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Is MSNBC Turning on Hillary?

MSNBC's Hardball was home of a contentious debate Tuesday night between left-wing Salon's Joan Walsh and MSNBC analyst Michelle Bernard over the "Hillary Tapes" uncovered by Washington Free Beacon reporter Alana Goodman.

Goodman unearthed tapes from the 1980s of Hillary Clinton discussing an accused child rapist she defended when she was 27 years old, part of which included her laughing about facets of the case that ultimately resulted in her client, who she thought was guilty, serving less than one year in prison.

Host Chris Matthews laid out the facts behind the case to introduce the segment, adding he's not particularly fond of "clever" defense lawyers.

"I have listened to the whole tape," Matthews said. "She does laugh throughout it. I don't know how to talk about it."

"It's not a fun tape to listen to," Walsh said. "I'm not going to try and sugarcoat it."

However, when Bernard laid out the New York Times' reporting that Clinton had been appointed to the case, rather than that Clinton actually took it because the prosecutor called and asked her to take it on, Walsh grew indignant and accused Bernard of "filibustering."

"This is very serious," Bernard said. "Hillary Clinton took the case. This is a woman who undoubtedly has always been an advocate for women, children and families but she took the case. She knew what the allegations were. She indicated in the tape that she believed that her client, more likely than not, was guilty of the crime that he was accused of. People are going to say, inevitably, 'Who is the real Hillary Clinton?'"

An upset Walsh accused Bernard of presenting a "twisted" view of the facts, but even Matthews was puzzled at that accusation, asking, "What was twisted?"

"The facts are the facts," Bernard replied.

At one point, Matthews just looked down and sighed while the two argued over Clinton.