Chris Matthews to Jay Leno Monday night, talking about his “thrill up my leg” (from Obama speech) comment (h/t TVNewser and HuffPost):
Ha! You know, some journalists report only what a guy says, what they hear, what they see. I report all senses. I report all reactions…I was inspired by it and I said so at the time…I’d rather be honest and say what I feel than sit there like some kind of statue and say, ‘Oh that was noteworthy.’ I’m a frickin’ American. I do have a reaction to things. And I do react emotionally to my country. I care about this country, I want to look out for it. It’s my job. I’m not just some umpire. I take a side — us. That’s who I’m rooting for.
Not Team Obama; Team America!
Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.