By Mark Finkelstein | February 21, 2015 | 9:47 AM EST

From a shining city on a hill and Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall, to terrible deeds in the name of Christ and terrorists' legitimate grievances.

The chasm between Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama when it comes to their views of America and the world could hardly be wider. But on today's Up With Steve Kornacki, when the host asked the Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart whether President Obama talks and thinks about America differently from Reagan [and Clinton and Carter], Capehart emphatically replied "No.  Rudy Giuliani is lying."

By Curtis Houck | November 11, 2014 | 12:05 AM EST

During his MSNBC program on Monday night, Chris Matthews referred to a weekend gathering of the Israeli American Council (IAC) that is backed by Las Vegas casino owner and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson as his own “whore bar” where Republican figures “say anything for that guy, because he’s a hawk, to get his money.”

Matthews made the disparaging comments during a discussion with The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart and David Corn of Mother Jones about foreign policy and his belief that some in the Republican Party are eager to start a war with Iran.

By P.J. Gladnick | October 10, 2014 | 9:53 AM EDT

Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post believes that the possible key to Senator Mary Landrieu's re-election is knowing how to "Wobble." Yes, knowledge of a Louisiana dance step takes priority over a voting record or policy positions.
 

By Ken Shepherd | September 30, 2014 | 9:18 PM EDT

During a panel discussion on the September 30 program, MSNBC Hardball panelists briefly discussed how some folks may feel that recent lapses in Secret Service security are not accidental but in some way intentional, borne out of a dislike or hatred for the president within the agency's ranks. 

By Connor Williams | August 11, 2014 | 5:40 PM EDT

In a discussion about the recent unresolved shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, MSNBC’s Ronan Farrow Daily touted the idea that there is a war on black men in America.

Host Ronan Farrow cited a piece from Jonathan Capehart in the Washington Post that discussed the circumstances surrounding the deaths of African-Americans, specifically Trayvon Martin, Renisha McBride, and Michael Brown. The article hinted that black people – and particularly black males – are under attack in America. Farrow brought Capehart onto the program to ask the question himself, wondering: “Are black Americans, as you put it, under siege?” Capehart responded without hesitation: [MP3 audio here; video below]

By Connor Williams | August 8, 2014 | 5:10 PM EDT

Chris Matthews is apparently no fan of blogs or websites, even when they are run by his comrades at MSNBC.

On the August 8 edition of The Reid Report, guest host Jonathan Capehart welcomed the Hardball host to the program to discuss Iraq. He got a whole lot more than he bargained for. Capehart read an excerpt from a piece appearing on Ezra Klein’s Vox.com, which purports to be in the business of ‘explanatory journalism,’ but acts more as an Obama administration mouthpiece. Klein frequently shows up on MSNBC programs, either as a contributor or a guest host. In responding to the excerpt, Matthews angrily ripped Vox: [MP3 audio here; video below]

By Ken Shepherd | August 5, 2014 | 9:35 PM EDT

Monday's "Let Me Finish" tirade was no once-off exercise in spitballing for Chris Matthews. The host of MSNBC's Hardball picked up Tuesday night where he left off, his calling on President Obama to sue Congress for "failure to provide services." And, once again, Matthews made a few factual errors, such as suggesting that the Senate had not confirmed Obama's pick for ambassador to the Russian Federation. 

This time around he was joined by liberal scribes Joan Walsh of Salon and Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post who promptly checked their intellectual honesty at the door and seized on the opportunity as an excuse to bash congressional Republicans for obstructionism. Below the page break you'll find the relevant transcript (emphasis mine; MP3 audio here; video follows page break):

By Ken Shepherd | July 21, 2014 | 8:50 PM EDT

During the Bush era, the Left were wont to remind us that "dissent is patriotic" and being intensely critical of the president was a hallmark of a vibrant democracy, especially on matters of foreign policy and national defense. But in the Obama Era, especially in a crucial midterm election year, well, not so much.

On the July 21 Hardball, guest host Steve Kornacki brought on Mother Jones magazine writer David Corn and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart to grouse about how Republicans who have been critical of President Obama's handling of Russia vis-a-vis the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and the Moscow-backed political unrest in Ukraine. "There was a time when politics stopped at the water's edge. That disappeared, apparently, on January 20, 2009," Capehart whined in a segment entitled "Blame Obama First."

By Connor Williams | June 6, 2014 | 1:25 PM EDT

Continuing their slobbering love affair with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, MSNBC fawned over the answers Clinton gave in a, wait for it, People magazine interview.

Now with Alex Wagner guest host Richard Wolffe and the Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart literally went over part of the interview sentence by sentence, gushing over Hillary’s ability to connect with potential voters. In their eyes, Hillary could do no wrong; every single word served a higher purpose, that being her future political aspirations. According to Wolffe, Hillary’s responses were like “poetry, I tell you.” Wolffe highlighed Hillary’s alleged ability to relate her concussion to the needs of the American people, saying [MP3 audio here; video below]:

By Paul Bremmer | May 13, 2014 | 5:19 PM EDT

Liberals often say they’re big on tolerance, but apparently tolerance must flow only one way – toward liberals and their favored identity groups. So says MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart.

Appearing as a guest on Monday’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Capehart rebuffed the idea that supporters of Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL, should have to tolerate the views of those who don’t agree with Sam’s lifestyle. Capehart argued:

By Brad Wilmouth | April 28, 2014 | 11:32 AM EDT

On the Sunday, April 27, Melissa Harris-Perry show, during a discussion of new laws restricting abortion in Mississippi and Texas, guest Chloe Angyal of Feministing.com ridiculously saw "white supremacy" in Republican state legislators who had worked to reduce abortion, and asserted that these GOPers should be "ashamed of themselves."

Marcus Mabry of The New York Times stated the legal question was "at what point will the Supreme Court say the state impediments to a woman's ability to get an abortion actually represent illegal actions?" [See video below.]

By Brad Wilmouth | April 27, 2014 | 11:18 PM EDT

On the Saturday, April 26, Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC, Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post substitute hosted a segment celebrating efforts by the Obama administration to reduce the number of convicted felons in prison in aftermath of signing a law in 2010 reducing mandatory sentences.

Panel member Martin Glenn of Just Leadership USA -- who was introduced by Capehart as having a goal to "cut the U.S. prison population in half by 2030" -- joined USA Today columnist Raul Reyes in complaining about the requirement that prisoners serve 10 years with good behavior to be eligible for early release as the two suggested it was nearly impossible to do so.