I don’t know why I even bother to watch TV “news” anymore – I guess it’s just a bad habit formed over the past 60+ years – but, today I listened as Chris Matthews started his program by accusing President Obama of being “intellectually lazy.”  He was referring to what he called the tendency of 2nd term presidents to replace cabinet officials who leave with “underlings.”  The discussion was centered on the issues regarding the Secret Service failures recently, the news that an Ebola patient has made it into the U.S., and the ISIL dilemma in the Middle East.  Honestly, as I’m sitting there listening to Matthews he was reminding me of republican projectionism.  In my mind, it’s Matthews and “reporters” of his ilk who are “intellectually lazy.”

Matthews comes on (I watch him because he follows Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC – I respect “Reverend Al” as many call him) and day after day rants in the traditional “knee jerk” reaction style that (unfortunately) seems to be driving what is left of our “liberal media.”  I’ve written about Matthews on several occasions and the guy continues to cause me to want to turn off my TV.  It’s as if Matthews has totally bought into the Fox “news” propaganda scheme that EVERYTHING that happens in America (if it’s “bad”) is the fault of President Obama.

At the beginning of his show he was focused on the resignation of the head of the Secret Service and parsing what was behind her resignation – and, how he could put blame on Obama for this.  Of course, he didn’t mention that the so-called sequester which has been our economic policy for the past couple of years bludgeoned the Secret Service along with many other key parts of our government.  I’m not in any way defending this woman who resigned, in this instance I believe it was necessary because when I listened to her testimony I didn’t get any sense that she was being forthcoming – it sounded to me as if she was in “circle the wagons” mode, and that the security breaches which have happened are beyond acceptability.  I feel we are fortunate that President Obama is still with us.  That being said, it’s not Obama’s fault that the Secret Service is spinning out of control.

If you remember, a few months ago Matthews did the same kind of knee jerk reaction to news (not news to many of us) that our veterans were not getting prompt or acceptable health care by demanding someone be held accountable.  It was as if should President Obama not fire the head of the VA, he would be derelict in his duty.  The end result of that one is that General Shinseki was forced to resign – this is the General who Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld SHOULD have listened to prior to invading Iraq in 2003 (OK, the truth is they should have listened to those of us who said going into Iraq was STUPID) – and, is one of the true friends of our vets.  I can virtually guarantee you that Shinseki’s resignation didn’t solve the problem – but , it certainly calmed Matthews down (at least until the next headline pointing out the vets are continuing to face a VA system that is overwhelmed by the numbers of soldiers needing care.

Matthews referring to an Ebola patient showing up in Texas as reason to question Obama because “just two weeks ago he said it was ‘unlikely’ this would happen” puts Matthews in the “Fox type” camp, in my view.  These people don’t have to look very hard to find something to criticize him for.  Honestly, why would anyone want that job.  You would think that Matthews could put all of what’s happening in the proper context.  We have NEVER had a president who has faced the OPEN opposition that has President Obama.  The republicans have made no secret that they will do ANYTHING to make sure that Obama FAILS!  And, what is President Obama doing each and EVERY day?  He’s trying to somehow clean up the UNBELIEVABLE mess created by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/et al – and an economic agenda that republicans are CLINGING to even today.  The FACT that their agenda doesn’t work seems to mean NOTHING to them and people like Matthews.  It’s almost as if Matthews is trying to add to the divisiveness of this nation because he thinks it makes his program more “germane.”  To me, people like Matthews – who should (and I’m sure does) know better – have chosen to be part of the problem instead of the solution.  This nation is messed up – it’s largely because of the republican party philosophy originally foisted on us by Ronald Reagan – and, somehow still supported by people like Matthews!  Ughhh!!!!

Let’s be real about all of this – I’m writing the next part of this post as fictitious advice to Matthews because I know he won’t read it, but I can pretend :o) – When we’re “reporting” about the issue with ISIL (AKA – ISIS) we should make clear that ISIL is the result of misguided decisions made 10 years ago by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld et al.  I still remember my “conservative” friends rejoicing in the idea that the United States of America was going to “topple” Saddam Hussein – with the same mindset as the republican “leaders” who “planned” the fiasco.  When I would ask them, “What happens after Saddam is ousted?” their response was the same as Cheney and Rumsfeld – “We’ll be greeted as liberators.”  For some reason it was hard then, and – I guess – equally hard now for most Americans to understand that former executives of Halliburton (Cheney) and Bechtel (Rumsfeld) would destabilize the Middle East for OIL!  I still remember one of my fellow 6ht grade teachers cussing at me when I pointed this out – because his son was in Iraq and he couldn’t allow himself to believe that his country would send his boy into “harms way” for OIL!  Not sure if he “gets it” yet – obviously, many still don’t – apparently including Chris Matthews.  In my mind EVERY conversation about what we should do in dealing with this group should be framed in the context of how they were formed and people like Dick Cheney, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and others who crammed this disaster down our throats and the throats of the Iraqi’s should have NO SAY on the national media about present policy.  Instead of furthering the “ammunition” of the obstructors on the “right” people like Matthews (and others with a voice in the national media) should be reminding people of how this mess was created in the first place.

Issues like the Secret Service shortcomings and the lack of treatment of our returning veterans should also ALWAYS put into context.  The sad reality is that Congress has stripped the Secret Service of significant portions of its funding and, since the Viet Nam War, they’ve been unwilling to properly fund the VA – especially relating to medical treatment.  As we’ve seen with the recent bombing rampage intended to “derail” ISIL there’s NEVER a lack of funds for military action.  I’ve often wondered what each of those bombs cost “we the people.”  It doesn’t seem to matter, because there’s a never ending supply of them.  And, people like Matthews are quick to suggest (I should say imply) that our president is a “wimp” for thoughtfully attempting to figure out a way to address this (recent) “crisis.”  I’m constantly wondering why people like Matthews don’t seem to be able to make the connection between Congress stated position (I’m talking about republicans here) that President Obama FAILS, and their unwillingness to fund the agencies who end up being the “fall guys” when government failures become the latest “crisis.”  I’m left to wonder, “Is Fox paying Matthews or MSNBC?”  Or is he just so lazy, referring back to his own criticism of Obama (who, by the way, may be many things, but I believe calling him lazy is absurd on its face and a further issue for Matthews) that he relies on Fox for his own “news?”  If Congress is the problem – then it should be reported as such!

Finally, the Ebola scare: (and, here I have to add that I started this post several days ago and since then the man has passed away) Matthews attempt to BLAME President Obama (maybe that’s just what people in Washington do for everything?) again is absurd on its face.  President Obama has taken the lead in attempting to provide the aid the Western Africa nations need in order to stem the tide of this epidemic.  We all know that republican politicians will do whatever they can to scare people into thinking Ebola will be soon rampant in America and it will be because of our immigration policy.  (Of course, what they – and Matthews – won’t say is that without republican obstructionism there would have been “immigration reform” long ago – but, of course, that wouldn’t solve the problem either)  I’m guessing there will be republicans who suggest that we close our borders to international flights until this crisis has passed – just try to keep it confined to West Africa.  The reality of any danger in America, from my viewpoint, gets right back to our DO NOTHING Congress.  If they had been willing to either help pass a health reform bill that worked for all Americans or FIX the Affordable Care Act (for example, with a “public option”) we wouldn’t still have 40 MILLION or so Americans without health insurance.  Think about this for a moment:  It is likely that there will be more people entering this country who have been exposed to Ebola.  If the symptoms are caught early, my understanding it’s treatable.  However, there are so many in America who don’t go to doctors because they can’t afford it and show up at emergency rooms only when they are deathly sick.  By then, with Ebola, it’s reported to be too late.

Then, you’ve got all the states in America who refused to participate in the Affordable Care Act which would include Texas.  Now, I’m not making any conclusions or judgements about Texas health care – I’m just guessing there’s many in Texas without health care.  And, they man who died from Ebola was originally turned away from an emergency room.  I suppose Matthews (and the republicans) will find a way to blame that on President Obama.  I would love it if people like Matthews would report issues as they are.  Seriously, for example, the ISIL issue is really not debatable.  They are the result of republican FAILURE of the highest degree.  How can anyone in Matthews’ position justify giving people who created that mess any credibility at all.  It’s almost as if, for the sake of his “show” he’s got to create a two sided controversy.  It’s like, if the American people really understood what has gone wrong, there would be no actual political contests – so, we have our “liberal media” helping to institute the political amnesia that is ruining America!  Matthews’ show is set up to appear that he’s actually reporting on actual news – when, in reality he’s attempting to manufacture news.  While our country needs (now, more desperately than ever – at least in my lifetime) courageous news reporters (and, I have to add, there are some investigative journalists who risk their lives to go into the Middle East) what we’re stuck with is GOP TV (Fox) and people like Matthews who are focused on entertainment and their own careers – while our nation continues to “spiral” in a downward direction!

One more thing:  As I read this again, I realized that I forgot – when referring to the anticipated republican onslaught of BLAME regarding the Ebola crisis – that we’ve been without a Surgeon General for (I think) over a year.  Why you ask?  At a time when there’s such a deadly epidemic that’s been going on now for over 6 months?  Well, it seems that President Obama’s nomination made a comment about gun violence that didn’t sit well with the NRA – therefore the US Senate couldn’t get him confirmed.  Yes there’s a majority of democrats in the Senate, but Mitch McConnell used one of his OVER 400 FILIBUSTERS to block the nomination!  I didn’t hear Matthews refer to this either (although, I have to admit, I’ve pretty much turned off the TV) and, if you live in Kentucky and are reading this – you can really help with this HUGE problem.  Make sure you vote in the mid term election – Mitch McConnell has a good chance of being voted out of office by the good people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  Should that happen, they will always hold a warm place in my heart.  In my mind, McConnell being voted out of the Senate would be the best possible sign that the people of America are FINALLY waking up to the republican assault on the middle class which hit high gear with the election of Ronald Reagan all the way back in 1980.