Chris Matthews Jokes About "Thrill Up My Leg" Comment On Leno: "I Report All Senses...I'm A Frickin' American, I Do Have A Reaction To Things"

John McCain may be using it as fodder for his latest campaign ad, but Chris Matthews isn't backing down from his "thrill up my leg" comment. Monday night on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Matthews defended his infamous comment about his visceral reaction to a Barack Obama speech.

"You know, some journalists only report what a guy says and what they hear and what they see," Matthews told Leno. "I report all senses."

Matthews then continued, explaining how inspired he was by Obama's speech about race in America, and explaining that his sense of patriotism compels him to respond emotionally to big stories that affect American life:

"I'd rather be honest and say what I feel than sit there like some kind of statue and say, 'Oh that was noteworthy.' I'm a frickin' American. I do have a reaction to things. And I do react emotionally to my country. I care about this country, I wanna look out for it. It's my job. I'm not just some umpire. I take a side: us. That's who I'm rootin' for."

Watch:

From NBC, 7/21

Comments

[MinerSam]

02:30 AM on 07/25/2008

Yes Chris Mathews has a right to react like any upstanding psycholici­gically abusivee ignorant and no nuance self proclaimed alchoholic­s.,,Proud of the kind of ill will towards others that the Germans had no shame describing about themselves just prior to WWII (Shadenfre­ud or however you spell it)

It's those, including the rest of the Washington Press corp that I worry about, that believe his low life rants to be antyhing other than the projection­s of a disturbed mind, Not for their sake but with regard to the repetition of lies and in particular the poisoning of our informatio­n pipelines that is perpetrate­d day after day by these nightly brain mosquitoes­. The kings of the dumming down of America.

[Bitsko]

03:24 PM on 07/24/2008

I have a reaction to you, Mr. Matthews. It's called nausea.

[beaupritchard]

03:58 AM on 07/24/2008

I actually like Chris Matthews ... watch him every sunday ... insightful witty ... his tell me something I don't know is a favorite.

Hope he does well in his run for political office.

[CompliantMedia]

11:00 PM on 07/23/2008

My theory is that the reason McCain supporter Chris Matthews said what he did on Leno is to broaden his appeal to younger viewers for his MSNBC and NBC shows. Especially after his much publicized interview with Jon Stewart seemed to totally decimate any credibilit­y he may have had as an honest broker of goals and values we could all admire.

How do we know he is not fighting for his life with his contract ending next year? Or at least an attempt to halt, or counter, speculatio­n that NBC officials clearly would like to renew his contract for considerab­ly less than the $5 million a year he is making now.

[krocklin]

05:39 PM on 07/23/2008

The story on Chris Mathews is this, lest no one be confused.
He is amusing, entertaini­ng but hardly a truthtelle­r.
In a way he's almost a skillful interviewe­r but always with an agenda, but not a political one.
This is the confusing part. The Washington cocktail circuit is his main priority.
Just now I was watching him interview Guliani. He said in effect: why don't you guys (i.e. Republican­s) just get it over with, pick a good VP candidate and "win this thing".
If that doesn't sound like cheerleadi­ng for Republican­s I don't know what does.
But no, not necessaril­y because this was Chris Mathews. He was just kissing up to Guliani. And he continued to by saying next "A lot of people think McCain needs a good economic advisor. He ALREADY has the national security thing nailed down."
Again, sounds like Republican cheerleadi­ng. Who other than a Republican would applaud McCain's stance on foreign affairs which from the start it has been identical to Bush's?
The answer is Chris Mathews, in his endless sycophanti­c fulminatin­g regardless of who is interviewi­ng.

[Zentomato]

02:48 PM on 07/24/2008

krocklin, thanks you nailed Matthews perfectly. He is part of that inside the Beltway incestious group that attend the fancy cocktail parties and bbq's throughout the good ole boy DC insiders circuit.

[turboe4truth]

12:50 PM on 07/23/2008

I don't know what you people are talking about .that Chris is just great. He lets every person who is there in McCain's behalf get away with anything!!­!! The last senator on the show said that Malaki was quoted wrong and Chris just let it go What is That? Every one know that he wasn't misquoted.

I am sick of Matthews carrying the water for McCain just so the ratings stay high. If they actually reported the truth and questioned McCain's supporters this thing would be over and they all know it so he just lets them keep on with the crap instead of doing his job. Where are the Hard questions Chris??? Shame on you. The only people you question are Obama supporters and you put them through the ringer. I have stopped watching you Because it's so disgusting

[Zentomato]

05:28 PM on 07/23/2008

Matthews just had Rudy Ghouliani on and he couldn't gush and fawn over Rudy enough. Talk about a guy who has man crush issues. Sheesh.

[SlappHappy]

10:06 AM on 07/23/2008

Chris used to love the Macho Bushies, now he is sexually excited by the Manorexic Biraq Obama!

[TruthStar9]

03:08 PM on 07/23/2008

?????????

Is that an attempt to be clever? It failed.

[AngryCitizen]

07:16 PM on 07/23/2008

Big time.

[Stew118]

09:57 AM on 07/23/2008

I like Chris a lot. Sometimes he played up controvers­y and tried to do his best fox-news impersonat­ion but most of the time he shoots pretty straight. I was both surprised and taken aback by his candor when he admitted that he had never sat in a classroom with a black person at any level of his education. The fact that he is out there consistent­ly advocating open-minde­dness and an abandoneme­nt of prejudicia­l bias despite such a sheltered background is quite commendabl­e in my book.

[lizr]

03:40 PM on 07/23/2008

Yeah. He grew up in PA. I grew up in Baltimore, same deal. Til I went to school in NY never saw a black face. I was in private school.. they freaked out when the Jews came in!

The world has changed but a lot of weird old ideas still are in evidence, sadly.

[bikerdude]

09:23 AM on 07/23/2008

Lately Matthews IS the joke...He is so trying to become the "defining moment" in this poiitical race that it makes him look sophomoric and just dumb....

[hank48188]

12:02 PM on 07/23/2008

Matthews was a speech writer for Carter, he has worked in the sausage factory for years, he knows Obama is reading a teleprompt­er, reading a speech written by someone like Matthews. I guess Matthews just loves to quality of the stagecraft­.

[Manuel]

06:57 AM on 07/23/2008

But is he married with children? Enquiring minds want to know!

Manuel

[marzipan]

05:10 AM on 07/23/2008

Well, at least Matthews didn't jump up and down on the couch.

[theknightb4]

12:46 AM on 07/23/2008

Ummm... shame on Huffington Post for dramatizin­g this article by labeling Matthews' use of the word "Frickin" with asterisks in it. That was just stupid to do.

[BlueEyes08]

12:22 AM on 07/23/2008

Chris is a courageous political analyst. In addition to that he is a great human being, unscripted and boldly honest. The McCain Love ads suggest a campaign in panic attack mode.

[Rog49Thomas]

12:16 AM on 07/23/2008

Well, this just about settles it in my mind.

Not much doubt that Brother Chris will fit right in - in the Senate.

I'll bet Brownback and Stephens are worried Chris will be real competitio­n.

[susane07]

10:41 PM on 07/22/2008

I think Chris Mathews is simply adoreable (even if I disagree with him occasional­ly). Can you imagine how cute he was when he was 5 years old?

Besides being adoreable, I like bright men who show passion. And I still think about his "appeaseme­nt" exchange a few months ago. What a hoot!

Keep on keepin' on, Chris!

[triplbee]

01:11 AM on 07/23/2008

I was tuned into that episode of Hard Ball. It was priceless.