Chris Matthews Thinks Obama Is a Victim

December 15, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

When can you call the most powerful person in the world a victim of those conniving right-wing radicals in the US Senate? When you’re Chris Matthews and you have your own little silly Sunday show, you can.

Watch the video, it’s at the end and it’s almost lost in the debate over who should be Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” Matthews goes with Mitch McConnell. Why? Because he is the person who made Barack Obama become the Cold Hearted Social Engineer that he is and thus helped the Republican sweep the November mid-terms.

“It’s Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader who forced the president to the left on every issue from health care to the stimulus. He made him into a left wing president because of Republican policy. It was brilliant. It allowed the Republicans to have a brilliant political year, I’m not sure it’s was in the country’s interest, but he made the big difference this year.”

Where to go on this one here? There are loads of fascinating peeks into the mind of Matthews in this one paragraph.

First, Matthews thinks it’s McConnell who “forced” Obama to the left. He must have never really been there to begin with, like an innocent child who is made to eat his broccoli; Obama was forced to take that radical leftist medicine that he never really wanted in the first place.

Bill Ayers, Reverend Wright, and Saul Alinskiy had nothing to do with who Obama is today, he never heard any of their speeches, read any of their books, nor believed any of their radical leftist ideals. Obama made more left turns than a NASCAR weekend at Bristol only after McConnell forced him there a few short months ago.

Who is this little weakling in the White House? What does it say about Dear Leader that he is being pushed around so easily by the guy whose claim to fame is that he runs the minority?

Matthews is also saying here that McConnell doesn’t really believe in the ideals that he is proposing, he is just doing them so that he can push The Greatest President in United States History to the left. It was brilliant political strategy. Matthews mentions health care and the stimulus specifically. Did he think that Obama never really believed in those ideals previously? The tingle up his leg has gone straight to his head and it aint a pretty sight.

Matthews also discounts the Republican Wave of 2010. The Republicans only had a brilliant political year because McConnell manipulated Obama. It had nothing to do with the rise of the Tea Party movement and the desire of Americans to return both parties to Constitutional values. Matthews and the activist old media see only the chess game politics, not the beauty of the rules and the participants in the game. But, I will give Matthews this, it’s clear McConnell is in Obama’s head. He called him “Mike” the other day. Gotta get that teleprompter fixed.

As for Matthews saying he didn’t believe the November Massacre of Liberals in 2010 was in the country’s best interest, well, that speaks for itself. I fully expect Chris Matthews to not understand that  people fighting for Liberty would not be in the best interest of the ruling elite, thus, not in the interest of his country.

In the world of lefties where a new victim is created every minute (maybe every second) we have a new one and he lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Poor Barry, Big Bad Mitch probably upped his nicotine intake to another pack a day that Robert Gibbs never saw.

Who will manipulate Superman tomorrow? I hope it’s not the Chi-Coms. If it is, I guarantee you, Matthews will be the last one to see it.


Big Journalism

Cavuto to Chris Matthews: Cram your remarks about Chris Christie’s weight up your tingly you-know-what

December 13, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

It’s on.


I’m not paraphrasing; watch to the end and you’ll see that he really does go there. All for this? MSNBC’s Chris Matthews gladly played the GOP 2012 guessing game at Thursday’s Q&A Cafe at the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton, suggesting two popular Republicans might want to trim their waistlines before jumping into the presidential race. “Chris Christie […]

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Hot Air » Top Picks

Chris Murphy on today’s health reform ruling

December 13, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Today’s ruling by a federal judge in Virgina that certain provisions in the health care overhaul are unconstititional provked a strong reaction from U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, a staunch supporter of the effort.

Murphy, a Democrat from the 5th District, posted the following on Twitter:

Chris Murphy ChrisMurphyCT

A long time ago, in galaxy far, far away, Republicans used to complain about “activist” judges like Henry Hudson. Remember that?

Reply

Retweet


Capitol Watch

Chris Matthews Shows It Wouldn’t Matter How Palin Answered Couric’s Reading Question

December 9, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

For well over two years, the liberal media have made fun of how Sarah Palin answered Katie Couric's ridiculous question concerning what she reads.

On Thursday, Chris Matthews, along with MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe, made it clear that no matter how the former Alaska governor answered that question, she was going to be ridiculed (video follows with transcript and commentary):

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Chris Matthews Shows It Wouldn’t Matter How Palin Answered Couric’s Reading Question

December 9, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

For well over two years, the liberal media have made fun of how Sarah Palin answered Katie Couric's ridiculous question concerning what she reads.

On Thursday, Chris Matthews, along with MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe, made it clear that no matter how the former Alaska governor answered that question, she was going to be ridiculed (video follows with transcript and commentary):

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NewsBusters.org – Exposing Liberal Media Bias

Chris Matthews Insists ‘Hardball Is Absolutely Nonpartisan’

December 9, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Patrick Gavin at Politico captured revelations from a Thursday interview Chris Matthews granted at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in DC. On his show: "Obviously, I think I'm the best. But each one of the other people think they're the best, too….I think I'm the best, generally….There's no doubt about it, in fact, but other people have different views….'Hardball' is absolutely nonpartisan."

How then, does Matthews explain his Thrill Up My Leg reputation? Is he a journalist? He says yes: "Absolutely. I have to deal with facts every night. I have to cover the news every night." Does he really believe people watching his show buy that he's running a fact-based nonpartisan seminar?

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U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd To Be Honored By CCAG And Friends, Including Congressional Delegation, Constitutional Officers

December 8, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Outgoing U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd will be honored by an estimated 500 supporters in a tribute this Friday night at a gigantic party at a new catering hall in Simsbury.

The event is being sponsored by the Connecticut Citizens Action Group, and the invitation includes the names of more than 100 Democrats who are expected to attend.

The invitation covers most of the entire Democratic hierarchy in the state, including U.S. Reps. John B. Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Chris Murphy, and Joe Courtney. The state’s constitutional officers will also be there – Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Comptroller Nancy Wyman, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, and Treasurer Denise Nappier.

Among legislators, the group includes House Speaker Chris Donovan, House Majority Leader and soon-to-be-Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, and Sen. Edith Prague, among others.

Capitol Watch

New Jersey paper: Why, Chris Christie’s nothing but a big ol’ bully

December 7, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Aw.


I’ve gotten two e-mails today from a reader begging me to post this as an outlet for Palin fans to dump all over the big guy. Remember when he goofed on her on Jimmy Fallon’s show? Here’s your chance, Palinistas. It’s payback time. When Christie finished, Chaudruc motioned for the microphone. This was, after all, […]

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Hot Air » Top Picks

Photos Of U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd In Washington, D.C.

December 6, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Hartford Courant photographer John Woike recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to shoot photographs of U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd as he made his farewell speech on the Senate floor.

Capitol Watch

Chris Christie-Patton Boggs Contract Shows Disturbing Trend

December 5, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in one of his first major acts in office, killed the NJ-NY Hudson River Tunnel Project that had already been agreed to and would have brought much needed transportation congestion relief as well as billions in long term Federal construction spending, and related job creation, for his state. Christie said New Jersey could not afford to participate. As a result of Christie’s breach of the agreement and withdrawal, the Federal government, via the FTA, formally noticed demand for losses and expenses in the amount of $ 271 million dollars that resulted.

Christie, of course, doesn’t want to honor the government’s loss claim any more than he does the tunnel agreement. So Christie has hired the ultra high dollar white shoe Washington DC power law firm Patton Boggs to fight the claim:

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has hired a law firm to challenge a $ 271 million tab the federal government says the state owes for the canceled ARC rail tunnel. Christie says he’s approved the selection of the high-powered Washington, D.C. firm of Patton Boggs.

A Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak defended the hire, saying “We’re much better off using a firm like this than using our own in-house attorneys or attorneys general. Not to knock their expertise, but let’s face it, that’s what these attorneys [at Patton Boggs] do for a living.”

Drewniak said the firm would be charging $ 485 an hour. He wasn’t sure where the money to pay that rate would come from — only that it would be found. “There are always contingencies for every agency of government for conducting legal affairs,” he said. “Everybody has to budget money.”

Patton Boggs is listed by the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-profit group that tracks influence in Washington, as the nation’s top lobbyist over the last twelve years, with about $ 400 million in billings since 1998. Its clients include Walmart, several health-care related companies and local governments.

Only $ 485.00/hr. for a high powered firm like Patton Boggs, the kind of firm where senior level counsel regularly charge $ 800-$ 1,000 an hour, looks pretty reasonable on the surface doesn’t it? Looks like Christie actually negotiated a pretty fair deal on outside lawyers, if he is not going to use any of the hundreds of state attorneys he already has on the payroll, doesn’t it? Well, not so much.

$ 485 an hour for a firm like Patton Boggs means they are using “blended rate” on their RFP respsonse. They put in an esitmate that shows a small number of partner hours at $ 800+, and large number of low level associate and paralegal hours at much lower rates.

After they get the contract, there will be lots more partner hours billed than in the estimate. The final bill will be a multiple of the estimated bill in the RFP.

This is how big white shoe law firms, with huge and expensive overhead, compete with small firms who legitimately charge less than $ 500 an hour for partner time on governmental contracts. It is a scam that was invented so politicians can funnel lucrative steady contract money to big powerful supporters and the big firms can siphon money from government coffers.

In the old days, the government would set a maximun “government rate” per hour they were willing to pay, and the big firms would not touch the work. Mid sized and smaller law firms specializing in such work, manned by ex-prosecutors and other government lawyer types who still wanted to do “god’s work” would open botique firms that charged less than 1/2 the per hour rate for senior attorneys the big firms could and would get these assignments because the big firms wouldn’t take the government rate. These firms often consisted of attorneys with substantial federal agency or DOJ experience, wanting to actuyally do more than get rich, and gave the taxpayers a far better deal, and just as good, if not far better, results because the firm was not beholden to Washington DC masters and political and lobbying affiliations.

So, if past practice in such situations is prologue, Chris Christie’s contract with Patton Boggs is not only questionable because the State of New Jersey has plenty of capable attorneys already on its payroll, it is also far from the reasonable deal it is being pitched as.

Related posts:

  1. Chris Christie Was Worst US Attorney for Big Spending on Travel
  2. Freddie Repossesses Its Files
  3. Glenn Fine Stepping Down as DOJ Inspector General


Emptywheel

Stan Simpson Show Focuses On Sen. Chris Dodd’s Farewell Speech and Dan Malloy’s Choice Of Joette Katz at DCF

December 4, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

The Stan Simpson Show on Sunday morning focuses on U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd’s farewell speech on the Senate floor and Governor-elect Dan Malloy’s selection of Supreme Court Justice Joette Katz as the next commissioner at the state Department of Children and Families.

The 30-minute program airs at 10 a.m. on Fox CT and will then be replayed on the weekly Sunday night loop on the CT-N public affairs network.

Clips are at www.ctnow.com/stan

 

Capitol Watch

Chris Matthews: ‘Right-wing Press Played Up Rangel Censure,’ Left More Compassionate to GOP Wrongdoers

December 4, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Chris Matthews on Friday made the absurd claim the "compassionate" Left is too soft on Republican wrongdoers, and that by contrast the Right puts it's "heel into the back of the guy's head when he's down."

The "Hardball" host – with a straight face no less – said this to guests Ron Reagan and Politico's Roger Simon with reference to how the "right-wing press played up [Charlie] Rangel's censure" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

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NewsBusters.org – Exposing Liberal Media Bias

Chris Matthews: ‘Right-wing Press Played Up Rangel Censure,’ Left More Compassionate to GOP Wrongdoers

December 4, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Chris Matthews on Friday made the absurd claim the "compassionate" Left is too soft on Republican wrongdoers, and that by contrast the Right puts it's "heel into the back of the guy's head when he's down."

The "Hardball" host – with a straight face no less – said this to guests Ron Reagan and Politico's Roger Simon with reference to how the "right-wing press played up [Charlie] Rangel's censure" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

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NewsBusters.org blogs

Chris Dodd on the Senate

December 2, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Departing Senator Chris Dodd did a farewell speech yesterday in which he made the case against Senate reform. This section of the address serves, however, to illustrate how weak the case is:

We one hundred Senators are but temporary stewards of a unique American institution, founded upon universal principles. The Senate was designed to be different, not simply for the sake of variety, but because the framers believed the Senate could and should be the venue in which statesmen would lift America up to meet its unique challenges.

As a Senator from the State of Connecticut—and the longest serving one in its history—I take special pride in the role two Connecticut Yankees played in the establishment of this body.

It was Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, delegates from Connecticut to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 who proposed the idea of a bicameral national legislature.

This starts with the idea that the Senate was designed for some incredibly noble and high-minded reason. But it concludes with the real reason—some states, Connecticut among them, wanted to create a mechanism whereby their interests would be over-weighted relative to the interests of large states like Virginia. So a hard-nosed political bargain was struck, and the result was a politically feasible path to a set of institutional arrangements that were superior to the Articles of Confederation than proceeded them.

And this is precisely the spirit in which reform should proceed. You start with a desire for a fairer and more efficacious system, you blend that with the willingness to drive some hard-nosed bargains, and you add in a dash of creative thinking. Jeff Merkley’s modest reform idea seems to me to be in that spirit.


Yglesias

Chris Matthews Says He Can’t Tell Howard Fineman’s Political Leaning

December 1, 2010 · Posted in The Capitol · Comments Off 

Chris Matthews said Wednesday that he can't tell what Howard Fineman's political leaning is.

Such humorously occurred at the end of a "Hardball" segment shortly after the host had no problem identifying his other guest as "center-right" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

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NewsBusters.org – Exposing Liberal Media Bias

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