Chris Matthews Blames Egypt Riots on George W. Bush and Iraq War

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[Sub-Driver]

Chris Matthews Blames Egypt Riots on George W. Bush and Iraq War By Noel Sheppard Created 01/29/2011 - 12:17pm

By Noel Sheppard | January 29, 2011 | 12:17 Noel Sheppard's picture

It's a metaphysical certitude that whenever anything happens in the Middle East, the media will quickly blame former President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.

Not missing the opportunity to do so, Chris Matthews began the 5PM installment of "Hardball" Friday connecting the riots in Egypt to a man that has been out of office for two years (video follows with transcript and commentary):

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Trouble on the Nile.

Let`s play HARDBALL.

Good evening. I`m Chris Matthews in Washington.

Leading off tonight: Unrest in Egypt. Proving the Iraq war wasn`t needed, these protests in Egypt, as well as in Yemen and Tunisia, are all aimed at dictators supported by the U.S. The demonstrations have not yet turned anti-American, but they could. These are the events the Bush administration hoped to encourage by lying about weapons of mass destruction and invading Iraq. A live report from Richard Engel at the scene coming up. And we`ll stay on this story throughout the hour as events warrant.

Riots and a potential revolution in Egypt prove the Iraq war wasn't needed?

How does one come to that conclusion? Who on Matthews' staff decided that the perfect way to lead off Friday's program was by linking the unrest in Egypt to Bush and Iraq?

Didn't these folks learn anything from their rush to judgment over this month's shootings in Tucson?

This seems especially important as Matthews' guest through much of the program - NBC's Richard Engel reporting from Cairo - didn't say anything about these riots being in any way related to Iraq, anti-Americanism, or Bush.

From what Engel could tell, this is all about the high poverty and unemployment rates in Egypt along with continued disgust with the corruption of the government.

Matthews himself said, "The demonstrations have not yet turned anti-American."

So why suggest they are or will? Are viewers to believe that if Saddam Hussein was still in power in Iraq, folks in Egypt would be happy with the corruption in their country as well as the high unemployment and poverty?

Beyond this, Egypt is and has been a strong ally of the United States and plays a pivotal role in keeping peace in the region as a result of its treaty with Israel. Why would Bush or any President want to see a revolution in this country that could tremendously destabilize this entire part of the world sending oil prices to all-time highs and undermining the economy?

As it turned out, Matthews never got to answer such a question or elaborate on his absurd opening as breaking events out of Egypt, including an address by President Hosni Mubarak, dominated the entire hour.

But one has to wonder what if anything the folks at MSNBC learned from their rush to judgment when they incorrectly blamed the Tucson shootings on conservatives.

Are these people capable of toning down their own rhetoric and avoiding jumping the accusation shark every time news breaks, or is advancing their agenda the only thing that matters and all this civility talk was just a smokescreen to silence the Right?

Maybe more importantly, has Matthews foreshadowed what we should expect from so-called journalists in the coming days and that despite all evidence to the contrary, whatever happens in Egypt is going to be blamed on Bush?

Stay tuned.

[Aevery_Freeman]

It's a good thing we have the Liberal media to hold up the high standards of unbiased civility in the political discourse, n'est-ce pas?

[musicman]

Have YOU Donated To FR Yet?
Less Than $6.2k To Go!!

[BallyBill]

Didn’t he blame Bush’s grand pop for the Lindbergh baby kidnapping?

[Popman]

Matthews is going over the deep end.

Mubarak is not Saddam, not by a long shot

[ozzymandus]

Chrissie needs a good kick in the tingle. (sorry, Chrissie, a good kick in the thrill, don’t want to set off another tantrum)

[scooby321]

Actually Condi Rice made the real democratic speech in 2005 at Cairo not Obama.

[Clock King]

Well, that didn’t take as long as I expected.

[fhayek]

So let me get this straight. Egyptians are mad at the U.S. because George Bush toppled a dictator in Iraq and gave its people the opportunity for freedom and democracy. All of this happened the better part of a decade ago.

But Obama's Cairo speech, where he slammed America had no influence.

Makes sense to me.

[Popman]

As someone who used to watch Matthews every night for years. Up until 4 or 5 years ago, he simply got to be too much.

I really think Matthews has mental issues, he has always leaned a little left but he was not in full blown moonbattery until the Bush's second term.

He used to be rational in his commentary at one point.

I think his diabetes is rotting his brain away

[Liberty Valance]

At what point will Matthews admit that O’bammy is actually his President?

[peeps36]

Fat ass must be trying to attract the handful of viewers who watched Olberdork’s show. That means he can say the dumbest things as long as he attacks GW Bush or Sarah Palin. He is fat, stupid, deranged and as irrelevant as ever.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Sub-Driver.

• US Dollars Help Fund Mubarak's Tyrannical Rule
• Egyptian Police Using U.S.-Made Tear Gas Against Demonstrators
• The Egypt We Paid For

-and yet-

• Egypt blames U.S. for fomenting uprising
• Obama Secretly Schemed with Egyptian Opposition for "Regime Change" for Three Years!
• Egypt protests: America's secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising
• Egypt protests: America's secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising
• Egypt protests: America's secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising
• Q: Are Muslim Militants Agitating in Middle East Because They Know USA Won't Help?

-and for that matter-

• The Neoconservatives Were Right
• Egypt Protests Show George W. Bush Was Right About Freedom in the Arab World
• Egypt: Yes, it's Bush's fault
• WikiLeaks Reveals Bush Administration Orders to Spy on Israel
• Bush rejects claims that Israel was behind Iraq war

-and furthermore-

• Obama's Risky Path in Egypt
• Obama Demands Mubarak Halt Violence, Introduce Reforms
• Mubarak struggles to keep power
  ("We are very disillusioned by President Obama's speech")
• Obama tells Mubarak: Must take 'concrete steps'
• Obama tells Mubarak: Must take 'concrete steps'
• Obama: Mubarak must deliver on democracy promise
• Cables show US reduced human rights pressure on Egypt
• Axelrod: Obama Has "On Several Occasions Directly Confronted" Mubarak the Past 2 Years
• White House: Time for reform to come to Egypt
• Gibbs: Obama still hasn't called Egyptian leader as protests rage
• D'OH: Gibbs Unsure If Obama Has Spoken To World Leaders About Egypt (video)
• Peter Goodspeed: Obama faces a Jimmy Carter moment in Egypt
• Biden: Mubarak Should Not Step Down
• Joe Biden says Egypt's Mubarak no dictator, he shouldn't step down...
• Gibbs: U.S. supports Egyptians' right to demonstrate