Chris Matthews

Debt Ceiling Flashback: 2011-Not Doing It An Act of Terrorism (MSNBC); 2004-Doing it an Embarresment to Republicans (MSNBC)

Published by Papa Giorgio

What a difference an election makes. NewsBusters has this little gem tucked away, and keep in mind this is a reason Bush scored low among us conservatives… he spent more and more on programs that need to be totally eradicated (like the Dept of Education):

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell have been telling viewers in recent days that Republicans considering blocking an increase in the debt ceiling could be creating a financial crisis.

Seven years ago after George W. Bush was re-elected and the debt ceiling had been raised in November 2004, the perilously liberal couple felt Republicans should be “embarrassed” for having done so (transcripts follow with commentary):

ANDREA MITCHELL: But what is looking over his shoulder is history. He wants a legacy. He wants to be able to do something about Social Security. He knows he’s got to do something about deficit reduction. That is the big embarrassment for Republicans. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, what the Hill Republicans have done. They’ve been worse than Democrats.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: They just increased the debt ceiling.

MITCHELL: Exactly.

This exchange occurred on the November 21, 2004, installment of “The Chris Matthews Show.”

Yet as NewsBusters has been reporting, Matthews has in the past several days twice referred to Republicans as terrorists because they’re refusing to support a raise in the debt ceiling if it includes tax increases.

…(read more)…

Salons Joan Walsh Conveniently Forgets About BDS: Bush Derangement Syndrome

Published by Papa Giorgio

Via NewsBusters:

[….]

Really?

I guess Walsh has forgotten the term “Bush Derangement Syndrome” which was originally coined by Charles Krauthammer in December 2003:

Bush Derangement Syndrome: the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency — nay — the very existence of George W. Bush.

Now, I cannot testify to Howard Dean’s sanity before this campaign, but five terms as governor by a man with no visible tics and no history of involuntary confinement is pretty good evidence of a normal mental status. When he avers, however, that “the most interesting” theory as to why the president is “suppressing” the 9/11 report is that Bush knew about 9/11 in advance, it’s time to check on thorazine supplies.

When Rep. Cynthia McKinney first broached this idea before the 2002 primary election, it was considered so nutty it helped make her former Rep. McKinney. Today the Democratic presidential front-runner professes agnosticism as to whether the president of the United States was tipped off about 9/11 by the Saudis, and it goes unnoticed. The virus is spreading.

The virus indeed spread. Let’s recall that folks on the Left blamed Bush for among other things:

  • A recession that began less than two months after he took office as a result of the explosion of the tech bubble the year before
  • The attacks on 9/11 despite them taking years to plan
  • The Enron scandal
  • “Outing” Valerie Plame
  • Rising oil and gas prices
  • Hurricane Katrina including poorly maintained dikes
  • Tornado response in Kansas
  • The 2008 financial crisis despite the major culprits being the Financial Service Modernization Act of 1999 and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 both enacted before he was inaugurated
  • Our current budget deficit despite the last budget he created with a Republican Congress in 2007 having produced a relatively tiny $160 billion shortfall and him being out of office for 26 months.

Of course, this is only a short list. So pervasive was BDS that there’s even a Wikipedia page devoted to it.

Sadly, this malady continues today as Matthews himself in January blamed the Egypt riots on Bush. New York Times columnist Frank Rich blamed last year’s BP oil spill on the former President as well.

I guess this is what Walsh would consider “coherent.”