This year, MSNBC celebrates Presidents' Day with Chris Matthews's February 21 documentary “President of the World: The Bill Clinton Phenomenon.” The Impeached One has become, says MSNBC in its press release, "a hero to peoples across the globe."
It'd be great if Matthews questioned Clinton on a matter that, at least for a time, was a subject of considerable interest to the MSNBC host: the former president's personal behavior. On February 2, 2007, Matthews interviewed Ann Lewis, who served as Clinton's Director of Communications and then White House Counselor. In 2007, she was senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Part of the interview:
MATTHEWS: Is Bill Clinton going to be a problem in this campaign?
LEWIS: Absolutely not.
MATTHEWS: Is he going to behave himself?
LEWIS: Bill Clinton has been around—in the first place, he‘s been around the world saving lives.
MATTHEWS: Is he going to behave himself?
LEWIS: He‘s going to do what he does best.
MATTHEWS: Is he going to behave himself...
And later:
MATTHEWS: So he‘s going to behave himself.
LEWIS: He‘s going to be out on the campaign trail...
MATTHEWS: And he‘s going to behave himself so Hillary can be the first woman president.
Six days later on "Hardball with Chris Matthews," the host was still absorbed by Bill's personal affairs. This time, the conversation was with Hillary Clinton's campaign director, Terry McAuliffe.
MATTHEWS: Will he distract our attention from his wife by misbehavior?
MCAULIFFE: No sir.
MATTHEWS: He won‘t? He‘s going to be a good boy?
Wouldn't you love to hear Chrissy ask the president who gave phone sex a bad name, a man who is now a hero to peoples across the globe, if he's been a good boy? It might be enough to send a thrill up the legs of many viewers.
