Softball With Chris Matthews

Man, Chris Matthews was in rare form last night. Particularly offensive was his ass-kissing session with Republican Senator of Mississippi, Trent Lott. In his quest for "balance," he's clearly demonstrating a bias toward the Republicans on the filibuster issue, or else he was just overcome by Lott's charisma and charm (OK, perhaps it's the former.)

Here's my e-mail to him complaining of several missed opportunities to challenge Lott as he does all his Democratic guests:

Chris, I don't know where you stand politically and I guess it's really none of my concern. But what is my concern is the pro-Republican bias you've been demonstrating on your show lately, especially on the filibuster issue. I used to think you were a pretty rational evenhanded guy, challenging the Democrats and Republicans equally when warranted. But your interview last night with Trent Lott was just a disgusting example of partisan coddling. Why do I say this? My reasons are 4-fold:

1. When discussing the "nuclear option", Trent Lott corrected you, calling it the "constitutional option." Why didn't you call him on the fact that HE coined the term "nuclear option" in the first place and demand to know why he's flip flopped on the terminology. It's your job to reveal the Republicans' attempt to reframe the debate with words for the hollow politicial tactic it is, not to allow him to actually reframe it, although that's exactly why he went on your show.

2. You came right out and said "instead of Democrats pouting and bitching up there, they're going to actually participate in legislation?" First of all, your question is just blatantly antagonistic toward Democrats but even worse, it reinforces a false and Republican talking point that Democrats are the "no" party and merely obstructionist. The fact is that the Democrats have an entire agenda that the Republicans refuse to allow to be brought to the floor. Who's in charge here anyway?

3. You allowed Trent Lott to paint Harry Reid as an obstructionist and himself and the Republicans as the moderates who just want to come to an agreement. How in hell did you not remind Senator Lott that Harry Reid, on several occasions, offered Bill Frist compromise deals that the Republican leader repeatedly refused? In fact, the final deal is quite close to one that Reid offered Frist last week. It's clear who the real obstructionist to compromise has been.

4. And finally, Trent Lott raised the fact that several of the moderate Democrats among the 14 that came up with the filibuster deal are from red states, and you muttered something to the effect of "yeah I noticed that, ha ha." It's true that 5 of the Democrats are from states that voted for George Bush in 2004: Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Colorado and Nebraska. What you failed to mention is that three of the Republicans in the group hail from blue states (Maine and Rhode Island) and two of them hail from states that are purple at best (Ohio and Virginia.)

Why do you let these guys come on and just spread their talking points without challenge? If you're going to call your show Hardball, let's actually see you play some.