Chris Matthews Loses Tingle: 'The Steering Wheel Doesn't Control the Car Any More'
Well, it's true.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Wednesday morning, host Joe Scarborough and his regulars trotted out that criticism, and more, but it was Matthews’ criticism that was at least a little bit surprising. TheHardball host began by deflecting the blame onto the President’s Chief of Staff, and other advisors. “In second terms, you get into trouble, and you start promoting deputies to principal positions, and we know how it works,” he began. “You need people around you, a strong government led by a strong chief of staff who can crack the whip.”
“And this is why it’s important to voters,” Matthews continued. “When you go in the voting booth, you only get one vote. You pick Romney or Obama. When you pick Obama, you want to know the steering wheel that you just turned to the left a little bit, you want that to matter. That means you want that president you voted for to run things. That’s the only power you have as a citizen. Pick the person you want to run things, and then they run them.”
He added, “For anybody to run around in Washington and say ‘We don’t run the IRS,’ or ‘We can’t control the Justice Department, and I’m recusing myself,’ they say ‘The steering wheel doesn’t control the car any more.’ The person says ‘I want the person I voted for to be in charge. The only power I have, and you’re telling me I don’t have it? Because you don’t have it. And that is going to really bug people, especially people that care about government doing a good job.”
Well, it's true.