Kirk Watson v. Chris Matthews
February 19th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Ouch. Austin Sen. Kirk Watson just got ambushed by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. It was not pretty. Made me think Matthews is off his meds.
Watson was there to extol Barack Obama who he has endorsed. It should have been easy work since Obama romped in Wisconsin tonight.
“What’s the unique selling point of Barack Obama to Texans?,” Matthews asked.
Watson responded with hope, excitement, building coalitions, etc.
Matthews set Watson up: “You are a big Barack supporter aren’t you senator?”
“Yes, I am,” replied the pride of Austin.
“Name some of his legislative accomplishments,” Matthews asked.
Watson demurred.
“Sir, you have to give me his legislative accomplishments,” Matthews pressed. “You support him for president. You are on national television. Name his legislative accomplishments, sir. Can you name anything he has accomplished, SIR?”
Watson stammered.
“List Barack Obama’s accomplishments as a senator now. NOW.” Mathews commanded.
Watson couldn’t.
Time up.
The camera returned to Matthews and Countdown’s Keith Olbermann, who clearly felt bad for Watson.
“He is here to defend Barack Obama and he had nothing to say. That’s a problem,” Matthews said, justifying his inquisition. “Why do you think they call it Hardball?”
“But this isn’t Hardball. We are doing the election results,” Olbermann replied.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Matthews was out of control - purposely embarrassing the guy. If Matthews wants to make a point about Obama’s versus Clinton’s legislative accomplishments, there have to be better ways to do it.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Since Obama was accused by the Clinton campaign of plagiarizing Deval Patrick’s speeches and seems to be duplicating his entire campaign of 2006 in MA, I think that all of the Obama supporters should take a look at Patrick’s current poll numbers here: http://www.statehousenews.com/public/poll/ESumm.htm
I think that the reason Hillary won the MA primaries so handily, in spite of the big Kennedy “machine,” is that the people of MA bought Patrick’s “change” campaign two years ago and now have a big case of buyer’s remorse. Complaints abound about how he can’t get things done in the legislature, and has not made good on any of the major promises he made during his campaign.
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! Do we want another repeat of this disaster on the national level?????
February 19th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I watched it tonight. It was painful. Kirk may not ever want to go on live national television again.
And yes, Tweety did seem to be off his meds, but KO was there to slap him down.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:37 am
It couldn’t have happen to a better person.
Sen. Kirk Watson is a snake.
In October, Sen. Kirk Watson voted to ignore the public and divert nearly a Billion tax dollars to convert portions of Austin existing freeways (183, 290W, 290E, 71E, and 71W) into tollways.
This double tax, of tolling drivers to use public expressways to drive to work, school and shop, benefits Watson contributors, developers he was hired to lobby for and the City of Austin, who pays Watson $450 an hour to do land deals.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:31 am
God forbid Chris Matthews actually REPORT THE NEWS FOR A CHANGE INSTEAD OF JUST PICKING FIGHTS… Best part? Right after this exchange, Keith Olbermann challenged Chris Matthews to name one piece of legislation recently passed by the US Senate. Answer? Silence. Chris Matthews is a self-important idiot bully who bragged this morning that this incident is going to be a big story - Yeah, a phony non-story that you made into a story just to feed your own stupid ego. What a pathetic excuse for a journalist!
Kirk Watson should have been better prepared! But this was not journalism. This was full on Anti-Obama attack mode by Chris Matthews - determined to prove to the Clintons that he can be tough - after drooling over Obama for the past 8 weeks.
HILLARY VS. OBAMA LEGISLATIVE RECORDS:
During Obama’s first (8) eight years of elected service (in Illinois) he sponsored over 820 bills - 233 regarding healthcare reform, 125 on poverty and public assistance, 112 crime fighting bills, 97 economic bills, 60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills, 21 ethics reform bills, 15 gun control, 6 veterans affairs and many others. IN ADDITION, DURING HIS FIRST YEAR IN THE U.S. SENATE, HE AUTHORED 152 BILLS AND CO-SPONSORED ANOTHER 427. THESE INCLUDED:
*The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law)
*The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act, (became law)
*The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, (passed by the Senate)
*The 2007 Government Ethics Bill, (became law)
*The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill, (In committee)
In all, since he entered the US Senate, Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1,096. AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD, FOR SOMEONE WHO SUPPOSEDLY “HAS NO RECORD”
HILLARY CLINTON, WHO HAS SERVED FOR 6 YEARS IN THE U.S. SENATE, AND CLAIMS TO KNOW HOW TO “GET THINGS DONE” HAS MANAGED TO AUTHOR AND PASS NTO LAW ONLY TWENTY (20) PIECES OF LEGISLATION, ONLY FIVE (5) OF WHICH HAVE ANY REAL SUBSTANCE:
1. Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11.
2. Pay for city projects in response to 9/11
3. Assist land mine victims in other countries.
4. Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care.
5. Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the wilderness preservation system.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Hey idiot Watson, read wikipedia next time before you go on TV:
As a state legislator, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws.[34] He sponsored a law enhancing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.[35] Obama also led the passage of legislation mandating videotaping of homicide interrogations, and a law to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped.[35] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, he won the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, whose president credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.[36] He was criticized by rival pro-choice candidates in the Democratic primary and by his Republican pro-life opponent in the general election for a series of “present” or “no” votes on late-term abortion and parental notification issues.[37
February 20th, 2008 at 9:25 am
[…] « Kirk Watson v. Chris Matthews […]
February 20th, 2008 at 9:38 am
[…] Kirk Watson v. Chris Matthews (by Jake Bernstein, the Texas Observer) Ouch. Austin Sen. Kirk Watson just got ambushed by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. It was not pretty… Watson was there to extol Barack Obama who he has endorsed. It should have been easy work since Obama romped in Wisconsin [Tuesday night]. “What’s the unique selling point of Barack Obama to Texans?,” Matthews asked. Watson responded with hope, excitement, building coalitions, etc… “Name some of his legislative accomplishments,” Matthews asked. Watson demurred. “Sir, you have to give me his legislative accomplishments,” Matthews pressed. “You support him for president. You are on national television. Name his legislative accomplishments, sir. Can you name anything he has accomplished, SIR?” Watson stammered. “List Barack Obama’s accomplishments as a senator now. NOW.” Mathews commanded. Watson couldn’t. Time up. […]
February 20th, 2008 at 9:42 am
The exchange between Chris Matthews and Kirk Watson is a perfect example of what “news” has become in the age of 24/7 infotainment. Matthews could have easily checked the legislative records of the two candidates himself by going to their websites instead of humiliating a Texas state senator, while simultaneously allowing Tubbs-Jones to boast that Sen. Clinton has achieved legislative accomplishments “all of the world” without asking her to name one. Chris Matthews is clearly trying to get ratings, not trying to get at the truth. His show, and others like it, are part of the reason Obama is succeeding. People are getting tired of spin, image management, and cheap shots while in the meanwhile the US is losing its elective wars in the Mideast, losing its constitutional liberties at home, and the economy is tanking faster than Hillary’s campaign.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
[…] TO Blog has more. […]
February 20th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I am an Obama supporter and I literally CURLED up in my recliner when I saw that. I knew it was going to be something I had to google today.
Seriously…that was the FUNNIEST shit I’ve ever seen politcally. I just couldn’t believe it…afterall it didn’t change my support for Obama…it just made me want to sharpen up on the specifics of his Ethic reforms/Nuclear Proliferation stance etc…because that Chris Matthews thing was CRAZEEE!!! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
February 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
[…] if you thought the Clinton folks would be too gracious to jump all over Austin state Sen. Kirk Watson’s cringe-inducing turn on MSNBC last night, well, you thought wrong: “When you have a major surrogate of Sen. […]
February 20th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
[…] a conference call this afternoon to try to squeeze the last bit of juice from Kirk Watson’s painful performance on MSNBC last night. Their featured guest: Laredo Democratic Congressman Henry […]
February 20th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Chris, back off the testosterone pills. Obama shouldn’t be held accountable for someone else drawing a blank. Anyhow, Hillary is the one whose legislative achievements are unquestionably thin:
1. Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site
2. Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month
3. Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
4. Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall
5. Name courthouse after James L. Watson
6. Name post office after Jonn A. O’Shea
1. Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site
2. Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month
3. Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
4. Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall
5. Name courthouse after James L. Watson
6. Name post office after Jonn A. O’Shea.
7. Designate Aug. 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day
8. Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day
9. Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death. 1
10. Congratulate the Syracuse Univ. Orange Men’s Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.
11. Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men’s Lacrosse Team on winning the championship
12. Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program.
13. Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda.
14. Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death.
15. Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
You people are nuts. I suppose you expect the moderator of an interview to ask “so, how do you feel after your victory” and “how do you feel after your defeat”…nice. Pointing out that even the surrogate of the day had no idea why he should support Obama except that he made him feel nice- not important. As long as everyone else has some idea about why they support him…Senator Watson must be the only uninformed supported following Obama, huh?
February 21st, 2008 at 7:21 am
Finally a journalist doing their job!
I’m so sick of every media personality taking sides and not asking any tough questions.
I thinks it’s great the people are excited about a candidate, but do your homework!
February 21st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Everyone’s applauding Chris Matthews for stumping a surrogate … who didn’t do his work. But no one seems to be concerned at all by the fact that Hillary Clinton is REFUSING to publish her tax return prior to the end of the primary season.
No matter how many legislative achievements Hillary may or may not have, there is a reason the our constitution limits the presidency to 8 years. This is one of the most powerful positions in the world … and Bill and Hillary are partners — marriage partners and political partners. We should be very wary of placing them back into this powerful seat for another term.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
[…] doesn’t.Clinton: There are differences between our record and accomplishments.She brings up poor state Senator Watson again.I do think words are important and actions speak louder than words.Obama is not going to […]
February 21st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Shame on you Kirk Watson. You hypocrite. Let’s keep it real and can the rhetoric. Why couldn’t you have been prepared for the most OBVIOUS question! The emperor has no clothes. Thanks for that. Now I know to vote for Hillary Clinton.