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

[IowaCali]

On the other hand, Joey Boy will see no problem in trying to undermine this presidency in the name of "Journalism". In some respects, it appears that Matthews is telling the fat cats who run the networks that he's not playing anymore.

[DuPageDem]

So now Joe, a Rethug stooge, the arbiter of what constitutes journalism. In any case, none of these guys are journalists, they're commentators. That's why Brokaw got Chris pulled off of co-anchoring election coverage, remember?

[greginwva]

good point du! Neither are really journalists but Chris is not constantly looking for the next GOP anti Obama talking point to jump on.Chris loves the country first.Joe is still a crazy GOP congrssman putting his politics before country.He deserves what Phil Donohue and Charles Groden didnt deserve.Joe needs to be fired.

[foujj]

Hey Joe, with that attitude Edward R murrow would never have gotten involved with cakking out McCarthy. There is no law that says a journalist can't have an opinion or an agenda, he just needs to be up front about it.

Perhaps if all you journalists had made a fuss in 2003 we would have held Bush toi task to come up with more substantial proof for a preemptive war in Iraq.

Keep swinging Chris!

[asus389]

They probably leaked that he was offered the job to put pressure on him to take it...

[katlade]

As a citizen of the United States it is our job to help the government work, unless of course we have some kind of quasi-dictator in the White House.

[Changeling]

Joe is correct.

But for far longer than 8 years few journalists have done their jobs: To question and push and tell the truth.

[jah2008]

Good for Matthews.

Matthews should stop calling Obama "Barack". He had better get used to not calling him by his first name.

[Meah]

He is afraid to say Osama instead of Obama. Maybe when it becomes President Obama, he can do it without blowing it.

[kody1529]

I can't believe I'm saying this but Joe is right. Ideally, Chris shouldn't say or believe that. Sure they shouldn't have biases but they all do in the media. Unfortunately, it came at a time when the good guys won so now Joe can spout off that rhetoric when he and everyone conservative/republican did it for the past 8 years. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

[Herb1843]

Reluctantly, I'm in total agreement with you about Scarborough on this issue. The old -- and hackneyed -- saying applies: Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

Matthews should know better, but having watched him more closely in the past few years, it's become a demonstrable fact that he sucks up to power. He may have gotten over his Bush man-crush ("He has just won every woman's vote in the United States of America. You know, all those women who say size doesn't count -- they're all liars. Check that out." -- May, 2003), but he still likes to cuddle up and spoon with Tom Delay.

[kody1529]

Yeah I'm surprised he didn't call Tom Delay out for the "Obama thinks the Constitution is a charter of negative rights"....which it is. He merely alluded to it after the interview was over in his transition to the Florida representative. Well its not that he necessarily "found an acorn" I think its sour grapes because he was able to do it for these past 8 years, and now he has to put up with Dem/Lib leaning pundits talking about how amazing Obama is, biased or not.

[Wiserone]

Twitty has been on a roll during this whole election and I agree he does need a vacation. He always means well, but truly, he is NOT as much of a wordsmith as he likes to think of himself. Just say it, Matthews rather than try and always find some sort of "theme" for his show. He latches onto a work or phrase and he can't let it go for the full hour of his show. And, he's the only one that seems to enjoy it.

[alienufo]

scarborough needs to be chucked off the airwaves for good.

[libsarepinheads]

Chris has already said "his legs get tigly when BO talks". Should this really be a surprise? He would drink BO's bath water if given a chance.

Now please tell me the news is fair and balance.

[kody1529]

None of it is. If you don't have a bias you aren't human.

[aubrey8]

I think Matthews speaks for most everyone at msnbc. certainly he speaks for Mika Palin, Olbermann and several others.

This certainly hasn't been a secret that he's been on Obama's bus, he's just openly admitting it.

The neo-con radio drive bye's are already all over it. It's a good thing Matthews isn't a real journalist.

[swift goat pet for truth]

HA! Are you saying this sentiment is more biased than FA UX Noise?

[GemNY]

I HATE IT when I find myself agreeing with Joe "slant the facts" Scarborough.

It has never been the obligation of a journalist to alter the facts. Quite the opposite.

[Wilsonfisk89]

Love him or hate him, you gotta respect Matthew's passion. I think he's genuine.

[uheardme]

This was the weirdest exchange and luckily Rick Stengel was there or it would have been worse. Chris Matthews needs to take a vacation.

[1012]

I have had ENOUGH of JOE..and Mika also.
So pompous, so egotistical...
Let's start a movement to replace with Morning Chris Matthews.
He is in another universe when it comes to intelligence and true confidence...
and maturity.

[BenMac]

ITA....Joe is still stuck in the Republican mode of attack, attack, attack...
The only good thins about the Morning show anymore is some of the guests like Chris who does seem like the adult when he is a guest on the show. Reminds me of how Tim Russert always came on and acted like the adult in the group.