You're comparison to Obama and Kennedy is outrageous. SERIOUSLY outrageous. You are looking through the rose colored glasses of 1960's. Since when does 2011 jive with 1960? History continues to show that Jack Kennedy was not the great man that continues to be idolized by your generation. Hero? Maybe look to Bobby. This is a complete insult to President Obama. WTF are you thinking? You're comparing on one level, a privileged white man to a black man who struggled to get where he is. Granted, that's another story. I am so gobsmacked by your ignorance.....and I'm a fan of your show. My mom is beside me...she's 88 and is equally outraged. She wants me to add that "the times are quite different, and a comparison is really unfair." Did I mention she was 88?

My mom wanted me to add that you went over the top on your program to sell your book. She says that her opinion of you has changed. Straight from my 88 year old mother's mouth.

Bobby and Jack were playing hardball with many powerful groups. They were not afraid.

Chris I am going to buy at least five of the books for Christmas/Hanukkah presents. Thanks for digging down even more into the Kennedy mystique.

Whoa and you even brought up Israel in an honest way. This President "gets pushed around by Bibi Netanyahu" "we are the ones giving 3 billion to Israel"

"Get tough with Israel" Whoa what has gotten into you CM. A hunger for the truth and justice in the I/P conflict. Surprise!

Come on over

UNESCO votes to admit Palestine as a full member

http://mondoweiss.net/

Jack Kennedy was the last President to demand that Israel open up Dimona to inspections

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=171997

Finally, Kennedy had enough, and in a personal letter dated May 18, 1963, the president warned that unless American inspectors were allowed into Dimona (meaning the end of any military activities), Israel would find itself totally isolated. Rather than answering, Ben-Gurion abruptly resigned. Kennedy’s repeated emphasis on America’s “deep commitment to the security of Israel” was all well and good, but, as seen after Egypt’s sudden expulsion of UN peacekeepers in 1967, Israel could not depend on anyone – even the US.

Ben-Gurion’s successor, Levi Eshkol received Kennedy’s next letter, which upped the pressure, warning that the American commitment and support of Israel “could be seriously jeopardized.”

Later, after Lyndon Johnson became president following Kennedy’s assassination, the issue resurfaced, with threats of an American conventional arms embargo. But Eshkol followed Ben-Gurion’s precedent. Similarly, in 1969, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger made one more effort to force Israel to relinquish the deterrent option, and when Golda Meir refused, the US and Israel agreed to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” compromise that has served both countries well for more than 40 years.

http://original.antiwar.com/smith-grant/2010/05/09/declassified-gao-report/'John F. Kennedy’s direct diplomatic pressures for U.S. inspections of Israel’s Dimona reactor grew throughout 1962-1963. During a Dec. 27, 1963, meeting with Foreign Minister Golda Meir, Kennedy expressed his hope that the relationship was a “two-way street.” Meir reassured President Kennedy that there “would not be any difficulty between us on the Israeli nuclear reactor.” Kennedy delivered a final ultimatum to Israel on July 5, 1963, insisting that Dimona undergo serial inspections “in accord with international standards” in order to verify its “peaceful intent.” Simultaneously, the Kennedy Justice Department was waging an intense battle behind closed doors to register and regulate Israel’s elite U.S. lobby, the American Zionist Council, which was bringing in funds from overseas to lobby. Kennedy’s assassination in November traumatized the nation and led to the complete and permanent reversal of both initiatives."

"Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

"I welcome your letter of May 12 and am giving it careful study.

"Meanwhile, I have received from Ambassador Barbour a report of his conversation with you on May 14 regarding the arrangements for visiting the Dimona reactor. I should like to add some personal comments on that subject.

"I am sure you will agree that there is no more urgent business for the whole world than the control of nuclear weapons. We both recognized this when we talked together two years ago, and I emphasized it again when I met with Mrs. Meir just after Christmas. The dangers in the proliferation of national nuclear weapons systems are so obvious that I am sure I need not repeat them here.

"It is because of our preoccupation with this problem that my Government has sought to arrange with you for periodic visits to Dimona. When we spoke together in May 1961 you said that we might make whatever use we wished of the information resulting from the first visit of American scientists to Dimona and that you would agree to further visits by neutrals as well. I had assumed from Mrs. Meir's comment that there would be no problem between us on this.

"We are concerned with the disturbing effects on world stability which would accompany the development of a nuclear weapons capability by Israel. I cannot imagine that the Arabs would refrain from turning to the Soviet Union for assistance if Israel were to develop a nuclear weapons capability--with all the consequences this would hold. But the problem is much larger than its impact on the Middle East. Development of a nuclear weapons capability by Israel would almost certainly lead other larger countries, that have so far refrained from such development, to feel that they must follow suit.

"As I made clear in my press conference of May 8, we have a deep commitment to the security of Israel. In addition this country supports Israel in a wide variety of other ways which are well known to both of us. [4-1/2 lines of source text not declassified]

"I can well appreciate your concern for developments in the UAR. But I see no present or imminent nuclear threat to Israel from there. I am assured that our intelligence on this question is good and that the Egyptians do not presently have any installation comparable to Dimona, nor any facilities potentially capable of nuclear weapons production. But, of course, if you have information that would support a contrary conclusion, I should like to receive it from you through Ambassador Barbour. We have the capacity to check it.

"I trust this message will convey the sense of urgency and the perspective in which I view your Government's early assent to the proposal first put to you by Ambassador Barbour on April 2.

"Sincerely,

"John F. Kennedy"

First, I, too, am a fan of Hardball.  I am also devoted to Pres. Obama.  I am from Clinton, Mass. and know a lot about the Kennedy family.   Jack and Ted were often in Clinton at the home of a big political family, The Philbins.  Phillip Philbin was a classmate of mine.  I played in the H.S. Band and remember being in front of the platform, looking up at Jack when he was running for Senator.   Tall and handsome, his brother Ted was even more so.  Ted was younger than I and a heavy drinker, showing up at my youngest sister's H.S. graduation in Clinton Town Hall and speaking to her class, impromptu.  A powerful family, they had a father who was strong and, I understand, pretty tough on the boys.  Wealth, power, and the " High Society Set" gave the boys an edge that provided ease and sophistication as supreme "insiders", shaping the friendliness you talked about and political savvy that you feel Pres. Obama did not have, allowing the likes of Boehner and Cantor to push him around.   That's all over!  I married a Tennessean and moved to Knoxville during the time of "colored" and "white" separateness.  That mentality still exists in old-southern Republicans who hate it that an African/American is our president.   Part of what you have seen in our brilliant President Obama is the result of struggles that John Kennedy never knew!  President Obama was not an "insider-politician" from a wealthy New England white family with ties to the Mafia heads, celebrities with a " say", like Frank Sinatra, and brothers like Ted who were fighters and would do anything for Jack, as you pointed out.  President Obama did not have the luxury-shaped background of the Kennedys.  I know our president did not expect Republican Leaders to be as rude and obstructionist as they have been because of President Obama's ethnicity.  When one has the values that Pres. Obama has, it is hard to imagine greedy liars in charge of part of Congress.   He learned.  He has healed his wounds and is the healthy warrior for the middle class and we who love him and are loyal to him in the tough times as you mentioned Kennedy supporters were, don't have money but have the strength that struggle brings.  We love him and, for me, he is like a son!  I wish you showed more loyalty to this honest man who cares about our country and all of us.  I hope you try to understand his struggle and see how brilliant he is.  I am a retired learning disabilities specialist who went to D.C. while Pres. K. was in office to study a method of teaching phonics recommended by the government because I was a pilot teacher with Head Start.  Did you know that John Kennedy was dyslexic?  He was taught by the best tutors in the field and overcame his learning disability to become an avid reader.  Dyslexics are creative and smart.  President Obama, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard did his post-post studies of the presidency while in office his first 21/2 years while he fought for us and our country and has survived the disrespectful treatment by Republicans in Congress.  We, who believe in him, are watching his strength and see the wind in his sales.  How about talking about that?  How many of J. Kennedy's card-playing friends were really friends?  Were they, perhaps, groupies?  Watch my beloved President Obama go!  He has studied and studied.  He has graduated his Presidency - on his own, and now, finally, sees  the dishonor his Republican obstructionists have shown.  He is a true gentleman and very intelligent.  Perhaps, the most intelligent president we have ever had.  How about starting a new book before his second term?  The ending should be a doozie.  My daughter married a Hawaiian and I followed my grandsons who are now half and half, like President Obama, and are gentlemen and humble, just as he is.   Look at the whole man. The Kennedys could have learned something from President Obama about a real, self-made leader.  History will prove this.  Watch his second term.  'Love this country?  Help him get re-elected!  You haven't seen anything yet.  He's only 50 years old.  I admired Prs. Kennedy and believe he was a hero. Pres. Obama is mine, now.  I'll order your book, today.  Janet Powell

Obama, bless his heart came out strong in favor of a middle east peace, then he didn't stand up to Israel. big big problem for the next election. it's going to be a fight over who can best facilitate Israel's expansion. What has this country come too? Kennedy would have stood up to Netanyahu and made sure congress did to. very sad, and I am ashamed of my country.

Hey Chris Howard Fineman has your book up over at Huffington Post

Chris Matthews On John F. Kennedy: New Book Pulls Back Curtain On 'Ask Not' Speech, Nixon Debates And More

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/31/chris-matthews-john-kennedy-book_n_1066558.html

Chris,

Knock of the Kennedy thing please!  President Kennedy was from one of the most powerful families in the country.  Because of his family affiliations, this allowed him to be able to get people to do things they didnt want.

President Obama by most standards is a poor president and more in line with middle class people, so when he is developing strategy for this company that doesnt align with Corporate power he gets push back.  Also, there was not 24 hour news cycles in which pundits like yourself and others are constantly second guessing everything he proposes.

Finally, Kennedy had his flaws as well, his well documented affairs with women and especially one Marilyn Monroe.  So please tone down the rhetoric.

Chris you said Obama needs to "get tougher on Israel"  You might want to take your own advice and grow some and start getting "tougher on Israel" and the I lobby on your program?  Have Mearsheimer and Walt on..you chicken @!$%#. They wrote that book what is it four years ago?  Have Carter on the way Rachel Maddow did and bring up the topic or allow him to go where he knows the MSM needs to go. 

Mention how the debate is shifting how far more Jews are finally taking a just stand on the occupation.  Have Naomi Klein, Medea Benjaman (they have both recently jumped on the anti apartheid bus).  Have Norm Finkelstein who has been out on the edge of this issue for years putting his own career and probably life on the line.

Chris Matthews you need to take your own advice.  "Get tougher on Israel"  bring on opposing views. Dershowitz vs Finkelstein.  Now Amy Goodman has all ready beat the MSM to this but hey you could be the first in the MSM to go where no one else is willing.

Have Barghouti on.  Noura Erekat. She is right there in DC

Have Hedy Epstein on as a guest.... open up the gates Chris.