Matthews's source is more dignified in many of his responses than Matthews is in his questioning. The exception is his grilling on where the tea party types were under Bush, but overall Matthews goes too far to try to be provocative.

Chris Matthews conducts an abrasive interview with Phillip Dennis, organizer of the Texas tea party. They discuss Republican Gov. Perry's remarks about Texas seceding from the United States. I find Chris Matthew's style of interviewing insulting and irresponsible. I don't see how this helps the public discourse. Instead, it heightens the culture wars that plague our country.

I appreciate Matthew's line of questioning, but it's a sad spectacle when he dips into U.S. history, but doesn't know enough about Great Depression economic theory to respond intelligently to his guest's counterpoint.