Tweety's Run

by digby

Jamison Foser's column this week does a masterful job of illustrating what the Democratic Party can look forward to dealing with if it is stupid enough to back Chris Matthews for the Pennsylvania senate. Here's just one stomach churning example:

Matthews' praise for Bush was at its most effusive when Bush gave his "Mission Accomplished" speech in 2003. Praising Bush's "amazing display of leadership," Matthews gushed:

He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics. ... He's like Eisenhower. He looks great in a military uniform. He looks great in that cowboy costume he wears when he goes West. I remember him standing at that fence with Colin Powell. Was [that] the best picture in the 2000 campaign? ... The president's performance tonight, redolent of the best of Reagan ... He looks for real. What is it about the commander in chief role, the hat that he does wear, that makes him -- I mean, he seems like -- he didn't fight in a war, but he looks like he does. ... Look at this guy!

Later that day, Matthews was back at it:

We're proud of our president. Americans love having a guy as president, a guy who has a little swagger, who's physical, who's not a complicated guy like Clinton ... They want a guy who's president. Women like a guy who's president. Check it out. The women like this war. I think we like having a hero as our president. It's simple. ... We want a guy as president.



There are some embarrassingly stupid members of congress and some who are more than a little bit theatrical, but Matthews would bring a level of absurdity to the senate that may just be unprecedented.

Foser says that this could be an opportunity to bring accountability to the press and hold at least one gasbag to the same standards to which they hold (some) politicians. It is certainly pretty to think so. But sadly, I think the village would rally around their pal and stage a full blown hissy fit over Matthews' "swift boating" when the right used his silly words against him. Still, this stuff is just so embarrassing that it's hard to see how would vote for him no matter how vociferously the media defends him.

But, I could be wrong. After al,l California elected a vapid, muscle bound movie star who literally campaigned using bad movie dialog and bumper stickers. I take nothing for granted. (And look where it got us...)


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