Funny, isn't that exactly what his Democratic primary opponent Claudia Wright said about Matheson, too?

The NRCC is trumpeting that Matheson has refused to give back or give away $33,000 he got from embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel's PAC.

"Utah voters will remember that Matheson pushed integrity to the wayside to stand with his corrupt friends."

Matheson's mouthpiece Alyson Heyrend, who has apparently forgotten Democrat Wright's similar charges about Jim's love of corporate money, says: "That's the same old hackneyed rhetoric that party mouthpieces in Washington, D.C., throw out against Matheson."

The national Republicans also are trying to exploit a chink in Matheson's popularity -- his reclusive behavior towards constituents -- by calling him “phantom congressman.” Matheson especially avoids direct contact with progressive Salt Lake Democrats and is disdainful of town hall meetings in general. He prefers so-called electronic town halls -- glorified conference calls -- where his staff can screen questions.

After being hammered relentlessly on the issue by Claudia Wright, Matheson's latest strategy is to define any face-to-face encounter with actual human beings as a "town hall."

“I guess it all depends on how you define ‘town hall meetings. I feel like I used too narrow a definition.”

The Trib's D.C. correspondent Matt Canham does an admirable job in trying to break through Matheson's wall of baloney.

It's gotten bad enough that Matheson's equally phantom GOP opponent Morgan Philpot is starting to throw a few jabs. Philpot's campaign posted a YouTube video of a supporter being told a Matheson-defined "town hall" was not open to the public.