AP Photos Matthews slams Perry's 'cheap shot'

An interview between MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Republican Rep. Scott Perry over the government funding showdown got heated, with Matthews closing the interview after accusing Perry of taking a “cheap shot” and saying he’s “in bed” with the oil industry.

The 10-minute interview, which was rife with interruptions and yelling from both men, may have gotten off on the wrong foot from the get-go.


“The Republican Party is a train right now off its rails,” Matthews said to introduce the segment on his show “Hardball” on Thursday night, before asking Perry (R-Pa.) to name another time that Congress has “held up the government” to kill an enacted law.

( Also on POLITICO: Viewers guide to shutdown drama)

“Come on, Chris. You’re a student of history. This has been done on many occasions,” Perry said.

From there, the interview set off on a tense back-and-forth, with Matthews accusing Perry of not answering his question and Perry saying he was answering the question and that Americans don’t like Obamacare, which Republicans are trying to defund in the showdown.

At one point, Matthews said, “No, no, no” after each point Perry was making about what matters to the American people. Matthews shot back with Congress’s “8 percent approval rating right now.”

( QUIZ: How well do you know this week's shutdown news?)

“Congressman, I can only ask the question. If you don’t want to answer it, just say ‘I don’t want to answer the question,’” Matthews said.

“I’m happy to answer the question,” Perry replied, saying President Barack Obama is the one to threaten a government shutdown because he refuses to negotiate with Republicans.

“Those are words — you’re speaking words but not an answer. Those are words. But answer the question with words. Here’s the question,” Matthews said, asking again about the government being “held hostage.”

( Also on POLITICO: The GOP should just do it)

“Those are your words that the country is being held hostage. This is a negotiation by an intractable president — hold on,” Perry said, over a Matthews interjection, “who will negotiate with Syria, who will negotiate with Putin, who will negotiate with Iran but won’t negotiate with 50 percent of his countrymen.”

“That’s good rhetoric,” Matthews replied.

At the end of the interview, Matthews and Perry turned to another possible Republican demand in the government funding debate, approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Matthews said a paper with which Perry was involved looked like it was “written by the oil industry,” and he questioned why a Pennsylvania congressman was so interested in Gulf oil.

( Also on POLITICO: Shutdown fight heads back to the House)

Perry’s response hastened the end of the interview.

“I’m surprised you read any of it, first of all,” Perry said.

“Wait a minute. What’s that mean? Wait a minute. What did you just say? You’re surprised I read it?” Matthews said.

“Absolutely. You know, most Democrats, as a matter of fact, I’m surprised any Democrats read the bill,” Perry said.

“You know what you can do with that? You can be excused. Because you accused me of not doing my job and that’s a big mistake,” Matthews said. “I wish you hadn’t made that last statement. It was a cheap shot,” Matthews said.

“You took some cheap shots as well,” Perry said.

“You’re in bed with the oil industry,” Matthews said to end the interview.

Government funding runs out at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday morning. The Senate on Friday is expected to send a clean government funding resolution back to the House after the House earlier this week sent it one that defunds Obamacare.