WaPo Columnist on MSNBC: 'Chris Christie Is Terrific...The One Actually Having Adult Conversation'

February 16th, 2011 7:53 PM

Something rather shocking happened on MSNBC Wednesday.

Not only was a compliment given to a Republican, but on the "Dylan Ratigan Show," it was said by a Washington Post columnist about a GOPer that is actually admired by conservatives (video follows with transcript and commentary):

DYLAN RATIGAN, HOST: Go ahead, Jonathan. Set all of that aside, just your evaluation of [New Jersey Governor Chris] Christie, period, as a politician and his rhetoric.

JONATHAN CAPEHART, WASHINGTON POST: I think Chris Christie is terrific. Here's a guy whose tough talk is matched up by tough action. All those things he's talking about, he talked about at AEI today, those are all things he's done with the exception of dealing with entitlements and things like that which he doesn't really have to deal with because he's a governor. But because he's a governor in a state with deep financial problems and is forced every day, day in and day out, to make decisions, you know, he's, he’s making them and he’s not sugar-coating them. He’s not trying to be anybody's friend. He, you know, President Obama talks about adult conversations. Speaker Boehner talks about adult conversations surrounding the big, tough issues that face the country. Chris Christie is the one who’s actually having the adult conversation and making the tough decisions. And when people get in his face and try to yell back at him, he yells back. He actually yells back, which is why I think is driving his popularity.

Normally when someone from the Post - or anybody on MSNBC other than Pat Buchanan! - says something nice about a Republican, it's about a RINO like Maine's Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins.

For this to be said just days after conservative author Ann Coulter strongly endorsed Christie at CPAC, one has to wonder what was in the coffee at the Post headquarters Wednesday.

For those interested, here was Christie speaking Wednesday at the American Enterprise Institute: