Chris Matthews is a talk-show host. He talks about politics on “Hardball” each weeknight on MSNBC.

Michael Moore is a movie director. His work includes documentaries.

In a recently released audiotape which may have the voice of Usama bin Laden, the voice on the tape says in Arabic “polls that show an overwhelming majority of you want the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.”

Chris Matthews said about Usama bin Laden on “Hardball” on the evening of January 19, 2006, ” I mean he sounds like an over the top Michael Moore here, if not a Michael Moore. “

This is tacky. Chris Matthews has also said he’s against the Iraq War. Would it be fair to say that Usama bin Laden sounds like Chris Matthews?

Supporters of Michael Moore and others who found Matthews remark in bad taste demanded an apology.

Instead, Chris Matthews said on his show Friday night that “People misunderstood what I said last night. “

Michael Moore responds in pictures to Chris Matthews at michaelmoore.com.

« Update of January 24, 2006 »

From Crooks and Liars this morning:

In an obvious move to get us off his back, Chris Matthews said this on Hardball Monday:

Matthews: You know, on Hardball we’ve been raising the question about no-bid contracts and how Halliburton has gotten some profits out of that, and maybe we were right or wrong, but we were raising that issue. Certainly people like Michael Moore raised that question of profiteering.

How does a guy go from comparing him to a terrorist one day-then an incredible investigative journalist the next?