Maybe the Obama-inspired tremor that began in Chris Matthews’ leg has traveled up to his head and done some damage.

Last night on Hardball, Matthews was discussing–what else?–President Bush’s unconscionable Obama attack in the Knesset. The conversation with conservative radio host Kevin James wended round to the career of Neville Chamberlain, and Matthews began to excoriate James for being ignorant of history. Things got very heated, and James fired back, recounting recent historical examples of America’s failure to counter terrorist acts against the U.S. When James mentioned Bill Clinton’s lackadaisical response to the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, Matthews’s chimed in:

Wasn’t the USS Cole under Bush? . . . Kevin, when you’re trying to make a historic reference, get it straight.

Of course, the USS Cole was not attacked during George Bush’s presidency, but during Bill Clinton’s. However, the mistake is understandable. While the attack occurred during the Clinton administration, it was under George Bush (in 2002) that the U.S. fired a missile on Yemeni soil and took out the attack’s planner Abu Ali al-Harithi. I’m sure that’s what Matthews was referring to. . .