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

[iPolitics]

I agree with Chris that the media was pro-war. Let's hope they're not going to stuff McCain down our throats because the media loves him and his BBQ's. Let's stick to the issues and stop the race-baiting by taking the Neo-Nazi lover (Hal Turner buddy) Sean Hannity's lead.

[cobraxus]

wait a minute.I thought Hal Turner was The Green Lantern?No­...wait...­I'm thinking of somebody else.sorry­.

[FarOutFish]

NSNBC has been in the ratings toilet for so long Matthews has to come up with some rational for the cable Network and his dismal failure. Chirrs can’t admit his part in the debacle. He is not alone, but he is one of the cable luminaries i.e. ‘Loud Mouths with Blow dried brains’, and you should not expect him to admit his role. That would be “Softball” ruining his programs image.

[angeranddespair]

Hey Chris take a look at your hands. The blood of all the dead MURDERED by George Bush is on your hands and every other member of the Fourth Estate that did not do - is not doing their job. IN bed with not embedded. Our soldiers ordered to follow the command of a lying sociopath Dead or returning physically and mentally maimed with out available care. The innocent people of Iraq murdered and maimed what did their country do to us? Can you dredge up the photo of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam. "enemy of my enemy...' the US plays all sides of the fence.. George Bush and his whole administration told the lie and the Main stream Media repeated it and repeated it until it became the truth.
Recall this quote from Adolph Hitler " Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it and eventually they will believe it"
Wow doesn't the accurate prophetic sickening reality of this quote just turn your stomach given what George Bush and his administration has done to the world in out name WITH YOUR HELP.
Karma Chris?I hope it comes around...

[PWMarvin]

To be fair, Chris Matthews was one of the few people on the MSM that was outspoken against the war, before the war. He even blamed the neo-cons for promoting the war.

Though what you said is definitely true for most of the media. I think war crime trails are in order. Tim Russert would be a good place to start.

Too bad there are not more media folk like Chris Matthews.

[Frank Dwyer - Huffpost Blogger]

"We're all neocons now!" That's what Matthews said as he vibrated with post-coital joy, ravished by the glory of shock and awe. That he was always against the war is a lie on his part. I'm assuming it is merely ignorance on yours.

[lookingAhead]

Tell us something we don't know. Your company is profiting off the war so to think that you weren't an enabler to this is just stupid. I no longer listen to the government controlled media, it is garbage, I prefer to read and research anything. I am tired of being lied to by over paid pundits who has there own agenda. To all of the media puppets please go Cheney yourself as far as I care about MSM. Lets all shut out the MSM or write them often to point out they are way off base in relations to the majority of Americans.

[Lemeritus]

MSNBC = NBC = GE.

Any questions?

[Gma11]

GE - excellent chart (not called General for nothing!!):

http://www.thenation.com/special/bigten.html

[PrObama29]

General Evil

[lechatnoir]

exactly. For more info on GE try http://www.theyrule.net/2004/tr2.php

[littlepuffycloud]

Matthews is FOR Senator Obama? I guess that's why he brings up Reverend Wright every chance he gets. Even after Clinton's dismal performance (Thank goodness Indiana isn't as gullible as PA) he just offered this morning to host his College Bowl thing for Hillary to keep her in the race...WTF­?
I quit watching him and all MSM weeks ago because I couldn't stand their minute by minute poll crap.
He just wants ratings, so he panders back and forth and is just a tool.

[Nyla785]

Easy to put the blame on others, Chris. What about when YOU were chuckling with the right wingers to help get ole Dubya into office. What about when YOU were helping to wave the patriotic flag over this debacle of a war. It's not always THEM, Chris--it's YOU who helped start this mess and keep it going.

[blytzd]

No shit, just look in their portfolios and it is apparant who supports the war.

[bikerdude]

While I agree with what he said, this time, I don't trust anything that he says as a result of his "analysis". He is wrong so often and responds sophomorically so often that I just try to ignore what he says. He makes me very uncomfortable and I often feel sorry for him.

[wolfgangmo]

It's easy to be pro war when it isn't YOUR kids sent to fight.

We were a democracy where when we said, "America First" we were talking about taking care of each other.

Fairness need to return to America or we need to admit that the great experiment is over and the aristocracy won.

[erathwomen]

Why is Matthews so incoherent off the cuff?

[adavis08]

As if we didn't already know this? One night I heard Chris Mathews say that if you weren't for war then you were considered unpatriotic and became unpopular. Does he read a script or is he a journalist reporting the truth, and not what he is told to report? Our media is too controlled by the Neocons in this country and it needs to stop. We talk about North Korea manipulating what news it gives it's people, what about us?

[jmpurser]

"basically pro-war during the war.r"???

How about leading up to the war? And since the war is still going on does this mean they're still pro-war?

[dadw5boys]

FUNNY HOW THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEY WILL NEVER SEE BATTLE ARE POR WAR!

[Lemeritus]

"It's always the old who lead us to the war; it's always the young who fall." -- Phil Ochs

[MzTexas]

Duh!!

[Tyger79]

This is why everybody should take Olbermann's presence at MSNBC with a grain of salt. When the network was trying to sell the war, they cancelled their #1 rated show because it featured anti-war voices (Phil Donahue anyone?). It's all about the fact that 24hr news coverage will make these scumbags more money that one hour of dissent that could undermine the case for that war amongst a small sliver of their overall audience. Liberal media? Really?