James Traficant Is Out Of Jail And On Hardball

This afternoon, on Hardball, Chris Matthews hosted an interview with James Traficant, the Youngstown, Ohio Democratic Representative best known for his "Beam me up!" catchphrase, his conviction and subsequent incarceration for racketeering, and his hair, which looks like a carpet remnant sewn from the fur of swamp rats, stapled to his head. Traficant is now a free man, and he's GOING ROGUE.

Matthews' interview with Traficant was MAGICAL. Traficant adopted the tactics of Rod Blagojevich: have mesmerizing hair, deliver a full-throated declaration of support for the little guy, and make a series of robust claims that he is a man more sinned against than sinning. "I still have Federales swarming around me," he told Matthews, "They won't admit that, but they're looking for every opportunity to send me back." Over the course of their interview, Traficant decried spending and taxes, claimed to have spoken at Tea Party Rallies, and professed support for a "fair tax" and the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service. Critically, he did not rule out -- and indeed, threatened -- a future run for office.

Yes. He said, "Beam me up!" He also offered a new catchphrase: "Stimulate this!" Basically, James Traficant wants his collected volume of zingers to be considered a "governing philosophy."

All of this was amazing. Someone, please, teach James Traficant about Twitter, and do it soon.

[WATCH]

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Comments

[grasyknol]

As a former Youngstown, Ohio resident, I can only say that Traficant's popularity can be measured against the contempt from the rest of the American people to the demise of the Steel industry in the 70s and 80s.

When cheap steel was dumped by South Korea, many simply stood by and shirked, and said, "Well, that's business." Now the cheap foreign competition goes after many of your jobs and there are little left to fight for you and you wonder why.

Youngstown elected a demagogue like Traficant to give the proverbial "finger" at the rest of you. You forgot when this country actually made something. You see what replaced it, a fake economy, built of moving money from one place to the other, while your companies downsize you out to impress their shareholders each quarter.

I'm not a fan of Jim Traficant. I believe he is self-serving and maybe somewhat off balanced. But I also know many of you probably stood idly by thinking the working stiff could lose his/her job while you kept your nice office job. So join the ranks of the unemployed as your jobs are shipped to cheaper labor markets in India. You had it coming.

[max08]

Traficant is great. What a character.

[Vermifax]

teh hair is teh scary...

[bibimimi]

Man, he looks GREAT.

[pfc1369]

Another idi**otic and ignorant politico...

A 25 percent sales tax on EVERYTHING we buy, to replace the graduated income tax, will, guaranteed, further impoverish the already impoverished, and further enrich the already obscenly rich.

It would be the most regressive tax since the age of Feudalism.

[max08]

(1) You haven't done the math.
(2) The obscenely rich will be paying real tax for the first time since Bush took office
(3) It will create a nation of savers.
(4) The truly impoverished will be helped with food stamp tax exemptions.

It was proven in an early 90s secret report by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency -- told to me directly by one of the OCC people involved in the study -- that a 10% flat tax on everyone would put us in the black. Huge tax firms like H&R Block and tax attorneys went batsh*t lobbying to make sure it never happened.

[LittleOldLadyWho]

I don't even remember much of what he said, I was just stuck on his HAIR!!

[gray375]

bless heart. The people of Youngstown ought to buy him a new rug for his birthday

[littlepuffycloud]

This is why I won't watch Hardball anymore. Chris never shuts up or lets his guests finish a thought, he has stupid irrelevant guests and he continues to have bigot patrickbuchanan on. Other than to laugh at this guy's hairdo, why give him any air time? With what we're facing every day, Matthews wastes 15 minutes on this guy. Stupid.

[LittleOldLadyWho]

Chris has his faults, but he is STILL one of the most informed people out there--he just can't help himself sometimes! :o)

Buchanan HAS to go, I will definitely keep letting MSNBC as much!!

[BOin08]

Chris doesn't care about the answer-he just wants to hear himself talk-classic projection of anyone who thinks they are smartest one in the conversation.

[INQUISITION11]

That's the most heroic comb over I've ever seen.

[Ratfink1]

If Glen Beck ever needs a sidekick, I think we have a prime candidate.

[Dbos]

Crossfire

[pittfan]

what he says i go along with and that is the us congress is bought and paid for by the special interest groups. he would be a viable candidate for the senate from ohio .i cannot disagree with what he stands for and he has the kehones to do what he says and thats more than what we get from most elected represenatives

[pepper47]

At least he's got b#lls. Unlike the nuetered Dems in the Ho House

[The Albany Kid]

Co-sign!

[sposton]

I kinda like the guy. ;-)

[ProComputer]

Colorful, yes. But credible? Hardly. Like and old soldier who may never die he should just fade away. Please.

[Bongborg]

I wonder if they let him wear that ridiculous toupee in prison?

[Crumb]

It might be a prison toupee. Looks like woven rat hair to me.

I guess it was his version of a jailhouse tattoo.

[Solja]

The answer to your question is no. A toupee, just like a wig, is confiscated during the initial processing, when he was first locked up.

He probably needs to get a new one fitted for his head now.