Hardball

'Hardball with Chris Matthews' for March 5, 2009

Read the transcript to the Thursday show

updated 10:34 a.m. ET, Fri., March. 6, 2009

Guest: Steve McMahon, Todd Harris, Bud Cummins, Michael Isikoff, Will Saletan, Ken Blackwell, Mike Isikoff, Karen Tumulty, Howard Fineman

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Let‘s play HARDBALL.

Good evening. I‘m Chris Matthews. Leading off tonight, just answer the question. Was this whole Rush Limbaugh jamboree a concoction of the Obama White House? Did Paul Begala and Carville get Rahm Emanuel to gig the radio man? Did the smart guys deliberately gin up a battle with Rush Limbaugh? And was this a brilliant use of the invisible hand, a disastrous detour into the world of the deranged, or is it too early to put a verdict on this rhubarb of the grapefruit season? Just answer the question. Please.

Here‘s Paul Begala, trying to not answer that question when asked it by his colleague, Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: But clearly, clearly, if you‘re talking to Rahm Emanuel every day on the phone, and this light bulb has gone off in your head and James Carville‘s head, I find it hard to believe you didn‘t say to Rahm Emanuel, “Guess what? Look at these poll numbers.”

PAUL BEGALA, : I don‘t know. I don‘t keep careful notes of these things. I keep private conversations private, Anderson.

COOPER: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Whoa. “I keep private conversations private, Anderson.”

---

The transcript continues with a different news item.

Click here if you wish to read the full transcript: HARDBALL

Paul Begala - Rush Limbaugh