Dirty Harry and Dearthy Hairy Discuss Dirty, Hairy Guvmint

Clint Eastwood on the March 15 Chris Matthews show:

MATTHEWS: What about here at home? Do you think this country has moved too much government? When you hear the word government, are you happy with it?

EASTWOOD: No, no. I have always been a small-government person.

I think a good way [to] really screw something up is to get the government involved. It's just too large. It's too clumsy. It's too bureaucratic. It doesn't move smoothly. I do believe in the energy and the productivity of the American business world. And I think that's the way to get things done. That's what built the country. I think that is what will continue to build it.

MATTHEWS: A good part of this, it seems to me, is still—pretty libertarian. In other words, we have pretty lenient gun laws. You can own a gun in this country. You can carry a gun or you can keep one. Abortion rights, basically, people sort of accept that. They don't like it, but they leave it up to the individual. Do you think that's—do you think that's true?

EASTWOOD: Yes, I think that's true.

I think those are sort of libertarian. And I think—sometimes, I kind of—I kind of include myself in that group, because they do have the things that the Republicans stood for years ago and don't so much anymore. And then, of course, the liberals aren't on the liberal side. Liberals are not always so liberal with people who disapprove—disapprove of their point of view.

MATTHEWS: But Bush isn't exactly a libertarian, is he? He's getting involved with tort reform. He's getting involved with…

EASTWOOD: Yes, well…