Sources: Top Hillary Advisers Have Repeatedly Complained To MSNBC About Chris Matthews

Yesterday I speculated that the Hillary campaign's allegation of a pattern of sexist remarks at MSNBC -- a charge that was made in response to reporter David Shuster's "pimped out" remark about Chelsea -- was primarily driven by anger at Chris Matthews.

In making these charges, the Hillary campaign has always been careful to avoid mentioning Matthews by name, but political insiders believe he is who Hillary advisers were talking about, even if it hasn't been confirmed by them.


I've now confirmed that this is the case. And that's not all: Hillary's advisers, it turns out, have repeatedly taken their grievance with Matthews directly to the network.


Several sources familiar with the discussions tell me that top Hillary advisers have repeatedly lodged private complaints directly to MSNBC about Matthews' on-air conduct. They have complained to MSNBC about Matthews' less-than-chivalrous remarks about Hillary, such as this one, as well as coverage of Hillary that they view as unfair.


Among those Hillary advisers who have made private complaints like these to the network are Mandy Grunwald and Howard Wolfson, sources tell me. Meanwhile, Ann Lewis, a longtime Hillary adviser who is her director of women's outreach, declined to comment on the discussions, calling them "private conversations."


Anyway, this should settle it: As dumb and clueless as Shuster's "pimp" remark, this was never really about him. The Clinton campaign, while genuinely upset about what Shuster said, lashed out at the network because they were primarily irked by Matthews' conduct, and were sending a message to MSNBC that it's time that Matthews muzzle himself.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2008/02/sources_top_hil.php

Chris Matthews is an annoying unprofessional loudmouth who wouldn't know a sexist remark if it ran up his leg and bit him in the ass. He needs to rope it back a bit.

NGU.

Hillary's people need to quit whining.

Did the Clinton Camp put out a talking points memo on this, the way the Obama Camp did?

... I don't see how the complaint about Shuster was "really" about Matthews.

I'm trying to imagine an equivalent where Faux News trashes McCain or another R candidate on a regular basis and goes over the line of what's appropriate. Has there been such a thing?

to do in the name of making money. That's the real world.

in creating the fucked up News Media environment we currently "enjoy".

Compared to the last eight years and the Regan/Bush years prior to his terms I can understand why many think of Clinton so fondly. But he also endorsed the passage of a number of legislations which were extremely "anti" democratic. Media consolidation has only increased tabloid journalism on the networks. Sure we know a whole lot more about Brittney and Paris now but we no longer have real news available to us on television. The Pundit pap that folks think is "news" is just more sham journalism.