David Gregory’s hostile questions at the White House press briefings are often a little too much to take, but even he does not have patience for Katrina Vanden Heuvel. Here’s a bit of Hardball, courtesy of the Media Research Center: (April 6, 2003)

Chris Matthews: “Will this war stop terrorism?”
Robert Kagan, Washington Post: “Of course not.”
Matthews: “Will it help to stop it?”
Kagan: “It, it, it will help to stop terrorism but I also I have to say I don’t believe this war was just about terrorism. It was about this very dangerous man who had invaded two countries on his border and who is still, was still an aggressor and was building weapons of mass destruction. There is a terrorism issue as well but I think that there has always been a special Iraq question.”
David Gregory: “Oh I, I’m sorry I, I don’t think it was an ‘as well.’ I, I think that, that the President has staked this war as being what makes America safer. There are other rationales, and he’s talked about them, being essentially an act of humanity and, and perhaps people believe that on its face if you see some of the awful images coming out of Iraq.”
Matthews: “Right.”
Gregory: “But this is about making America safer. It’s about self-defense.”
Matthews: “Self-defense.”
Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation: “This was not, this was not a war of self-defense! This was a war of aggression and if I might add, just quickly, this is not going to enhance America’s national security. You can be left of center and also…”
Gregory: “I’m sorry, I think that’s an irresponsible statement to say it’s a war of aggression! I really do. I mean you can challenge the, the notion…”
[Matthews interrupts to move onto new topic.]