Last night I watched as Chris Matthews brutalized Kirk Watson. While interviewing the Texas State Senator and Obama supporter about the coming Texas primary, Matthews asked Watson if he could name Barack Obama's legislative accomplishments. That question caught Watson flat footed. Watson took the time today to explain what happened on his blog.
On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. “Hardball” host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama’s legislative record.It wasn't just that Tweety caught Watson without a practiced answer. He wouldn't let it go. He just kept pounding Watson long after it was obvious Watson had gone blank. Frankly, it was brutal. Had it been a fight the referee would have stepped in to stop it. The video is posted after the break.
And my mind went blank. I expected to be asked about the primary that night, or the big one coming up in Texas on March 4, or just about anything else in the news. When the subject changed so emphatically, I reached for information that millions of my fellow Obama supporters could recite by heart, and I couldn’t summon it.
My most unfortunate gaffe is not, in any way, a comment on Senator Obama, his substantial record, or the great opportunity we all share to elect him President of the United States.
Of course, Tweety was the ref. He knew that Watson wasn't prepared to answer his question. That was painfully obvious to anybody watching. Instead of letting it go, he decided to beat up Watson on national television. Of course, when asked Tweety couldn't name a single accomplishment of the United States Senate during the last few years. I am not sure there have been any.
Why beat up Watson?
As you might recall last week Hillary's campaign let it be known that their attack on David Shuster was in part to get the attention of Chris Matthews. Could it be that Team Hillary's threat got to him? Maybe some real journalist would like to find out. So far today, however, I haven't seen where anybody has asked the obvious question, did Tweety show a white feather and kneel down to Hillary last night?
Hillary jumped on Tweety's work. TPM video after the break.
For whatever it is worth Watson now lists several Obama accomplishments on his website.
Here is TPM's version of Tweedy brutalizing Watson.
It didn't take long for Hillary to jump on the gaffe.
