Cheney was obsessed with Hardball’s coverage–Updated

This is pretty exposive testimony. Cathie Martin, (worked at the OVP under Mary Matalin) testified today that Cheney was totally obsessed with Chris Matthews and "Hardball," because they were taking Joe Wilson so seriously. Cheney's staff were cutting up clips and transcripts and passing them out to track what was being said on the show regarding Joe Wilson. Cheney also wrote up talking points for Ari Fliescher to answer questions from the press regarding Wilson's column in the NY Times.

Here's David Shuster's report (video) from Hardball.

From the right. OTB writes:

Her testimony makes it clear that by July 7, 2003–a week before the publication of Bob Novak’s article made “Valerie Plame” a household name–the Office of the Vice President was obsessed with press accounts of an ambassador’s trip to Niger and that the vice president and Libby were intimately and repeatedly involved in
trying to manage the spin on the story.

emptywheel has a blow by blow account.