Hurrah for Joan Walsh and Bob Herbert !!!

Dick Armey just showed what a classless jerk he is on Hardball in a particularly demeaning exchange with Joan Walsh. Armey laughed in her face and announced he was happy not to be married to her because he would not be able to stand her "prattle" every day. This was all done while he was excusing Limbaugh's comments. Chris did have the courtesy to tell Armey that Joan's points were not prattle. But the hero was Bob Herbert who came on in the next segment. He called out Armey and demanded that the former congressman apologize to Joan and the audience. Kudos to Joan for standing up to the bully and making her arguments cogently and forcefully. Kudos to Herbert for calling out the boorish behavior. And a big raspberry to Chris for not being more forceful.

kept her composure and stared the RW bully down.

I think Matthews followed Walsh's lead. He mentioned Armey's prattle comment and kept it moving. If he would have fought her battle for her it would be as good as saying I can't fight for myself.

Bob Herbert went forward and express the outrage without having Joan Walsh there to defend from direct attack or to offend by showing with his actions he didn;t think she could handle it.

It was Michelle Barnard who stood out like a sore thumb. She didn't acknowledge the nastiness at all.

.... do I REALLY need to finish this sentence?

If there was ever a time for righteous indignation that was it.

She needed to hit back harder at that disgusting pinhead. I like Salon but Joan isn't good at this kind of talking head debate. It needs a gutter fighter, she should have hung him out to dry.

The puerile attack by Armey was totally unexpected. She expressed anger but kept her cool and made her points, Chris failed on this one not Joan.

I agree that she kept cool and tried to make her original point but I believe that was exactly the wrong thing to do.

After his dumbasserey the original debate is over. Now it's about making him own those words and the misogyny behind them. There was blood in the water, a fat wounded seal crying out for a feeding frenzy. Where the hell were the sharks? He shouldn't be able to go on another interview without being asked about what happened and why he ended up crying on Hardball.

Army, Limbaugh and the boys are out to hurt this administration any way they can. To let one of them say something that stupid, revealing so much about the disgusting backward way he thinks and not pay for it is a mistake.

I think she did a good job.

I know what I would have said.

see it.

that Armey said the words "wife" and "prattle" directly to Walsh. What a disrespectful, out of touch, misogynist, typical-white-male-republican.

Armey talked for the majority of the segment and then whenever Walsh began to put forth her argument, he would shake his head, smirk, and laugh. I think his behavior was deplorable.

I wish that Huff. Post also had the video of what Herbert said later. I would like to view that as well. I think Matthews should have been more forceful in his rebuke of Armey's comment. To me, it simply shows the desperation of the republican party, especially how they are groveling at the feet of Limbaugh (the earlier portion of the segment). I think Matthews dropped the ball and lost control of the interview.

Chieftain, your original post gave a great summary of what happened.

adjectives aptly described not only Armey but the ditto-head Republicans in Congress, The GOP is every bit as up to date as the word prattle.

I agree with the poster above who stated the Dick should not have been let off so easily.

she started talking. And she did call him out on that and told him to stop and let her speak.

He was just disgusting.

exactly the right word.

Tweety should have said something, and his not speaking up reflects very poorly on him. Kudos to Herbert!


K&R

ohh i am soooo mad

I can't believe he was so incredibly rude to her right now :wow::wow:

Do repuglican men view every woman as their potential wife and base their opinions on that?! WTF?

he kept giggling and he actually was lurching. :beer: :hangover:

That a woman was questioning his judgment. That's outside the natural order.

Let's not confuse drunk with bone stupid bigotry. I've been awfully drunk and let me tell you, I don't talk to my wife like that cause I prefer to remain in one piece.

To paraphrase Winston, I'll be sober in the morning but Armey will still be an ass.

the Churchill reference.

:toast:

michelle is useless. Who in the hell even uses "prattle" anymore. Drunk jerk!

Rethuglicans, that's who.

His behavior was reprehensible. I would not have been as civil as Joan was to him.

those they attack.

Dick Armey is in the dark ages, and Chris Matthews totally missed the boat. I couldn't believe it.