Chris Matthews' Three Minute Bush Love-Fest
By Logan Murphy Thursday Aug 09, 2007 10:50amVia Think Progress:
Immediately following President Bush’s press conference today, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews spent three unbroken minutes fawning over the president’s “powerful rendition” of his “philosophy” without uttering a single critical word. "I thought in listening to the president, I was listening to one of the great neoconservative minds who's worked in this administration, the former deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz, who had lunch with me way before this war began."** gushed Matthews.
Calling Bush “powerful” on three separate occasions, Matthews marveled at the president’s defense of his foreign policy:
We were given a rare opportunity to hear the real philosophy of this administration with regard to the war in Iraq. A powerful rendition by the president of why we’re there. When he talked about the fact that we can support emerging democracies in the Middle East, and that’s the only way we can prevent future 9/11’s, you’re getting to the heart of why this administration is fighting that war in Iraq.
“This president is ready to fight like a rock through the rest of his term,” Matthews proclaimed. “He made it clear that he’s going to fight as long as it takes to develop a democracy in Iraq. There’s not going to be any change come September.”
**Thanks to MBH for corrected quoted.
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Just keep those presses churning out worthless paper their boy.
AFP - 8 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Federal Reserve pumped a total 35 billion dollars into the US banking system Friday and said it was ready to inject more money if necessary amid sharp downtowns on US and global stock markets.
I'm just confused what "fight like a rock" means. Most rocks I know are fairly peaceable.
Can someone ask the question we're all wondering: Is Chris Matthews gay?
Of course there will be no change in September, whoever thought there would be was delusional.
This should put to rest any notion of a left wing media (not).
This country is full of suckers, it would seem an imperial ruler suits them well.
Commander Cuckoo-Bananas rides again.
Oh my goodness! The man is just squirrelly about GW... excuse me...I simply must stop beating my head against this wall...
Hey, "fight like a rock" *might* be taken to mean that Matthews' subconscious is smarter than he is. Rocks can be part of a fight, if they are used by others. The rock itself has no agency, moral or otherwise.
In this sense, Georgie--much like a rock--is simply a TOOL.
If he ever watched himself on tape delay, he'd strangle himself in his sleep.
Apologies to Frank Zappa.
Yeah, thanks, Chris.
I think the last six years have borne witness to the real philosophy of this administration is pretty much every endeavor.
God damn, I hate typos. Makes me look like a total Bush.
yes we want to preserve democracy... except in pakistan where we want to preserve Musharef's stranglehold on leadership.
Jim @ 3:
He certainly seems obsessed with his many man crushes. He is such a creep.
That W is one tough SOB........ when it's not his butt thats getting shot at.
I think he'll fight like a rock too. But I doubt he'll be as useful.
At my home, I use rocks to plug holes where the dogs dig.
It's incredible that an absolute idiot like Matthews can grasp this, but no Dem in Congress can.
Also, isn't "Fight Like A Rock" an old Red Hot Chilis song? :-)
If you made a dystopian science fiction movie about some future police state, and you featured blow-dried TV personalities fawning over the Glorious Leader, it would look contrived and implausible.
Welcome to that Dystopia.
Let's not misinterpret Matthews. I saw this yesterday and I watch Hardball every day, and this needs to be seen in that context. Matthews has been very, very critical this week in particular, and I think all he was saying is "Wow, the guy finally actually said what we've all known was the philosophy. We aren't there fighting terrorists, we're there trying to imprint a Middle Eastern country with American ideals in the hopes that Democracy will itself eventually edge terrorism out of existence."
It's a lunatic theory from these guys, and I think Matthews knows that. But he's just marveling that Bush actually came out and said it, that he seems to really believe it, and I think overall Matthews was gushing more about the fact that Bush is very revealing about the real philosophy, whereas his handlers don't convey the shit clearly. Matthews is more of a sucker for drama, to very annoying degrees, and I think what he was fawning over seeing was what we are furious we don't see more of: A President outrightly staking claim on his own policies, rather than simply sliding them out the back door.
Anyway, Matthews was annoying yesterday for many reasons, but I don't think he was praising Bush the way the article made it seem. When he said Bush sounded like one of the great neoconservative minds, he meant he sounded LIKE one of the great neoconservative minds like Bill Kristol. I don't think he is actually praising such thought, as the Neocons get the brunt of Matthews abuse as far as the GOP goes (he's more of a Reagan romantic than a neocon, if anything.) He's just saying, "Wow, this isn't some other weird mysterious thing, this isn't the spin, this really is just Bush enacting the neoconservative philosophy in full."
Watch the thing in context, it's not at all what this article makes it seem.
The past few days with all the fawing over boosh, and alleged successes in Iraq on the news has left me with the filling that my septic tank exploded.
And I don't even have a septic tank.
If Bush is a rock, no wonder he hates paper.
Sorry Feelings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfRrJyMLc-s
Weaseldog @ 19:
boosh was nary potty trained nor house broken?
Lately, for some reason, CM seems a bit more panicky than is usually the case.
"This president is ready to fight like a rock"
Why wouldn't he? He already has the brains of a rock.
Chris definitely has a man crush on Shrub. Wonder if he has pictures of Bush's hands all over his office, like Bolton? Or maybe a picture of Chimpy in his flightsuit with the codpiece?
Isn't that an oxymoron?
ysbaddaden @ 20:
Brilliant recovery!
Matthews is really a dunderheaded tool and a parody of himself. I watch him strictly for entertainment value and there hasn''t been much return lately.
I'm beginning to think the only way out of this mess we're in is through forceful removal from office. Can Congress apply inherent contempt to Bush and Cheney?
"When he talked about the fact that we can support emerging democracies in the Middle East, and that’s the only way we can prevent future 9/11’s, you’re getting to the heart of why this administration is fighting that war in Iraq."
That fails to make sense on so many levels. It's almost like Matthews is so enamored with Bush that he's adopted his incoherent speech patterns and tortured logic.
Bush is about as smart as a rock. Maybe that's why he'll "fight" like one.
how anyone cannot see through this complete buffoon is beyond me. then again, i said the same thing about bush-wa in 2000.
He didn't offer 20$ to do it in a public restroom, so it's legal.
Paper covers rock...
It was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of, 'fighting like a rock'.
Was Matthew's little soldier standing erect when he was saying this?
“This president is ready to fight like a rock through the rest of his term,” Matthews proclaimed.
when I hear "like a rock", I think of those overly macho (read: insecure) Chevy ads with some unshaven guy spinning through the mud while wasting fuel.
(all hat - no cattle).
when I think of Chevy, I think overpriced, poorly engineered, obsolete and a shiny tool designed to make a few, rich white guys loads of money.
sounds like Matthews nailed it!
Bush better not fall asleep around Matthews or else he might get the old Indiana Republican suckeroo.
-GSD
Tweety has two personalities.
One day, he is against the occupation and bashes w on Libby.
The next day, he is w's little whore.
Geez.
Yes, the US is strongly supporting the "emerging democracies" os Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco......
America has become Moronica.
-GSD
He acts like a lover in a toxic relationship.
Mad at Bush when he isn't getting Bush's attention, gushing in his presence.
Meh, I don't understand the fascination with pointing out things like this. So he doesn't slam Bush 100% of the time. This isn't news. We all know Bush is an utter failure. Sure, Matthews has been slipping over the years, but we all know this too. I think you're expecting too much here. If you want full-on Bush hate 24/7, tune in to Olbermann. That man has it down to a science.
So, Ol' Tweety chimes in with another Bush love-fest. Must be a new payoff from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just arrived. Seems like the Tweet only has righteous indignation when his hush money is late coming.
He goes back to what he always was....a Bush enabler and cheerleader, just like most of the chickenshit Washington Press Corps.
It's assholes like him who whored this war to the public, made it glamorous with the 'imbeds' and the treatment of anyone who opposed the war from the start as "whacko left-wing liberals". Keep in mind all the time Matthew's brother is a Repiginan politico;
if Matthews gets out of hand, Cheney will give his brother a set of cement overshoes.
Just puked up my breakfast. Many of these MSM newspeople who bash bush at times, like tweety, appear to be doing it just to temper their rabidly fetishistic adoration of him and his corrupt administration. Phonies - all of them!
We have lost the media - when will they begin to really press the internets, to also control the tubes?
"Fight like a rock?" You mean, sit there and do nothing? Oh, OK. So no change then.
Tweety and his man-crushes. He really needs to just come out and get it over with.
whomever1 @ 2:
Should have been "smart as a rock".
"That's a nice boulder." - Donkey
"i thought in listening to the president, I was listening to one to the great neoconservative minds," gushed Matthews.
I wonder if Matthews is engaging in a very subtle game here. The N.B.C. (Nazi Broadcast Conservatives) is owned by G.E., the biggest war profiteering corporation in the world. If there are secret corporate marching orders to support the war, Mr. Matthews could be subjecting himself to ridicule (on purpose) in making such an apparently oxymoron statement.
No intelligent man would otherwise make such an unwise statement. It neo's are so completely discredited that being one of their "great" minds would be akin to being the smartest kid on the yellow bus. I think that is what Chris intended.
DNey @17, you are a very generous and open-minded person. However, to those who don't watch this show often enough to know the context--those of us who refuse to own a television, for instance--this does seem like totally uncritical fawning that's largely divorced from reality.
This is all an effort to revive Bush before the September Petraeus report comes in so that the war profiteers, like NBC can kick the can down the road a little further and make more money.
It is obvious.
-GSD
Hey #33--just be glad Matthews sits behind a desk and doesn't stand up like Blitzer.
"great neoconservative minds"
There's an oxymoron for you--emphasis on moron.
Ever yearn for the freedom of being nuts?
Mike Mid City @ 45:
Having just watched the vid, I stand corrected. Chris is a full blown jerk.
Bush has decided on his own that Iraq wants a democracy? Not every nation is meant to have a democracy. Why didn't Bush start with his friends, in Saudia Arabia? Why is Iraq so special, as a place in the middle east, to start to build a democracy?
Trust me, those people don't want democracy... what they want is electricity, water, security... things Bush took away.
what a dick. The Bushies ONLY hope for restoring order in Iraq would have been to REINSTATE Saddam in power... but that's too late now.... so we're f****d, and so is Iraq.
Chris Matthews’ Three Minute Bush Love-Fest
That's Pickles complaint about georgie too.
Has it occurred to Mathews that it shouldn't be a rare opportunity to hear explanations about the biggest screwup in American history?
I know CM gets a lot of crap, but I tend to think of him as someone who.... I don't know how to put it.... someone who sees and knows all the BS that is going on, but enjoys seeing the political moves that people make, even if they are total BS. Does that make sense?
For example...
"We were given a rare opportunity to hear the real philosophy of this administration with regard to the war in Iraq. A powerful rendition by the president of why we’re there. When he talked about the fact that we can support emerging democracies in the Middle East, and that’s the only way we can prevent future 9/11’s, you’re getting to the heart of why this administration is fighting that war in Iraq."
Isn't this all 100% true? Finally, after all the BS about WMD, Bush is finally talking the neocon idea that if you can setup a democracy in the middle east, it will have lots of good effects on the region right? I don't agree with their simplification of the area, but that is their position, and Bush is standing behind it.
Notice that CM didn't say that Bush was right, that he was smart, that he is doing the right thing, or any of that.
“This president is ready to fight like a rock through the rest of his term,” Matthews proclaimed. “He made it clear that he’s going to fight as long as it takes to develop a democracy in Iraq. There’s not going to be any change come September.”
Again totally true. Now, I want you to read the last paragraph, and imagine Mathews smiling and saying to himself, at the end of the sentence, "What a dope."
Something like this:
"He made it clear that he’s going to fight as long as it takes to develop a democracy in Iraq. There’s not going to be any change come September.... what a dope.... HA HA."
That is how I see CM when I watch. He loves the political game. So when Bush comes out and says "We have never been stay the course" I might get pissed, but CM laughs and says "Thats great!".
Am I the only one who thinks CM isn't nearly as bad as the netroots think?
Matthews is seriously losing it. I don't even watch his show anymore because he never lets his guests finish there sentences, let alone their point. He'll ask a question, not wait for their full answer, give his own answer to his own question and then ask another one.
I think it's time for ole Chris to retire and grow strawberries or something.
Standing at attention and ready to inspect the poopdeck
Enjoy...
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/bush+rock/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_81938...
Bush and Matthews: Tiny pieces of human garbage.
(Was that too strong?....Naaaaah.)
"Can't you just smell the stale beer on this guy? The sort of middle-aged man who's really drunk smell, you know, hasn't shaved, or just really really deluded, maybe been smoking something, you know, whatever?"
Fight like a rock. Right Chris. This is why you get the big money. Dumber than a box of tools, the two of you.
nohobear @ 24:
For the last time, it was not a codpiece! It was a double layer of Depends (or astronaut diapers) in case Bush shit or pissed his pants during the carrier trap-landing.
#17 - Kristol has a great mind ? Would that be like Bush's mind boy if that is the best of a neocon you guys are in trouble.
A great mind listens to ALL opinions and FACTS which is critical in making decisions. Not living in a bubble with filtered information. Or as in Katrina everyone except one was afraid to tell Bush how bad it was and HE needed to get his department going.
Well Shrub certainly THINKS like a rock.
I assume with multiple deferments and an AWOL he already fights like rock.
Let's all hope that he swims like a rock as well.
Chris:
The problem is when Mathews calls the statement "Powerful", when almost every other human on the planet, statistically speaking, thinks that every word he presents is laughable nonsense. I'd daresay that even the 20-something-percent approvers at this point think he's a joke too but show support out of solidarity against the "libruls."
Remember that Mathews along with many many others have been doing exactly this for years now and this definitely played a part in duping citizens into believing the propaganda that led us into this horrible state the world is in as a result. These kind of gushing reviews give a false impression that some significant portion of the population is still even taking this guy seriously, and it's simply not true.
What? No description of Bush's intoxicating personal odor? I have a totally hideous picture in my mind of Tweety, Fred Thompson, and Bush in a three-way.
Bush seems to be able to be able to inspire hero worship in members of the media. Here's a quote from CNN's Carol Costello when she was filling in for Anderson Cooper on November 26, 2004 comparing George W. Bush to Alexander the Great:
COSTELLO: Did you compare him to someone in the modern day? STONE: No, because the world doesn't exist that way. In those days, men fought -- they did it with their own hands and with their eyes. They saw their enemy. He was a general who led from the front. He was wounded eight times. He never asked his men to do what he couldn't do.
COSTELLO: He sounds like a hard charging guy, though. I mean might you compare him to a modern day leaders, like perhaps President Bush, who is also known as a guy who gets it done?
I've never trusted her objectivity since I heard that comment. Bush needs the co-operation of the media to sell his war and any other wars he has planned before leaving office, so he's doing a full court press to get them on his side.
Chrissy mouthpiece, like Fucker Carlson on MSBNC are on my "No Watch" list.
Waiting for the day when the MSM hires some journalist with a brain; but will
not be holding my breath. Wouldn't it be nice to actually view and listen to
some newsworthy reports instead of the constant "entertainment" available on TV?
“He made it clear that he’s going to fight as long as it takes to develop a democracy in Iraq. There’s not going to be any change come September."
How long will he be there to find WMD's Tweety? After all that's what we went in their for remember? Not to nation build and establish democracy.
Oh, and wipe your mouth Tweety. Bush's jism is running down your chin.
fighting like a box of rocks...........er...........ok
surely someone has something on this Matthews guy, no one with intelligence enough to speak could possibly come to those conclusions about Bush.
Matthews admired "Bush's rendition of his philosophy". The only "rendition" Bush ever did is a rendition* of the truth.
*rendition: special tratment of a prisoner to extract information.
keiran @ 12:
There has to be SOME reason he was so gushing, especially after that particular speech, which was actually one of the lamest on record. Anyone who could be so complimentary about that embarrassing charade is either gay and in love, or a CIA plant. Or both.
whomever1 @ 2:
Most rocks I know sink like a, well you know, a rock!
pissed off patricia @ 33:
Yes, and it had it's little purple helmet on as well....
One of the hardest things for me to digest was Tweetie stating something like Bush was implementing the polices of one of the great neoconservative minds, Paul Wolfowitz. ?????????????? Tweetie is just reading from the latest talking points of Buscho. The main stream media is helping to promote the "Surge is Working" lie for the administration. All newscasters must participate if they want to see their paychecks regularly.
"Bush is going to fight like a rock"
Makes me want to un-retire and return to the ring. Does a rock have ears? Mike Tyson
When Matthews said "powerful rendition" maybe what he really meant was "extraordinary rendition."
Tweetie is so pathetic it's scary.
Chris@55 you said,
"Am I the only one who thinks CM isn’t nearly as bad as the netroots think?"
Think you've got it right about Matthews and his appreciation of political sportsmanship.
There's a sizeable piece missing that allows him to desensitize and blank out what is obvious (Bush's mental illness) and call it journalistic objectivity. He flipped from his humanistic Tip O'Neill days to his brother's neo influence of the "gamesmanship" and efficiency of overlooking the human price/tradeoff for power.
He appears to be playing the "little brother" on this rollercoaster ride where he winces and giggles under the protection of his "big brother" neos.
That's separate from his moments of small-time sentimentality and empathy (him being the family conscience, the "nice guy" in the bunch).
So it's a superficial family role he's grafted on to his journalism.
Nothing deep here. These are the fleeting bits we see. Underneath he's looking for belonging in a snakepit.
This was the most slavish love the leader speech I have ever seen. Even in cults this would be considered way too much of a blowjob. Tweety is all about male domination, totally gay.
Chris was the suppressed gay guy in highschool, who swooned whenever the captain on the football team strutted by?
He is just pining away for a whiff of Fred Thompson's manly cologne, makes him all weak in the knees, you know?
He's a lonely little guy, and he needs his daily injection of "tough talking Republic Man-Stud".
He's trying hard to switch from GW to Rudy or Fred, but like someone that has dumped their Ex, when he spots her in the grocery store, and she has been working out, got a new hair cut, and is walking arm and arm with her personal trainer from 24 hour fitness, old Chris has "dumpers remorse"..
He's knows he needs to dump the Bush, but he sighs wistfully for the good old days when he told us "Bush was just like Lincoln"......
oZer @ 34:
Ozer, you made me laugh out loud!
YOU nailed it all the way across!
Jason Wolfe @ 80:
Yeah, if he were a chihuahia, he'd be endearing. But as a creature that resembles a man, it is disgusting.
This president is ready to fight like a rock through the rest of his term,” Matthews proclaimed. “He made it clear that he’s going to fight as long as it takes to develop a democracy in Iraq. There’s not going to be any change come September.”
There may never be a democracy in Iraq. Doe that mean we'll never leave Iraq?
I wonder if Bush realizes that a puppet government supported by an occupying force is not a democracy.
I think Tweety may be on some kind of meds. First symptom -- wildly shifting opinions. Second symptom -- drool and spit forming on this lower lip all the time.
Tweetie is just one more of Dumbya's boot lickers.
"Democracy in the middle east is the only way to prevent another 9/11?" That's incredibly Orwellian.
Maybe, not arming and training proxy armies and unleashing them to cause third world instability will prevent people from thinking they need to attack us in the first place.
I saw the show and I have seen enough Matthews to think he was accurately portraying Bush's position, he was not advocating it. I think you have mis-characterized the clip.
I didn't know that rocks could fight... Hey, Chris! get your metaphors straight, you putz! And while you're at it, keep kissing up to the Chimp and you'll get sick.
We were given a "rare" opportunity? This is the President. He is the leader of this nation. He has unrestricted access to the press. Any time he says something it gets reported. Why should it be rare for him to speak to us? Bueller? Anyone?
Eh, maybe Chris meant "fight like I-raq". Unless he meant Bush was stubborn, uncompromising, and unwilling to move off any position once he's squatted on it.
Hey, Matthews, your so-called "Daddy Party' is the party of "Daddy Warbucks."
lvogt @ 88:
I agree with this.
Oh come on !,
Have you ever thought that Chris Matthews was in fact highlighting Bush as the Brainiac of the Republican party to put on display the republicans deep,deep rooted problems of leadership lack in the GOP..............?
Perhaps Chris was trying to expose reality to the GOP (sarcastically) that they might wakey-wakey up and face reality of what their lacking leaders are doing (and not doing to the country. The 27 percenters still clamouring at their all time GOP icon that needed to set the alarm clock and are sleeping in.
So sometimes I think Chris trys to appear he is doing one thing, when he is actually smearing manuer in their face.
Think about it. If this was my icon President. I wouldn't want anyone reporting or talking about him at all. Because what ever issue of this President that he is involved in turns out so rotten and mismanaged that, keeping the press away is actually making the Pres look as if he does nothing. And for this GOP leader, Nothing is soo much better than having his (so called) managment skills applied to it. No matter what, we rather have it go unaddressed or unattedned than GW manage it.
Its like when GW became President. America was the competing Texas Rangers.
Then Bush took over the ownership and managing of the Texas Rangers (America).
We were once a competing team but with GW's leadership we are now Cellar Dwellers. So why is anyone content with being a cellar dweller. Well The Texas Rangers still had 27 percent show up to the games. Some went to watch the other teams beat up on their Rangers.
But for whatever reason. Bush's Texas Rangers (now America) becoming the worlds cellar dweller. He still gets 27 percenters showing up for the losing games.
Tweety seems to think that an occasional suck-up to Bush and other conservatives (Delay, Boehner, etc.) makes his bona-fides as an "objective," bi-partisan journalist.
In reality, he's just a toady and a blowhard.
Is it just me, or does it look like Tweety is reading? Question is, who wrote the script? Here's my theory. He got a copy of Bush's speech and a series of suggested talking points. Maybe they let him adlib a little, I don't know, but it sure looks like he's reading the neocon bible verbatim.
Who, exactly, owns this man?
I think Matthews was confusing the term dumb as a rock which is the usual rock comparison one makes with Bush.
And that fawning was disgusting. Somebody owns him for sure.
Must be slippin' in ratings. Nothing like a little controversy to jumpstart a sagging viewership.
We were given a rare opportunity to hear the real philosophy of this administration with regard to the war in Iraq. A powerful rendition by the president of why we’re there.
What, he talked about Dick Cheney's net wealth increase from Halliburton stock?
He showed the increase in Exxon-Mobil Profits since 2003?
Oh, you mean the same old BS about "Democracy in the middle east is the only way to stop another 9/11?"
If that was the case, we should have invaded Saudi Arabia.