FRC's Tony Perkins reduced to an unconvincing grin on Hardball

Last night, Family Research Council head Tony Perkins debated Barry Lynn of the Americans for Separation of Church & State last night on Hardball and got hammered. The two were debating Texas Governor Rick Perry's prayer event (happening today) and its strange cast of characters.

The last time  Perkins was on Hardball, he was debating the Southern Poverty Law Center's Mark Potok on being named as an anti-gay hate group. Some of us got angry because we felt Chris Matthews, the host of Hardball, was too concillatory to Perkins.

I personally didn't believe that. I felt Matthews was overcompensating because he had covertly showed a degree of contempt to Perkins during the interview.

It wasn't the case this time as Matthews actually checked Perkins for trying to take the role of moderator away from him. Lynn, meanwhile, caught Perkins in a host of inconsistencies. Perkins tried the same modus operandi on Lynn that he attempted on Potok (i.e. accusing Lynn of "not doing his homework" and playing the victim.) Lynn, however, wasn't having any of it. By the time the debate was over, all Perkins could do was grin in that too familiar phony manner which many of us have come to expect from him.

All in all, it was an excellent segment.

Related post - Perry's prayer event will put Christianity's worst on display

Hat tip to Back 2 Stonewall.