Softball With Chris Matthews

Tonight I watched MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews in utter amazement. It was a wise decision not to have Howard Dean in the same room with Chris during their anti-Bush discussion. If not, I feel sure Chris would have reached across and given Dean a big kiss and a hug. To call this an interview is ludicrous, to call this show hardball is a lie. Not once during the program did Chris rudely interrupt and harass his buddy Howard as is the norm with conservative guests. This is exactly why this program will never compete with ole Bill on Fox.

He (Bill) asks the hard questions to all guests. He asks follow-up questions when guests are ambiguous or say something startling. After watching this program , I am convinced Chris and Howard rehearsed their parts (written no doubt by a James Carville follower) prior to air time.
Dean is widely known for his outrageous comments, yet Matthews chose to attack our Vice President instead.

Matthews tried to make an issue of the VP remarks by invoking the "don't talk bout my mama" routine. The VP didn't talk about Dean's mother and Matthews knows better. The VP questioned his (Dean's) appeal when he said "maybe his mother loves him". Matthews on air ignorance of the context of the VPs remarks were disingenuous at best but more likely a direct lie.

More importantly, but just as sad, was his attention or lack thereof to what Dean said about the war. Did Howard Dean advocate invading Iran and or North Korea. We do not know because Chris failed to follow up on Dean's comments concerning the two countries. I would like to know why Dean thinks we need more troops in Afghanistan. I guess Matthews didn't want to go there.
I would like to know what Dean meant when he said earlier this summer that the republican party was mostly made up of white guys,,,, Christians? This topic wasn't mentioned.
Time after time we hear the mainstream media deny bias. Is Chris as oblivious to his liberal bias as Dan Rather? Where is ole Dan these days?