Chris Matthews: "I Want To Do Everything I Can To Make This New Presidency Work"

Chris Matthews appeared on "Morning Joe" Thursday morning, and in the context of discussing the Obama transition — and Rahm Emanuel's motives for waffling on the chief of staff position — told Joe Scarborough it is not his job to question Emanuel's motives.

"You know what?" Matthews said. "I want to do everything I can to make this thing work, this new Presidency work."

Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski pressed Matthews on his claim, asking if it his his job as a journalist to make the Presidency work.

"Yeah, that's my job. My job is to help this country...to make this work succsesfully, because this country needs a successful Presidency, more than anything right now," Matthews said.

"As Americans, Chris Matthews, we are all rooting for the success of Barack Obama," Scarborough said. "America is at a perilous time. But you just talked about being a journalist, and your job as a journalist is not to question motives. Then, two seconds later, you said your job was to make this Presidency a success. That's curious."

Later, Scarborough said, "We all wish [Obama] well, we just don't think it's our job to make this work anymore than it was a journalist's job to make the Iraq War have a successful launch."

Watch, and enjoy Time Managing Editor Rick Stengel knocking Newsweek's Barack Obama cover, which features a photo that Stengel called "about two years old," below:

Comments

[jonjon66]

"brave Republican Evangelicals" that waited "in the rain to vote for Bush in 2004" -is more offensive, and not one of their "celebrated guest" had the balls to call Joe on his-race baiting,the day after the election.

[byrdland49]

"We all wish [Obama] well, we just don't think it's our job to make this work anymore than it was a journalist's job to make the Iraq War have a successful launch."

What? Really, Joe? Then why did so many members of the Fourth Estate act as freakin' cheerleaders for the Bush administration without ANY serious investigative reporting or counter-arguments?

Seriously, you lose whatever limited credibility you may have heard with inane comments like this one.

[jimme]

As long as the MSM doesn't dwell on inconsequential items lie the "lipstick on a pig" fiasc,that would be helping in making this a successful Presidency. I can guarantee you that faux news will still dominate their air-time with nonsense like that. What is the purpose of it? Are we not suppose to all be Americans working for the same common goal,like a better world?
When it comes to items such as the build-up to the Iraq War,that is when we need the MSM the most to ask the REAL questions that need answering.

Sadly they failed us and this country with that one.

[eastutican]

SheenaVa is precisely and absolutely right.

Scarborough railed about Rev Wright for a complete month last March and could not have stumped more for McCain the last two months if he was a paid campaign worker. Now, days after the election, he has climbed up on Obama's back and is acting like the hack he is. I only watch him because the alternatives are so offensive.

[Repobus]

Well - I can't add much to SheenaVa or eastutican - they are RIGHT on the money regarding Joe, Mika and Morning Joe.

The guests are fantastic - Mika and Joe border on insult to intelligence. Funny that Mika even tried to wear her hair in a Palin-esque manner yesterday - then probably realized it wasn't long enough and gave up... hilarious.

And Joe's continuing to compare this election to the "brave Republican Evangelicals" that waited "in the rain to vote for Bush in 2004" - is nothing short of laughable, if not offensive to any non-Republican.

[Liberalrep1980]

Forget Limbaugh, most of the world has. He's a Dbag. Yeh, Mathews wasn't saying that he wouldn't do his job. He was just saying that he wants to help when he can. Nothing wrong with that. I wish more people thought like that.

[SheenaVa]

I quit watching MJ at least once a week. But then I keep coming back, because of the guests. In this case, I believe Chris was just saying that he wasn't going to question the motives of the Rahm exchange the night before. He was taking Rahm at face value for speaking candidly to the press. Joe tried to make it much more sinister and make it seem as though it was a rookie mistake for leaking. Chris: Keep up the good work.
Mika: Grow a pair.

[grf67]

Can you get Hannity, Linbaugh, Scarborough to quit and join a monastery in Tibet?

[aztekclub]

This is a bit off topic, but I think we should make a drive to Get Rush Limbaugh off of American Forces Radio and Television. The primary mission of AFRTS is to diseminate the message of the Commander, The secondary is the Entertainment. Limbaugh willspend the next 4 years Trashing the Commander in Chief.. In my opinion that would hurt Morale.. Any ideas?

[MrsMAB]

I really wish that Mika, who I like and admire, would stop trying so hard to not be liberal. Joe needs a good balance, as he bullies everyone on his show, and Mika stands idle by and watch with a contorted face. Speak your peace Mika - we have your back! Joe is wrong most of the time, and hurray to Chris for daring to disagree with his moronic views.

[dimplesmile7]

It is funny how Morning Joke is so sore about the Obama win and express it everyday on the show. Time to move on Joey.

[OutragedMom]

As if Joe knows what a journalist's job is.....

[Sloopydrew]

G00gle L0ri al0ng with the name J0e and y0u may get a deeper insight int0 what makes Scarb0r0ugh tick. The dem0ns that he may be hiding that p0ssibly c0ntribute t0 giving him this m0nstr0us pers0nality. His sh0w is biased and manipulative and really sh0uldn't be watched by any0ne. I wish MSNBC w0uld take it 0ff the air already. After watching the ab0ve vide0, I d0ubt Chris Matthews w0uld 0bject. I am certain Rachel Madd0w w0uldn't have a pr0blem with it. And Keith? He'd be 0verj0yed! I keep waiting for Joe to make the Worst Person in the World segment, but I suppose picking an MSNBC host would be against policy.

[Cooper1608]

This little quote best describes Mr. Scarborough: Although it is not true that all conservatives are stu**pid people, it is true that most stu**pid people are conservative.

[RichardIII]

I saw the piece and my thought was that Joe was making a blatant effort to smear the Obama team at an extrodinarily early stage over a very insignificant issue. It sounded as typically desparate as the entire republican campaign.

I truly believe that after listening to Joe, Mathew's reply was meant to convey the idea that he (Mathews) was going to help the new administration succeed by not tearing it down over every trivial matters like Joe had just done. Not Pollyanish, but not destructive and devisive at every turn ala Joe S,.

My next thought was how did an ex-republican congressman who has been seen repeatedly on stage with a nearby George Bush get three hours in the morning on a cable network. On occassional commentator role perhaps, but not three hours in the morning. He'd be more at home at that other cable news program. I refuse to watch either for more than a few minutes a day.

[Grulg]

That's just-SAD. No kidding. Scarboro was hugely in the tank for Bush, Matthews for Obama. No way in hades Hillary ever had a chance on MSNBC that is for sure w/ that kinda, ummmm, journalistic tanking.

[Beninn]

That's Joe Scarborough, embarrassed and humiliated, wanting to do the same to the person he thinks did it to him. He needs to look in the mirror for that person.

It is not the press's job to be gossip mongers, to speculate, to snidely peddle motives for people in the news that the press can't possibly know.

Morning Joe's ratings are miserable, and I don't know why MSNBC keeps him or Mika Brzezinski on its network. They are ridiculous cartoons. I'd happily watch MSNBC at that time if they had on legitimate programming, but instead I watch CSpan's programming which includes the inane low-information voter call-in, Washington Journal.