The Virginia National Organization for Women (VaNOW) today released the following statement on MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews’ recent comments about Sen. Hillary Clinton:

"Chris Matthews' demeaning rhetoric toward women in public life and in particular toward Sen. Hillary Clinton is poisonous to democracy and is discouraging to young women who aspire to hold public office. While our country is making significant progress in the number of highly qualified women running for office, misogynistic speech infects news coverage of the important issues they raise and of the candidates. This is not partisan. Democrats and Republicans of good will should tell Chris Matthews: ‘Shape up or we’ll turn you off,’” said Marj Signer, President of the Virginia National Organization for Women.  

Some examples of Matthews’ chauvinistic commentary include:

• During MSNBC's coverage of the New Hampshire Democratic primary, Hardball host Chris Matthews stated, "I will never underestimate Hillary Clinton again." But Matthews asserted on MSNBC's Morning Joe the next day, "The reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around."
• During coverage of the New Hampshire primary, Matthews said that Sen. Clinton is the only viable woman presidential candidate "on the horizon." He couldn't think of a single female governor eligible to run: "Where are the big-state women governors?" he asked. "Where are they? Name one." (Note: Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell, and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius all run states with populations comparable to male governors who have recently or are running for president, including Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Bill Richardson.)
• On the November 18 edition of the NBC-syndicated Chris Matthews Show, host Chris Matthews teased a discussion by asking, "'She Devil?' Republicans are absolutely demonizing [Sen.] Hillary Clinton [D-NY]."
• On the March 21 editor of Hardball, Matthews said of Sen. Clinton:  "Look at those eyes. Look at the cold eyes that she's giving him. Look at that cold look."
• On December 19 on Hardball, he compared Sen. Clinton to a stripper:  “Like a strip-teaser saying she's flattered by the all the attention."
• On women who live in the suburbs and who " may not work outside the home": "They're talking around election time -- the husband and the wife -- you know, she says, "I sort of like this Hillary, the first woman president. She's pro-choice." And the husband says, "You know, dear, you know, this is going to kill our tax bracket. You know that tuition thing we pay every couple of years for the kids, every year, we can't do that if we get a higher tax bracket. We have to pay more money.""

Virginia NOW is a membership organization with chapters in Alexandria, Arlington, Charlottesville, Fairfax County, the Fredericksburg area, Lynchburg, Montgomery County, Richmond and Henrico County, Roanoke, Rockbridge Valley, Tidewater, and Vienna.

For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Katherine Ely, Vice President for Media Relations, at mediavp@vanow.org  or call 757.371.9160