I took some flak awhile back for saying that--his liberalism notwithstanding--Chris Matthews had a patriotic streak.
More evidence for that notion on this evening's Hardball, as Matthews twice derided President Obama's response to ISIS as "dainty," and kvetched that "I don't see us doing anything." I mean, could you ever imagine Rachel Maddow saying that?
Matthews apparently did feel some pressure to retain his liberal street cred, throwing in a gratuitous reference to W's "idiotic" policy in Iraq.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: You know politics as well as I do. Isn't there something we should at least look like we are doing? What are we doing? I don't see us really doing anything.
SAM STEIN: No, and I think this is the problem that the administration has, how do you show action without doing overaction. If you step back a little bit and put aside the Lindsey Grahams of the world and I guess Jeb Bush basically calling for my ground troops --
MATTHEWS: -- and the American people.
STEIN: -- basically, the candidates in the realm of the candidates, all are arguing for the same sort of prescription. Bomb the hell out of them, more special ops, more regional allies buying into the strategy, and that is basically so if you are looking at sort of the policy prescriptions, they are limited.
MATTHEWS: You know what it looks like to me? Dainty.
STEIN: It could be.
MATTHWS: And dainty doesn't sell in this country. I'm amazed how quickly the numbers have gone up to put ground troops over there having seen what we did when W was in there, with that idiotic policy.
