It took protesters outside NBC's studios, a letter of complaint signed by Gloria Steinem, and a little pressure from on high, but after 10 days Hardball host Chris Matthews backed down from sexist remarks about Hillary Clinton, the Washington Post reports. He admitted last night that saying Clinton's political career launched because "her husband messed around" was unfair and sounded "nasty."
Women's groups had mixed response. The National Women's Political Caucus said "This is a victory for all women. We are pleased that Chris Matthews has shown remorse," but NOW's president "wasn't really looking for an apology. I was looking for a behavior change." Matthews has promised to be more respectful in the future. (More Chris Matthews stories.)