Gaffney to Ron Reagan: ‘Your father would be ashamed of you’

By David Edwards
Friday, October 23rd, 2009 -- 9:56 am
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ron reaganNotorious neoconservative Frank Gaffney told the son of the late president Ronald Reagan that his father "would be ashamed of" him during a tense debate on MSNBC Thursday night over the future of U.S. policy in Afghanistan.

The cutting remark came just after Chris Matthews, host of the popular MSNBC show "Hardball,"  asked Gaffney if he thought the majority of people in Afghanistan, excluding the Taliban, would support the U.S. maintaining a presence in their country.

Gaffney responded by asking both Ron Reagan, the significantly more liberal son of the late president, and Matthews if they would "want to be ruled by the Taliban."

"Would you want the Taliban to be victorious in Afghanistan?" Gaffney asked. "Islamists worldwide will be empowered by our defeat there."

Reagan, who is significantly more liberal than his late father, responded, "That was not why we went into Afghanistan in the first place."

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"What does that even mean, Frank? What you are saying is utterly meaningless," Reagan continued. "It is a red herring, it is a red herring because you have no argument."

Gaffney's retort: "Your father would be ashamed of you."

Host Matthews interjected "that's not fair" and Reagan warned, "You better watch your mouth about that, Frank."

This video is from MSNBC's Hardball, broadcast Oct. 22, 2009.

Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...
  • alverant
    Ron has more common sense and brains than his father and Teflon hair had more than Gaffney. If Prez Reagan would be ashamed of his son, it would only show how bad he was as a father.
  • Dave95008
    I am completely amazed that any network outside of Faux news is giving this cretin air time. I was watching this exchange. I wonder how many other people were swearing blue streaks at their televisions at that moment.
  • mcmgrant
    If I were Ron Reagan, I would be ashamed of my father. His father ushered in the Reign of Greed and the root cause of the present economic recession. Reagan, the icon of conservatism, will be judged as one of the worst presidents.
  • nader paul kucinich gravel
    AIPAC Neocon Trash
  • WJM51
    Isn't it amazing that all these right wing puntwits know what people's parents would say more than the person themselves?

    O'Really told a kid whose father was killed on 9-11 that his father would be ashamed of him for his statements, and that is without EVER having even MET the kid's father. How the hell would he have so much as a freaking CLUE about what this kid's father thought?

    And now this moron, who didn't spend 18-20 years with Reagan on a daily basis wants to say that the Alzheimer's president would feel the same way about his son? Might that be something to do with the fact that he had just had his entire argument shredded and handed back to him? If you can't argue with intelligence, then attack with violence. Typical republican LOSER.

    Ron Reagan is the only person in that whole family that offers it any salvation. He is a well thought out HUMAN BEING that has the betterment of mankind at heart, not just his own ass. THAT is why the right hates him, and will use his father against him. Ron LIVED with his father, and if anyone would have an idea of what the old fart thought, it would be him, far sooner than Gaffney.

    Can we just outlaw the republican party, yet? Or better yet, outlaw greed and stupidity. That will kill them off in the first wave of arrests. We'll have to let all the pot smokers out of prison just to hold the REAL criminals.
  • sergesret
    Tweety is a terrible news talk show host. That segment was just Ron and that idiot trying to talk over one another. I'd like to see the aptly named Gaff-ney go one on one with Maddow. She'd disassemble him and his so-called arguments into a nice neat pile of poo for all to see. Tweety is useless given the way he runs his show.
  • stormy7
    Gaffney is a fucking war monger. He was gun ho behind Bush and Cheney and their empire building.
  • moxaman
    All neocons must be rounded up and carted off to jail awaiting charges of treason, war crimes, murder, rape, and torture. These psychopathic nazis are the most dangerous force in America and the world. They are the front line for the new world order crowd, the illuminati and Bilderbergers. AIPAC is but one of their branches and it MUST be disbanded if America is to survive.
  • suzisunshine
    He's 100% right. We had no problem w/ the taliban, we went after bin laden and let him get away. We should have left Afghanistan then.
    The taliban are nasty to be sure but the world is full of nasties and always will be . We cannot be the worlds policeman. If the people of a country want's a change in leadership then let them revolt either by the vote or a coup. It's simply not our job.
  • ronnieee
    Fuck him Ron.
  • allenallen
    No real argument... just insult.
  • jdouglas
    I remember watching this Ron Reagan host a talk show on (very) late night cable TV many, many years ago, perhaps even while his father was president. I liked him then, and I like him now.
  • charmed
    Frank Gaffney has no business being on any opinion show. He is a neo-con turd and is, therefore, solid waste.

    And Matthews' unwillingness/inability to maintain order proves that he is a hack.

    Ron Reagan is an intelligent, charming man, and I know for a fact that his mother, Nancy Reagan, adores him. It is inconceivable that his father would be ashamed of him.

    I hope the wrath of the Reagans and their connections come down hard on Frank Gaffney, who should be publicly humiliated for being so stupid..
  • okcommuter
    That guy is lucky Ron wasn't in the studio...I think that interaction would have gotten a lot more intimate very quickly if he was.
  • Spiffarino
    I thought the same thing. Ron looked like he wanted to bust that prick in the mouth.

    Ron differs from his father politically, but he also loved him dearly. That becomes apparent every time Ron mentions his dad. As someone who grew up with Republican parents and who parted ways with them politically at an early age, I can understand where he's coming from. We disagreed on politics, but we were always a family first.

    Next time Gaffney runs into Ron I hope Frank gets his ass kicked.
  • genep34
    Having Frank Gaffney talk about foreign policy is like have the head of the KKK discuss race relations in America.

    Mathews brings this viewpoint to light by bringing him on - Chris is a disappointment.
  • an84u
    I doubt any little-known stinking RePUKEliCUNT shithead can shake the high regard millions have for Ron Reagan. It's Ronald Reagan, Ron's father, the n'er-do-well supposed-to-be President, who helped ruin the US of A. I so admire Ron for thinking for himself and using his influence to forthrightly state his ideas and convictions. Matthews is right..this asshole Graffitity was being grossly unfair in his attack. He should be put off the air, pronto!
  • DownriverDem
    Too bad Ron couldn't have said a big fat F YOU!!!!!!
  • Spiffarino
    I think "You better watch your mouth, Frank!" was better because it's far more serious than a simple "fuck you!" Ron sounded like a guy who was going to jump through the camera and strangle somebody.
  • hoosier daddy
    Do you think Ron, jr. cares?
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