Politics

Former NH gov. shouts down Chris Matthews [VIDEO]

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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Often when Republican guests appear on shows hosted by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, they face a hostile environment. And if you add liberal Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson and the Huffington Post’s Howard Fineman, it would be fair to say the deck is stacked.

But former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu came prepared and took on Matthews and company on MSNBC on Sunday. Following the “Meet the Press” debate, Sununu got in something of a shouting match with Matthews over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s culpability in TV ads that aired in Iowa prior to the caucuses and were very critical of former Speaker of the House New Gingrich.

“You guys are reveling and wallowing in ridiculous perception of what’s going on,” Sununu said. “There’s a law out there that defines what can and can’t be done by those PACs, and all the candidates are following the law. And to suggest that Gov. Romney shouldn’t know what’s in that ad with all the clippings that have been out describing it — come on, stop being ridiculous and get to the point.”

“You guys don’t even understand New Hampshire politics when you think there’s something bad about tithing your time to serve. If there’s any state that understands that Mitt Romney going in and serving — and giving his time — and going back to the private sector is a normal part of the process, it’s New Hampshire,” he continued. “Stop being ridiculous and talk about the issues: The job problems in this country, the need to cut spending and the need to cut taxes. And when the candidates talk about that, you guys avoid it.”

“You guys have an agenda that you want to drive and you have no idea what the rules and regulations are, and the fact is all these candidates are following them,” he said. “C’mon!” (RELATED: Chris Matthews to Obama: ‘Just tell us, commander. Give us our orders’ [VIDEO])

Watch:

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One of the critiques on Romney has been that he is a “career politician.” However, Sununu said those critics can’t have it both ways in criticizing Romney as both a career politician and a wealthy, private sector businessman.

“You got to decide whether you want to attack him for being a career politician or attack him for all the successes he had as a career private sector guy,” Sununu said. “How can you be a career both? You guys don’t know which way to go and which way to go after him. He’s a career private sector guy that understood how to create jobs, took it to Massachusetts for a period of time and went back to the private sector. Now he’s running for president. He’d like to take that talent into the Oval Office and start creating jobs for America and fix the mess that your guy, Obama, has caused.”

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