Chris Matthews Explodes at RNC Chair Reince Priebus for Playing Race, Birther Cards: VIDEO
MSNBC host Chris Matthews tore into RNC Chairman Reince Priebus on Morning Joe today over Romney's crack late last week about Obama's birth certificate and accusing Republicans of playing the race card over welfare.
Said Matthews: "It is an embarrassment to your party to play that card...This stuff about getting rid of the work requirement for welfare is dishonest — everyone's pointed out it's dishonest....And you are playing that little ethnic card there. You can play your games and giggle about it, but the fact is that your side is playing that card."
Priebus tried to downplay Matthews' attacks and asserted that Obama is looking to Europe for guidance on healthcare, prompting more outrage from Matthews:
"What? Where do you get this from? This is insane! You mean the Keynesian fiscal policy, you mean the fact that every president we’ve had has tried to offset the economic cycle with stimulus going the other direction is somehow European?...What’s this got to do with Europe and this foreignization of the guy? You’re doing it now! Saying he’s influenced by foreign influences? You’re playing that card again. What’s this European thing of yours? What are you up to with this constant that he’s not really domestic?"
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
BOTH Republicans and Democrats play the 'race' card, suck up to certain demographics, ethnicities, and so-on. And would be really refreshing to see both main political parties stop doing it. They won't,of course. Divide and rule is the name of the game for the right and the left.
And sorry, Matthews is obnoxious. Not because of this interview which doesn't bother me, but many other things he's said.
Posted by: ratbastard | Aug 27, 2012 12:49:53 PM
When did Mr. Bean become the RNC chairman?
Posted by: simon | Aug 27, 2012 12:50:21 PM
"Only the neanderthals on the right wing are supposed to hear it."
This couldn't be more true. The lies are so blatant that it's truly the only logical response: Republicans are just trying to stir up outrage with the party derps (which unfortunately, are a large percentage, especially of likely voters, just look at those lines at Chick-fil-A).
In a way, it's a losing strategy. The Obama haters wouldn't vote for him under any circumstances and they already have extremely high voter turnouts. If anything, and especially if we can have more journalists with the balls to call them out on their lies, this strategy will not play well with Independents.
Posted by: kpo5 | Aug 27, 2012 12:51:29 PM
Chris is the star of his own "Newsroom" now. How embarrassing Tom Brokaw, Joe and Mich were. If the networks want to understand why nobody likes the media. Those three are perfect examples.
Posted by: Joey | Aug 27, 2012 12:52:34 PM
Wow. First Soledad O'Brien puts Christine O'Dennell in her place, and now Chris Matthews tears Prebius a new one.
We need more journalists to cut through the Republican BS.
Posted by: FuryOfFirestorm | Aug 27, 2012 12:56:15 PM
Matthews was helpful, but it was just a start against the right-wing fusillade that's been going on lately (see: Sununu, John). Let's break down the GOP's lines of attack and insinuations for the "special learners" in class who may not have been paying attention recently:
1) Obama has "questions" about his birth certificate=he's not a "real" American, he's a foreigner, he's a secret Muslim plotter
2)Obama wants to relax standards for welfare=Obama wants to help lazy black people.
3)Obama "cut" 750 billion from Medicare to fund Obamacare= Obama is going to cut care for older, hard-working Americans so he can fund it for lazy good for nothings (see above).
4) Obama takes his cues from Europe=Obama is a Socialist.
5) Obama tried to encourage green jobs= Obama only wants to reward his friends.
6) Obama wants to raise taxes on the richest Americans= Obama wants to raise everyone's taxes, especially YOURS.
7) Obama wants to encourage bullet trains= Obama wants to end your choice to drive.
8) Gas is up right now due to refinery fires and Hurricane Isaac fears= Obama is controlling the weather to raise gas prices, again to get us to stop driving.
9) Obama supports state decisions on gay marriage and upholding Roe vs. Wade= Obama is anti-Christianity, otherwise, he'd do what fundamentalists want all the time.
10) Obama hasn't been able to get a jobs bill through a Republican-led Congress that wanted him to be a "1-term" president= Obama either doesn't care about working people, or is intentionally trying to destroy America from within.
Feel free to add on.
Posted by: Dback | Aug 27, 2012 12:59:31 PM
So what if he were trying to mirror European healthcare systems! These xenophobic (add that to their list of phobias) a**holes are so convinced of American exceptionalism that they refuse to see facts for fact. Most importantly, that American healthcare ranks last out of western democratic countries and theirs is the only for-profit system. We should be looking to Europe for example.
Posted by: D.R.H. | Aug 27, 2012 1:07:44 PM
This was a nice thing to wake up non-typically early for. I fell asleep watching Newsroom, so I have no idea why MSNBC was on when I woke up ... but it's like I never fell asleep, heheh. Matthews was awesome.
I don't see how it's somehow a badge of honor to be wink-wink racist for Republicans, otherwise wouldn't Mr. Bean, er sorry, Rince Repeat Priebus would not have tried to play it off as a harmless joke on Romney's part. Nope, denying it shows they at least know well enough to be ashamed of it in mixed company. While the rest of the crew was trying to do a puff-piece to placate the Republicans at their convention, I don't think anyone in the audience came away with anything other than Chris Matthews' righteous rant. Huzzah.
Posted by: Zlick | Aug 27, 2012 1:36:10 PM
I think Chris Matthews been inspired by the Newsroom. Awesome.
I may have to stop calling him Tweety Bird.
Posted by: Ryan | Aug 27, 2012 2:01:57 PM
Yes anon
the huge incarceration rate amongst AA males is a scandal.....the majority of whom are in jail for what we would consider extremely minor issues with possession of pot
the "war on drugs" was never about drugs....it has been an excuse to war on AA males
Our country is sick to its core simply by throwing young men in jail for possessing small amounts of pot while banksters that destroyed pension funds of the elderly, CEOs that poison us with their toxic wastes, etc all walk free
Posted by: say what | Aug 27, 2012 2:31:00 PM
Chris Matthews is playing hardball, something that not enough democrats do.
Posted by: andrew | Aug 27, 2012 2:42:11 PM
That is how you do it call them out on their lies and propaganda and expose them for the loony people they are.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 27, 2012 2:48:58 PM
Chris Matthews is NOT in any way a journalist. He is an attack dog for the far left socialist democrat party. He has NO idea what an honest DEBATE is and never has. Most of the comments on here will now come down on me spewing hatred and bile. No one EVER gets their point across by not letting the other party speak or express a different point of view. I don't support the republican party platform but we must allow the "other" guys to answer valid questions. The media is out of control and is now calling opinion, news. It makes every side of the debate look like raving lunatics, for example Mr Matthews.
Posted by: I wont grow up | Aug 27, 2012 4:01:01 PM
Chris Matthews is NOT in any way a journalist. He is an attack dog for the far left socialist democrat party. He has NO idea what an honest DEBATE is and never has. Most of the comments on here will now come down on me spewing hatred and bile. No one EVER gets their point across by not letting the other party speak or express a different point of view. I don't support the republican party platform but we must allow the "other" guys to answer valid questions. The media is out of control and is now calling opinion, news. It makes every side of the debate look like raving lunatics, for example Mr Matthews.
Posted by: I wont grow up | Aug 27, 2012 4:01:02 PM
Yeah Chris!!! It's difficult staying calm when lies are being spewed and nobody has the balls to call it. Chris did just that. Why does anyone expect calm & reasoned discussion when all they offer us is lies? They hand us all sorts of twisted logic...insinuate it's true...and spread it around like manure. Oh, that's right, stay calm & professional while I "f" you up the arse. I don't think so...not any more. They want us quiet & polite like in days of old...hidden away, timid, ashamed. Good for Chris...call it like it is !!
Posted by: PAUL B. | Aug 27, 2012 4:45:29 PM
priebus...what a A@#$%$@, so typically repub and fundie, he shuld become a cardinal (he'd fit rite in ,lol)
Posted by: codyj | Aug 27, 2012 5:56:09 PM
As a British citizen,Watching American politics through the American media is a joke. That woman and the Joe guy are the most useless twits on this planet and are the writ large example of what's wrong with America. Chris Mathews was putting forward the questions that would be brought fourth in any British political debate even on a tea-time-chat type setting. Part of me actually thinks let Romney win, let America have a Republican leader for 5 terms and after experiencing true republican policies America will be the most leftist country on this planet.
Posted by: Warren | Aug 27, 2012 6:31:01 PM
There is a lot of love on this site tonight for Chris Matthews. I have seen a lot of hate thrown at him on this site when he dared to differ with the leftist ideologues. Yep, if you are not 100% with a lot of the ideologues,like little kiwi on the left, you will be accused of having no balls because that is where he thinks courage lies. If you say anything at all sane then Ratbastard, Jason, Liz, Rick and all of the wingnuts will hurl every charge they can at you. This site would be better off without them all.
Posted by: andrew | Aug 27, 2012 10:41:20 PM
And what is wrong with comparing policies with and modelling them after other countries? Everyone does it! Except America. Because America is so much better than everyone else. Drives me nuts this attitude.
Posted by: Kári Emil | Aug 28, 2012 9:50:29 AM
What this nation needs is more reporters with Chris Matthews sized stones!
Posted by: Robert | Aug 29, 2012 2:33:01 PM