Is Chris Matthews Spreading Disinformation About Supposed Mafia/Alito Charges by Democrats?

By DHinMI

I know it's been a long time since Scooter Libby was indicted, so maybe Chris Matthews can be forgiven for appearing to have been so willing to be a useful idiot.  Or maybe he's just one of the most gullible people in Washington DC:

MSNBC reporter Chris Matthews today hammered the Democratic Party, claiming it was circulating a document that emphasizes the fact Samuel Alito, President Bush's latest Supreme Court nominee, failed as a prosecutor to win a case against Italian mafia figures, suggesting the issue was highlighted because Alito is an Italian-American.

"I'm sitting here holding in my hands a pretty disgusting document," Matthews told viewers of "MSNBC Live." "This is put out not for attribution, but it comes from the Democrats. They're circulating it; I can say that."

In what he describes as a Democrat "complaint sheet," Matthews says, "The first thing they nail about this Italian American is he failed to win a mob conviction in a trial … way back in '88.

"In other words, they nail him on not putting some Italian mobsters in jail from the [Lucchese] family. Why would they bring up this ethnically charged issue as the first item they raise against Judge Alito?"

The only reason I know about this claim is because I just turned on the television, and he was beginning Hardball with the same claim, that such a document was being circulated by "the Democrats."

I call bullshit.

I'll recant if proven wrong, but I just find such a claim utterly ridiculous.  If true, if some Democratic operative or organization actually thought such a claim would be an effective first salvo against Alito, they should be brought up on charges of political malpractice and eternally banned from Democratic politics.  But it's hard to believe anyone would believe such a charge would be both effective and without a huge backlash.

If such a document were really circulating widely and were viewed credibly as an authentic Democratic document, it's hard to believe that a Google web search and a Google news search would yield only one reference to the supposed document, but the rightwing WorldNetDaily.  It's almost as if someone planted the document--maybe even forged it--and convinced a prominent and gullible member of the national press corps seeking a scoop to believe what was clearly disinformation planted by dark forces seeking to advance the agenda of the Bush administration.

Yeah, I know, that's just crazy talk.

But in the meantime, how 'bout it Chris?  How 'bout telling us how you know that document is legitimate?  How 'bout proving your source didn't play you?  Or are you that convinced that a legitimate effort to tar Alito with insinuations about being soft on the mafia would go only to you, or would only be believed by you?

We'll be waiting.

Comments

[pontificator]

How come Scooter Libby can get Russert on the phone to complain about Chris Matthews, but I can't.

[Alopex Lagopus]

Here's my email.

I'm glad Chris Matthews appears to have seen "Good Night and Good Luck"
recently, based on his wording about a purported Democrat-circulated
document. But I thought he would have picked Murrow - being a teevee
personality and all - as the guy to lift his quotes from, not Sen.
McCarthy.

"I'm sitting here holding in my hands a pretty disgusting document"

Uh-uh.

"This is put out not for attribution, but it comes from the Democrats.
They're circulating it; I can say that." ... "The first thing they nail
about this Italian American is he failed to win a mob conviction in a
trial … way back in '88."

Really, this is beoynd the pale. Have you not heard about any journalistic
standards? Or is this part of the tryouts in the Judy Miller Memorial
Right Wing Water Carrier Contest?

Have you no shame? If you KNOW the document is distributed by Democrats,
give proof. The public has no reason to blindly trust you.

Matthews should either apologize to his audience, or offer support for
his incredible claim.

[DHinMI]

Just saw Dean on Hardball, and he said he didn't know who put it out, BUT HE ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT!?! Then he defended it!

MAJOR tactical blunder.

[DHinMI]

Looking at the timestamp of this DKos diary, apparently Mathews has been talking about it all day.

Why wasn't Dean prepared with an answer? Wasn't ANYONE at the DNC monitoring media today? Why was Dean caught off-guard? And why did he accept responsibility for it?

[Susan S]

I posted the diary over at Daily Kos, and I called the DNC and spoke to one of their media people about Matthews' claims. I'll have to go back and check the diary to see what time I called. I then called back around 5pm to tell them that Matthews was blasting the Dems again about it. The woman who answered my second call (in the Chairman's office) said she was sure their research department was aware of it and that Dean would address it on the show. The actual memo can be seen at Townhall.com. It isn't at all what Matthews made it out to be.

[Susan S]

I posted the diary at 2:39pm and called the DNC around 3:35pm. They should have been prepared.

[DHinMI]

Absolutely, Susan, they should have been prepared. This was a major screw-up by Dean (for accepting responsbility for something he didn't even know came from Dems) and for some of the staff at the DNC for allowing him to be blindsided.

I only knew about this when I turned on the television, and had no idea of everything you had already done on the issue earlier in the day. Obviously we had similar reaction that something smelled fishy. But geeze, for you to call the DNC, talk to someone supposedly in the press operation, and for Dean to be blindsided it simply inexcusable. Everyone has bad days, but in this case it appears that more than one person had a bad day, on the same issue, at the same time.

[Susan S]

Did you read the memo at Townhall?

[DHinMI]

Yeah, I saw the "document." I did a Google search of several phrases in that document, and none of them rendered a hit. Maybe later they will, but as of now, that shows up nowhere.

[Ga6thDem]

Gee, this is really stupid of Chris Matthews. Is the WH on his case again. He said the other day that the WH called and reamed his butt every time he had Joe Wilson on his show.

The memo seems to me to be kind of stupid but you are right that Dean was wrong to accept responsibility if it wasn't his problem.

[Crab Nebula]

hmm, nice one, Karl. We'll get you later, though.

[Susan S]

Bad news. Adam B. found a story at RedState.org that seems to prove the document came from the DNC. What should Dean do now?

[Meteor Blades]

Well, I hope you get your wish, DHinMI, that somebody's head rolls over this. Because, sadly, it's starting to look as if some moron - one of our morons did the deed.

And the good doctor said he didn't knew who put it out but accepted responsibility for it? Yeearrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

[Susan S]

BTW, the document isn't bad. It's the way Matthews characterized it. So why didn't Dean claim outright it was from the DNC and THEN use his argument about Alito's prosecutorial history being fair game?

[DHinMI]

I don't know why any of the people involved in this did what they did.

But based on what we now know, it's likely that someone at the DNC did actually take your call seriously. But what were they going to say? And what was Dean going to say?

I'm writing up a quick companion piece to this one; will post by 11:00 EST.

[Susan S]

I can't wait! Thanks.

[jonnybutter]

Rovie's BACK baby! Top o' the world, ma!

[tom brown]

I know.Rove did it, you moonbats!!!