Chris Matthews’ disdain for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and his decision to sue President Obama over his use of executive orders reached a fever pitch on his Hardball program Monday night.
Speaking to David Corn of the liberal Mother Jones and Howard Fineman of The Huffington Post, Matthews maintained that Speaker Boehner’s lawsuit “is the kind of Mickey Mouse that goes on in third world countries before they have a coup because people were just sick of it.” [See video below.]
Matthews’ harshest condemnation of Boehner began when he promoted Erick Erickson a “guy on the hard right” who opposes the lawsuit. Matthews used the RedState.com editor's criticism of Boehner as an excuse to chastize the House leader’s lawsuit:
The Hardball host then proceeded to mock the Speaker by asking Fineman:
When will John Boehner, who I do not dislike. I come from a background like him. It’s just like, I know this guy. When’s he going to have his Bulworth moment and just throw off the mask and say this is all nonsense?
Matthews seemed unwilling to accept the rationale behind Boehner’s lawsuit and insisted that it was merely a political ploy to placate the Republican base. Fineman agreed with Matthews and argued that “John Boehner's inner-Bulworth is countermanded by John Boehner’s survival instincts. Okay? And as David says and you point out, what he’s doing here is he's doing something intermediate that he thinks will help.”
As the segment concluded, David Corn once again played up the theory that Boehner’s lawsuit is only “playing to 20 members of the House and that’s it." This allowed Matthews to take one last swipe at the Speaker:
This is the kind of Mickey Mouse that goes on in third world countries before they have a coup because people were just sick of it. Anyway, we won't have one because we are America.
See relevant transcript below.
MSNBC
Hardball with Chris Matthews
July 7, 2014
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Here’s a guy on the hard right, Erick Erickson, he’s RedState.com. He called Boehner’s lawsuit an election year stunt, he did, and a waste of taxpayers money. “I realize John Boehner and the House Republicans may lack the testicular fortitude to fight President Obama. But I would kindly ask that he save the taxpayers further money on a political stunt solely designed to incite Republicans who may stay home given the establishment's bungling of Mississippi and abandonment of their constitutionally derived powers. John Boehner's lawsuit is nothing more than political theater and a further Republican waste of taxpayer dollars.”
DAVID CORN: You know, the Tea Party doesn't want a lawsuit. They are not out on the streets with their hats and their don’t tread on me–
MATTHEWS: They’re not litigious.
CORN: Saying we want a lawsuit. No, they want to either win elections like in Mississippi or they want to see impeachment in Washington.
MATTHEWS: Can I ask you a question, a personal question? When will John Boehner, who I do not dislike. I come from a background like him. It’s just like, I know this guy. When’s he going to have his Bulworth moment and just throw off the mask and say this is all nonsense?
HOWARD FINEMAN: I think that John Boehner's inner-Bulworth is countermanded by John Boehner’s survival instincts. Okay? And as David says and you point out, what he’s doing here is he's doing something intermediate that he thinks will help--
MATTHEWS: Get him through the night.
FINEMAN: Get him through the night. Get him through the 2014 elections. And as far as Erick Erickson and the others who want impeachment are concerned, he'll wait on that and he’ll have that in reserve. In the meantime, this is so complex.
MATTHEWS: This is why people don't believe in politics.
FINEMAN: They could be too smart by half here, Chris. Because getting involved in this kind of litigiousness is just the kind of thing that doesn't play well with average voters. And while some might like it, a lot of middle of the road voters may not.
CORN: Listen, there is nobody who likes this. Independents don’t like lawsuits. The Tea Party people don’t like this.
MATTHEWS: Tort reform.
CORN: Maybe he's playing to 20 members of the House and that’s it.
MATTHEWS: This is the kind of Mickey Mouse that goes on in third world countries before they have a coup because people were just sick of it. Anyway, we won't have one because we are America. Howard Fineman and David Corn. You're both right.
