MSNBC, NBC, Chris Matthews and Polls

So, I watched the first 10 minutes of the 7 p.m. EST showing of Hardball, where the new NBC/Wall Street Journal polls were discussed. Tank, tank and more tank. Approval, wrong direction, foreign policy, you name it. Then, the handling of Hurricane Katrina. Matthews said those numbers were dead even, 48% to 48%. But on the Nightly News, Brian Williams/Tim Russert said those numbers were 38% to 50-something. The MSNBC website isn't all that clear, or maybe I'm just seeing it wrong. I'll check back there later. Things that make you go: hmmmm.....
Oh wait. Chris Matthews, the guy who was all atwitter with Bush's flightsuit. He's saying the numbers are dead even. ::in the best Emily Litella voice:: Never mind!