Let me finish tonight with Sarah Palin's midnight ride with American history.
I have a theory about this person. I don't think she's all that interested in American history. If she were, she would know more of it.
What she wants is bad news about America. What excites her isn't politics - the debate of one side against the other, Republicans vs. Democrats, liberals vs. conservatives.
What she wants, as I said, is bad news about America. What excites her is not the chance to participate or lead in government. She quit government, dumped it really. She had other interests.
No. Palin is out to cause trouble. She wants people to be mad at politicians, mad at government, mad at the people who report on government. She wants unhappiness with politics and government to dominate the airwaves, dominate the conversation, dominate the country's mood.
She wants us to think about the government the way the early colonists thought about the British back in England. She wants us to arm ourselves so that we can fight the Red Coats. She wants us to live in a state of relentless simmering rebellion - ever angry, ever mistrustful, eve detesting the people we've elected to run the government, the people who cover the people in government. She wants us to believe toward the government the way angry middle-aged bikers look at government - as the enemy.
This is why she gives off this weird rendition of Paul Revere's ride. It wasn't to the colonists which way the British were coming. It was to warn the British that they can't take away our muskets, the muskets we carry to, you guessed it, fight the British. She acts as if we haven't had self-government in this country since 1788, that we've been holding elections every two years for Congress, every four for President like clockwork. She acts and talks and signals in every way possible that we are living under a tyranny imposed on us.
This is why the 2012 election is not about who will lead us but whether we are ready to vote against the belief we are governing ourselves: what a negative, self-defeating proposition, what a strange reason for remaining in public life. She gets the history wrong because she gets the United States wrong. We "are" a self-governing country and the people who matter are the ones who help us do it, not the ones who attack but do not lead.
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Nail on the Head Chris !!!
You really have her pegged - and I think it will become more and more obvious as the campaigning starts to unfold.
For someone that really has absolutely nothing to bring to the table other than hate, negativity, and an occasional ridiculous sound-byte or three, she sure gets a lot of attention - I wonder why that is???
Been watching your show for years, you make a hell of a lot of sense to me, so for an older guy you are doing alright:)
Rollins "and every bit as attractive" Comparing visuals of Bachman and Palin. Come on Chris you know everyone knows Palin would have been pulled from the national stage if she were a homely woman saying what she says. Gone long ago
Did not see Hardball tonight (Tuesday) yet. Would imagine you folks had to have Colberts take on Palin's Paul Revere ride
I can not stop laughing. One of Colbert and teams best.
Starts at 6:58
http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/mon-june-6-2011-werner-herzog
Chris slipped and said "motive" in regard to himself. Matthews has done everything he can to knock Palin out
Just wish Matthews would try to be consistent about his views about Sarah Palin. Chris you have come right out at times and called Palin an idiot, not the brightest lightbulb in the room, etc. Why then try to cover up and say most politicians are above average intelligence. You know what you think about Palins capacity to be a real leader. Why not keep harping on CAN AMERICANS REALLY SEE HER AS PRESIDENT OR VICE PRESIDENT.. Is this the best America can put forward.?
Sarah Palin. Keep pounding her intellectual laziness. What a message for our children. You can be pretty, intellectually lazy and reach these levels of power an influence. It is about the way she looks and her prejudices.
You said something about knowing who Michelle Bachman is even though you disagree with her. That we don't know who Romney is. I think Romney has more magnetic attraction. Steady, father knows best type. You are underestimating Romney
Chris hope you continue to focus on the "juvenile behavior" exhibited by Weiner and so many other politicians in regard to extra marital hanky panky. Sptizer, Ensign, Vitter, Clinton,...line them up. Go through the list.
Chris why not focus on some of the lies that Wiener has repeated about the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The man is out in left field. A total liar.
Also how Weiner has pushed, written letters to the President for the release of Jonathon Pollard. What ethics?
Weiner repeatedly lied (about Israel and Palestine– does anyone care?)
by Philip Weiss on June 7, 2011
Like 181 Retweet 24
If the Anthony Weiner scandal has an upside, let us hope that it will unearth the countless lies, stretchers, and bodacious and rabid falsehoods that the congressman told three months back at the New School in a debate about the Goldstone Report that we set up between him and former Congressman Brian Baird, moderated by Roger Cohen of the New York Times.
Here are five of those lies: There is no Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Goldstone Report was not based on the laws of war, Israel is at war with 20 neighbors, American progressives should support the absence of free speech in Israel when it comes to its character as a Jewish state, and Egypt is an Islamic state. To the videotape:
Lie #1. There is no Israeli occupation of the West Bank, no Israeli military presence there:
Lie #2. The Goldstone Report was not based on the laws of war.
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/06/weiner-repeatedly-lied-about-israel-and-palestine-does-anyone-care.html
Weiner under some kind of delusional disconnect. Hard to understand What a delusional disconnect. one of your guest...."a very serious psychological problem....exhibitionist"
Alex Wagner lost me when she was on your Sunday program sticking up for the New York Bloody Times? How old was she when the New York Times gave Judy "I was @!$%#ing right" Miller front page space for the "pack of lies" that she repeated about WMD's in Iraq. How old was Alex Wagner at that time? Would she feel like that about the very newspaper that helped convince the American public to enlist in the military go to Iraq based on false intelligence and die, kill, be injured, create a chaotic and murderous environment in Iraq. Alex Wagner has her head up where the sun does not shine on the New York Times Chris...you know it. You should have challenged her when she kissed the New York Times behind. Asked her about the Judy Miller pieces about Iraq. Does she know about the role that they played in the run up to the invasion? Was she old enough? Does she read?
Chris you keep having Alex Wagner because she nods her head says "sure" agrees with you. etc. Why not have a younger person on (if that is what you are looking for) who will challenge you at times. She is pretty and agreeable and clearly this is why you have her on. Give thisup and have someone on who challenges you a bit. Boring
Marcy Wheeler over at Firedoglake (Emptywheel over at Firedoglake would be a good starter) She is brilliant, clever, fact based, articulate. She would throw out some intelligent challenges. Glenn Greenwald would really light up your show. Over at Salon. Has some interesting things to say about the Weiner issue. Has Chris Matthes head on Weiner's body over at Salon. Go check it out Chris and have Greenwald on your program. Would really like to see you and Greenwald go a round or two on this issue and many others. Greenwald would really be able to politely challenge you in powerful and respectful ways
Salon
The joys of repressed voyeuristic titillation
There are few things more sickening -- or revealing -- to behold than a D.C. sex scandal. Huge numbers of people prance around flamboyantly condemning behavior in which they themselves routinely engage. Media stars contrive all sorts of high-minded justifications for luxuriating in every last dirty detail, when nothing is more obvious than that their only real interest is vicarious titillation. Reporters who would never dare challenge powerful political figures who torture, illegally eavesdrop, wage illegal wars or feed at the trough of sleazy legalized bribery suddenly walk upright -- like proud peacocks with their feathers extended -- pretending to be hard-core adversarial journalists as they collectively kick a sexually humiliated figure stripped of all importance. The ritual is as nauseating as it is predictable.
What makes the Anthony Weiner story somewhat unique and thus worth discussing for a moment is that, as Hendrik Hertzberg points out, the pretense of substantive relevance (which, lame though it was in prior scandals, was at least maintained) has been more or less brazenly dispensed with here. This isn't a case of illegal sex activity or gross hypocrisy (i.e., David Vitter, Larry Craig, Mark Foley (who built their careers on Family Values) or Eliot Spitzer (who viciously prosecuted trivial prostitution cases)). There's no lying under oath (Clinton) or allegedly illegal payments (Ensign, Edwards). From what is known, none of the women claim harassment and Weiner didn't even have actual sex with any of them. This is just pure mucking around in the private, consensual, unquestionably legal private sexual affairs of someone for partisan gain, voyeuristic fun and the soothing fulfillment of judgmental condemnation. And in that regard, it sets a new standard: the private sexual activities of public figures -- down to the most intimate details -- are now inherently newsworthy, without the need for any pretense of other relevance.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/
I have always wondered why women in congress who allegedly have affairs seem to be off limits to the press really digging in to whether or not these allegations are true or not Why was Congresswoman Schakowsky
As reported exclusively by The BRAD BLOG last Tuesday, Schakowsky's Communications Director Trevor Kincaid issued a formal statement on her behalf, following the AmCon cover story interview with Edmonds, using similar language. "A simple review of the facts would lead any responsible person to conclude that there is not a shred of truth to any aspect of this story," Kincaid wrote, adding "not one of the events in this fantastic tale ever took place."
Edmonds replied in kind, offering direct questions to the Congresswoman, and a challenge to take a polygraph test in regard to the matter, if she would do the same. Today, while speaking to The BRAD BLOG, Edmonds upped the ante by challenging her to sue her for libel, if she denies the charges, but refuses to hold Congressional hearings as Edmonds also invited her to do last week..
http://www.bradblog.com/?cat=437
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Kathleen I feel real sorry for you your have a small mind has long it a Repug it's okay but if it's a Dem it's not and as for Palin she is a idiol so get us to it and this is the same for Bachamm.
So a thread about Sarah Palin is really a thread about Anthony "Tiny" Weiner? How about trying to be on topic, and post in a thread about him, rather than here, which isn't about him? Or better yet, start your own blog, since you seem to suffer from logorhhea, and keep the non-germane stuff elsewhere.
The likes of Sarah Palin need to hog the limelight one way or the other, intellectually challenged they often try stirring up emotions like hate & fear to get attention. And there are others of the kind now wriggling their way onto the political scene. Best is to ignore them. Our mainstream media gives them too much lee way.
As for Weiner lying thru his teeth on Israel-Palestine issue. That is nothing new with our politicos. Votes and funds do count you know and they wouldn't vear off the beaten path of pandering to the Lobby.
Unfortunately for this country, time is that no one gets to be a somebody in the corridors of power without a nod from Tel Aviv.
The spectacle of our revered Congressman and Senators prostrating themselves before Netanyahu just a few days back speaks a lot for how far down in self esteem we have slipped.
He lie throw his teeth about sex!!
Why is no one talking about the extension of the Bush tax cuts that was to create the new jobs?
Because they are busy talking about the extension of Weinergate and the last stupid thing Sarah said
Best comment so far on the Weinergate issue
Over at Glenn Greenwald. Where Glen has Chris's picture super imposed on Weiner's body
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/06/07/weiner/index.html
Heller 88. Best comment ever
"Here's what you tell the freaking children: You tell them that these same faux moralists getting the vapors over an underwear crotch shot cheered on and defended vehemently the actions of an administration that was caught lying - in real time - in order to go to war with a country that posed no threat and had made no threat to the US, leaving hundreds of thousands dead, millions homeless, a nation destroyed, 4000 US service people dead, thousands more maimed for life, and taxpayers $3 trillion in debt.
Tell them that these same people defended and cheered on an administration that outed a CIA operative and her entire front organization and who knows how many assets purely for political gain.
Tell that that these same people got all up in arms about privacy when that administration got caught playing faux journalistic footsie with a male prostitute who had visited the White House 200 times on dubious "business" but cheered on the destruction of privacy rights and the 4th Amendment by this same administration.
Tell them that morality isn't about someone's sexual peculiarities but about life and death matters, and that they shouldn't be distracted from the latter by media hype about the former."
Hundreds of thousands are dead as a direct result of that "pack of lies" and we have to witness once again our media, congress spending hundreds of hours on Weiners weiner. Enough. Look at his lying statements about the I/P conflict. His dismissive attitude about the Goldstone Report. Pushing for the release of Jonathon Pollard.
Pelosi taking "impeachment off the table" for the Bush administrations Iraq war lies that resulted in unnecessary and immoral death and destruction.
This is what it takes our congress to get their justice juices flowing. Pathetic...and the whole world is watching
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Come on Chris have Greenwald on. You will really like him. He is so brilliant on so many issues. He is respectful when he punches someones lights out.
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One of the best Glenn Greenwald going where no one else will go on Dylan Ratigans on the I/P conflict. They mopped up the floor with Cliff Mays lies
The Ahmadinejad game
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/09/20/iran
I placed bets that Dylan would never go here again. Bet he caught hell for this
oops this was my response to Heller 88's comments over at Glenns blog about Weinergate
Checkmate "Hundreds of thousands are dead as a direct result of that "pack of lies" and we have to witness once again our media, congress spending hundreds of hours on Weiners weiner. Enough. Look at his lying statements about the I/P conflict. His dismissive attitude about the Goldstone Report. Pushing for the release of Jonathon Pollard.
Pelosi taking "impeachment off the table" for the Bush administrations Iraq war lies that resulted in unnecessary and immoral death and destruction.
This is what it takes our congress to get their justice juices flowing. Pathetic...and the whole world is watching"
Buck up Kathleen,buck up Greenwald.
More power to folks like you and others who are not afraid tell it as it is.
@Kathleen
Interesting article on I/P issue by James Zogby "Letter from the Arab World: Speeches Revisited" on Media Monitors Network.
This is the reason why I seldom watch Chris Matthews and will stop watching again. Chris has a problem with addressing facts. Palin is a puppet of FOX and all the other networks but Chris isn't man enough to confront the owners and producers of FOX. They are the ones who allow her (and quite frankly coach her) to say the ridiculous, unpatriotic, ignorant things she says. Ignorant because most grade school children know she's wrong and that's saying something considering the current state of our educational system. FOX however has done a serious disservice to our country by misinforming whole segments of our population with false facts and many Republicans actually think this is funny (you constantly see them giggling and laughing at this topic when it comes up on other networks and shows). In the past this would not have been tolerated! A network owned and operated by a foreigner (Rupert Murdoch, an Australian) purposefully dumbing down and feeding false information to millions of Americans adults is unacceptable. There's a word for that... oh yeah, PROPAGANDA. The fact that all of the other networks not only allow it but in most cases participate in it is quite frankly criminal, literally. Seriously at the end of WWII those who were in the German Ministry of Propaganda were treated equally as criminals and we actually have laws on the books banning it but of course the media and government don't take it seriously. They just brush it and anyone else who brings it up off.
Which brings us to Rep. Weiner. Chris just like everyone else in the media who constantly love to lecture us on how "liberal" the media is despite the fact that EVERY mainstream media outlet, TV, Radio and Print are owned by HUGE trans-national corporations usually Fortune 500 if not Fortune 100 companies, (and I dare you to identify ONE SINGLE Fortune 500 company Board member or Executive or Manager or Producer who is liberal). Further all of these so called "Journalists" all make six figure (at a minimum) salaries. They are not the lower middle class they are all the upper 5% that we are all talking about constantly. So where do you think their loyalties lie? That's why when Weiner who doesn't break the law but is a liberal firebrand you see a MASSIVE outcry by the Republicans and the media for as long as it takes, every news show, hours and hours, day after day until he resigns whereas Senator Vitter who actually did break Federal Law and State Law, spent federal money, actually did cheat on his wife who actually should be in jail got absolutely zero news coverage. No outcry from ANY mainstream media outlet. None of the fiegned outrage from Chris Matthews or any other News caster even now. And when he returned to the Senate he received a standing ovation for his sins and re-election from all of his Republican colleagues with absolutely no commentary from the Press. No, I wont be watching Chris Matthews the hypocrite anymore and if you hear anyone in the media referring to the ridiculous claim that the media is "liberal" I hope you will think back to this charade playing out in the media now and then start investigating the hundreds of other charades perpetrated by these corporate propagandists.
1) Warren Buffet for one is pretty liberal, not like his father the Bircher.
2) How is exposing oneself in a place where one has no idea of the age of the recepient not against the law?
3) What does any of this have to do with Sarah Palin's knowledge of history, or lack thereof?
Chris, I happened to tune in Hardball near the end of today's program. Happened to catch you ask a guest who has the best win/loss record in baseball today. After they could not answer it you, with your Phillie cap on, said it was the Phillies. You are wrong (as usual)! If you check baseball stats June 8, 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals have the best win/loss record in professionall baseball. It would help to check records before you speak a lot of times, Chris.
I am so happy to see Michelle Bernard back. Never let her go. She is Fair & Balanced - pretty too.
Yes. And she does not roll over to Chris Matthews all of the time the way Alex Wagner does. She actually understands the role of the New York Bloody Times in the run up to the invasion of Iraq. Alex Wagner answered one of Chris's questions about the future of national newspapers including the Times and Wagner said something inane about their crossword puzzles. How old was she when the New York Bloody Times was complicit in spreading the WMD lies? She must be able to read a bit of history about these things. Oy vey
Chrus....DUDE ! What your mad at is that Sarah Palin is smarter than you. Sarah made a mental mistake, your ignorance, your bias, your arrogance and dare I say.......your sexism are on display for us every day ! I can count and I can see that I am the 17th comment on your blog. Let me translate for you Chris....what America wants is more of Sarah Palin and LESS of phonies and pseudo intellectuals......like YOU !!!
Sarah is an idiot riding the gravy train wagon....not so naive. She has some good managers. This is all based on her looks and the popularity of her prejudices. Listen to what she says...my Lord. It is frightening. Every time she speaks we can all feel like we are brilliant. If she was a homely looking woman she would have been pulled from the national stage soon after she opened her mouth
OH ....and I forgot to mention & posts by the same person !
you folks want some real entertainment check out MSNBC ratings on Nielson !
Thanks for the heads up Isay.
That was hard to hear Rendell say Weiner should go. As he said Weiner fights "unabashedly" for health care, the middle class etc. Look I can't stand the lies Weiner has told about the Israeli Palestinian conflict, the Goldstone Report pushing for the release of Jonathon Pollard. But the guy has fought like mad for the working class. Weiner should stay I hate to say it
Romney is father knows best, the father on My Three sons, Ward on Leave it to Beaver. Clear thinking, rock steady, family man, compassionate conservative. Chris you underestimate Romney
Certainly agree with your take on Sarah. But don't necessarily entirely agree with your take on a fully self-governing America. Since the mid-19th Century the corporate elite have been incrementally taking over the levers of government. This has long been recognized by the American public and gives rise to frustration and even thoughts of rebellion, which make personalities like Palin possible—and why American corporate and their bought political leaders are so afraid of socialism.
agree Have you read "When Corporations Rule the World" Great book.
And we just witnessed Wall Street socialize their losses while continuing to privatize and protect all of their profits. These fat cats barely paid any interest on the American taxpayers money that they borrowed. Are not lending that money to Americans. They have the game sewed up.
The rhetoric that Palin spews regarding American liberties being taken away by elite socialistic intellectual power broker Democratic wimps (or whatever she's calling us nowadays) has always rubbed me the wrong way ever since her debut on the stage of the Republican convention in 2008.
I mean, seriously, besides the internet and cell-phones, what exactly has changed since the days of Ronald Reagan (when the world was completely hunky-dory) regarding how Americans actually live their daily lives? Name me ONE, just ONE, liberty that has actually been taken away in the last two and a half years by President Obama that has affected so many Americans that we are being rallied by Ms. Palin to a virtual revolutionary readiness to combat the infection of our freedoms by the Democrats......what, the Health Care thing????
If you want to go down that path, then I suppose that anyone who reports to a boss each and everyday at work are being subjected to some form of tyranny that was not intended by our founding fathers.......but I digress.....
As I said before.Way too much attention is being paid to Sarah Palin & the likes of her.
The assult on our liberties commenced with the Bush-Cheney era of infamy. Patriot Act saw this nation go down the path of fear , hate & paranoia. State spying on citizens. Citizens spying on each other. The American way stripped of its dignity at airports & such.Exactly what those handful of terrorists we are fighting wanted.
The web of lies and deception that our masters wove leading up to the Iraq disaster and this 'war on terror' has taken its toll on our liberties.
The same mind set that corrupted and polluted our minds is still at work forcing this administration unexorably towards more disasters of our own making. Libya then Syria then Iran. With Israel's boot up our behinds and those up on the Hill taking cue from Tel Aviv, we are being led to the brink.
Talks of Israel preparing for an attack on Iran to pre-empt any attempt by the International community to put Plaestinian Statehood up for a vote in the General Assembly by the end of the year, are surfacing. A tactic to divert attention.
God help us if that happens and Middle East turns into a hellish inferno sucking this nation into a bottomless fiery pit.
We are already bankrupt, whispers of US defaulting on its notes can be heard.China has already issued a strict warning against any such attempt on our part. Enough blood, our own and that of tens of thousands of innocent civilians has been shed in military conflicts in the past decade.
I hope to God that sanity prevails.
@ Kathleen
An enlightening article on I/P issue by George H.Hishmeh " The Other Side of The Coin" on Media Monitors Network.
Worth reading by all who care.
Chris,
You are funny. You guys waste so much time on the "who cares?" and the non factors. Newt Gingrich. Sarah Palin (you even show her image in your intro to Hardball, along with Obama, Pelosi, etc. Why Palin? Is she you former Alaska governor rep?). What is Bob Dole saying this week? WHO CARES?
Neither Newt nor Sarah will be a factor. Your only reason to highlight their antics/comments everyday (it was Trump for quite some time) is a part of you feeble attempt to compete with Fox.
I watch you every day because you are just, well... funny.
By the way, is it "Cheney" or "Cheeeeeny...that's how you pronounce it."? If that's how you pronounce it...well then--just pronounce it.
Yes.
Okay, I just watched "Let Me Finish". I have decided that you guys are obsessed with Palin. You guys are funny.
And, yes...Gingrich is finished (since he never was player to begin with).
What a great predictable stumble for S.P. But she missed the chance to trash the left with the real story.
Paul Revere, along with one or according to some sources two other riders spread out North and west of Boston to spread the word that the, "British are coming". That was the beginning of the 'battle of Concord and Lexington. Fine we all agree with that part but did you know that what she said about the British taking our guns away was spot-on accurate? I'll bet she didn't.
That night (April 18Th 1775) the British troops ....mostly on foot, had two objectives. One was to capture John Hancock and Sam Adams who were in the Inn at Lexington (or Concord, I never remember which). If they had caught them they would have quickly been hung. They were warned (by Paul Revere?) and barely escaped. There second objective was to capture and confiscate all arms stored in the towns small arsenals.
So if Sara had ever read a book she would have known how close to being right she really was. Ted Nault