Matthews: Donald Sterling ‘Worst Case of Verbal Self-Destruction Since Mitt Romney’

CHRIS MATTHEWS: "Let me start with the explosive words being attributed to the owner of the L.A. Clippers. He didn't want his girlfriend, he said, to be publicly associating with African-Americans, even while he made his living with a team filled with African-Americans and his girlfriend with was herself a minority. It was all about usefulness, apparently. The players made him money and the girlfriend was useful in other ways. If it was him on the tape, and he hasn't denied it, what he had no use for were African-American who couldn't play basketball at the NBA level, or not anymore, or offering him lovely accommodating companionship. Well tonight, we look at how and why this man, Donald Sterling, billionaire owner of the L.A. Clippers, got himself tape-recorded in the worst such case of verbal self-destruction since Mitt Romney's 47% debacle. Or going back further, to Richard Nixon. Let's try to see this case for what it is, but also where it fits into history of race relations in this country and more particularly, the world of comments people make that get recorded and ripped to scab from what is increasingly I think a healthy attitude in this country. Especially among the young. And if possible tonight, we can chart where this particular episode will take us. Is Donald Sterling dead as an NBA owner? Is he really?"