Thursday, August 09, 2007

Hey Tweety Bird, Men Have Knives Too

Chris Matthews is a real prize. For the most part, he is a fixture of the D.C. cocktail weenie circuit, where journalists blend in with politicians for camaraderie instead of, um, practicing journalism. Chris also has a chauvinistic side. That is especially apparent when it comes to Hillary Clinton. Now I am certainly no fan of the lobbyist-influenced Mrs. Clinton, but this was uncalled for.

From Media Matters:

On the August 7 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, prior to the AFL-CIO's Democratic candidates' forum airing on MSNBC later that day, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell referred to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finding that 39 percent of respondents said they "feel positive" toward Clinton on the issue of her "warmth and compassion," while 30 percent said they "feel negative." Saying that Clinton's "negatives are still so high on warmth and compassion," Mitchell asserted that Clinton "has to show some personality and some likability, because she really has to show that she's approachable and a little bit softer than she's been in the past." Hardball host Chris Matthews replied: "I know. She has to smile when she puts the knife in."

What the hell does that mean Chris? Putting the knife in? She's a politician, not a murderer. And if you are referring to the metaphorical blades, why not mention the enormous collection of blades by other elected officials. God only knows how many knives, axes, ninja stars and machetes Republicans carry around. There is nothing wrong with a woman playing "hardball" Chris, so lay off.