It says something about the world of politics when saying such an obvious thing makes news. Of course it is a “legitimate question”
The best part of the exchange (full transcript below) was this bit when Matthews asks David Corn why he’s carrying water instead of being a journalist.
Are you taking sides here? Are you flacking for her now? Wait a minute. You’re in the news business. Don’t you want — didn’t you want answers at the time? Wouldn’t you have liked to be a Sunday talk show host and have her as a guest?
That’s exactly the right question. It is the question that every single member of the media should have to answer. Why no curiosity? Why no reportage? Why no journalism? It’s as true of Benghazi as it is of the VA scandal, which should have been investigated years ago.
The entirety of spin from his guests says it all. (Full transcript via RCP):
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Here’s one question I think she may have a problem with, and David [Corn], you and I are in the business here. Putting down the idea that there’s a problem with her not going on the Sunday [shows] — Meet the Press and all the other Sunday programs, which are the big programs of record on the weekends — and saying that’s just Washington beltway talk. I don’t think that’s going to sell, especially with the press because the press still, although cable has built, of course, a much more bigger role than it ever had before because it exists now.
But the Sunday shows are still the place you go on and make your big defense. And for her to just put it down and say, ‘Well, that’s like late night television.’ Well, it’s not. I think that’s going to be a harder argument for her to make. And they sent Susan Rice out there. She was on duty. It’s her responsibility. She’s confronting it now, very effectively it looks like, and in the book especially. Why didn’t she confront it right when it happened? That’s a legitimate question, I think. I believe it is a legitimate question. I would have liked to have had her on TV.
DAVID CORN: But at this stage in the game on Benghazi, Chris, that is relatively a small question compared to everything else that’s been thrown at her.
MATTHEWS: She addressed it in her book, though. It’s not so small not to be addressed.
CORN: It is addressed in the book but it’s a process question. I think most voters who care about their paycheck, won’t care that much about that. Some people in the Washington media might get their collars ruffled a little bit, their feathered ruffled a little bit.
MATTHEWS: Are you taking sides here? Are you flacking for her now? Wait a minute. You’re in the news business. Don’t you want — didn’t you want answers at the time? Wouldn’t you have liked to be a Sunday talk show host and have her as a guest?
[CROSSTALK]
CORN: Chris, the Hillary Clinton people know that I do not flak for her. They remember. But, I’m just saying I don’t think this is going to end up being as big an issue, even though she does respond to it in her book. That’s all I’m saying.
FMR. GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM (D-Mich.) What she says in the book — what she says in the book is that appearing on a Sunday show is not like jury duty. It is not required. This is really, with all due respect Chris, this is a very beltway-centric attack.
MATTHEWS: Governor, you and I have never gone to war, and we’re going to go to war. Let me tell you, I watched Susan Rice that morning with David Gregory, I watched every word she spoke, and then afterwards, I cheered for her. Not because she did everything as a public servant. I thought she was a damn good politician that day. She got the facts out there the way they wanted it done. She did a great job. I though she earned the job that day as Secretary of State and had just beaten out John Kerry. That’s the way I watched that.
So there is a politics to this and there is a perception issue. When you’re in trouble, come out and meet the press. Don’t hide. Never hide. Confront your enemies. Hillary Clinton should have gone on that Sunday program that day and confronted the charges that were being milled around. And David, you know that’s true. You know that’s the smarter, stronger move, don’t you?
CORN: I think they should have put someone on the Sunday shows who knew something about what had happened rather than Susan Rice who had to be briefed on what to say and whether it was, you know, Denis McDonough or Hillary Clinton or anybody else, I think that would have been the smarter move overall.
MATTHEWS: You know what Susan did it? She was working for the team that day.
GRANHOLM: This is such a non-important point given the whole spade of things. This Sunday show issue, you think that’s going to be the big scandal? It’s a non-issue.
MATTHEWS: Governor, as effective as you are, even when you use hand gestures, you’re wrong. Thank you very much.