Rachel Maddow

Liz Cheney Vs. Rand Paul, And The Rachel Maddow “Connection” On Iraq War

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Fox News commentator Liz Cheney, formerly a Senate candidate from Wyoming, who withdrew from the race due to poor polling numbers, is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

She is as much a nightmare as her infamous father, who is the hawk of all hawks, the ultimate neoconservative, who manipulated us by lies to enter the war against Iraq, a losing war, that emboldened the more dangerous neighbor, Iran, over the past eleven years.

Liz Cheney defends her father while attacking Tea Party Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has denounced the Iraq War as an unwise and mistaken action.

But Liz Cheney has claimed that Rand Paul is mouthing the main talking points of MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, who has produced a documentary, already shown on that channel, denouncing the war, and showing how it was based on lies and deception at the cost of 4,400 American lies and over 30,000 wounded, many seriously, while Cheney enriched himself immensely through his Haliburton connections.

The idea that Rand Paul has, somehow, been working alongside Rachel Maddow is laughable, as she has been a major critic of his libertarianism and other views, and is no “friend” of Rand, or Ron Paul, his dad and the former Texas Congressman.

This is a sign of the splits developing in the GOP, not only the Cheneys and other neoconservatives (such as former UN Ambassador John Bolton) against Rand Paul, a likely frontrunner for the Presidential nomination in 2016; but also the hard line right wingers against former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and his approach to the immigration issue, particularly undocumented immigrants.

Anyone who would deny the Rachel Maddow expose against Cheney and others who prosecuted the Iraq War on false pretenses is a fool, and the words to describe Liz Cheney are not printable here on this blog!

Inspirational People Of 2013

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In any year, there is so much to be discouraged about, so much to be shocked about, so much to be unhappy about, as we see so many examples of selfishness, greed, hatred, and prejudice in the world, not just the United States.

The concept of fairness, compassion, justice, equality, freedom is always being fought against those individuals and forces that would deny all of these basic principles of human advancement.

So on Christmas Day, it is an appropriate time to point out who has inspired liberals and progressives in the year 2013. In no special order, they include the following:

The late South African President Nelson Mandela
Pope Francis, Vatican City
New York City Mayor-Elect Bill De Blasio
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Delaware Senator Chris Coons
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley
MSNBC talk show host Rachel Maddow
MNBC talk show host Lawrence O’Donnell

There are others who could make this list, but this is an even dozen, a great start to a list of principled, and inspiring, people who have changed our lives in a positive fashion!

Rachel Maddow Promotional Advertisement For MNSBC So Great To Watch Again And Again!

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Rachel Maddow, the great liberal intellectual of MSNBC, has done a promotional advertisement since the election, which is shown over and over again, and somehow, never wears thin, or becomes boring.

She points out in the commercial that:

There is no chance anymore of abortion rights, as outlined in Roe V. Wade, ever being repealed by the Supreme Court.

Health care reform, upheld by the Supreme Court with the decisive vote of Chief Justice John Roberts, has no possibility of being repealed.

There will not be a further tax cut of 20 percent to billionaires and millionaires, as Mitt Romney promoted.

The United States Constitution is not going to be amended to prevent gay marriage in the future.

The US Department of Energy is not going to be eliminated, as promoted by several Republican contenders for the Presidential nomination.

Detroit and the auto industry did not go bankrupt, and will not go bankrupt, causing the loss of possibly a million or more jobs.

The DREAM Act, allowing a future for the children of illegal immigrants, who cannot be blamed for being brought to America, is assured over the long term.

All of the above could have been different IF Mitt Romney and the Republicans had won the election, but they did not!

Other points could have been made, and were made by this author in the first days after the election, but it is still so thrilling to hear Rachel Maddow in this commercial, no matter how many times it is broadcast!

America is so much better off because of the reelection of Barack Obama!

Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily, And “Gay” Barack Obama! How Low Can Conspiracy Theories Go?

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Jerome Corsi, a well known and notorious conspiracy theorist, who collaborates with the right wing World Net Daily website, called “World Nut Daily” by MSNBC ‘s Rachel Maddow last night, has come up with a new theory involving President Barack Obama.

One of the leading advocates of the “birther” conspiracy theory, that Obama is a secret Muslim born in Kenya, now Corsi is promoting what anyone who has followed the attacks on Obama could have predicted would eventually emerge in this Presidential campaign as a last resort to stop the Obama march to victory—the accusation that Obama is secretly gay, that he had a gay lover killed, and another one paid off to remain silent, and that Obama is well known in gay circles and bathhouses in Chicago!

Corsi is the same man who not only has promoted the “birther” myth, but also was involved in the “Swift Boat Veterans” attack on Senator John Kerry, the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2004, which helped to undermine Kerry’s candidacy against President George W. Bush!

Corsi is also a believer in other conspiracy theories, and is obviously frustrated that his recent book on Obama and “birtherism” has failed to have an impact, so he and the World Net Daily website now have reached a new low, but that any intelligent person could have figured would eventually come to light.

The thought in this man’s mind and that of the website supporters is that Obama being called gay is going to defeat him, but it will not, and with the country warming up to the concept that being gay is a private matter, and that being gay is not a crime, and more people being accepting of someone being gay, it will only insure that Obama will not be hurt by scurrilous charges that most certainly would have been revealed years ago, had they been true!

The idea that Barack Obama has such connections and influence that he can “hide” his Kenyan “birth”, his “Muslim” faith, and his “gay” sexual orientation from the American people and actually become President, and be on the verge of a second term, is so ridiculous, that one must wonder about the mental stability of those who believe it, and totally destroys the credibility of both Corsi and World Net Daily, if there was any left in the minds of serious minded, normal people!

Time For A Debate: Sean Hannity Vs. Lawrence O’Donnell, Or Other Alternatives!

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It is time for conservatives to stop propagandizing on Fox News Channel and talk radio, and get out there and compete in a debate on the issues of the campaign!

Since Sean Hannity is particularly glib, I propose that he participate in a debate against Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC!

Or why not Bill O’Reilly of Fox News Channel compete in a debate against Rachel Maddow instead?

Or have Rush Limbaugh of talk radio fight against Ed Schultz in a debate sponsored by the cable news channel, C SPan!

Any combination of a conservative against a progressive is fine, if not this precise matchup suggested!

The progressives would wipe the conservatives all over the floor, if such a debate or debates occurred, but face it, the conservatives would NEVER agree to such a situation!

Certainly, it would be very interesting, and probably more informative, than the Presidential or Vice Presidential debates coming up in September and October!

The Crash And Burning Of Cory Booker: The End Of National Leadership Potential!

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Just a few weeks ago, it looked as if Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker had a great political future, thought to be likely to challenge New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for re-election in 2013, and maybe to become a possible Presidential candidate in 2016.

This author theorized that Booker could become the successor to Barack Obama, and be the second consecutive African American President of the United States.

It is now time to say forget it, as that is NOT going to happen!

Mayor Booker ruined his political future in one fell swoop when he went on Meet the Press on Sunday morning, and openly criticized the Obama campaign’s argument that Mitt Romney’s experience at Bain Capital, primarily concerned with maximizing of profit over people and survival of specific businesses, was a negative that disqualified Romney to be President of the United States. Booker disagreed with the attack on equity capital, venture capital, saying he found it “nauseating”, stunning David Gregory, the host of Meet the Press, and the rest of the panel that was on the program Sunday morning.

Later, Booker backed off on his criticism, and also went on Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC last evening, protesting the way the Republican Party is now using his statement to help their own campaign and attack Obama.

Unfortunately, it is too late once you have left, symbolically, the toothpaste out of the tube, as it cannot be put back!

We have now learned that Bain Capital helped to finance Booker’s campaign for Mayor, and he is, therefore, already tainted, so do not expect him to go further than, maybe, re-election to be mayor of Newark.

Booker turns out to have made a fatal error that cannot be reversed, and if, by some chance, Mitt Romney wins the Presidency, this moment will be seen as the moment that Romney gained an edge, all due to a Democratic mayor who was fatally flawed by his own blunders and personal association with Bain Capital.

What a sad ending to a promising political career, stained by connection to equity capital which he should have rejected, but was too tempted by the offer of support, and, therefore, lost his principles!

The Intellectual Prowess Of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Melissa Harris-Perry, And Chris Hayes

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MSNBC may not have a very large audience base, as compared to Fox News Channel, but that is not the only way to judge media.

After all, the New York Times has lower readership than the New York Daily News, for instance, but that does not make the Daily News a newspaper of quality, and the same goes for cable television news.

Quality and intellectual challenge are what makes journalism outstanding, and in that regard, Fox News Channel is no comparison to MSNBC.

And the author is not referring here to the traditional talk show hosts–the Reverend Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O’Donnell in the weekday evenings, although all are enlightening.

And he is not referring to Morning Joe, or Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell, Martin Bashir, Dylan Ratigan, Alex Wagner, or others on the weekday daytime, all of whom are great, but not what he wishes to emphasize.

Rather, the author is referring to three true intellectuals, Rachel Maddow, on at 9 pm eastern time during the week, and Melissa Harris-Perry and Chris Hayes, on for two hours each on both Saturday and Sunday.

Rachel Maddow, 39 years of age, has degrees from Stanford University and Oxford University, an earned doctorate, and was the recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship. Anyone who watches her or reads her new book, DRIFT, cannot help but be impressed with her pure intellectual brilliance. She is also a delight on a personal level, with a great sense of humor!

Melissa Harris-Perry, 38 years of age, is an African American professor of Political Science at Tulane University, and formerly taught at Princeton University and the University of Chicago, earned a Ph. D. at Duke University, and is the author of two books. Her two hour show on both Saturday and Sunday is extremely enlightening, and her pleasant personality comes through on a consistent basis!

Chris Hayes, 33 years old, is married to Kate Shaw, an Associate Counsel for President Barack Obama, is an editor at large of The Nation magazine, and has a show called Up With Chris Hayes for two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays. Sometimes called the male Rachel Maddow, Hayes comes across as an intellectual on the level of Maddow and Harris-Perry, and he possesses a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

His show, as with Maddow and Harris-Perry, is extremely enlightening and stimulating to viewers who appreciate good intellectual discourse! His book Twilight Of The Elites: America After Meritocracy, will be published in June, 2012.

Anyone who reads this blog should make it a habit to watch these three brilliant talk show hosts–Rachel Maddow, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Chris Hayes!

A Political Figure To Watch: Could Cory Booker Be The Next Black President In 2017?

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Cory Booker is the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey since July 2006.

Cory Booker is a handsome, charismatic African American politician, who has been very effective as Mayor of an embattled city with a horrible reputation.

Cory Booker is well spoken and impressive on the stump.

Cory Booker has ambitions to be Governor of New Jersey, and it is expected he will run for that position in November 2013, making that race the major one to follow in an off year election year, when few major political races are conducted.

Cory Booker would have Governor Chris Christie, the hero of conservatives and Republicans as his competition, with Christie running for a second term.

Nothing could make progressives and Democrats happier than Cory Booker retiring Chris Christie from the Governorship a year and a half from now.

Chris Christie was the original “Bully” Republican Governor, setting a standard for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, Florida Governor Rick Scott, and Maine Governor Paul LePage, among other GOP Governors who have warred on public workers, women, the elderly, and the middle class and the poor since 2010!

Christie is the “Godfather” of the loudmouths, the blusterers, the aggressive nasty Governors who have made clear that they are owned by right wing elements, including the Koch Brothers, and the major corporations!

Chris Christie needs to be sent back home, so we don’t have to see his blustering, his obnoxiousness, his boasting, his victimizing nature, a man truly obscene in his public utterances, making one wish to vomit in response! This kind of mean, nasty, “in your face” politics is not good for America!

IF Cory Booker indeed does run for Governor, and wins the office, a very powerful office, one of the most powerful Governorships of one of the major top fifteen states of the Union, he would have to be seen as a prime front runner for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the Presidential Election of 2016!

Booker is not only very articulate, but he is also very courageous and bold, as shown by the news that he rescued a neighbor yesterday from a raging fire, and sustained second degree burns and smoke inhalation. This proves just what a hero he really is, adding to the admiration many have for him.

With seven and a half years as Mayor of a major urban area, Newark, and three years as New Jersey Governor, how could one argue that Cory Booker is not qualified to become our second black President, and as it turns out, second CONSECUTIVE black President?

This is the kind of person we need to focus on as a strong possibility to succeed President Barack Obama, or if unfortunate enough to have President Mitt Romney in office, to deny him a second term in the White House!

Cory Booker is definitely a man to watch over the next few years! He would be a youthful 47 upon taking the oath as President in 2017, the same age as Barack Obama was when he took the oath of office in 2009. We could do far worse than a President Cory Booker!

A good friend of MSNBC talk show host Rachel Maddow when they both attended Stanford University, he not only earned a degree at Stanford, but also a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, and a law degree at Yale University. He also has been given credit for urban transformation reform, a real leader in reviving declining urban areas such as Newark, producing a renaissance! He has been subject to threats of death from gang elements who do not want to see Newark and other urban areas transformed away from crime and drug infestation and toward economic renewal, and is a true example of courage more than almost any American politician!

So do NOT take your eye off Cory Booker, as he may be the future of the Democratic Party!

First Impressions Of GOP NBC-Politico Debate: Big Winners Are Huntsman And Romney; Big Losers Are Perry, Bachmann, And Paul!

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The debate over the debate tonight at the Reagan Library has begun, and there will be many different views of how the eight Republican candidates for President performed. What follows is this blogger’s view of events in ranked order:

BIG WINNERS–Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney
BIG LOSERS–Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul
NO IMPROVEMENT–Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain

Already, the author has heard Rachel Maddow say that Jon Huntsman lost an opportunity and is now thrown to the wayside. He could NOT disagree more! Huntsman was, in my view, very solid and substantial in his answers, seemed very Presidential more than anyone, and since he is lowest in the polls, has gained the most, and it should reflect itself in the polls over the next few days. If it does not, then it condemns the Republican Party to certain defeat, as Independents and moderates should be very impressed with his performance!

Mitt Romney also did very well, refuting Rick Perry in a solid and effective way, and showed a calm demeanor, as he demonstrated that being a moderate conservative, as Huntsman is, is the best road to victory for the GOP! The question, as with Huntsman, is whether Republicans will feel the same, and if they do not, then the party is doomed to a terrible defeat in 2012, instead of a good chance for victory with either Huntsman or Romney!

Rick Perry, the frontrunner in the polls the past two weeks, came across as defiantly extremist in his stated views, not bending at all, and yet having trouble defending the horrible record of governance in Texas in so many different ways! If there is any common sense, Perry should lose his front runner status, but we shall see, as a Perry candidacy would move the GOP so far to the RIght that they would lose in a massive way in November 2012!

Michele Bachmann slid further in performance, and was not at all inspiring or convincing, and is now obviously in rapid decline as a serious factor!

Ron Paul may have his followers, but he came across as totally extreme in his libertarian views, and way outside the mainstream. His suggestion that air conditioning be removed from troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that would cause their rapid return home, is one of the whackiest and craziest statements ever made in a Presidential debate at any time!

Newt Gingrich came across as very bright and knowledgeable, but did not improve his status as a person from the past, out of office for 13 years, and not to be seen as a serious candidate for the White House!

Rick Santorum may have improved slightly in his performance, but still cannot be regarded as a serious candidate. The fact that he is the only candidate to have served in the US Senate, as well as the US House of Representatives, is certainly a plus, but still there are too many negatives and shortcomings in his candidacy to take him as a likely nominee!

Herman Cain came across as what he has always been–a BLAH candidate, unimpressive, and having no clue as to how to run a government, so his performance was lackadaisical!

So the big winners in my mind are Huntsman and Romney, but I welcome commentary by those who read this blog, as the debate continues over who the GOP nominee for President might be!

A Celebratory Day In The Cable Media World: MSNBC 15th Anniversary And Fox News Channel-Rupert Murdoch Crisis!

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Today, 15 years ago, MSNBC went online as the competitor of CNN, which had begun June 1, 1980. Within a few months, on October 7, Fox News Channel came along as a third competitor in the 24 hour news channel industry!

MSNBC has gone through rough times over its 15 years, but now it is thriving by having emerged as the strong progressive news channel, compared to the moderate approach of CNN and the right wing conservative views of Fox News Channel.

MSNBC has become a station with outstanding talk show hosts, including Chris Matthews, Lawrence O’Donnell, Rachel Maddow, and Ed Schultz, as well as outstanding coverage during the day by other anchor people.

It is a source of much what the author writes about, and it gives us a progressive view of events, which is sorely needed, so Happy 15th to MSNBC!

At the same time, Fox News Channel has misled, lied, deceived, propagandized, and become a Republican propaganda channel, including hiring many of the Republican Presidential field at some point of time.

Fox News Channel has NEVER been willing to cover the news fairly, and has made life miserable for Barack Obama, and has convinced an ignorant portion of the population to believe their myths, half truths, and distortions!

Its talk show hosts are disgraceful, having included Glenn Beck in the recent past, and still including Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity, along with a whole group of unsavory characters who have questionable ethics, but end up on Fox News Channel!

Their employer, Rupert Murdoch, known world wide as one of the most despicable people in the news business, has now become involved in a hacking scandal that threatens to bring him and his news corporation to their knees, symbolically!

Nothing would be more contributing to the future of journalism than to have the downfall of Rupert Murdoch and Fox News Channel, but in reality, that is not likely! That channel is refusing to report the scandal in detail, part of their “managed” and distorted news coverage, figuring that their audience might remain unaware because they lean so much on the manipulated manner of news reporting on their channel!

Even if Fox News Channel survives, seeing Rupert Murdoch and the channel squirm is victory in itself!