From the Dept. of Ass-Smooching (Chris Matthews Division)

[Guest guest]

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Sat, 04 Feb 2006 03:49:07 -0500

Tweety Does Major Ass Kissing Job on " Spit Ball "

 

 

 

Arianna Huffington

02.03.2006

 

 

 

From the Dept. of Ass-Smooching (Chris Matthews Division)

 

 

For further evidence of why all TV journalists covering politics

should be forced to live as far away from the Beltway as possible,

have a look at Chris Matthews' chummy, clubby, buddy-buddy on-air chat

with former Commerce Secretary Don Evans.

 

Evans, an old oil-patch pal of Bush's, was on Hardball to discuss the

president's plan to break our " addiction " to foreign oil.

The segment was a marvel of ludicrousness with Evans making the absurd

claim that Bush's vow to " make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a

thing of the past " had no " geopolitical " implications.

 

But the real kicker came at the end of the interview when Matthews

began tossing verbal bouquets at Evan's feet.

 

" It's great having you on, Mr. Secretary, " chirped Matthews. " You're

one of the good guys. We all like you here. You're great. We wish you

were back in Washington because you're a very civil guy and you're

bipartisan and everybody likes you and we could use you here in

Washington again. "

 

Wait a minute, what makes somebody " one of the good guys " ? Being civil

and charming -- and disastrous policies be damned? And what makes

somebody " bipartisan " ? Being a Bush apologist through and through who

got his job in the cabinet by helping build Bush's Pioneer money

machine -- raising $90 million for W's 2000 run and bringing in huge

corporate soft money donations to the GOP?

 

That's how Evans found himself heading the Commerce Department -- an

agency Robert Mosbacher, Commerce Secretary under Bush 41, once

described as " nothing better than a hall closet where you throw in

everything that you don't know what to do with. " Just the place for

" one of the good guys. "

 

Evans responded to Matthews' praise by saying: " Be sure to say hello

to Kathleen for us. "

 

And big kisses to the kids. And, hey, how's the backswing these

days... still slicing everything to the right? And how about that

pretty little blonde girl who used to answer your phones -- she found

a nice fella yet? Drinks next time I'm in town? The Hay-Adams still

good for you?

 

But Matthews wasn't done applying lips to tush, sending Evans off by

saying, " Maybe you'll be chief of staff one of these days. "

 

What?! The log-rolling was bad enough, but suggesting that Evans be

given a position of real power was too much.

 

Chief of staff? Please... Evans is a hack. A crony who raked in tens

of millions in campaign cash and was given a cushy,

what-harm-can-he-do? gig in the " hall closet " -- and managed to screw

even that up.

 

Forbes -- not Mother Jones -- called Evans' reign at Commerce " a

disaster " : The trade deficit " ballooned on Evans' watch, from $380

billion in 2000 to $519 billion in 2003. "

 

Evans also served the president as an advisor on energy issues. His

track record in this area was just as dismal as at Commerce, helping

shape the policies that have given us record gas prices, record oil

company profits, and no commitment to developing alternative sources

of fuel.

 

Indeed, drilling in ANWR was the only concrete proposal Evans gave in

this online exchange when he was still in the administration. And it's

no accident that Dick Cheney felt compelled to call Rush Limbaugh's

show the day after the State of the Union to assure the ditto-heads

that drilling in the Arctic was " not off the table by any means. "

These oil guys may say " advanced technology " but what they really mean

is " let us drill in ANWR. "

 

Is this really the kind of guy you think we should have as White House

chief of staff, Chris?

 

Matthews caught a lot of flack a couple of weeks ago for going on Imus

and referring to Cro-Magnon talk show host Michael Savage as

" wonderful " while making a few lame jokes about Brokeback Mountain.

 

But while Matthews was clearly being ironic when he lauded Savage, he

was dead serious when he was singing Evans' praises.

 

He has obviously fallen prey to the epidemic of Beltway coziness that

has turned far too many in the MSM into toothless house cats curled at

the feet of those in power.

 

Check out Open Letter To Chris Matthews for Matthews updates, and

Daily Kos for the lowdown on Matthews' downplaying of the Abramoff

scandal.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/from-the-dept-of-asssmo_b_15074\

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