Chris Matthews to run against Arlen Specter for U.S. Senate?

[Newsjock]

Source: New York Sun

The possibility of the host of MSNBC's "Hardball" Christopher Matthews, running against Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican, for Mr. Specter's senate seat in Pennsylvania is intensifying.

Although Mr. Matthews said to Bill Maher of HBO that he's "not getting involved in it" when asked about whether he would seek the position in 2010, it is odd to employ his television program in a way that would make him a favorable candidate to run for senator of Pennsylvania as a Democrat.

Mr. Matthews, who is from the Philadelphia area, broadcasted his show from Philadelphia during the week of the Pennsylvania primary. Political figures that appeared on his national show were the mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, and an African-American congressman of Philadelphia, Chaka Fattah. In addition, Mr. Matthews interviewed on "Hardball" the chairmen of the Democratic committees of Allegheny, Montgomery, and Lackawanna counties, James Burn Jr., Marcel Groen, and Harry McGrath, local figures vital to any statewide candidacy.

The "Hardball" host would not be a complete neophyte to politics. He was a former staffer to President Carter and the speaker of the House, Thomas O'Neill. In 1974, he ran for congress in Pennsylvania. His brother, James, a Mongtomery County Commissioner, ran for lieutenant governor as a Republican in 2006.

... But it just may be that Mr. Matthews might turn out to be the most well known and best financed of the potential Democratic candidates in 2010. For that reason, his is a candidacy to be taken seriously in the battle for the U.S. Senate, the 100-seat body where every member counts.

Read more: http://www.nysun.com/editorials/hardball-senator

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Tweety's a Democrat? You could have fooled me.

[zbdent]

6. INO

in name only ...

He lusted after Gee Dumbya's package on the USS Lincoln ...

[madokie]

2. I don't envy any of the voters there at all

what a toss up, tweety and one bullet

[MiniMe]

3. I am looking forward to hearing Franken's speeches on the Senate floor

I am NOT looking forward to Tweety's if he were to run. I wonder how many HA!'s he would get in.

I don't think he would challenge Specter, but you never know.

[Somawas]

4. Matthews and Specter can throw down

and go douchehammer a douchehammer.

[Ian David]

5. I thought Tweety was just going to wait to pick apart Arlen's corpse. n/t

[ThomWV]

7. I'd probably vote for Specter

He is far from the worst Republican that ever walked, and tweety is anything but a Demcorat to my mind.

[noel711]

8. How can Tweedy think that he has any integrity at all left

after his shameful 'journalistic' career in the public?

This has got to be a joke.... He must think we Pennsylvanians
are really stupid....

[HousePainter]

9. Tweety and Eddie sittin' in a tree

Goes a long way toward explaining his sudden attack mode on Obama and repetition of Clinton talking points before and since the PA Primary. He would need,as Hillary did, his old friend "Eddie" Rendell's help.
He calls it Hardball, I call it sleazeball.

[Historic NY]

10. What is he a Lieberman/Miller Democrat.? .......

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

11. I'd vote for Spector if I had to

The last thing we need is another blustering asshole who knows nothing........Tweety would be a Lieberman level embarassment to the party.

[Time for change]

12. Oh Christ!

The last thing we need is another Dem Senator in the mold of Zell Miller/Joe Lieberman. I can't imagine a worse Dem Senator than Matthews. I certainly hope we can do better than that. I would almost hope that he loses the GE even if he wins the primary.

In fact, I don't doubt that this whole thing is a ploy. Matthews has been so malignant to Democratic candidates in his sneaky way, and so admiring of Republicans, it just doesn't pass the smell test that he's running as a Democrat. Perhaps a major reason is that by setting himself up as a Democrat it makes him seem like an unbiased journalist.

[AlinPA]

13. I thought he would challenge Specter in the R primary . I doubt that the

slobbering fool would get very far.

[napi21]

14. My guess is that Arlan will retire in 2010. He's getting pretty old and

he did have a very serious bout with cancer a few years ago. Who knows who the Pubs would put up against him. Could be some nut case like Santorum! I don't live in Pa. anymore, but I'd sure vote for Tweety over Santorum any day!

[peekaloo]

15. The Magic Bullshit candidate.

[KharmaTrain]

16. 2009 Will Be A Tough Year For Tweety

That recent article about him pretty much spelled out that his welcome at GE/NBC has worn thin and they won't renew his contract next year unless he takes a big cut (and with it a reduced role). Will his ego be able to handle this? Will his need to be "in the loop" so strong that he takes a cut or tries to jump to another network? I honestly don't see many options for him other than going down the Faux rathole.

Tweety loves to think he's a big fish in every pond. He couldn't shut up enough about his Philly roots during the PA Primary fiasco and appeared to channel himself into every person he talked to. He claims he has no political intentions, but with his star diminished in the beltway, I could see him thinking he could use the Senate as his ticket back into the "A list".

Now Tweety's brother ran as a Repugnican. With Arlen's reoccurance of cancer (and the man's in his late 70s), I see him retiring in '10. Tweety would stand an easier chance in the GOOP.