Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Chris Matthews and Glenn Grothman: Scott Walker

Once again, Chris Matthews has made a fool of himself.

This time, Matthews completely screwed up his facts about Scott Walker's union endorsements during the 2010 campaign. Clearly, Matthews was running with the Dems' talking points.

Wisconsin Republican Glenn Grothman set the record straight, exposing Matthews as a Democrat hack and union tool and, in Grothman's words, "completely uninformed."

NewsBusters has the transcript and video of Matthews' latest embarrassment.

Video




Transcript, from NewsBusters

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Let me go to the Republican, Senator Grothman. My question of course is why does the Governor pick on the unions that didn't endorse him in the last campaign but give a free ride to the firefighters and the cops who did and the localities? Why did they get off and are allowed to continue to negotiate collectively?

STATE SENATOR GLENN GROTHMAN (R-WISCONSIN): Well one more time you're completely uninformed. The firemen’s union around this state have campaigned against Republicans, and the statewide police have repeatedly campaigned against Republicans. Governor Walker is doing this out of financial necessity. And out of financial necessity the state with a $3 billion budget deficit has to do something. Governor Walker as well as the cities, counties and schools which all rely on state money can either lay people off or have everybody take a mild reduction in take home pay. Myself with a mild reduction in take home pay is part of that. Now we understand…

MATTHEWS: Okay, you just said I’m wildly, once again I’m wildly out of, out of, wrong on the facts.

GROTHMAN: Absolutely.

MATTHEWS: You’re telling me that there aren't local affiliates, there aren't local union organizations at the county level, municipal level that didn't endorse your governor candidate when he ran. Are you saying they didn't endorse him, the firefighters and the cops?

GROTHMAN: I can think of two small locals. The vast majority, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, the vast majority of firemen's unions worked against Walker in this campaign and to say otherwise is completely to mislead your listening audience.

Of course, Matthews is misleading his audience. He spouts whatever the White House feeds MSNBC, Obama administration propaganda arm.

In Wisconsin, we know that Walker had the endorsement of the Milwaukee police and firefighters but not the statewide unions.

Matthews' suggestion that Walker is exempting police and firefighters from his budget repair plan because they endorsed him in 2010 is either dirty political maneuvering to perpetuate a lie or inexcusably sloppy journalism.

In either case, it's bad.

Bottom line: MSNBC and Chris Matthews lack credibility.

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