Chris Matthews: GOP Strategist Has "Forked Tongue"

On Hardball Tuesday, Chris Matthews urged Barack Obama to be bold in his policy choices. When a Republican strategist disagreed, the host told him he spoke with a "forked tongue." Raw Story reports:

"It seems to me that he's got one chance to get everything done," Matthews stated passionately on Hardball. "Ronald Reagan taught everybody that. Get it done the first year or don't talk about it. ... He's got to do it. He can't say, 'I'll put it off till after the year after next.' ... Do you think this guy can survive as president if all he does is do a little tax cuts and push SCHIP?"

Matthews put the question of boldness to two political strategists, Democrat Steve McMahon and Republican Todd Harris, but neither one seemed to respond to Matthews' implication that Obama needs to do something visionary to fulfill his promises.

"Doing something dramatic and bold on the economy I think is something they're very interested in doing," McMahon began. But he also insisted that "the middle decided this election and the middle of the country -- the swing voters -- are waiting for him to address their economic concerns."

"Big doesn't need to be conflated with liberal," Harris commented. "I think it's important that people not lose sight over what this election was and what it wasn't. What it was was a historic victory for Barack Obama. What it was not was a wholesale realignment of American politics to the left."

"You guys are so -- you speak with a forked tongue, Todd!" exploded Matthews.

Watch:

Comments

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

I'm glad he said it, but it's kinda obvious. He's from the Grand Old Prevaricators. It's what they do. THey can't help themselves. These people will LIE when the truth would serve them better.

[mamacat]

They should change it to the GOB; Grand ol' Bloviators.

[Archivist1000]

After the last election, bush said he had CAPITAL TO SPEND .... and that he would spend it!


TURNS OUT IT WAS MY LIFE SAVINGS HE SPENT ... I can't wait to see the back of him!

[moongal6]

Wow, well said, Chris.
I think I have a new brother!

[Tim303]

Yes.

[GeorgeP922]

What is so mind blowing about this quote?

I realize there is a major beef between Huffington and NBC, but where is the controversy here.

What in this clip screams "Get Mathews off the air"?

[Grunty1]

I don't have any clue what you are talking about.

[realpolitic]

This story is not here to reflect badly on MSNBC, but to show how out of touch Republican operative Todd Harris is. He seems to think that Obama is a Republican and will act like one in office.

[DeeW]

I thought HuffPost liked MSNBC I mean they have a bunch of stories about them today - that's just free advertising. I'd think they'd only do that with a station they liked. I don't get the feeling they're mocking Chris.

[GeorgeP922]

You would think, but the answer is no.

Just keep an eye on the Media section here.

If I wanted to be cynical I could say that no top level employees appear there anymore, and some of the top people here seem now to be permanent fixtures on CNN.

In the end, they are really competitors, anyways, spend too much time here and you will notice.

[wmafoune]

I love Chris..

[sisteract]

Yes. And he was absolutley right. When Shrub won by stealing the election he was out there talking about how America had given him a mandate. Now President Elect Obama wins with overwhelming support, conservatives have the nerve to say he needs to cowtow and tiptoe to please them. I say to President-Elect Obama, do whatever you feel is right to get this country back on track and if the conservatives don't like it they can cry in their beer!

[StephenDedalus82]

Matthews was calling out the hypocrisy of Bush and his minions claiming a mandate to pass his egregious tax cuts and start a war etc. etc. after he lost the popular vote to Al Gore, but now even with a landslide Obama doesn't have a mandate to do what HE wants, according to said minions.

[kellygrrrl]

well, it's true! that Todd Klown is ridiculous and needs to be told how offensive it is that he assumes anyone is ignorant enough to believe his lies.

Why does Todd HATE America?

[realpolitic]

I can not think of one Republican operative that I like. They are all sleezy snakes.

[robXdion]

It's about time someone said this. Bush squeezes by TWICE with slim margins in all categories, struts around bragging about his "political capital" and republicans claim he has a mandate. Nov 2nd everyone was saying this was a close race, but Obama blows McCain out, his popularity is the inverse of Bush, and republicans (Shrum) think Obama should be meek and apologize for winning? Then say he has no mandate? Denial should be painfull.

[mirage2008]

Gotta love it when Chris gets all righteous on these toolbags.