January 29, 2003
BRAZIL NUT CRACKER SUITE:
TRANSCRIPT: Hardball (MSNBC, 1/28/03)[CHRIS] MATTHEWS: Tom DeLay of Texas. Thanks for joining us.Right now, let me go over to one of our panelists who hasn't had a chance yet. You yielded to Pat Caddell a moment ago. Let me ask you what you think. How does the president-I will go back to the main point of tonight's discussion. How does president convince you and other people who think, of like mind, that this is going to be a good-a good war? In other words, a necessary war. I think they're the same. How does he make that case to you?
[DONNA] BRAZILE: I think it's-Well, I don't think it takes lot-it doesn't take a rocket scientist and it clearly doesn't take a form of pest control man...
MATTHEWS: OK...
BRAZILE: ... like Tom DeLay, who believes that Republicans have the answer because they control the majority now in Congress. I think it takes coalition. It takes allies. I mean, we have the might, but my grandmother used to say might doesn't make it right. But we also need support. We need allies. This is going to be a huge endeavor to try to dispose and disarm Saddam.
MATTHEWS: But you know, in all fairness, Donna, since you took a shot at a man who was trying to earn a living as a pest controller-he succeeded as a pest controller. (LAUGHTER)
BRAZILE: Absolutely.
MATTHEWS: You failed as a campaign manager.
BRAZILE: He succeeded...
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: I mean, there's a difference between being successful and...
BRAZILE: Absolutely.
MATTHEWS: Anybody who works-to work is to pray, I believe. Never make fun of someone's occupation, Donna.
BRAZILE: I made fun of his occupation...
MATTHEWS: You shouldn't do that.
BRAZILE: ... and I will do it again.
MATTHEWS: I don't think you should.
This very nearly redeems Mr. Matthews for his comparison of Saddam Hussein to a serial double-parker. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 29, 2003 8:49 PM
Matthews is quoting St. Benedict on cable television: there is value in that alone.
Posted by: Paul Cella at January 29, 2003 11:34 PMThe Democrats-- the party that makes fun of ordinary jobs like pest control. One is reminded of:
The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exaulted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy...neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
-- John W. Gardner
Having heard about DeLay's past many times, I still
don't know what's so funny about working in pest control? When the Orkin man comes around here every month, I don't double over in laughter. Will someone with a more nuanced sense of humor please explain to me why the pest control label elicits so much mirth? Seriously, I'm curious.
JW:
Liberals want to ridicule Delay; that's it. And I'm with you: when there is an infestation or fleas or termites or whatever, suddenly that exterminator seems alot more important than a mere political operative.
As it is said: scratch a socialist, find an aristocrat.
Posted by: Bruce Cleaver at January 30, 2003 7:22 AMHey, I love
the pest control guy, quite aside from Tom DeLay (of whom I'm also fond). And on the DeLay note, it suggests that he did his time doing the harder work, then went on the serve the public -- a noteworthy, and praiseworthy career path to my mind.