Chris Matthews Battles Nancy Pfotenhauer Over Elementary School Civics

Yesterday, Sarah Palin was asked to describe the duties of the Vice President, which is something she'd never before been briefed on by anyone other than maybe Dick Cheney, because she answered by straight making stuff up off the top of her topsy-tailed dome:

PALIN: A Vice President has a really great job because not only are they there to support the President's agenda, they are like the team member, the teammate to the president. They are in charge of the United States Senate. If they want to, they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that make life better.

Oh. But? No! Of course, the Vice President is not "in charge" of the Senate, and, similarly, does not have the opportunity to "really get in there with the senators" and "make a lot of good policy." I know this to be the case because, if Palin became Vice President, she'd face a Senate run by ... uhm ... the Democratic Party. I also know this because I successfully graduated from elementary school.

But someone had to go on Hardball tonight and battle Chris Matthews over this weird statement from Palin, and, apparently, "real Virginian" Nancy Pfotenhauer drew the short straw. Since she couldn't just go on and say something truthful like, "Chris, look. I don't know if you've noticed, but our Veep candidate is sort of a dumbass with a lot of pluck," she instead had to say weird crap like this:

I'm not a Constitutional scholar, but I have been reading a commentary on this that seems to be that people are parsing her words and she was trying to explain to a young child what the Vice President would do.

But Palin wasn't talking to a young child, she was talking to a grown-up news reporter! And you don't need to be a Constitutional scholar to know that the duties of the Vice President is to step in as President if the Chief Executive is unable to perform their duties, and to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate. You can glean this just by being a Constitutional reader. Or just a listener to someone -- anyone -- who knows what the heck they are talking about.

Pfotenhauer, nevertheless, keeps up her crazy attempt to defend Palin, first explaining that Palin was "simplifying the explanation" for the absent child, when in reality she was badly complicating the VP's role, and getting it wrong to boot. Then she insisted that the same standard be applied to Joe Biden, who's never demonstrated a similar ignorance of the role. Eventually, all she can do is sort of sit there and let Chris Matthews shame Palin again and again, by saying things like: "The clothing allowance was right and the prep sessions were not ... By the way, I like the red leather jacket, but what's underneath it is a problem."

Anyway, for once, it was a good day to be Tucker Bounds.

[WATCH.]

MATTHEWS: I want to talk about the role of the Vice President. I want to give you a shot at this. You are not somebody in from out of town. What is the role of the Vice President under the U.S. Constitution? Simply put, you know it or you don't. Either a person understands the role of the Vice President or they don't. What, as you understand it from the Constitution, as a professional, is the role of the Vice President? We are filling the part.

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PFOTENHAUER: That's right. Obviously the role of the Vice President is to support the President, but also to preside when necessary over the Senate. This is also --

MATTHEWS: That's not the role of the Vice President. I gave you a shot, Nancy. Try again. What is the Constitutional role of the Vice President in the Constitution. What's written in the Constitution?

PFOTENHAUER: I'm not a Constitutional scholar, but I have been reading a commentary on this that seems to be that people are parsing her words and she was trying to explain to a young child what the Vice President would do.

MATTHEWS: Nancy, I appreciate you coming on the show. It's a tough defense of Sarah Palin. She doesn't understand the role of the Vice President. Let me state it vetr clearly right now. It's to replace the president if necessary. as Colin Powell said, to stand ready in the tragic circumstances to replace the President. Now, that's one role. The other is to have only a tie-breaking role as presiding officer in the senate. That's it. The Constitution specifically prescribes that. In fact that's all that the person has the right to do. Here's Sarah Palin with her definition of this role, which sounds strange to me. I have been in this city for a long time and never heard anybody say -- it's similar to what she said in the debate with Joe Biden. Where does she get her civics? Here's Sarah Palin.

PALIN: A Vice President has a great job because not only are they there to support the President's agenda, they are like the team member, the teammate to that President. They are in charge of the senate. if they want to, they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better.

MATTHEWS: Continue that thought, Nancy.

PFOTENHAUER: I think she is clearly just trying to break down what it means to preside over the U.S. Senate upon occasion to a young child. Having raised five, I can tell you that you obviously have to simplify things when you discuss it. I think you guys are --

MATTHEWS: She is talking to a news reporter at the time. She had been asked the question earlier by a second grader, but this time she is talking to a news reporter. Either she's right about the role of the Vice President or I'm wrong. I would say the role of the vice presidency is limited to breaking ties in the U.S. Senate. It has nothing to do with policy making or Senate leadership on either side of the aisle. There is no policy role for the Vice President. If you even watched "John Adams" on television a few months ago, you would know that going into the beginning. The Vice President has a formal role only. She believes somehow that the Vice President has a commanding policy development role to lead the Senate. Where did she get that.

PFOTENHAUER: You can't just apply this criticism to Governor Palin and not apply it to Joe Biden, who is constantly inferring...and Barack Obama as well. He is going to offer a function as a chief foreign policy adviser. Off the record, claiming that Barack Obama is basically going to make our enemies nervous enough that they will contrive...

MATTHEWS: It is so obvious to everyone watching that you are changing the subject. I want to ask you because you know the answer, what is the legislative authority of a Vice President?

PFOTENHAUER: From the standpoint of ... they cast tie breaking votes. I don't even know how you are parsing legislative authority. Obviously legislation is drafted in the House and the Senate. Certain legislation like revenues or tax bills have to be in the House and passed in the Senate.

MATTHEWS: Does Governor Palin know this? She thinks she set up policy shop in the United States Senate.

PFOTENHAUER: You know the Vice President has a permanent office in the U.S. Senate. They engage casually -- maybe not formally, but casually -- all the time with the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

MATTHEWS: No, no, no.

PFOTENHAUER: Yes, they do.

MATTHEWS: Let's watch her again. You are missing what she is saying. She is saying she will be a leader developing policy. It's very important we get this right. The clothing allowance was right and the prep sessions were not. Let's take a look. By the way, I like the red leather jacket, but what's underneath is a problem. Let's take a look.

PALIN: A Vice President has a really great job because not only are they there to support the President's agenda, they are like the team member, the teammate to the president. They are in charge of the United States Senate. If they want to, they can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes that make life better.

Comments

[08politicaljunkie]

You know what, I just had a wild thought...

What if in Sarah Palin's mind she's not lying? I'm not saying that she's not wrong... I'm saying what if
this is what McCain and his people (or whoever) TOLD her to get her to take the position. I'm not feeling sorry for her, but what if the empty headed, terribly ambitious person was merely DUPED?

[militarymomforobama]

Oh I have no doubt that she believes ever bit of the insanity that rolls out of her mouth.

[keepemhonest]

08poli ---

IF: She were qualified
THEN: She would have already KNOWN the constitutional role of the VP.

Why would ANYONE apply for a job without knowing IN ADVANCE what the job duties are???? It just shows what a bubble head she is.

[ankjack]

If what you're saying is true, and Sarah Palin doesn't KNOW that she's lying, then it still fails the litmus test of minimum qualifications, i.e. being pro-active enough to READ THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.

I don't know if this is what you're trying for, but you're making a very good case that she's too stupid AND too lazy for the job.

[zenwhenicanbe2]

I thought Sarah Palin was just incurious and ignorant...but her comments indicate that she may well be ready to illegally CHANGE the role of Vice President if elected. NO ma'am you will not.
Chris Matthews thank you for being so unwilling to accept any half hearted explanation and for hammering this quote back at her supporters, people need to hear her distorted views.

[JayInDallas]

To say that people who are advocating our political system or worse yet, running for office yet are unfamiliar with the pillars of this democracy such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is disappointing is possibly the greatest of all understatements. It's refreshing to see that this country is no longer willing to take talking heads at their word, particularly because their word is rarely backed by substantiated references. Maybe in time we can get back to having discussions that are truly meaningful and are based upon verified facts, not hyperbole or subjective interpretation. We Americans deserve the information necessary for us to do a little due diligence. To research assertions and determine whether we're being lied to. We are no longer the children who ran to Daddy after 911, crying for protection. That father figure turned out to be morally bankrupt and unworthy of our trust. Now in our adolescence we question authority armed with facts, demanding explanations, hungry for justice.
Nancy P and her kind better realize that if they go on air (outside of Fox Noise) to spout rhetoric, they'd better be prepared to back up their claims with actual facts or else run the risk of being revealed for the fools and liars they are before the American public.

Thank you to Keith Olberman, Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow for hitting the front line.

[medici]

Nancy, since your lies obviously aren't working anymore, maybe you'd be better off saying nothing.

[sisterdebmac]

Do you think she's lying, spinning, or just as under-educated as Gov. Yup-Yup? I wonder...

[luvienne]

Palin knows she doesn't have to be knowledgeable. Look at the people who come to hear her read scripts. If Palin-Mccain wins she can read a Rovian script for four years.

[kellygrrrl]

how does a 32 y/o woman look and sound like a 65 y/o narrow-minded bitter?
She and Bitsy Hasselbeck should be BFFs.

[militarymomforobama]

Wiki says she was born in 1964

[DBtv]

willful ignorance is a republic party social dis ease. evidently so is real ignorance.

[jazzdad51]

The more these types of people talk in defense of their party's failure the more their stupidity is exposed. The smart republicans(few as there may be) are trying to keep there mouths shut and laying as low as possible. It's really hillarious. This revenge is so sweet.

[SUIGENEROUSLA]

Awesome! Chris I like you more and more.

Stand up for the constitution buddy!

[militarymomforobama]

Chris Matthews just gave another Repub bimbo a lesson. Thank God for MSNBC.

[sevenkdr]

I stood up and cheered last night when I saw it.

[elvin1]

Chris Matthews is an egomaniacal bully. He literally slobbers when he feels he has impaled someone who doesn't agree with him (usually a conservative or Republican) and attempts to embarass and humiliate them. Matthews may need to reread the Constitution and get a thrill up his leg (maybe both legs!). The Vice President can most certainly influence legislation by virtue of the fact that he/she can use his/her vote to break a tie in the Senate - vote Nay, the legislation does not pass, vote Yea, the legislation passes.

[militarymomforobama]

She said the VP is IN CHARGE of the Senate. Ever heard of the three branches of government?

[blue meanie]

I agree. And I think there may be more ambiguity in the role of presiding over the Senate than he is allowing for. I have often wondered, as a Northerner, how Mr. Matthews comes across in the South. His ungracious manner grates on me. I can only imagine how he is received elsewhere, where grace and manners count for something.

[Exusian]

elvin needs to tell us exactly how many times a VP has in fact cast the deciding vote.

We'll be waiting.

[elvin1]

Vice Presidents have cast 244 tie-breaking votes. Some framers of the Constitution felt that the duties of the Vice President violated the separation of powers. Like it or not, Dick Cheney is correct. By virtue of the fact that the powers of the VP include voting on Senate officers, committee members, and legislation, the VP is part of the Legislative branch. By virtue of the fact that he takes over for the President if the President is incapacitated or dies, the VP is a part of the Executive branch. Who woulda thunk it??

[Brian Ross - Huffpost Blogger]

Chris is adjusting to the new ground rules of the game behind the scenes: Find out how the web is reacting to people, and know where to punch and jab to resonate better.

Thank you for unmasking the phony Ms. Pfotenhauer! This is what CNN should be doing if it ever wants to see some of its audience come back, after spending the entire election cycle courting Fox News watchers.

[DBtv]

The reactionary faux noise audience is proving to be far smaller than advertised, and ever more so.

[apophatic1]

I know that Pfotenhauer and the other spinmeisters think they can dismiss the so-called "media elite" who "parse" words, but does she forget that Chris Matthews spend 6 years as the chief aide to former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill? He might know a thing or two about who the legislative branch worked.

[jeniferdaniels]

genius! go chris

[HowietheScreamer]

Pfartenhuffer got nailed to the wall. It's patenly obvious that nobody in the Mc Kwayzy campaign has explained um... you know... the Constitution to the pitbull with lipstick. The more and more they try to pass this off the more they look like idiots.