Next Matthews claims that the Bush administration “hoped to encourage” the events (i.e., riots and their suppression) that we now see in Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia. But wait! Didn’t Matthews just say that all of these governments are “supported by the U.S.?” So why would Bush (or Obama) want to encourage riots against those governments?

Matthews says the Bush administration “hoped to encourage” riots by “lying about weapons of mass destruction and invading Iraq.” I don’t get that either. Apart from the silliness about “lying”–both Democrats and Republicans thought Saddam had WMDs, as did the CIA and the intelligence agency of every Western country–what is the connection? Why would “lying about weapons of mass destruction” cause Egyptians and Tunisians to riot, either in 2003 or seven years later? What in the world–in short–is Matthews talking about?