Chris Matthews Facepalms When Andrew Sullivan Claims Catholic Bishops 'Set a Trap for Obama'

Noel Sheppard
February 14th, 2012 6:59 PM
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As NewsBusters reported Sunday, Andrew Sullivan in his most recent Newsweek column claimed, "Obama Set a Contraception Trap for the Right."

Two days later when Sullivan, appearing on MSNBC's Hardball, flipflopped saying, "I think a lot of this was ginned up by the Bishops. They were the ones that set a trap for Obama," host Chris Matthews was seen on the screen doing a facepalm (video follows with transcript and commentary):

ANDREW SULLIVAN: If you could avoid a fight with religious people, you should. And I think it’s a very complicated issue. I might add also that in California and New York this was already the rule. This was already the law. In 2000, the Employment Equality Opportunity Commission [sic] ruled it had to be mandated in every healthcare plan because otherwise it would violate sex discrimination laws.

So I think a lot of this was ginned up by the Bishops. They were the ones that set a trap for Obama. They’re like Wile E. Coyote trying to blow up the Roadrunner only it blew up on them.


Huh?

Here's what Sullivan wrote in a piece available online early Sunday morning:

Andrew Sullivan: How Obama Set a Contraception Trap for the Right

Conservatives gleefully revived the culture wars. But they're not winning. How Obama set a trap for the right.

 

How did Sullivan go from "Obama set a trap for the right" Sunday to Catholic Bishops "set a trap for Obama" Tuesday?

It appears even Matthews noticed Sullivan's gaffe as the camera was on him part of the time showing the Hardball host in seriously embarrassed facepalm mode.

Of course, who can blame Sullivan? It must be difficult for a guy that professes to be a "conservative-minded independent" who is now working for Newsweek and beloved by liberals to know what he's supposed to say from one moment to the next.

Maybe he needs a teleprompter to keep his story straight.

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