During discussion of McCain "showing off his foreign policy credentials," Matthews panel ignored McCain's Al Qaeda-Iran gaffes

On the March 23 edition of his NBC-syndicated television show, Chris Matthews introduced a segment on whether Sen. John McCain is "smart to make national security the centerpiece of his campaign," by saying that McCain was recently in the Middle East "showing off his foreign policy credentials." But at no point during the segment -- indeed, during the entire show -- did Matthews, or any of his guests, point out that, during his trip, McCain repeatedly claimed Iran is training Al Qaeda. During a press conference in Amman, Jordan, McCain made the admittedly false claim that "it's common knowledge and has been reported in the media that ... Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran," a misstatement that, Washington Post reporters Cameron W. Barr and Michael D. Shear wrote, "threatened to undermine McCain's argument that his decades of foreign policy experience make him the natural choice to lead a country at war with terrorists." Matthews had teased the segment on McCain earlier in the show, stating, "When we come back: Is the Arizona hawk putting all his eggs in one basket? Is John McCain's unflinching toughness enough to get him to the White House?"

As Media Matters for America documented, McCain previously made the same claim to nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt during a March 17 interview and did so more than once during the March 18 press conference in Amman. It was only after Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who travelled with McCain, whispered something in his ear, that McCain corrected himself, saying: "I'm sorry. The Iranians are training extremists, not Al Qaeda." U.S. officials have reportedly claimed Iran is training Shiite militants; Al Qaeda is a predominantly Sunni organization.

During the discussion, Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page said: "[W]hile Iraq is maybe problematic depending on how the surge is perceived, national security is something that is a strong suit for McCain. So go with your strength." But the panel -- which also included New York Times correspondent Elisabeth Bumiller, MSNBC chief Washington correspondent Norah O'Donnell, and New York Magazine contributing editor John Heilemann -- never discussed McCain's claims about Al Qaeda.

From the March 23 edition of the NBC-syndicated The Chris Matthews Show:

MATTHEWS: When we come back: Is the Arizona hawk putting all his eggs in one basket? Is John McCain's unflinching toughness enough to get him to the White House?

[...]

MATTHEWS: Welcome back. While the Democrats were still trying to sort things out this week, John McCain was in the Middle East showing off his foreign policy credentials. But he's sounding an awful lot like George Bush. Listen to the two of them, oceans apart, on Wednesday.

BUSH [video clip]: If we were to allow our enemies to prevail in Iraq, the violence that is now declining would accelerate and Iraq would descend into chaos.

McCAIN [video clip]: I believe that if we set a date for withdrawal, you will see chaos and genocide in the region.

MATTHEWS: The similarities haven't been lost on McCain's Democratic rivals. Here's Barack Obama on Thursday.

OBAMA [video clip]: No matter what the costs, no matter what the consequences, John McCain seems determined to carry out a third Bush term.

MATTHEWS: So is Obama onto something? Has he found McCain's Achilles heel? We asked the Matthews Meter, 12 of our regulars: "Assuming conditions in Iraq stay about the same, is McCain smart to make national security the centerpiece of his campaign?"

Our meter split right down the center on this one. Six say McCain's smart to do so, six say he's not. And Clarence and Nora, you're also split. Nora, you say no, he's not smart to make himself sort of a GI Joe candidate.

O'DONNELL: A whopping 76 percent in our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll said they want a candidate who has policies different than President Bush. This country wants to move on from that and the economy is the issue. McCain needs to be talking about the economy.

MATTHEWS: Clarence, you disagree?

PAGE: Well, yeah, I do. I think the difference between, first of all, Iraq and national security as an issue in the public mind, and that while Iraq is maybe problematic depending on how the surge is perceived, national security is something that is a strong suit for McCain. So go with your strength. He's got to build his base as well as crossover.

MATTHEWS: So is this just a question -- it's what you do with what you've got? You have to do this.

BUMILLER: This is what he believes in. It happens -- this happens to be a case -- and also, he knows he has to talk more about the economy and they're gearing up some big program, but right now, he sounds an awful lot like Bush when he talks about the economy.

MATTHEWS: The cost of the strategy?

HEILEMANN: Well, I just think there's no political upside to talk about this. Everybody in America knows what John McCain's position is on the war, and they all know that he's a hawk generally in terms of foreign policy. How many Americans can name what John McCain's policy is on the mortgage crisis? None. Zero.

MATTHEWS: So, he needs to shift to the economy and separate himself.

HEILEMAN: Absolutely, 100 percent, as soon as possible.

MATTHEWS: OK. I'll be right back with scoops and predictions right out of the notebooks of these top reporters, "Tell me something I don't know!" Be right back.