Frenzied Matthews: Tea Party Like Muslim Fanatics

MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews on Tuesday made the peculiar parallel of the tea party to Egypt’s fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, saying both want to have a say on when leaders have stuck around beyond their time and should leave office.

Matthews made the comparisons when asking Republican consultant John Feehery whether the tea party is trying to get rid of GOP senators it deems not sufficiently conservative. He was referring to a New York Times story, and other reports, that the tea party might mount challenges to Olympia Snowe of Maine, Orrin Hatch of Utah, and Richard Lugar of Indiana.

He then associated potential tea party primary challenges of sitting Republican senators to the Muslim Brotherhood going after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

“Why are you treating Orrin Hatch like Mubarak?” Matthews said.

Feehery ignored the comparison in his answer.

“Well I think Orrin Hatch is a great senator. I think he's going to get re-elected, I think he's going to win the primary. But I think, like any good senator, he gets the wake-up call from the last election,” Feehery said. “He's going back and talking to his constituents. I think Dick Lugar is doing the same thing, and Olympia Snowe is doing the same thing. You got to get back home and talk to your constituents and make sure that you are hearing what they're saying and making sure your messages work with them.”

Matthews relentlessly continued his line of questioning.

"So the Muslim Brotherhood has a parallel role with the tea party; they keep you honest and decide whether you've stayed too long?” he said. “Whether you've got a sell-by date looming?”

Feehery, who was communications director for former House Speaker Denny Hastert, replied: “You know, Chris, you, you were in Congress for a long time. I served in Congress for a while. I've seen many times where members of Congress lose touch with their constituents.”

At which point Matthews interrupted with: "So the tea party is the constituency? That's the new constituency?”

Feehery tried to return to the point.

“No, no, no. I think you've got to make sure you have a majority coalition,” Feehery said. “It's not just about the tea party. It's about the Republican Party. I really believe that.”