Wish there were transcripts posted with these for those of us stuck at work with no sound...

First let me thank you, Nicole. :-P

Now I'll watch and enjoy!

I have had a very confusing opinion of Matthews. When he talks to someone like Tom DeLay and beams at him I get grossed out! But, he also targets the right wing loonies enough time to confuse me. He really should stop talking about Hillary's "cackle", when he has one that sounds like a baboon with bowel problems. I think Jon Stewart did a stunning job on Chris. Chris can do that to people on his show, but when it's aimed at him he's so hurt! I really love Jon Stewart and his ability to use his intellect as well as humor to point out the clay feet of some of his guests (like John McCain).

ever since he sat and fawned over Ann Cultergiest and sandbagged Elizabeth-should-be-1st-lady Edwards...I have hoped and prayed for some comeuppance...whelp..thank you Jon...FINALLY..

I don't like Chris Mathews, but Jon Stewart was a total asshole here. He ranted and didn't allow Mathews to defend himself. I expect tactics like this from the likes of the right wing pundits, but Jon was over the top. Let Mathews answer the damn questions and bury himself.

Dang, on a computer w/o sound. Still, I always thought Chris sadly confused rather than a outright player. He really does have a raging stiffy for the authoritarian right, but I think he honestly views himself as a centrist, maybe even socially liberal. Certainly he'll come out with a completely non-left/non-right statement every once and a while. Just plain, non-bias crazy statements, really.

A sad, lonely man. I guess that maybe he even fails to live up to the philosophy in his own book -- in this case that would be a (admittedly small) plus.

I wonder if him being "hurt" from Stewart's honesty will "radicalize" him? I bet it does (just like Timmeh!). Look for an even further right Hardball this year...

WOW! That's pulling no punches and still being funny. Matthews had to really force his smile at the end.

i saw that interview last night and wow... talk about two diametrically opposing perspectives on life... one of a deeply curious intellect and the other a shallow, insecure, ladder-climbing-based intellect... that was indeed one of Jon's best interviews... i actually felt sorry for mathews in this one...

Hmmmm... Machiavelli. That reminds me of different philosophers' responses to the joke: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" My favorites are:

Machiavelli: "It does not matter why the chicken crossed the road, for the end justifies the means."

Einstein: "Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road crossed under the chicken depends on your frame of reference."

Buddha: "If you ask this question, you deny your own chicken-nature."

By Tweety's philosophy, anything is justifiable, there are no boundaries, there are no limits. Anything or act can be excused; it's all just a matter of degrees. This is the thinking of a souless sociopath. I am astonished that he would admit to his philosophy in a book. Doing so means that he is so far gone down this particular path that it doesn't even occur to him to try and conceal himself. He is without shame. The lack transforms the underlying thinking from that of a mere sociopath into that of the borderline psychopath. Good for Stewart for handling him as he did.

man, it hurt to watch Tweety force that dorky laugh.
on that note, maybe he does need to bs like a politician to get what he wants.
painful!

AntiFed1791 @ 21:

Equating Matthew's book with Machiavelli's The Prince was the clincher for me. I'm going to buy the book!

Which book? Why not buy the original, "The Prince," instead of this shallow pretender's ripoff?

Pundits like Tweety expect an easy ride when shilling extra income-making books around. Everyone writes these things, makes a few bucks, etc. So when you're in the club they just gladhand you and let you talk, talk, talk. Jon Stewart obviously isn't in the club. And that's good. We need more interviews where the whole thing isn't just some glad handing charade. The only book I'd rather read LESS than Tweety's is Pumkinhead Russert's "Big Russ" book. Oh God, that was shameful and embarrasing when he went around hawking that.

I am not sure it was intentional or not but that was a fucking hilarious interview. i was tearin' up bad it had me laughing so hard.

Brilliant interview.

Don't buy this tools book.

I would imagine Chris' book will hit the reduced pile in the bookstores real soon. We already know that politicians will lie at times, we don't need to pay to read about it.

Methinks Plato's Republic, the Allegory of the Cave perfectly describes his thinking. Enlightened to the world of light and yet choosing a manipulative life in the dark.

This is the first time I noticed how loud his voice and how damn irritating his laughter is.

Chris Matthew's perspective is exactly what is wrong with this country right now.

The Bushites and the Republicks have made EVERYTHING political, there is no governing, only gaining advantage.

This book sounds like a series of lessons in how NOT to live.

Biggus Diggus @ 26:

Pundits like Tweety expect an easy ride when shilling extra income-making books around. Everyone writes these things, makes a few bucks, etc. So when you're in the club they just gladhand you and let you talk, talk, talk. Jon Stewart obviously isn't in the club. And that's good. We need more interviews where the whole thing isn't just some glad handing charade...

Absolutely right. Matthews thought he'd get the "gladhand" treatment and you could see the disbelief in his face. "Its called the Prince"...that was awesome but I doubt Matthews has ever read Il Principe so I'm sure it was lost on him...Da twit.

In a very funny, masterfully played display of polite mercilessness, Jon eviscerated the Braying Big Bird and trashed his little book. What with Clarence Thomas' warped, bitter screed coming out in the same week, the bargain bins will be full this month.

Matthews laugh is far scarier than Hillary's any day.

That was great, disagreement for sure, but humor and civility ruled. Both came out smelling like a rose. It was fun to watch.

The Celestial Teapot @ 44:

In a very funny, masterfully played display of polite mercilessness, Jon eviscerated the Braying Big Bird and trashed his little book. What with Clarence Thomas' warped, bitter screed coming out in the same week, the bargain bins will be full this month.

Matthews laugh is far scarier than Hillary's any day.

At least he will never be elected POTUS. Oooooo...(I just got a shiver thinkin bout Hill and the Big Dog back at 1600.) Ok, ok...I'm better now. That was icky.

Brian @ 39:

I was a little taken aback by it, especially considering that Matthews is by no means a thoughtless right-wing ideologue. I thought the interview was rude and uncalled for.

Such is the problem of this country, people call calling a spade a spade as being "mean."

Anyhow, isn't this twit the host of a show called "hardball"? What were you expecting a reach around by Stewart?

Matthews and his ilk are the main enablers of the predicament we find ourselves in -- remember his man crush over Bush when he landed on the aircraft carrier with the cod piece? -- And there are idiots who still think that he deserves normal treatment? Fuck that...

Chris seems to have written this book to basically say that Bill and Hillary Clinton are lying their way through life and politics. Is he trying to do Rudy a favor?

Well done.... Stewart doesn't let the bullshit fly around in his own house.

His book seems to explain a lot about his worship of GW. He ran a very successful life campaign while the actual life was a complete and total failure. He has pretty much summed up the GOP brand. The race is all important. Winning is everything. Any method used in pursuit of victory is acceptable as long as you win in the end. What you do once you win is secondary to the actual victory. You won, hence you were justified. To the victor go the spoils! I fought a good fight, now I'm going on vacation.

I love the Tweety defenders here. Boo Hoo, he didn't give him a chance to answer. Um, did you watch the interview? When Jon gave him a chance to speak he talked about Big Dogs chick bagging technique in college as a reference to his early "life campaign" successes. Jon, being fully aware of Tweety's performance during the 90's, was having none of that horseshit.

This was classic, but SO uncomfortable to watch. It's like the whole time Chris Matthews was waiting for that moment when Jon would let up or say he was just kidding and say "But no seriously, this was a great book folks" or something. Never happened. Ouch. Jon said it plain and simple, WTF is the point of this f-in book, really. It had no point. If we treated life as a campaign, we'd bullshit our way through it and we'd ALL be liars and do whatever we needed to in order to take care of ourselves and ourselves only, regardless of the consequences for others.

Way to call 'em out Jon.

HDon @ 51:

Jon Stewart is a guy I'd like to drink a beer with. He has a sunny nobility about him. He should have his face on Mt Rushmore.

Tweety is a douchebag. An enabler of the problems at hand. He is a treasonous turd.

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i'll drink to all of that! gurgle! gurgle!

If we treated life as a campaign, we’d bullshit our way through it and we’d ALL be liars and do whatever we needed to in order to take care of ourselves and ourselves only, regardless of the consequences for others.

So... we'd all be republicans?

Chris: Aren't you gonna let me explain?

Jon: Sure, we'll just edit it out.

Douche'

...funny bit...but the real question is if Chris M. is so bad, why does Keef (darlin' of C & L) kiss his ass ?

andrew @ 68:

...funny bit...but the real question is if Chris M. is so bad, why does Keef (darlin' of C & L) kiss his ass ?

Because they're co-workers, and Olby's learned not to shit in his own nest? Just a guess.

JennyO, before Rudy even said for sure he would run Chris was cheerleading every night on his show about how great Rudy would be. Any male republican that Chris thinks could one day throw him a bone, he's all about them.

(No, I don't mean that kind of bone. Tsk Tsk ;) )

Mathews handed a bunch of unrelated notes to a low-level editor who has to create a book with Mathews name on it, and now Mathews has to defend the book. It might be a good idea for him to read it first.

This is the pre-Xmas book push with ever kind of crap written by every celeb-pol put out at the end of the year junk. Mathews, Ann Coulter, Uncle Tom, and of course the usual Bush bio will all come out and we will hear about how they see the world, until they have another book come out, that completely contradicts what this years book will say.

Yep, that about covers it, EMPY

I think Chis is so envious of Bill Clinton that he can't sleep at night. I've thought that since Bill was in the white house.

EMPY @ 73:

Jenny'O @ 65:

pissed off patricia @ 52:

Chris seems to have written this book to basically say that Bill and Hillary Clinton are lying their way through life and politics. Is he trying to do Rudy a favor?

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pissed off patty, you're so good, it's kind of scary.
i don't know about the rudey connection cause i don't often watch twit-ee but, he does seem to have it in for bill and hill and they were the examples he used...not george's cynical use of the military, not rudy's flip-flops...hillary and bill.

Pissed of Patricia absolutely nailed it. Tweety's quiver only has a couple of arrows in it. He trembles in anticipation of the Clintons back in the White House. His repertoire consists of the following:

1. Bill and Hilary are liars
2. Bill likes sex. A LOT! Did I mention how much Bill likes sex.
3. Bill/Hillary are not authentic

Rinse and repeat!

Well, even us liberals know those 3 are true.

Matthews' embarrassingly slavish adulation of political figures is only exceeded by the same adulation given Jon Stewart here.

Well, that and Whoopi's hard-on for the Pelosi's yesterday. Yeesh.

John @ 78:

EMPY @ 73:

Jenny'O @ 65:

pissed off patricia @ 52:
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pissed off patty, you're so good, it's kind of scary.
i don't know about the rudey connection cause i don't often watch twit-ee but, he does seem to have it in for bill and hill and they were the examples he used...not george's cynical use of the military, not rudy's flip-flops...hillary and bill.

Pissed of Patricia absolutely nailed it. Tweety's quiver only has a couple of arrows in it. He trembles in anticipation of the Clintons back in the White House. His repertoire consists of the following:

1. Bill and Hilary are liars
2. Bill likes sex. A LOT! Did I mention how much Bill likes sex.
3. Bill/Hillary are not authentic

Rinse and repeat!

Well, even us liberals know those 3 are true.

The Big Dog? A Horn Dog? NO!!!!!!!!!!! Say it ain't Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

patthemonkey @ 74:

Mathews handed a bunch of unrelated notes to a low-level editor who has to create a book with Mathews name on it, and now Mathews has to defend the book. It might be a good idea for him to read it first.

This is the pre-Xmas book push with ever kind of crap written by every celeb-pol put out at the end of the year junk. Mathews, Ann Coulter, Uncle Tom, and of course the usual Bush bio will all come out and we will hear about how they see the world, until they have another book come out, that completely contradicts what this years book will say.

lynchcheney @ 75:

Matthews's

Adding a t.

Peter Feldstein @ 10:

I don't like Chris Mathews, but Jon Stewart was a total asshole here. He ranted and didn't allow Mathews to defend himself. I expect tactics like this from the likes of the right wing pundits, but Jon was over the top. Let Mathews answer the damn questions and bury himself.

What? Are you sure you're looking at the same interview? Jon was anything but an asshole! Good for someone actually standing up and saying, "No, it's not okay to write a book that says it's okay to be a disingenuous asshole to get anywhere in life!" What kind of a message is that sending? I think you need to go back and listen to this a few times and maybe on the third of fourth try, it won't go completely over your head again.

Holy smoke. Owned.

Peter Feldstein @ 10:

I don't like Chris Mathews, but Jon Stewart was a total asshole here. He ranted and didn't allow Mathews to defend himself. I expect tactics like this from the likes of the right wing pundits, but Jon was over the top. Let Mathews answer the damn questions and bury himself.

I think your Asshole-O-Meter is broken. Tweety had plenty of opportunity to answer the questions. And did. And also deflected. I guess you didn't watch it.

Sounds like Stewart was in a FED-UP-sort-of-mood, and just couldn't handle anymore horse shit, especially from Tweety, on that particular night.

There is nothing in the slightest baffling about Mathew's man crushes on Republicans and his tiresome trashing of Democrats. It's his job, he just does what the corporate suits tell him to. Of course he comes out awkward and embarrassing statements, the guy just isn't clever enough to come up with anything that sounds like genuine sentiment. Since he's not allowed to say what he might really think about politicians, he regurgitates the usual beltway psychobabble about imaginary qualities of character, smell and masculinity.