I missed Hardball last night, but by many accounts it was a real barn burner. Dday of Daily Kos writes,
Chris Matthews just pummeled, PUMMELED Van Taylor (only Republican Iraq War vet running for Congress on the Republican side, in Texas), and Paul Hackett piled on, calling out Taylor as nothing but an apologist.
Crooks & Liars has the video.
John Amato, Huffington Post:
Tonight on Hardball we got a rare glimpse of what a debate between a Republican Iraq War Vet and a Democratic Iraq War Vet looks like. Or should I say the Republican Iraq War Vet, at least as far as candidates for Congress go.
It was Republican Van Taylor, who’s running against Democrat Chet Edwards in TX-17.
He’s one of a tiny number of challengers the NRCC says they’re supporting, and they’re already going low against Edwards — you’ll hear Taylor accuse Edwards of not “supporting the troops” even though Edwards is beloved by the military community for work on national veterans issues and his work with the local vets community on things like PTSD. It’s a big part of why he survived Tom DeLay’s redistricting garbage. …
…The contrast between Taylor’s regurgitated Ken Mehlman talking points and Paul Hackett’s heartfelt, passionate outrage is just shocking. And you’ll see the same kind of sincerity from Tammy Duckworth and Patrick Murphy on our side. If you’ve never seen Paul Hackett before, you’re in for a real treat and will soon realize why he instantaneously gained so much respect in the blogosphere.
See also Bob Geiger.
…My Lord…
…betcha Van Taylor never goes on Hardball again. Matthews made him look like a dissembling half-wit repeatedly squawking out the same soundbite lines like some ill-trained parrot…
This Taylor bloke couldn’t weave a narrative out of a half-dozen RNC talking points?
Looks like he’s no Ronald Reagan…
.
Geiger nails it. Taylor was just like a wind-up doll. You could tell Matthews was getting cross as Taylor just refused to answer any question directly.
What a beatdown. Sad to say you can see why Hackett was pushed out of the race in ’04, he has too much emotion and indignation for political consultants. He could go “off the reservation” and do something useful for God’s sake! Can’t have that!
mike — Sherrod Brown is a good guy, too, though. I agree the Dems didn’t handle the Hackett-Brown thing gracefully; we need both guys in politics.
The way I see it, we wouldn’t be in this mess if ANYONE in the MSM would have asked these questions long ago.The public needs a reality check in a major way….too bad none of the mainstream media can muster the nuts to ask administration officials questions like this , rather then letting them spew whatever unchecked talking point they have.Such realistic conversations are the exception rather than the rule in this day and age.