It is called Hardball, but never before on the MSNBC show or elsewhere have I seen a member of Congress pull this kind of stunt on a colleague.  Even Chris Matthews was surprised by the nasty tactic . . .

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fl.) and Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) appeared on this afternoon’s Hardball to debate the just-concluded House vote on the stimulus. Like all Republicans, Bilbray voted against it.  Presumably trying to hit Bilbray where it really hurts, at one point Wasserman-Schultz cited the supposed number of new jobs that Bilbray voted against . . . in his own district.

Chris Matthews was clearly shocked at what would seem to be a breach of congressional comity–you just don’t show a colleague up like this on national TV.

DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: What Brian did, what Brian did by voting “no today, is he voted against creating 385,000 jobs in his own state, 8,000 jobs in his own district, aid to his state –

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Did you look this up?

DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: Yes I sure did.

MATTHEWS: You looked at his district?

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: 8,000 jobs in his district. Avoiding layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers.

MATTHEWS: This is oppo research!

Bilbray, eventually, got a word in.

BRIAN BILBRAY: We’re talking about the country. I didn’t have to be asked [by GOP leaders] at all on this . . . I’ve been a mayor, I’ve been a county chairman, I looked at this from the budgetary point of view. Deborah, you want to talk about it? California is getting less than 50% of its fair share per capita on this.  So don’t talk to me about my district or my state.