In The Washington Post, Howard Kurtz dissects Chris Matthews.
“On his show, on the street, on the phone, on the party circuit, this 62-year-old refugee from Democratic politics wants to tell you what he thinks. Now. Right away. Not after the next commercial break. Not after the guest finishes talking. He blurts out what’s on his mind, seemingly without a filter. And that quality, which is the essence of his television success, also keeps getting him into trouble.”
In his 3,100-word piece, Kurtz culls together Matthews’ most recent off-hand comments, his penchant for interrupting his guests, the ratings for his show, his fascination with the Clintons (which Sen. Clinton called an obsession) and his “periodic outbursts” on his staff. Kurtz writes:
“Matthews is proud of his scars. He says he has learned to be more careful but that bloggers are taking some of his language out of context. And his bosses take the controversy in stride. ‘Chris puts himself out there, and some people are not going to like him,’ says [Phil] Griffin, the MSNBC chief. ‘He wears his heart on his sleeve.'”