Whose Got 'Hubris'? Not The Humble (And Puzzled) Chris Matthews

Whose got 'Hubris', the new book by Isikoff and Corn about the intel war between the White House and the CIA?

They broke the "news" that Armitage was Novak's source, but I have been advised that they also confirm the story first reported by Mickey Kaus - when Libby called Tim Russert to complain about Chris Matthews he accused Matthews of anti-semitism.  Chris Matthews is currently ducking this story because it is "so complicated", but let's review this under-publicized piece of the puzzle; over to Mickey:

Mystery Solved? kf thinks it has resolved the mystery of what NBC is hiding about the crucial Russert/Libby telephone conversation of July 10, 2003...

Here's one answer: kf hears, through trustworthy and knowledgeable sources, that in his conversation with Russert Libby gave vent to the archetypal (and wrongheaded) charge that Matthews was animated by anti-Semitism--presumably because Matthews talked a lot about "neoconservative" Bush aides and war supporters and interviewed guests (such as Pat Caddell) who did too.

If that was Libby's complaint, it would help explain why NBC wanted to keep quiet about its exact contents. Not only does it potentially bring up a wild, hard-to-refute issue that the network would rather not have to deal with--but Libby's jag is also something you wouldn't forget, or make up, which would make Russert's testimony extremely convincing at trial. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald may have wanted to keep it secret so it would have as much of an impact as possible, and Russert may be trying to honor a request from the prosecutor.

Contacted late Sunday night, Matthews said, "I don't know. Tim never told me that. I never heard that. I just don't know. I don't want to be in the position of telling you about a phone conversation I was not a party to. ... You've got your source." He suggested that I call Russert.

Matthews added, however, that Catherine Martin, an aide in the vice president's office, once told him that "Scooter thinks anytime anybody uses the word 'neoconservative' it's anti-Semitic."

"I'm sorry. It's an ideological term," Matthews said.

I called Russert's office this morning. They referred me to an NBC spokeswoman who emailed, "I do not speak for Mr. Libby, therefore I cannot comment on what Mr. Libby may or may not have said." That makes no sense at all, because I was asking about what Russert himself heard from Libby, and Russert could certainly speak for Russert. But that was NBC's response. ...

I had my own heavily caveatted suggestion as to what that might mean - briefly, maybe Libby tabbed both Chris Matthews and Joe Wilson as anti-semites for the same reason, in which case, Libby has a "Get Joe" motive and Cheney might have a "Lone Gunman" alibi.

Justin Raimondo had thoughts as well.

So why do we care today?  Well, the book is out, and Chris Matthews himself is in the news with this:

Matthews: Plame Story Too Complicated to Cover Now

...One of the biggest media figures boycotting the Plame story has been MSNBC host Chris Matthews who has yet to mention the scandal at all since the Armitage report broke, a dramatic contrast to the 27 times he mentioned the "scandal" in the five months leading up to it.

Like P.J. Gladnick, I couldn't help but notice Matthews's strange flip. So I decided to ask him about it. His answer revealed an animus toward Vice President Dick Cheney and a fear of being asked to answer tough questions himself.

...Q: ...Why not invite one of [Joe Wilson's] representatives or defenders on the show?

A: Well, the story's just gotten so complicated. I mean, it's just such a mess. Because what if it's true that Armitage was the source, but those other guys [presumably Rove and Scooter Libby], also were leakers, what then?

It's pretty complicated, Chris - maybe more so than you are letting on.

Comments

[clarice]

Heh! Maybe we can print the story out in big crayons on lined paper for Chris or for his buddy David Shuster to read to him if even that is too hard.

Do you suppose his claim that Russert never told him about the Libby conversation is more credible than Mitchell's claim she never talked to Russert about the Wilson/Plame connection?Or is MSNBC so dysfunctional the staff needs a course in communication skills?

[paulv]

poor, poor Chrissy getting drilled on cross. too complicated for poor boy.
I thought that getting slamed for being bigot could make poor dear forget the rest of conservation

[ed in texas]

They've arrived at "I don't want to talk about it" mode, which is usually followed by a discussion about the weather and a hearty "how 'bout them Dodgers"...(Redskins/Yankees/whatever)

[cathyf]

Libby's jag is also something you wouldn't forget, or make up, which would make Russert's testimony extremely convincing at trial.

Exactly the opposite. If Libby was on a tear/jag/rant, then the part(s) of the conversation that were NOT the tear/jag/rant would be all the more forgettable. Which means that Russert's testimony is impeachable even without questioning his credibility -- "of course Mr. Russert is being totally honest with us, it's just that he clean forgot this piece of trivia that was an unimportant (to him) little detail because all of his attention was consumed with the emotionally fraught wild accusations that Libby was attacking him with."

In other words, after remembering the rant, and remembering the sick feeling of being attacked, he didn't have enough brain cells left over to remember some silly little thing about Joe Wilson's wife.

[SteveMG]

Well, one can certainly sympathize with Matthews here.

After all, who wants to take on all that pro-Cheney press that's out there ready to pounce on any criticism of their man? It'll take a bold man, a big man, a strong man to do so.

Boy, sometimes I think the smart thing to do is to forget about keeping up on this nonsense, just move to Kazakhstan and devote one's life to raising goats.

SMG

[windansea]

I don't see why it's the anti semite deal that Matthews is afarid of...he stopped talking about Plame after Armitage was outed.

[Sue]

I don't understand. The program that Chris Matthews thinks sparked the phone call to Russert was about Wilson, VP, behest, twisted intelligence.

[Jane]

That would explain Matthew's 1-man jihad on behalf of Joe Wilson.

[Sue]

talkeft was the first place I found reference to the show.

[clarice]

Let me suggest if that were the complaint, NBC would not want that made public. With MSNBC's ratings in the tank, I do not think this is the kind of image they are looking for.

[topsecretk9]

First of all, don't you think that Matthew's and Wilson were seen wining and dining around town BEFORE Wilson "manned up" /sarcasm off and put the pencil in hand in the NYT's?

And then don't you think Matthew's was going around off-air, spitting "the neo-cons are coming, the neo-cons are coming" after his Valerie and Joe whispered ear?

Wilson/Val was not hard to "track down", Democracy Now put THIS up after his OP-ED, BEFORE Novak's article, linking to the Epic speech...(where Wilson mentions "NEO_CON" quite a bit AND listed his wife as Plame that has since been airbrushed)

[Includes statements: 19:46: "The real agenda in all this, of course, was to redraw the political map of the Middle East. Now that is code, whether you like it or not, but it is code for putting into place the strategy memorandum which was done by Richard Perle and his study group in the mid-90s, which was called 'A Clean Break: A New Strategy for the Realm'. And what it is, cut to the quick, is if you take out some of these countries, or some of these governments, that are antagonistic to Israel, then you provide the Israeli government with greater wherewithal to impose its terms and conditions on the Palestinian people. . .But that is the real agenda. You can put weapons of mass destruction out there, you can put terrorism out there, you can put liberation out there. Weapons of mass destruction got hard-headed realists on board, through a bunch of lies. . ."

...
13:33: In response to the question about the geopolitical agenda behind the Iraq war, Wilson replies, "On the other ones, the geopolitical situation, I think there are a number of issues at play; there's a number of competing agendas. One is the remaking of the map of the Middle East for Israeli security, and my fear is that when it becomes increasingly apparent that this was all done to make Sharon's life easier and that American soldiers are dying in order to enable Sharon to impose his terms upon the Palestinians that people will wonder why it is American boys and girls are dying for Israel and that will undercut a strategic relationship and a moral obligation that we've had towards Israel for 55 years. I think it's a terribly flawed strategy."

[topsecretk9]

typing too fast and not checking, sorry for the typos...meant to say "NEO_CON" storyline quite a bit.

[JM Hanes]

Matthews has always seen Bush is a politically gifted idiot being exploited by Cheney & the neocon cabal. He's thought that Iraq was an unAmerican war from the very beginning, & he blames Cheney for manipulating the hapless President into it. When Wilson showed up, it was a match made in heaven.

[JM Hanes]

typing too fast here, too, tops!

**as a politically gifted idiot**

[SteveMG]

He's thought that Iraq was an unAmerican war from the very beginning, & he blames Cheney for manipulating the hapless President into it

If you recall, he believed in much of the same idea back in the Gulf War in 1989/1990. At that time he was against removing Saddam from Iraq using force and often warned that the real danger lay in the Pentagon and the hawks, read Cheney.

Substitute "neocon" for hawks and you've got the same argument.

It appears that his idea of realism in foreign policy is to do nothing that could possibly destabilize a region. In that case, one could never support military action since there will always be a destabilizing effect of the use of force. Cf., Afghanistan was certainly more "stable" under the Taliban than it is now.

I'm not sure what Saddam Hussein had to do to incur the anger of Matthews. Invade Chevy Chase, Maryland? Maybe not; that would mess up the Beltway traffic too much.

SMG

[Patton]

Chris Mathews says: ""Well, the story's just gotten so complicated. I mean, it's just such a mess. """

What that means is Mathews and Shuster have told so many huge lies, that they simply can't explain it all away with a Armitage did it line. Mathews is basically saying, 'Look, the truth just won't work on this story, we have to go beyond the truth to get to the real story'.

Now would be a good time for Mathews to discover those Bush/Cheney, 'get Wilsons Wife' memos from a guy in Texas who got them from a girl at a rodeo.

[SteveMG]

The latest, and possibly the greatest, from Matthews (this evening):

MATTHEWS: Do you think [Richard Armitage] might have been used by people like Scooter? They put it in front of him knowing he's a blabbermouth?

So, the conspiracy was to use Armitage the gossip to put forward the name.

Of course, there's zero evidence of this.

Good grief. Just friggin' make it up.

SMG

[clarice]

Of course, it is ironic but Armitage was one of the signers of the PNAC statement to which Wilson was referring.

[owl]

Toot Toot.....been telling ya all the time it was going to come back to the MSNBC crew and head honcho Matthews.

You had to have been watching (religiously) or....I watched so you did not have to. And yep...all those evil emails they received daily came from me.

[Shez]

This is why, after watching Hardball for years, several months ago, I finally just quit watching.
Of course Matthews is biased, we all are. He didn't like Clinton and had the guts to be one of the few media types who was honest about what was going on. So agree or disagree, I've always liked Matthews for his enthusiam and for the debate. But since the Iraq war started, he has gotten ridiculous. I mean, I don't mind listening to the rants against it, but night after night, the same stories. The Plame story was a classic example (but one of many). It is the heighth of hypocracy that he won't now talk about it.

[topsecretk9]

This just makes me C R A Z Y, ESPECIALLY coming from an liberal who subscribes to the flipping point I have made over and over, via SLATE

But liberal Kevin Drum at the Washington Monthly's Political Animal thinks it's not quite all-over-but-the-shouting-for-forgiveness: "I know I'm flogging this horse over and over, but where did the name 'Plame' come from? The proposition that Novak looked it up in Who's Who and decided to use her maiden name just for kicks has never struck me as plausible. What's more, we also know that someone gave the name 'Plame' to Judith Miller, though she now pretends not to know who she got it from."

Under the Epic Forumn, CPSAG and ARAB Institute BIO and Who's Who, WIlson...WILSON listed his wife's name as "PLAME", obviously her maiden name

What ERA do we live in? Yep, the era of liberated bra burners appalled at the thought of submissively accepting their husbands last name. Hell I know of a few neutered dudes who've taken their WIVES last name.

Novak, is old-school and acutely aware of the nuances of chauvinistically assuming the woman took her husbands name SINCE WILSON took the added step to list her as "Plame" ...so even with the distinction of "former" Novak is aware that many women USE their maiden name for their profession.

- and if she even had a droplet of concern for he anonymity, let alone her careful protection of her precious cover, she'd request her name listed only as "Valerie" or NOT at all. (as in Wilson lives in DC with his wife and 2 children"

To make this the central "mystery" and "the heart of something more to the story" is just L A M E.

[topsecretk9]

This just makes me C R A Z Y, ESPECIALLY coming from an liberal who subscribes to the flipping point I have made over and over, via SLATE

But liberal Kevin Drum at the Washington Monthly's Political Animal thinks it's not quite all-over-but-the-shouting-for-forgiveness: "I know I'm flogging this horse over and over, but where did the name 'Plame' come from? The proposition that Novak looked it up in Who's Who and decided to use her maiden name just for kicks has never struck me as plausible. What's more, we also know that someone gave the name 'Plame' to Judith Miller, though she now pretends not to know who she got it from."

Under the Epic Forumn, CPSAG and ARAB Institute BIO and Who's Who, WIlson...WILSON listed his wife's name as "PLAME", obviously her maiden name

What ERA do we live in? Yep, the era of liberated bra burners appalled at the thought of submissively accepting their husbands last name. Hell I know of a few neutered dudes who've taken their WIVES last name.

Novak, is old-school and acutely aware of the nuances of chauvinistically assuming the woman took her husbands name SINCE WILSON took the added step to list her as "Plame" ...so even with the distinction of "former" Novak is aware that many women USE their maiden name for their profession.

- and if she even had a droplet of concern for he anonymity, let alone her careful protection of her precious cover, she'd request her name listed only as "Valerie" or NOT at all. (as in Wilson lives in DC with his wife and 2 children"

To make this the central "mystery" and "the heart of something more to the story" is just L A M E.

[topsecretk9]

2ce, for good measure.

[clarice]

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm Armitage was a signatory to the 1998 *shudder* PNAC letter urging Clinton to work for regime change in Iraq.

[owl]

They may claim that Libby used them deliberately but the very same claim could be made against MSNBC.......easily.

Matthews sounded anti-semetic with his constant sneering of Perle,Feith, Wolfowitz, neocons, cabals, etc. I never had a doubt that Libby was ranting over this.

Shez....I no longer watch either. This finished them up and it should have since the MSNBC crew is what has blown this thing off the walls. Matthews just went round the bend over the war. But Fitz should have had better judgement.......or be forced to watch 3 solid years of Hardball. Let him watch all the shows and then come to the same conclusion....no way.

[Sue]

Saddam Hussein has told interrogators since his capture in December 2003 that his government had not cooperated with Mr. bin Laden.

How cool is this? Saddam Hussein said it didn't happen.

NYTs

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Let me suggest if that were the complaint, NBC would not want that made public. With MSNBC's ratings in the tank, I do not think this is the kind of image they are looking for.

As much as I dislike disagreeing with Clarice, I have to on this one. NBC is very aware that both Matthews and Russert are anti-semitic uber Catholics and that their only appeal and viewership comes from that wing of the democratic party. A wing that comprises a huge part of the democratic party of racists, sexists, and antisemites.

Matthews, in particular, thinks all minorities are too dumb to think for themselves and need people like him and his ilk to guide them thru life. A tactic that has been quite effective for many years but is finally being seen for what it is. They've given up on African-Americans for the most part and turned their attention to Hispanics, but then they have to deal with how the lowliest and most ignorant uneducated and unable people on earth (their characterization), the Semites, can possibly be able to pull off huge and complicated plots. Afterall, if that pesky Arab street would only let people like him help them out of their misery everything would be hunky dory. Class warfare is the way Chris Matthews sees life. There are always those too stupid and untalented to exist and those who must step in as the guides to protect these same from those who think that Matthews and his crowd are the real problem and not the solution. Matthews hates Israel because Israel proves him wrong. All one needs do is compare what Israel did compared to what the Palestinians did and where they stand today from 1947 onward. Everytime self-determination triumphs over the nanny state mentality, Matthews and Russert look like fools.

[Sue]

It's kind of weird. Do a google news search on Plame. You don't get much on Plame's employment status. What was supposed to be a block buster revelation, turned out to be ignored. You think the press knows the truth and isn't going to get caught again?

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Sue, Plame's employment status has never ever been the issue, that was the red herring. This has always been all about Joe Wilson's ego. He was pissed that his so-called verbal report was never codified into writing to become the definitive word on Iraq.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

And ... Wilson blamed Cheney for not accepting his report when he should have been laying the blame alot closer to home ... like in the bed (or backseat) next to him.

[MayBee]

Do you remember when David Brooks wrote the article about people using the term "neo-con", where "neo" means "new" and "con" means "jewish".

Back when the term first started being used a lot, Matthews was right on it. To me, the "neo" smacked of "neo Nazi". We've had this discussion before.

BUT....

Almost everyone that has been a vocal part of the anti-Cheney cabal has also claimed the Iraq war was done for Lukid. Wilson has. Wilkerson has. Cindy Sheehan and her backers. They all point at Israel. I don't think Libby was too far off base to wonder about Wilson and Matthew's promotion of him.

I just wish the This is for Lukid! groups would stop the whisper campaign and come out and say it.

[Verner]

Sue: What was supposed to be a block buster revelation, turned out to be ignored. You think the press knows the truth and isn't going to get caught again?

That's my guess. I looked back at some of the articles printed at the time, and old hands at the CIA seemed to think that a) NOCs don't run business out of headquarters and b)it would be insanity for a clandestine network to be run by a NOC agent under her own name. I'll just add, her own name that is printed in the Who's Who and in the FEC report as a contributor to the democrat party using her cover company. Then there's the bit I put in the thread above concerning Armitage, Novak and the actions of the CIA concerning "naming" her and her employment. One error you could see--but two? And at such a high level.

My thoughts, she was a WMD manager whose status/job was classified. She traveled to Jordan to work with Jordanian intelligence as an analyst--which means to me that they knew where she worked.

And think of it this way as well. The Cubans and Soviets have known who she is since 1996. How hard do you think it has been for them to keep track of her? She drives to Langly every morning, she's married to Joe, they're on the DC FP cocktail circuit (where she met Joe), she's in Who'e Who--all in her own name. AND she publishes the name of her cover company in the public record. I mean, to be any less covert, she'd have to walk down Pennsylvania Ave naked. And we still do not know how many friends/journalists the Wilsons told themselves--remember Well's 5 witnesses. And Fitz didn't even care to ask.

And of course, the biggie--Fitz didn't indict anyone.

I think Corn is trying to pump up this covert/covered business for public consumption, and the people who know are avoiding the trap.

[Tom Maguire]

After all, who wants to take on all that pro-Cheney press that's out there ready to pounce on any criticism of their man? It'll take a bold man, a big man, a strong man to do so.

Courage, Chris!

You don't get much on Plame's employment status. What was supposed to be a block buster revelation, turned out to be ignored. You think the press knows the truth and isn't going to get caught again?

Interesting point - I don't know if they know "the truth", but they sure did ignore that.

I could see a "don't get burned again" thing. Just for myself, David Corn talking to Val's CIA friends about how important she was just isn't that credible.

[Sue]

O/T:

Check out Flopping Aces on the Senate report

[Sue]

They ignored it. Hardly anything out there except for blogs talking about it. Doesn't bode well for book sales. And kind of makes EW's project look like a day late and a dollar short. People are over Plame, or so it would seem.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Justin Levine is one who has seen an advance copy of "The Path to 9/11":

[posted by Justin Levine]

Instapundit nails it on the head today. Read his post, along with all the links he provides.

Like him, I most certainly do not blame the Clinton administration for 9/11. I do blame them for constantly trying to distort history by claiming to have been focused like a laser beam on terror throughout their tenure, and then implying that everything was going swimmingly in the anti-terror effort until Bush came into power. That is an out-and-out lie - and one that the “Path To 9/11″ powerfully dispels.

But you know who I think comes across as the worst in this film? [Not including the terrorists themselves obviously.] It actually isn’t anyone in the Clinton cabinet. It is

Barbara Bodine - the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen who is portrayed in part 2 of the film as essentially shutting down the FBI’s investigation into the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.

The Weekly Standard provides some crucial background here. It shows that there are two sides to every story, but that the filmmakers had enough justification for choosing to portray one side over the other.

Part of the brilliance of ‘The Path To 9/11′ is that it shows how each different jurisdiction of power can work against one another. People normally don’t think of Third World Ambassadors as having a whole lot of power over institutions such as the FBI or the CIA. This film might change your thinking on that. When Third World Ambassadors also happen to have big egos (Joe Wilson anyone?), then the results can be even worse. And yet, Ambassador appointments to Third World countries isn’t usually given a whole lot of scrutiny in public debates.

[topsecretk9]

--Barbara Bodine - the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen who is portrayed in part 2 of the film as essentially shutting down the FBI’s investigation into the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.--

Bizarrely, Joseph Wilson and Marc Grossman's classmate at UCSB.

6 degrees of separation.

[topsecretk9]

Barbara Bodine '70- Former ambassador to Yemen
Barbara has recently been appointed to the UC Board of Regents where she will serve a two year term. Barbara has spent much of her long career working for the United States on Southwest Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. She was twice appointed to Bureau of Near East Affairs' Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs, first as Country Officer for the Yemenis, then as Political-Military officer for the peninsula. She also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion and occupation in 1990. In 1997, she was appointed by the President to be Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen.

http://www.ucsbalum.com/alum_dir_plus/notable/politics.html

[PeterUK]

"She traveled to Jordan to work with Jordanian intelligence as an analyst--which means to me that they knew where she worked.

And think of it this way as well. The Cubans and Soviets have known who she is since 1996. How hard do you think it has been for them to keep track of her? She drives to Langly every morning, she's married to Joe, they're on the DC FP cocktail circuit (where she met Joe), she's in Who'e Who--all in her own name. AND she publishes the name of her cover company in the public record"

Ah but,Verner,that was her cover,deep double,covered, occluded,covert,hidden in plain sight,clever eh?

[Jane]

NEW REPUBLIC Editor and Al Gore supporter, Marty Peretz joins Libby Legal Defense...

http://www.scooterlibby.com/

[Verner]

Yeah PUK, and her uber cover--no foreign intelligence agency in the world would have guessed that a NOC would be dumb enough to be married to a clown like Joe.

Hey TS9 good catch--so Barbie was in Kuwait when Joe was standing up to Saddam!

[clarice]

I saw that this morning, Jane. Good for Peretz!

[Scott]

I've been watching Matthews since he had gray hair, and I tend to agree with those who say the Iraq war unhinged him. When the initial push to Baghdad slowed down due a sandstorm, Matthews started invoking the magic word "quagmire." Honestly, for a while the man was trying to outdo Baghdad Bob. Then he had to publicly apologize, and I think that he's resented having to do that ever since, hence his willingness to harp on ever fragment of bad news coming out of Iraq and tendency to ignore or pooh-pooh any good news. I have serious doubts that he will ever apologize for his shameful behavior in the Wilson matter, but what I'm really wondering is whether anyone higher up at MSNBC will look back at what's happened and wonder why they indulged the likes of Matthews and Olberman on this matter for as long as they did.

[Florence Schmieg]

I heard Bodine speak at a forum at my university in the year following 9-11. She didn't strike me as someone who had a belief in democracy for any country in that region even then. Very patronizing about the people but affectionate towards them (like a puppy?). So I was really surprised when she initially was sent to be the State dept. rep in Baghdad early in the post-Saddam era there in 2003. Apparently she failed and was recalled (turf issues and different philosophy about the Iraqis from the provisional government). I might have predicted that from that first forum I heard.

NBC news keeps Matthews and Olberman because essentially they agree with them. Matthews has gone over the bend.

[clarice]

Maybe. Maybe the nutroots are their only niche and they feel they cannot expand it and are afraid to lose it.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Maybe the nutroots are their only niche and they feel they cannot expand it and are afraid to lose it.

That's my take, Clarice.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

I'd flip it - Matthews has seen "real" polling data and knows that if he doesn't sit down and shut up, he and the nutroots are actually going to cost Dems seats.

Seven weeks to go and the Dems "grand strategy" is an absolute shambles. The Clinton panic over a silly docudrama is just one more indicator.

I wonder if the DoJ will indict Cold Cash next week to make a matched pair of him and Torricelli Jr.? It's simply amazing how quickly that climate of corruption acted in infecting Menendez. Pelosi and Dingy Harry came up with a real winner.

[clarice]

Heh! Rick. I hope whoever dreamed up the C of C is still front and center in their strategy braintrust.

Perhaps Chris has seen the polls. More likely he has been shamed into silence at last. If I had a program running opposite of him I'd run a montage of his Rove rants with the date on the bottom running across the creen. The ending would be the same idea but starring Shuster and the 24 hours and sealed v sealed.

When I hear he's removed and torn Munchausen's card from his rolodex I will consider him on the way to recovery.

[clarice]

About cold cash, I'm still waiting for the Courts to rule on when and whether the DoJ can see the records their subpoenaed and seized. They are late in ruling. I do not see how they can indict him without those records.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

I would think the videotape of him accepting a bribe would have some prosecutorial value. My take on the records is that they will implicate other Congresscritters - pure speculation - but I'm holding out some hope for the SoCal sister act.

Matthews is a totally shameless Dem shill - MSNBC would have fired his sorry butt long ago if he didn't have such strong party ties. I really do believe that someone has provided him with info that has his tummy just tied in knots. The nutroots are as scary to normal Americans as the orange hatted Deaniacs were to the Iowans. To know them is to run. Right into the great big elephant tent.