

See here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gskP3Satr4

Raging Bullwinkle; Italian sausage OR squirrel meat.

[Nova16]

It shouldn't have been a mystery to anyone that the MSM was cheerleading this phony "war" because of the news value and the profits to be made by corporate news and all the other Bush enablers in and out of congress. The lies, deceit and chicanery involved in starting this debacle are slowly coming to light even though anyone with a semblance of intelligence and common sense knew it was a "fraud" to begin with. We are now paying dearly for a venture that will go down in history as the biggest foreign policy boondoggle ever created by a corrupt administration and equally corrupt media.

[wmbear]

YOU'RE ASSUMING THE OWNERS OF MSNBC...

Have a semblance of intelligence and common sense?...

[PlantGod72]

Gime 'em Hell, Arianna!!

[falco]

A quick google of "who controls the media" will reveal the sinister goings on behind the scenes. I am surprised at Chris's candor. Maybe he ought to get a few others on board and crusade against these disseminators of propaganda. Maybe they (pundits, "journalists", etc.) could do something en masse to change the situation. Our politicians certainly don't have the balls. Amazing how lies, deception, and manipulation of viewers minds continues all the while those working in the industry KNOW. The good news is people are waking up. Not just to the MSM, but also to the trash shown on TV and at the movies. People are starting to realize it's a form of brainwashing and has been shaping our minds for a very long time. Shut the TV off, rent movies that aren't filled with fear and hate, and let's take our minds and country back. There are so many more of us than them and yet we continue to allow them to control us.

[evalpor]

I'd hardly call that candor. Chris Mathews has done incredible damage to this country by fawning over Bush during his chickenhawk call to war. I do a lot of film editing and keep MSNBC on all day long as a sort of "white noise" nerve-buffer. I remember very clearly Mathews gushing on about what a "nice guy" George W. Bush was and HAMMERING anyone who dissented on the war. Regardless of what he now claims to be his personal anti-war position, he functioned as as a neo-con mouthpiece and he should have that fact publicly shoved in his face. And Tim Russert and the famous story about him flashing his Bush-Cheney political button back in 2000.

The pair of those pumpkinhead buffoons epitomize self-righteous, self-aggrandizing pseudo-journalistic cynicism.

[Durango]

Gushing? Gushing? GUSHING?

He was getting a woody.

[ann1]

So when will you admit that MSNBC has been PRO-Rev Wright coverage 24/7?

[wmbear]

NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT...

The fact that Obama not only survived the media shitstorm over the Reverend Wright is a tribute to his possibilities for November, I think. Obama is very media savvy and I think when he and McCain go head to head in the debates this fall, that should stand him in good stead. Just don't let McCain try and get away with his totally phony "straight talk" talk act and you'll do fine, Barack....

[jah2008]

Exactly.

"citing the fact that many of his bosses supported Hillary Clinton while he has been very vocal for Obama"

The past two months from Matthews have been nothing but Wright, Bittergate, and Diner-gate, 24/7. Chris Matthews as covering his bases by pandering to both sides. The man should have Olbermann as someone to look up to, not Russert. Russert's last Meet the Press was a joke! First quarter of his interview with Obama was nothing but Rev. Wright.

[YR]

With Obama's victory, MSM has egg on its face. They don't know how this happened with their showing the Wright entertainment 24/7 instead of looking at serious issues or even looking at the numerous sociological studies about racism in this country.

I even heard Morning Joe say that Obama after his victory speech doesn't scare America anymore. He should have said scare white people who don't know or want to acknowledge the continuing workings of racism even as we have progressed as a country.

I for one was never afraid of Obama nor Rev. Wright.

Bush and McCain scare the hell out of me. Their policies are what we should fear!

[lisakaz2]

Exactly! Why aren't they afraid of Bu$hco??? Because their kids aren't in the military?

[awcbuddy8]

Are you going to sign up when Obama attepmts to retake Iraq after Al Qaeda takes over?

[falcao]

If it's true he's thinking about running for office in PA, he needs to step down from his job at MSNBC.

The one and only good thing about the totally hysterical (and naive) reaction to Rev. Wright is that large segments of the population appear to have been immunized. Who wants to hear about this nonsense anymore? All the faux outrage over the Pastor is ridiculous.

[Durango]

HuffPost's Pick

"Meet the Press interview with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was about as priapic a display as you're ever likely to see outside of a porno film or the monkey cage at the zoo,"

Excellent, classic, tremendous. What a great job Arianna. Best insult I have seen in years.

But still doesn't convey the absolute contempt I have for Mathews, Russert, Stephanopolis etc, etc.

Like Jon Stewart said "Please, quit hurting America." Just go away.

Change your name. Get a job as a paralegal working in a legal aid center. A District Attorneys office. A big city hospital emergency room or better yet an ambulance. Or an Inner City school. Hell, any school. As a beat cop.

Work for a living.

Live on the wages provided. Worry yourself sick because you don't have health insurance. Or not enough. Wonder if you should fill up your gas tank on your 10 year old Honda or buy groceries.

Go back and learn what it means to be an American. And how Americans think.Get in touch, because you clearly have no idea what it is to be anything but a self inflated celebrity.

And never inflict your bloated simple minded pontificating crap on America again.

[kgrdem]

I watched the returns on MSNBC last night, and prior primaries, and for the life of me I cannot see the appeal, wisdom, knowledge, whatever of Tim Russert. Talk about stating the obvious. I was screaming at the TV for him to just shut up. I could have given his commentary; my dog could have given his commentary. Why in the world does everyone bow down to him?? Everyone is quoting the blowhard this morning for calling Obama the Democratic nominee last night. Good God, anyone who has paid attention and can add, you know, like Chuck Todd, knew that weeks ago. It WAS over in February.

By the way, I think you can almost see the utter contempt on Tom Brokaw's face for Timmeh and Tweety. Oh, and they finally, finally figured out the we are not voting for Reverend Wright. How 'bout that? What a revelation.

[Forest]

Let's not forget what pro-War means to the innocent victims:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dNpSmv4Zo-k

[1differentdrummer]

Chickenhawks are pro-war by definition. They keep their sons and daughters at home doing valuable things like campaign and work on their tans.

[indieminded]

I have officially lost all respect for Matthews anyway. I exclusivly watched MSNBC's primary coverage last night and even watched Morning Joe today for the first time (much better than I thought it would be), and Chris Matthews was like the court jester. He referred to "Reverend Wright" in almost every one of his talking points. The guy looked like a total fool. Never again will I watch his show. He has become a joke.

[pithy]

I want to see endless hours of looping tape of Rev. John Hagee, ranting and sweating, pacing and screaming about endtimes and Israel - and he DOES rant and he DOES scream.

Hey Chris - don't pass up this great video journalism - with sound!!

Hagee also heads up a formiddable and truly scary group called CUFI (Citizens United for Israel) which has gained thousands of members in the last two years and has a concerted, well-organized lobbying effort underway in Congress.

Hey Chis - rather than salivating along as a gossipy old lady, why not do some actual NEWS reporting? Three-quarters of the people on this site know about 100 times more than you do - we're just waiting for you to catch up.

[savertime]

Much more interesting than Rev. Hagee is the fact that not one network has allowed a discussion of Douglas Coe, the right-wing fundamentalist spiritual mentor to Hillary Clinton. No discussion of The Family, The Fellowship and the other members of this group.

Rev. Wright was a harmless black preacher quoting, repeating and reading the words of others. None of the comments made by Wright were his own, but quotes from the bible, comments and writings of others (all white) who were not ostracized, condemned, and labeled anti-American. He said nothing that had not been said by others before him, even God Damn America was repeating what Americans and people around the world have and are still saying.

The media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Corporate America., controlling what you hear, think, believe, feel, find outrageous, offensive, and fearful.

[antoinekku919]

Chris matthews has been keeping the wright issue out just as much as any. He been saying worst things about obama in the last 2 months than any other on MSNBC.

[savertime]

He has to earn that $5 Million GE is paying him to push the Clintons.

We owe the current deteriating state of our media to Reagan and Clinton.

[newzzzjunkie]

Thr true colors of MSNBC is and has been quite apparent. With the exception of Olbermann you have lost all my respect period. Even Matthews joined in on the bashing of our next President. You tried to keep the Wright story and "Bittergate" and alive for ratngs sake. It was shameful. And it was one sided reporting. Too bad MSNBC isn't a public company because you'd all be out of a job! How does your foot taste now MSNBC?
Repeat after me President Obama.....­..........­..........­.....yes!

[toby25]

Just like everybody around here swore that without a doubt it would be : "President Kerry". If I had a dime for how many times I heard " How could Kerry have lost to that idiot Bush"?? I would be in the tax bracket that is going to get hammered if Obama gets elected...­.supposedl­y it will stop at people making over $200,000. We all know that won't be true.

[MsLiz]

Keep repeating that Republican lie. Tell me, do you like your party's borrow and spend policies? And did the Republicans do anything about the alternative minimum tax, which was never adjusted for inflation?