Matthews thanks Scarborough, Shuster for support

Written by Kathleen Henehan

Published

Hardball host Chris Matthews thanked fellow MSNBC personalities Joe Scarborough and David Shuster on-air for their support in the wake of the firestorm sparked by Matthews' January 9 comments attributing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's political successes to her husband's “mess[ing] around.” Scarborough said that it was “outrageous that Chris Matthews ha[d] to apologize”; Shuster stated, “Nobody ... has contributed more in a positive way to our political discourse than Chris Matthews.”

During the January 18 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews said to fellow MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, “Joe, thanks for the wonderful words this morning on Morning Joe. I watch you all the time, I watched you with particular attention and joy this morning, sir. Thank you.” On the January 18 edition of Morning Joe, Scarborough said that it was “outrageous that Chris Matthews ha[d] to apologize” for his January 9 comment that “the reason” Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) is “a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around. That's how she got to be senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win there on her merit.”

After thanking Scarborough, Matthews went on to note that he will act as Scarborough's “happy substitute” on Morning Joe “next Tuesday for three hours.”

Matthews also extended thanks to MSNBC correspondent David Shuster, stating, "[T]hanks for what you said on that Morning Joe this morning. You are my pal." While discussing Matthews on Morning Joe that same day, Shuster asserted: “Nobody is more gracious and has a bigger heart, and has contributed more in a positive way to our political discourse than Chris Matthews.”

From the January 18 edition of MSNBC's Harbdall with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Joe, thanks for the wonderful words this morning on Morning Joe. I watch you all the time, I watched you with particular attention and joy this morning, sir. Thank you. We'll work again and I will be your sub -- your happy substitute next Tuesday for three hours. I'll see if I've got three hours of talk in me. I think I do.

ANDREA MITCHELL (NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent): I think you do.

MATTHEWS: I think I do. Anyway, thank you, Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe.

JOE SCARBOROUGH (host, MSNBC's Morning Joe): I think you could do it. I'm proud to have you there. Thank you.

[...]

MATTHEWS: OK. Couldn't resist to bring back “macaca” for one more appearance. Shuster, thanks for your nice words this morning --

DAVID SHUSTER (MSNBC correspondent): We were going to play the audio there, Chris, but I knew you'd get mad.

MATTHEWS: No, that's all right. Thanks for what you said on that Morning Joe this morning. You are my pal. Joining me now, Kevin Corke, who also has been out on the campaign trail.