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MSNBC's Chris Matthews is clearly afraid of Texas governor Rick Perry beating Barack Obama if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee. On Monday's “Hardball,” the host asked the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson, “Do you think the nation's newspapers and the big news organizations are now going to spend every nickel they have sending young people out there to go investigate this guy?” (video follows with transcript and commentary): CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Your thought about Perry. You’re a political expert, I haven’t had a chance to, is this guy really the Perry on top of this cake right now? EUGENE ROBINSON, WASHINGTON POST: I think he is a formidable politician. He’s got experience. He's off like gangbusters. He immediately becomes a top tier candidate. And I think at the White House they are having to do recalibration today, and to think about, gee, maybe we will run against Perry instead of running against Romney. MATTHEWS: You’ve been an editor, for many years the top editor at the Post. Do you think the nation's newspapers and the big news organizations are now going to spend every nickel they have sending young people out there to go investigate this guy? ROBINSON: Absolutely. MATTHEWS: I think there is going to be a tremendous amount of investigation on this guy. ROBINSON: Absolutely. MATTHEWS: He better be clean as a whistle. Time is coming. He’s arrived. The time, the march of time has begun… ROBINSON: Well, it's hot in here. MATTHEWS: …for this guy. Anyway, thank you. If you don’t like the heat, stay out of the kitchen, Governor. Wouldn't it have been nice if Matthews, Robinson, and the rest of their colleagues behaved this way in 2007 and 2008? Maybe if they had, we'd have someone qualified in the White House now. Instead, having completely abdicated their journalistic responsibilities in order to assist the inexperienced junior senator from Illinois attain the highest office in the land, media members are now going to bring all forces to bear to discredit any serious challengers to ensure his reelection. This comes days after Matthews was jubilant at the thought of eleven of his twelve regulars on the syndicated program bearing his name claiming it's going to be easier for the Obama campaign to attack Perry than Romney. With all the time, energy, and money the press are – in Matthews and Robinson's view – willing to spend on investigating the Texas governor, it's a metaphysical certitude the White House will have plenty of ammunition to place in negative ads regardless of veracity or accuracy. Makes you seriously worry about the future of this nation witnessing such an unholy collusion between the media and our most powerful elected official.