Unabashed Maddow fan girl geekitude time

By GottaLaff

Please indulge me. I'm a geek. I'm a Maddow fan girl. I admit it.

You can't imagine how proud ZenShadow and I are right now:

Our pals at the Political Carnival bring the awesome with this human response to Arizona's "Papers, please" bill.

You can view the video here. Click on above image to enlarge.

I am truly honored.

Okay, moment of fan girl geekitude is over. Regular posting will resume shortly.

Mark Sanford avoids criminal charges following ethics investigation

By GottaLaff

Mark the C Streeter skates after pleading no contest to ethics charges. However, I wonder what will eventually come of Rachel Maddow's investigations into the suspiciously low rent he paid to live there.

As for the Appalachian Trail hike trip to Argentina sexcapades, he's home free:

South Carolina's Attorney General has decided that Gov. Mark Sanford will not face criminal charges following an investigation into his travel and campaign expenses.

The A.G. said he didn't "knowingly, willfully, and intentionally set out to break state law". He did, however, knowingly, willfully, and intentionally set out to break his family member's hearts.

But on Monday, McMaster said the ethics violations did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. The law, he said, "requires a much higher standard before criminal prosecution is warranted."

This gave Sanford the opportunity to use the word "stalwart":

He said McMaster's decision reaffirms his belief that the Sanford administration has always "been a stalwart defender of the taxpayer. "

Said the man who could very well be residing in a building owned by a group that shouldn't have tax exempt status and treats their favorite members of Congress to cut rates.

Video- MSNBC WHCD Afterparty

I could have done with alot less K.C. (OMGWTF happened to him?) and more MSNBCrs. They were probably all too drunk from Rach's drinks. And how cool is that?

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow "Steins" Dan Stein... again

By GottaLaff

I posted the video of Dan Stein's little visit with Rachel Maddow here. It's gotten quite a response, including over at the Southern Poverty Law Center's site (Thank you SPLC, for acknowledging my new word "Steined").

For all those naysayers, for all those who blasted Rachel, and especially to Danny Boy himself, I dedicate this post. You've been Steined:

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VIDEO: Rachel Maddow eviscerates FAIR president Dan Stein

By GottaLaff

The president of FAIR (Federation of American Immigration Reform), Dan Stein, was on the Rachel Maddow Show. It was brutal.

Because of this interview (read: tussle; read: battle; read: slaughter), we have a new word: "Steined"... as in, "You've been Steined by Rachel Maddow".

Witness the peerless Rachel "Stein" Stein:

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I don't think ol' Dan thought Rachel was being... FAIR. Oh, the irony.

UPDATE: The Maddow Blog is already fact checking him here.

Year to year MSNBC sees smallest decreases of any network in total viewers

Interesting. My guess would be that MSNBC has more loyal viewers.

MSNBC saw the smallest decreases of any network in total viewers. Year-to-year, MSNBC is down -6% in total viewers for both total day and primetime.

MSNBC was #3 in total day/demo viewers behind FNC and HLN. The channel was also #3 in total day/total viewers behind FNC and CNN. MSNBC topped CNN each hour between 6pm-12amET.

"Morning Joe" was the second most watched morning program in total viewers, but struggled in the demo averaging 115K, the fewest of the four.

(snip)

"The Ed Show" was one of the few cable news programs to grow in both total viewers (+25%) and demo viewers (+4%) year-to-year and was the number two program in its time slot. Also, the 5pmET "Hardball" topped "The Situation Room" for the first time in total viewers.

Both "Countdown" and "The Rachel Maddow Show" were down in the demo year-to-year, but Maddow's program did grow slightly (+2%) in total viewers. For the first time since 2000, MSNBC, which airs a replay of "Countdown," topped CNN at 10pmET in total viewers. MSNBC was also #2 in total viewers at 11pmET, which hasn't happened since Maddow's show premiered in 2008.

Though Olbermann's program saw year-to-year decreases (-13% total viewers/-30% demo), 8pmET "Countdown" moved back into the cable news top 10, finishing 10th among cable news programs in total viewers. "Maddow" was #11.

Video- Rachel Maddow on The Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rachel Maddow
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Rachel Maddow to be on The Daily Show April 13th

By GottaLaff

Keith Olbermann's P.R. person tweeted some great news:


Why, yes, they indicate that very thing! Thank you, Alana!


Unbeatable combo! The brainiac-itude will be through the roof.

Set your DVRs!

Bobby Jindal: I won't run for president

By GottaLaff

From February 2009:

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Shorter Ba-Ba-Ba-Bobby Jindal: There is no way in hell I can win.

Why? There are any number of reasons, the least of which is how he's destroying access to mental health care in his own state.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told a hometown crowd Friday that he will not make a bid for the White House.

"I am not running for president of the United States,"Jindal said at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. "I've got the job I want."

And the job he wants is privatizing health care and destroying lives in the process.

Rachel's initial reaction to Ba-ba-Bobby back in 2009 still works today:

Rep. Jerry Moran (R- KS): Allegations Of C Street Lower Rent Rates Are Attacks On My Faith

By GottaLaff

Rachel Maddow has done incredible investigative work on the C Streeters getting a big break on how much rent they pay:

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Well! Someone has taken offense! Rep. Jerry Moran (Harrumph!-KS):

Rep. Jerry Moran (R- KS) is trying to turn charges that he's getting a break on his rent at C Street into attacks on his Christian faith. Seriously. [...]

[H]e told the Topeka Capitol-Journal that criticism of his cozy arrangement amounted to "a national effort to exclude matters of faith by public servants."

Moran continued: "I don't think that my interest in studying the Bible with other colleagues of mine in Congress ought to be seen as anything but good or at least personal -- whether you think it's good or bad it ought to be a decision I make as a member of Congress, as a human being."

Yes, that's right, it's all about discrimination against people of faith. Everyone is out to get them, poor little innocent things. Maybe the words "public servant" should be taken seriously by these guys.

Playing the victim card while you're paying a fraction of what you should be for renting upscale digs while sharing said space with a bunch of cheating, philandering "Christians" probably isn't the best way to go.

Especially when Rachel Maddow is watching.

Nope, not a good idea at all.

Video- Rachel Maddow on TODAY Show: Jobs, Steele, and SCOTUS

Did you know that Rachel is going to be in People Magazine? Via Jed.

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow and her Amazing Bikini Graph

By GottaLaff

Lerve, lerve, lerve this segment:

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Itsy bitsy teenie weenie economic graph bikini....

VIDEO- Maddow calls b.s. on GOP: Attacks on ACORN, "Climate-Gate" were "bull pucky"

By GottaLaff

Once again, Rachel Maddow nails it:

"Let's have the great debate about the role of government... only you can't threaten to shoot people. And you have to stop making stuff up."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Those are awfully important revelations, aren't they? The ones Rachel covered in the video? They're stories one might expect MSNBC to go out of their way to report hourly, right?

Apparently not.

All morning, MSNBC concentrated on those other "big" stories, the ones about iPad and Tiger Woods.

Meanwhile, ACORN is no more, and voters believe that Climate-Gate was real. They continue to believe lies that the corporate media drive, repeat, perpetuate incessantly, lies that affect our elections and the well-being of the entire planet.

That is not news. That is propaganda. And it is not only unacceptable, it is toxic.

Investigation Shows Ensign Appealed to Company

By GottaLaff

I have a feeling we know what Rachel Maddow will be talking about tonight:

Senator John Ensign sought financial backing for a troubled Nevada energy company in 2008, and at the same time he urged the company to hire his mistress’s husband, according to people involved in the matter.

At the request of the company, P2SA Equity, Mr. Ensign had two senior aides contact one of the nation’s largest oil pipeline businesses, Kinder Morgan, about forming a partnership, two executives associated with the project said.

And the sexcapades continue... When will it all end? Maybe when all the Rushpublics find new jobs at Voyeur.

Hey, let's play the Reminiscing Game! Remember when John Ensign had an affair? And remember Doug Hampton, his former top aide? And remember Dougie's wife, who had the affair with Ensign? And remember when Ensign lined up lobbying work for Mrs. Hampton's husband?

Me too.

Investigators appear to be looking into whether Mr. Ensign sought to ingratiate himself with P2SA so that he could ease Mr. Hampton out of his office in Washington.

Oh now that wouldn't be good. Not good at all.

The senator’s office said then that he had not provided any assistance to the company. But subsequent interviews showed that his most senior Senate aides intervened in an effort to prevent the Las Vegas business from going under, a fact that Mr. Ensign no longer disputes.

To fake-quote Ensign, "So?"

Here's so:

While the former aide never got work with P2SA, the interaction of Mr. Ensign and his staff with the company appears unusual, interviews with executives at the firm and a review of their e-mail messages showed.

And by unusual, they mean illegal.

Kinder Morgan decided not to partner up with P2SA. It wouldn't benefit them financially. Therefore, Hubby Hampton was not given a lobbying contract.

There are more details here.

Rachel's going to have a field day. C Street, watch your back. You're next.

Laffy on the radio: The Nicole Sandler Show VIDEO- March 31, 2010

By GottaLaff



My segment starts at about the 30 minute mark.

Nicole Sandler is a pleasure to talk to. It's like a couple of pals gabbing our heads off, a sort of stream of consciousness.

Thank you, Nicole, for putting me at ease and making a half hour fly by!

VIDEO- Rachel Maddow: "Senator Brown, you're lying!"

By GottaLaff

What does it take? Rachel is magnificent as always, but SenatorFold Scotty "Pink Leather Shorts" Brown refuses to listen. It's hard to make it clearer than this: SCOTT BROWN IS A LIAR.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Senator Brown, you're lying!"... and making money off those whoppers about Rachel Maddow, who has asked you to stop every which way she can.

As Rachel noted, he's been in office for about 7 weeks, and has already lied repeatedly.

Way to start off, Sparky. Nobody could ask for a more credible representative than you.

Rachel Maddow strikes back at Scott Brown with full-page ad + TRMS VIDEOS

By GottaLaff

The Maddow Blog

Why anyone would want to mess with Rachel is beyond me:

The full-page ad explains that she's not running against Republican Sen. Scott Brown in 2012. Brown sent a fundraising letter suggesting that he'd be facing the "liberal MSNBC anchor" and needed donations to fend her off. "I'm sure she's a nice person -- I just don't think America can afford her liberal politics," he wrote.

Scott Brown hasn't acknowledged Rachel's denials (by admitting his statements were untrue), and he continues to perpetuate a lie. He may rile up his base a little, but by alienating and smearing a constituent, he can't be making new friends.

As for Brown, his spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said: “It was an open secret that the Democrats were trying to recruit Rachel Maddow to run against Scott Brown in 2012. Now that she’s said no, I’m sure they’ll scurry around looking for someone else. Maybe Keith Olbermann’s available.”

Yes, we were all begging Rachel to run. Where was I during all this? I never heard a word.

Here are Rachel's segments on this ridiculous matter:

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

No, Rachel Maddow Is Not Running for Senate

By GottaLaff

There have been rumors swirling around on Twitter that Rachel Maddow was maybe, possibly running for Senate. What a pile of wrong. Rumors like that should be ignored, but since they aren't, here is the story that you'll be hearing about on Rachel's show:

Scott Brown is telling supporters his opponent in 2012 is going to be Rachel Maddow.

Follow the link for the whole story. It's just one big stupid misunderstanding on Scotty's part:

What’s the sourcing at the blog, Universal Hub? A tweet from state Democratic Party chairman John Walsh, which looks like a botched direct message to Maddow and reads

Some are talking about you running vs Scott Brown in ‘12. I’m Chair of MA Dem Party. My email is johnewalsh@Comcast.net cell-617-650-9311

Based on that, Brown’s extremely savvy team warns supporters that Democrats want a “rubberstamp” for their policies. “I’m sure she’s a nice person,” says Brown in the fundraising email. “I just don’t think America can afford her liberal politics.”

Did I say stupid? I meant really stupid.

UPDATE: Rachel reminds us on her show, Scotty is using her to make money. Nice touch.

VIDEO- Rachel Maddow: Hell No v. Yes We Can

By GottaLaff

As usual, Rachel delivers:

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Oppose v. propose.

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow's Excellent Health Care Timeline

By GottaLaff

Rachel clarifies a lot with this one:

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This is worth two looks.