I know the right likes to blame whatever they can on Bill Clinton, but for Chris Matthews to disparage the former president because he "didn't stop" the Sept. 11 attacks is painfully silly, even by Matthews' already-low standards.

In a discussion with Mark Green, Democratic candidate for New York attorney general, and KT McFarland, a Republican running for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) Senate seat, about President Bush's efforts to protect New York City from terrorism on the July 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews claimed that "[w]e know" President Bill Clinton "didn't stop" the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center.

Well, technically that's true, Clinton "didn't stop" 9/11. Then again, if my memory is right, Clinton had left office eight months before it happened.

For that matter, now that I think about it, maybe some should remind Matthews that it wasn't Clinton who took a month off despite getting a Presidential Daily Briefing that said "Bin Laden Determined To Strike in US." And it sure wasn't Clinton who told the briefer who showed him that PDB, "All right; you've covered your ass, now."

--Guest Post by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report