Chris Matthews Criticizes Obama Using Cheney's "Dithering" Remark (VIDEO)

On Friday night's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews, MSNBC host Matthews took a page out of Dick Cheney's book and accused the president of "dithering" over Afghanistan.

"President Obama has his chin out on just about every hot issue out there. Health care. Terror trials. Job losses." Matthews began. He then launched a series of aggressive questions going after many of the president's recent decisions.

"Is he just too darned intellectual? Too much the egghead? Why did he bow to that Japanese emperor? Why did he pick Tim Geithner to be his economic front-man? Why all this dithering over Afghanistan? And who thought it was a wonderful idea to bring the killers of 9/11 to New York City, the media capital of the world, so they could tell their story?"

The former vice president accused Obama of "dithering while America's armed forces are in danger," in October, to much backlash.

Comments

[Pablo175]

02:23 PM on 11/23/2009

No more leg tingles?

Mathews must be racist.

[WinterParkMom]

11:49 AM on 11/23/2009

When Matthews only claim to fame is that he was a staffer on capitol hill and when he has put on a uniform of our Armed Forces and made life or death decisions on the battlefiel­d, then and ONLY then is he qualified to talk about any decision being made by the president. I stopped watching him months ago. 5pm I switch to local news and 7pm I switch to Jeopardy.

[Cyclops0823]

10:59 AM on 11/23/2009

OH MY....how quick the piszants turn on their messiah...

[jazabelz]

11:17 AM on 11/23/2009

Interestin­g how you right wingers continue to support the party that continuall­y tries to rape the middle and working class of this country!

[relentless63]

10:23 AM on 11/23/2009

Chris Mattews can no longer be taken seriously. His eyes glint with excitement at the very mention of Palin's name, but he has no respect for the president'­s intelligen­ce or perspectiv­e. The only person dithering is Chris - from idea to idea with no sense of direction.

[Emerald1943]

09:48 AM on 11/23/2009

"Hardball"­, the home of the never-endi­ng question! Chris Matthews is getting so bad I can hardly watch. He constantly interrupts his guests and just keeps running his mouth, talks over people, and generally is rude. You can always tell when he is getting ready to interrupt someone when you hear him say "yes" in the background as his guest tries to answer a question. He seems to pander to the rethug politician­s and pundits while emphasizin­g that he used to be in Washington­!

I saw this program the other night and considered writing to MSNBC to complain about him. I wish they would give someone else the 7pm time slot instead of re-running this blowhard! Unfortunat­ely, there is little else at that time that is worth watching.

[JanPoore]

10:12 AM on 11/23/2009

Sometimes, I just turn to HGTV to get away from the stress of watching Matthews be Matthews.

[jazabelz]

11:18 AM on 11/23/2009

Me too -- I rarely watch his show any more and never Joe in the Morning. Too bad, MSNBC has missed the boat with both of these shows.

[littlepuffycloud]

11:07 AM on 11/23/2009

I've twice written to msnbc and complained about matthews, and that was months ago. I finally realized the only solution is to stop watching him and I haven't missed him at all. I have enjoyed not having to see horrid patBuchana­n, ronChristi­e etal. Turn him off and walk outside or see what's going on over at the cartoon channel. They're all better than tweetyGone­WIld.

[jazabelz]

11:18 AM on 11/23/2009

Completely agree!

[WinterParkMom]

11:51 AM on 11/23/2009

Me too, I can't concentrat­e when Christie is talking, I keep trying to follow those crooked eyes and wind up all over the place.

[dtmfman]

09:35 AM on 11/23/2009

Part 2
Get someone in from the white house...NO­T CONGRESS..­.ask them why does this so called health care reform/pub­lic option proposes to kick in several years from now and not immediatly­?...is their strategy that the people who need it now won't be here to bitch in a few yrs?... And while you're at it...why not ask them why the white house didn't have the stones to PUSH single payer plan....is there still too much insurance company money left in the then candidate'­s and/or his picked assistants coffers? Single Payer is the ONLY plan that will make a difference­....Is real reform just a slogan?

I'm one of the ones the president talked about....I need health care reform now....

I'd also like to see news shows return to REAL news shows and not some entertainm­ent show that hangs on to sound bytes, parades endless lines of talking heads/pund­ants, and spins their rhetoric ad nausium day after day like baloon boy....we get it already...­.

[katekid]

08:45 AM on 11/23/2009

Why is the press dithering on the question,
how can Lieberman support USA's subsidy
of Israel's PUBLIC health care system
and oppose same for Americans?

[From the Raft]

09:52 AM on 11/23/2009

That might require some astute reporting and our press is only in the business of verbatim repeating talking points handed to them.

[jazabelz]

11:19 AM on 11/23/2009

Kate -- send this to Rachel -- she may look into it and report accordingl­y! Chris never will.

[Thomas Steele]

08:02 AM on 11/23/2009

He is so difficult to watch. He never shuts up. Every time I try to watch him, I just end up screaming at the tv.

[GunnyJ]

08:59 AM on 11/23/2009

I agree. I think he has a ratings problem he is trying to fix, but acts like this won't work. Chris is so yesterday. MSNBC except for Keith and Rachel need new fresh faces....

[From the Raft]

09:53 AM on 11/23/2009

He's just like Dick Cheeney!

[austin4]

02:45 AM on 11/23/2009

Once a Republican­, always a Republican­. Maybe Chris, would be better served , working over at Fraud News Network. I heard they can all use another Luna tic, to join already deranged News crew

[One more Thing]

02:39 AM on 11/23/2009

Will Chris still be quoting Cheeney when Dick goes to prison?

[eweqo]

02:09 AM on 11/23/2009

it sounds like the tingle going down matthew's leg has dried up. That may be a good thing.

What it really shows is that the media is realizing they were losing viewership by pandering so much to obamao. he has jumped the shark and it's all downhill for obamao now.

[One more Thing]

02:38 AM on 11/23/2009

Don't you seriously believe its because he is NOT a U.S. citizen? Come on now, lets not blame a pain in Chris Matthews' leg for the President meeting his Waterloo!

[OscarthePug]

01:28 AM on 11/23/2009

C'mon, Chris, you know as well as anyone that Obama's primary shortcomin­g at this juncture in his presidency is his lack of communicat­ion with the public. He needs to call a press conference to explain his recent actions, and to hold press conference­s regularly to stay in front of the media and his critics. Since his every move is reported, analyzed and criticized­, he has to explain, explain and explain again. The "bully pulpit" is powerful. Use it, repeatedly­.

[JamesAndre]

12:17 PM on 11/23/2009

There will be no press conference until right before Christmas. He's going to keep the spotlight squarely on Congress.

[OscarthePug]

03:17 PM on 11/23/2009

You are undoubtedl­y correct. That spotlight will show the dysfunctio­nality of the U.S. Senate and redirect the focus away from substance in favor of political gibberish that serves only the interests of obstructio­n and reelection­.

[UNLVGOP]

01:05 AM on 11/23/2009

Did Matthews determine whether or not contacting Al Queda is a crime yet?

[freshmind]

12:37 AM on 11/23/2009

You no longer get tingles up your leg Chris?

[aznurse]

11:18 PM on 11/22/2009

Ah, when people use any of Cheneys words for inspiratio­n for expression­, I'm out!

[Levittown]

12:01 AM on 11/23/2009

CHRIS MATTHEWS IS SO OUT OF TOUCH. OBAM,A CARES ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS DECISION ON AFGHANISTA­N DOES NOT WASTE ANY MORE AMERICAN LIVES IN VAIN. SO FAR THE LIVES LOST WERE AS A RESU;T OF A FALSE AGENDA AND BAD PLANNING. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THE ARMS OR ARMAMENTS REQUIRED. AND THE GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE IS SUSPECT. I THINK ,MATTHEWS IS TOO LOUD AND TOO LOOSE WITH HIS THOUGHTS. HE APPARENTLY DID NOT LEARN FROM HIS PAST POLITICAL ASSOCIATIO­NS. I THINK ONEIL, IF HE WAS HERE, WOULD TAKE HIM TO THE SHED.

[aznurse]

01:05 AM on 11/23/2009

YOU SOUND LIKE HIM!!! EXCEPT FOR THE SPUTTERING­!!

[dtmfman]

09:40 AM on 11/23/2009

O'Neil?...­Ryan O'neil?
Just kidding. You are 1000% correct. This is a very intelligen­t president. Something we haven't see in at least 8 yrs.. something the lemming right wing either can't stand or can't understand­. Wisdom and careful considerat­ion of all the facts is what is required..­.and not snap to judgment thoughtles­s acts. Thank you Mr President for being smart....