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

[IntelligentDesign]

Republicans have become the party of brain-dead-talking-pointers, and they have amassed an army of like minded parrots to carry their inane message to the flock, as well as to shout down those who would bother to call them out - a strategy so powerful that they were able to hoodwink the country into an expansionist war of aggression ala Mr. AH of WW II fame.

The Iraq war became their Waterloo as a critical mass of citizenry rose in stiff opposition, culminating with Barack's call of ENOUGH! (The economic meltdown provided additional nails to the already sealed cof fin) The brain-active people of this great nation will have nothing to do with a foreign policy that better resembles a criminal enterprise.

Republican Party is now a dead party walking, a fate they so richly deserve.

[Gail54]

This is what I have been waitng for someone to say!YAY!!!!!!!!!!

[obamamerican]

Thank you, Chris, for calling out the republicans on their systemic hypocrisy! They truly act like the selfish kid on the block who owns the football.

[cantalopejones14]

SALON.COM TELLS OBAMA TO STOP "STONEWALLING" AND COME CLEAN WITH THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE. FINALLY!

[CaptainVideo]

Location of the story please.

[DebbieinPhx]

Here it is. http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/11/12/palin/
It was written by Camilla Paglia, long time Palin Admirer extraordinaire.

But once more for the record and for all those incredibly STUPID people out there.. and yes, I will now resort to calling all those who are still buying into the Obama's Birth Certificate Drama/Conspiracy/utter blather and complete nonsense theorum....

Barack Obama is a US citizen, he is also a seated US Senator with a fairly high security clearance. Obama served on the Foreign Policy Committee in the US Senate, this requires all participants to have a VERY high clearance. The US Secret Service has oversight of this and the investigations are completed by the FBI. They miss nothing, they dig into every aspect of your life. Being a US citizen and being able to verify this is paramount as is being able to verify EVERY aspect of your life.

All of the criteria and the processes necessary in acquiring these clearances are public knowledge. Had Pres.elect Obama NOT been a citizen he would not have been able to serve. END. OF. THIS. FREAKING. LAME. STORY. His mother was a US citizen, so he automatically is a US citizen. If you cannot understand, hit yourself over the head repeatedly with a baseball bat and leave the rest of us out it. This is a non-item. Leave it alone.

[BWonka]

Another of your wet dreams, gotnocajones14?

[peacebypiece]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp

[Happylib]

Use your "cantelope" for good not evil. Get over it already....YOU LOST! BITTER MUCH?

[Leota2]

Obama has SHOWN his birth certificate. The newspapers have SEEN his birth certificate. The hospital has RELEASED his birth certificate. You idiot trolls are still lugging this crap story around. Do you REALLY believe a man who was an Illinois State Legislator for eight years and a U.S. Senator for four years really isn't a citizen? God you people are dumb.
He got college loans and had to register with the military to get those loans to go to school. Damn!

[Casbah]

I love it when Chris Matthews goes ballistic and calls the GOP on their crap! I agree that Obama needs to be bold and take a page from Reagan's book and push his agenda in the first 100 days!

[firelass]

Yeah, but he has lost his edge. He used to be great because everybody on their crap. Then he was sympathetic to the Conservatives, and now he has flipflopped over to the Liberals. Which is it Chris? Is it really Hardball when you pitch soft to the team you like?

[margardner]

These guys are still rabid over Obama's win. They just can't except they were out shined. Obama is a smart man and will make intelligent decisions. Can we just wait until January though, until you know, until he's been sworn in, geeeez! Until then, Bush is *still* responsible for the ailing problems this country is currently suffering.

[moodigirl]

I was watching this and literally fell out laughing. Chris, when he gets beside himself, is hysterical.

I do find it interesting, however, that all of them seem to stick with the same talking points of how the country is still center right. Bizarre.

[CaptainVideo]

A little over a week ago they were saying that Obama was the most liberal Democrate in the Senate and a socialist. Now they are claiming that he won on a center-right platform. GIVE ME A BREAK!

[chronic]

EXACTLY! LOL!!

[LemonMeringue]

I like the new Chris Matthews. He speaks with passion and it's obvious he believes what he says.

[ObserverinVancouver]

He's trying to impress the Pennsylvania electorate.

[zenaby56]

Thank you Chris Matthews!!!!

Maybe some other people in yoru position will follow your lead and engage in the work of helping the American people get truth!!! I am so sick and tired of Republicans getting on media shows and telling bald faced lies. It has been discouraging to see so many media people sit there and allow the lies.

Thank you Chris Mathews!!!

Thank you Chris Matthews!!

Thank you Chris Matthews!

[chronic]

Matthews knows full well that the mainstream media has aided in the propaganda and lies of the right wing for the past few decades.


Hes sick of it!

[chendri887]

I feel like a slave. Does anyone else here feel like a slave too? I mean it. Like, I have little or no control over my life. How much of this is due to my anxiety disorder and how much is due to external forces? That is my existential question.

[dhertzfe]

We are slaves of the few wealthy. The agenda pushed by the Repug party. You do not have control over anything. Food, Family, Job, Health or Property. The American dream has become something of the past and look how short of time it was accomplished. We need to take back control and stand behind the ENOUGH is ENOUGH slogan.

[incontempt]

you would surrender to either?

[chendri887]

Well, "surrender" is not exactly the word I would use. I am just tired and worried. Painfully worried. I've had an anxiety disorder all my life. Yet, at the same time, I recognize some of its effects would be mitigated by living in a less Socially Darwinistic world. And after trying to many medications and getting so little result, I am just at the end of my rope. It's like, "Ugh." I guess for someone without my brain chemistry, it's hard to understand.

[RockySoldier]

you're a one-note pianist.

[TN]

Oh yah, I enjoyed that one. I am loving MSNBC calling people on their rhetoric. They've got it goin' on.

[debb17055]

Sorry if this is being double posted but I think it was important to all of us that believe the Republican media defenders didn't just run the buss over the public. They were driving a Semi Double trailer and pretty much got a free ride doing it.
GenXer,
I am SO with you on this. I live in the T Repug section of PA and I cannot believe the holier than though messages that came into my inbox from my "friends"?
Never did they consider how I felt about this election; it was just assumed I was on their side. I realized there was no way to try to argue with the Elisabeth Hasselbecks in my life...
I never said, OK, my side won and yours lost. She is relentless and she needs to go to FOX news ASAP, that will guarantee that I never have to witness her ridiculous antics ever again!
Please don't think that I don't do my research before expressing my opinion, and I love give and take between differing opinions, I am just tired of doing all of the homework to refute the lies that are spreading around.
So back at you, anyone else going through this?

[gladys46]

Ever really look at these repug's faces ... weird !

Anyway, one president at a time please ... didn't they hear the P.E. say that please ! Stop dictating to him already ... enough !

[LemonMeringue]

They always look like their faces are made of wax, and they are constipated.

[Heru1]

they have big dumbo ears

[AJBF]

Jeez! Give the man a chance already! He hasn't even been sworn in - everything he has done so far has been excellent - give the guy a break and let time be the judge.

[LemonMeringue]

Dennis Kucinich's sister died today at the age of 48. It seems that should be mentioned on HuffPo. He lost his brother last December.

[gladys46]

So sorry for Dennis ... I like him alot ... my good thoughts go out to him !

[shades3]

Dennis Kucinich was the only one, backed by Robert Wesler, who had the stones to present an itemized letter of impeachment that at least went into the record against the Bush Administration.
He doesn't seem to have any luck but bad luck lately though in his family.
Gutsy little guy though and more power to him.
Everyone else saw what was going on, on both sides of the aisle for the last eight years and few had the guts to stand up on their hind legs and say, "ENOUGH!" except Kucinich and Wexler. Courage is certainly rare these days amoung those who would lead us.
WHEW!!
Chris Matthews does seem to be a bit more aggressive these days though. Good for him. He actually challenges guests who are spewing fantasy and nonsense.