On last night’s “Hardball,” NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell proved that her spin and John Kerry’s spin are indistinguishable. Chris Matthews played the new Bush ad banging on Kerry for opposing the $87 billion supplemental bill for the war, including funding for body armor, higher combat pay, and better military health care.

Mitchell responded like Bob Shrum: “Now that is a complete distortion, Kerry would say, and anybody who really covered the $87 billion supplemental has to agree. A complete distortion.”

Matthews: “Were those items in there?”

Mitchell: “They were in there, but he was voting against one part of the bill.”

Matthews: “But didn’t he vote against the final? Didn’t he voted against final?”

Mitchell: “No, no, he did vote against final.”

Matthews: “Well then he voted against all those elements.”

Mitchell: “He voted against those elements in the supplemental, but he was voting against it as a protest, he said, you know, again…”

Matthews: “Well, that’s what he says. That’s his spin. But he’s nailed here, I think. I think it’s a devastating. You, by the way, you said to me before we were on tonight, that was a hell of a tough ad.”

Mitchell: “A very tough ad.”

Matthews: “I think it’s devastating.”