Matthews Rages At "Pissant" GOP For Criticizing Obamas' Date Night (VIDEO)

MSNBC's Chris Matthews went off on the GOP Tuesday night, whacking the Republican National Committee for trying to stir up outrage over the Obamas' recent date in New York.

The RNC seized on the excursion, which included dinner and a Broadway show, as a wasteful indulgence.

"As President Obama prepares to wing into Manhattan's theater district on Air Force One to take in a Broadway show, GM is preparing to file bankruptcy and families across America continue to struggle to pay their bills," read their "Research Piece," titled "Putting On A Show."

"If President Obama wants to go to the theater, isn't the Presidential box at the Kennedy Center good enough?" added RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho.

Matthews called the attack a "cheap shot" and the trip as a sign that the president, unlike his predecessor, appreciates culture. He pointed out that the Republicans never complained about President Bush's frequent trips to Texas. "This is the kind of pissant criticism that makes you wonder why Michael Steele still has his job," Matthews exclaimed. "Is this jealousy, or just nincompoop anti-intellectualism?"

Watch:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Comments

[americanalien]

The GOP would do America a lot of good if they just voluntarily abolished themselves.

[Star2000dancer]

Look! Ghandi was truly for the people. Like Jesus he visited the poor, he wasted not a dime. Car Nicholas the 2nd & Czar Ivan hte terrible lived indulgent styles & answers only to God. Watching the Obama's if we were not in a Depression, and we ARE in a Depression when people are living in tent cities, & the people are suffering so bad & dying like flies from misdiagnosis alone not to mention healthcare & drug side effects. More & more people are going in poverty that they will never be able to get out off because the "system" won't let them.
The cost of that date alone could've put a smile on 100's of people' faces. Instead, even though we'd all to have a life like the Obama's, & we love to see them happy & in love. They should be showing us how to have green dates that do'nt cost anything. That's setting an example.
Let them eat cake keeps coming to my mind. I don't think they mean that, I just think they lost touch with their base. Save it for when America can share the happiness too.

[americanalien]

God bless Chris Matthews for telling it like it is. He is a genius. Someone had to put the Repubs in their place and he stepped up to the plate. He and Keith Olbermann are the two most honest men on national television.

[Michael Rowe - Huffpost Blogger]

Marry me, Chris Matthews!

[americanalien]

Second! Chris rocks!!!

[Vorticose]

Wow! Chris Mattews is defending Obama. Man, did not see that one coming.

[LeftCoastLarry]

Set aside for a moment who said it.
The point is, what he said was true.

[TruthmongerII]

This is the big bogeyman for the GOP, that somebody is having a good time.

[missinginminnesota]

these Republicans are embarrassing themselves...do they not know we remember that G.W went off to Texas about every other weekend..Bush spent more time on vacation than he did working...amazing.

[jmcalli]

But Bush was working - he was clearing brush ;-)

[billbb]

Not from where it counted: between his ears.

[helpusa]

Not only is our President trying to do a good job, but he is normal and wants to have a life outside of the responsibilities of his office. Anyone that knows anything about how to have a more productive life knows that you have to go play sometimes to get away from it all, so you came back charged up. I've never seen so many complaints about a Presidents recreation choices. Considering the last administration who didn't even deserve a cup of coffee from the taxpayers, The Obamas deserve to have their weekend date, SO SHUT UP COMPLAINERS, I've had with you.

[Jesse Smith]

Chris Matthews and his lovesick, schoolgirl crush on Barack Obama has no place on a "news" channel. What Chris Matthews thinks and does to himself while thinking of Obama can be done in the privacy of his own bathroom.

MSNBC is an absolute disgrace, the liberal version of FOX news complete with its foolish, partisan and reckless self promoting versions of the 'news' at the peril of an informed public.

[LeftCoastLarry]

They are not the liberal version of FOX. There is one distinct difference. Chris and Keith don't make things up. They have taken on the task of exposing extreme right-wing rhetoric for what it is. Railing against extremism doesn't make them extremists.

[Janet Wolfbauer]

Jessie you're just jealous because you don't have a crush boy or girl!

[novoorganum]

Chris Mathews the philosopher poser.

[ron ray]

where were all these tight-budget conservatives when bush was spending more time on vacation than in dc? matthews is dead right.

[LeftCoastLarry]

The list of extreme hypocrisy is endless. McCain emoted over the cost of Marine helicopters after Obama took office as if he had something to do with it. They had been on order for years.
Bush goes to Central America on a boondoggle of a conference a month before he leaves office. Billions wasted on no-bid contracts to corporate buddies of the Bush family.
We now have a president who works. And they criticize a night out.

[emmasvoice]

Chris Matthews was absolutely on point! Where has education, which includes the arts, disappeared to? These ignorant, airheaded, "pissant" far right republicans should read a decent book for a change, preferably one that emphasizes character and and a working knowledge of at least the fact that it is a new new century and time in which we now live. The new age has little tolerance for pissants! Pissants must learn that Presidents should lead by example. Respect for the family is a part of that, and so is culture. Go to school and learn someting of value PISSANTS!

[mikey970]

the president can take himself and his wife to nyc anytime he wants, to this 24 news business, that we have to know everything 24/7 is crazy. he was wasting tax payer money? who says??? the man has a wife and kids and im sure he is just doing what any couple would be on a noite on the town, with the person they love. find something else to b*****h about. what does the $400,000.00 salary pay for?????????????

[aaronr2000]

Where's a family values Republican when you need one? Shouldn't they be defending the president on this one? "Focus on the Family"? Anyone? Oh well...

[bub26]

one would think

[ejackson21st]

Yea, they spend $75 million to keep gays from marrying in California and nobody complains about that. That was just for "one" election. They are gearing up for the next one which will certainly cost more. That will go on and on and on until they finally get the point that it is inevitable and they are wasting tax payers money through their exemptions.

[Vixter]

Remember when Dan Quayle railed against the TV show "Murphy Brown" for ruining the American family? What a bunch of hypocrites.

[rjn16]

Chris Matthews is a perfect example of why MSNBC is getting it's teeth kicked in by Fox News. The guy doesn't get it. I have no problem with the Obama's going on a "date night", just don't use taxpayer monies to do it, especially the night before GM is filing for bankruptcy protection. This is the same guy who criticized bank and car heads for their extravigant spending of bailout funds and said that they should be more responsible when it comes to spending tax payer dollers. Please Mr. Obama, practice what you preach.

[aaronr2000]

It took me three or four months of planning a surprise weekend trip to see the broadway musical Wicked for my wife. She had no idea why we were driving from the DC surburbs to NYC until she saw the banner on the theatre. I'm flattered that by your standards that's "extravagant". If you mean the flight there, the jet they took is cheaper than flying Air Force One, and again providing security for the president of the US is simply a cost of doing business.

[emmasvoice]

Truly ignorant response, "rjn"....really sad that you are so shallow and uninformed. I won't rant on; you wouldn't understand anyway.

[deermudra]

He's the president of the united states, he can't just do ANYTHING without a security circus. Get real.

[Vixter]

BTW, rjn, President Obama paid for his own dinner & theater tickets,,,and I'm sure he would have rather driven, but then you would be complaining about the highways being closed down or anything else the family might do. Grow Up.