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Chris Matthews condemns Birther tactics smearing Obama

DARA KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, August 27, 2010, 8:06 AM

Updated Friday, August 27, 2010, 1:33 PM

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Chris Matthews

MSNBC's Irish American news anchor Chris Matthews has lashed out this week at what he calls the sleazy tactics being used against the president.

In particular he's appalled by Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his comment on Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press: 'The president says he's a Christian. I take him at his word,' said McConnell, in a carefully worded remark that raised eyebrows nationwide.

Matthews was incensed. 'Here`s the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate, the world`s greatest deliberative body, out there playing ball with the birther crowd,' he fumed. 'The people systematically trying to deny the president`s identity as a Christian born in this country.'

Matthews added: 'It`s really quite sleazy the way they`re doing it. They don`t have the nerve to go out and say he`s not American and he`s a secret member of another religion. They do it what Senator Mitch McConnell did Sunday, encourage that notion, underwrite the crazies - meanwhile, undermining any positive action by the government they`ve sworn to serve.'

Matthews noted that according to the latest Pew Research Poll 3/4 of the party increasingly believe President Obama is a Muslim. Just 23 percent of Republicans today say the president was definitely born in the U.S.

'In other words, the majority of Republicans doubt he`s a legitimately elected president or even that he`s even legitimately in the country - just 23 percent say that,' said Matthews.

By promoting this Obama is a Muslim strategy Matthews believes the intention is to make the President as foreign, as un-American as possible, undercutting anything he tries to do.

'What a great American way to meet your oath of office, Mr. McConnell,' he seethed.

Nster.com

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43 Comments

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seanomelbourne | Aug 31, 2010, 07:56 PM EDT

McNamara31!We in Aus have put up with Murdochs antics for over thirty years and how he has used his media empire to help change governments here(Aus) and in Britain he now wishes to be the major power broker in the U.S. political system. A megalomaniac in the extreme. But make no mistake he would shift allegiances if it suited his commercial interests. His sons are embarrassed by his extreme views,one son resigning from the company board.There is no honour here with this man.News ltd. reminds me of a conglomerate of companies with a CEO bent on ruling a corporate world or worse.

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McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2010, 03:04 PM EDT

Sean....From the earliest days, the GOP has had a strategic plan to "frame" Obama" as "not one of us" part of a "regime change" Because they know “fear” works... Their main delivery system has been a news organization owned by an Australian born owner and with its major investor being, a Saudi Prince. This is no comment on Australians or any other group, this is just to say they have outside, rather than inside, interests. No one could have predicted years ago the leverage this group would have on the American political system and America's world view. This News group knows that stirring smears, fear and bigotry, raises the ratings like a rocket, yet they have no journalistic ethics about the fall out, on this country. I have no doubt their "target audience" will be out in droves this November, voting the people who truly "Broke America" back into office. But in won't work in 2012, so I see many more years of American advancement being blocked by the party of "no", fed by the News Corp of Smear.

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seanomelbourne | Aug 30, 2010, 10:24 PM EDT

The bigger the lie the easier it is to convince people it's true. Obamas b/cert and place of birth are the new urban legends. The 20 per centers who believe the legend are in denial of their true racist and bigoted inner self.

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McNamara31 | Aug 30, 2010, 10:04 AM EDT

@bonjouryall......"Obama's inexplicable refusal to produce the documents that would prove up his legitimacy to office"??? There's No refusal. Obama's Birth Certificate and other documents can be viewed at FactCheck.org.

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McNamara31 | Aug 29, 2010, 08:13 PM EDT

@bonjouryall.... You post states "Obama's inexplicable refusal to produce the documents that would prove up his legitimacy to office".... Obama has given documentation and you can read and see "in detail" the legal documents of his birth at http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html

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patrick1945 | Aug 29, 2010, 07:44 PM EDT

Where in the statements,"The President says he is a Christian. I take him at his word" do you draw the conclusion that McConnell thinks that President Obama is not a citizen of the United States? Talk about sleazy tactics Mr. Matthews. Talk about crazies! Please report facts. Show where McConnell said what you believe he did. Remember McConnell is only answering a question, not giving a speech. That's your problem, you make up news you don't report it factually.

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willieboy | Aug 29, 2010, 07:17 PM EDT

IT SEEMS YOU CHOOSE NOT TO POST MY COMMENT. I GUESS I DIDN'T AGREE WITH YOUR EDITORIAL POLICY. THAT'S O-K. I STILL SAY MATTHEWS IS A JOKE. I AM STILL SCRATCHING MY HEAD ABOUT THE "CHILL RUNNING UP MY LEG" COMMENT. I FEEL I KNOW THE SIDE MATTHEWS COMES FROM, AS WE HAVE HIS BROTHER AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER DOWN HERE AND HE'S JUST AS LOONEY...

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bonjouryall | Aug 29, 2010, 11:22 AM EDT

But the writer doesn't explain or condemn Obama's inexplicable refusal to produce the documents that would prove up his legitimacy to office. It's not like the Republicans came up with all this on their own. It's was Obama's own family that made the initial claim. If he did produce the proper documents that in fact showed he was born in the U.S. (such as an American hospital record), it would make the Republicans look awfully foolish. Yet he doesn't do it. Why not? And if a white Republican was involved, I wonder if the author and many commenters would be claiming a Watergate coverup and condemning his failure to put the issue at rest. This is America today. Many Liberals believe everything the Republicans do is motivated by race, power and money and they are evil and/or ignorant. Likewise, for many Republicans While there is sometimes evidence of this in specific cases (on both sides), I find that both sides also abandon the use of logic or cite evidence in their arguments when it suits them. An opinion that doesn't build its case and ignores the main point of a contrary argument is, to me, not worth taking seriously. But it's a good starting point to make my point.

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seanomelbourne | Aug 28, 2010, 08:15 PM EDT

Well said McNamara31. You cannot teach hateful/ spiteful people commonsense their judgment is clouded by their hate.

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McNamara31 | Aug 28, 2010, 04:49 PM EDT

@rcrdskpr …How does it feel to actively and blatantly smear a person? Since Obama was elected, the "other party" made a strategic decision to "frame" him as being un-American, his government a regime, and build a case to question his citizenship and all his motivations. If you intently "cherry pick" each situation, (as Fox does) you could succeed in slandering Mother Theresa. Oh, and BTW…Lets talk about what he’s really done. .. He followed through on campaign promises to: Pass healthcare, Leave Iraq, Transition out of Afghanistan, Regulate the banks and credit card companies, who had pillages the American working middle class, made it illegal for insurance companies to deny those with pre- existing conditions, Took the banks (high interest rates) “out of the college loan process” and fought to keep college age children on their parent’s policy through age (26), fought big oil to determine the proper policies so another “gulf type” spill would never reoccur. Now…Let’s talk about what the other party wants this November...…A return to deregulation for all the corporations and profits they represent, and a return to giving tax cuts to the top “wealthiest people” in America, as the middle class drops further into lower class, Privatizing Social Security so they can gamble away your future security on another Wall Street bubble, a return to a healthcare system that denies people who are truly sick, and throws them into bankruptcy. So keep watching Fox, and vote for the people who truly “broke” America back into office, and then who are you going to blame?

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reinkefj | Aug 28, 2010, 02:08 PM EDT

SO what is President Obama hiding? Over an estimated two million bucks have been spent to keep various documents private. Things like grammar school records. Like Harvard application. Like other student admission applications. Why? Now I have no idea where he was born, what his religion is, what his status was in Indonesia or in the various US schools. And, if there was no cover up, I probably wouldn't care. I just ask one simple question: Why? It's a question that is easily disposed of. But yet, any disclosure of anything is vigorously opposed. Why? Just ask that one question: Why is there a cover up going on?

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Irishnewsman | Aug 28, 2010, 01:59 PM EDT

Mitch McConnell is sleazy and belongs on that network fair and balanced. He is of the NO party and is unamerican, just like Beck, O'Reilly and all the sleazy people on the FOX Channel How much more money will Fox give to the Republican candidates? Is a news channel or an arm of the Republican Party?

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hollabackgurl | Aug 28, 2010, 01:23 PM EDT

It's sad to see the Republican party lose it's moral map and it's mind on the same issue.

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bcoc1124 | Aug 28, 2010, 01:18 PM EDT

Sorry to say many Americans are easy prey for McConnell - they're stupid enough to fall for this propaganda, and, yet, Sarah is their ideal woman - beauty, yes, brain power - don't think so. Perhaps these fools read as much as Sarah - and reason as well as she (i.e. never). Our President is a well educated, well spoken, reasonable man who understands and loves the constitution. These modern day republicans pander to the extremist, bigoted, non-discerning dregs of society. Good luck to them and the LA Dodgers!

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Porickseantuny | Aug 28, 2010, 12:37 PM EDT

Obama is the author of his own misfortune. In a campaign interview with G. Stephanopolous, Obama referred to "my muslim" faith and was corrected to Christian voluntarily by Georgie. (it's on you tube"), In another speech he refers to the impossible assertion that his father served in WWII. The Birther controversy should be a "non issue" just produce a birth certificate. Rather, his campaign staff produced a "certificate of birth" similar to what is given adopted children. If there is suspicion it is because he creates it by word and act.

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