Chris Matthews Admits: "I'm Partial" For Barack Obama, "You Got Me!"

Stop 1 on Chris Matthews' Whirlwind Tour of LA — which will bring him to his reunion with Ellen DeGeneres — was the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Tuesday night Matthews sat down with Leno to discuss the Obama presidency, the possibility of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, the bailout of the auto industry,

Matthews admitted to Leno that he has been, and still is, "partial" to Barack Obama.

"Well, I'm partial," he said. "You got me. You nailed me! I've been watching politics since I was a kid and all the way back to the days of Kennedy and Nixon and I've never seen anything like Barack Obama. No one's ever been as inspiring."

Matthews said that Obama's run was "stunning to [him] from the time it started" and described Obama as "a remarkable political reality."

When Leno brought up the topic of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Matthews laughed, saying, "Come on, you're setting me up!" Matthews is a frequent Clinton-antagonist who was recently overheard on a train trashing her as a Cabinet pick.

The always-excited "Hardball" host may was also passionate about the auto industry bailout. Matthews told Leno, a well-known car enthusiast, that if the CEOs of the "Big Three" auto companies are going to become government employees through a bailout, they ought to accept government salaries.

"These auto company CEOs have not had a good year, or a good decade, and they're still making hundreds of millions of dollars," Matthews said. "I think we ought to say, if we're going to be in a bailout situation...stop getting paid like capitalists. You didn't do it," he added, suggesting a $400,000/year cap on their salaries (equivalent to what the President makes).

Watch:

Comments

[PATina]

At least he's honest about it. I think it's inevitable that as a person you will have a preference or partiality in things political. And while I know his job as a journalist compels him to look at both sides equally.... I'd much rather have a Chris Matthews who admits his balance... than anyone on Fox/CNN who tries and pretend they are non-partial or fair and balanced.

[ApolloniaCreed]

You don't say... at times he tried to over compensate by being hypercritical of now P.E. Obama... but I forgive him...

[IslandGyal]

It was funny how Chris Matthews gave the Cable Guy the once over, LOL!

[sunny555]

If Chris is so partial to the new P.E., he should get a job working for him. He should not be masquerading as a journalist.

[IslandGyal]

sunny555,
Oh yeah, like Sean Hatetity, Bill-o the clown, Steve Doochy, Meghan Kelly, et al, at FAUX "news"?

[Pegi]

Love Chris Matthews, especially since he handed the rope to Michelle Bachmann and sat back and watched the fiasco!!! He has exposed these thugs for exactly what they are, narrow minded thugs who would sell their mother down the river for a vote!!!

[PublicusOrator]

She was re-elected. In Minnesota where Mr. Coleman and Franken are battling it out.

[mirage2008]

Yes, and??

[dphilip]

Wow, talk about a bomb shell! this just in...Rush Limbaugh has close ties to some republicans...hahah

[Kleberson]

At least Matthews is honest. Not like Bill O'Reilly pretending to be an "independent", a "libertarian", and a "jouranlist". Of course when the "war on Christmas" comes around... Billo is all theocrat!!

[Chris]

Or Olbermann not voting because he was to appear impartial.

[huffyISaHottie]

yeah..i'm a big olberman fan but i dont get that whole " i did'nt vote so i can be unbiased"...that smacks of a little too much self importance....what most of us do is vote and keep to ourselves keith..try it

[PATina]

Let's add Lou Dobbs to your list as well. Mr. so-called Independent is so far up the right's behind he can't even see how biased he is.

[mirage2008]

Lou Dobbs is as much as independent as I am a Republican.

[SlappHappy]

I'm expecting the drunken Tweety to show up on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Season 3. MSNBC had to throw him in rehab before the election and he's still acting and sounding sauced on some recent Hardball shows.

[JustMom]

Love Chris! Haaa!

[Ty90]

I LOVE Chris Matthews. He is an awesome guy and i enjoy watching his show.

[mirage2008]

Yep.

[Girl28]

"I seen a dollar store that had a lay-a-way plan." Funny stuff!

[pecadillosam]

I used to loathe Chris Matthews 4 - 8 years ago when he was preoccupied with getting in the good graces of the Republicans in power, but he has gradually come around to being a pretty good advocate for common sense! I think being in close proximity to Keith Olbermann has helped a great deal.

Matthews definitely supplied the rope for Michelle Bachmann to hang herself as the bigoted hater that she is. And his no-BS affirmation of Barack Obama is exactly what non-supporters need to hear on shows like Leno to counter the hate and disinformation they listen to on talk radio.

[chin075]

I daresay I like Chris Matthews. I don't agree with him on everything, and he's more than a little grating sometimes. But I really like his enthusiasm.

[XME]

I'm not sure how I feel about a "bailout" for the auto industry, but one thing I'm sure of is that Chris is absolutely right on one piece. If we do give them more money, it has to come with some major conditions...and one SHOULD be a cap on their all their pay, until all the money is paid back, in full.

[hudsuckerproxy]

Hopefully Matthews' admiration for Obama will have more staying power than his previous man-crushes:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070409/alterman