And as an afterthought, has Maddow been on fire lately or what?

[Dammit Ann]

I mean DAMN, she is coming out swinging this week.

[Sophree]

1. Totally.

So intelligent- her show just keeps getting better and better. And she somehow makes me laugh through the pain...

Love that show.

[Dammit Ann]

2. I know! That show is my touchstone. She keeps me sane, I swear.

Thanks for the response so late at night.
:beer:

[Sophree]

4. Me too.

She keeps me sane sometimes, too. I swear, without the humor factor she mixes in among the serious, spot-on reporting she does, breadth and depth of topics covered, I would go completely loony (as opposed to mostly loony.) ;-)

:toast:

[Dammit Ann]

6. Indeed, a little loony is nessacary...

a lot loony, well, they have places for that!
And thanks to the Repugnants, NO ONE wants to end up there! :pals:

[grasswire]

3. well, that "whistleblower" from Gitmo was sort of lame

What were the two incidents he had to tell? First, he roughed up an old man detainee a bit. Second, a medic force fed a detainee and hid it from the cameras.

Worse things than that go on in America's own jails and prisons every day, and have for decades.

[Sophree]

5. At least he's speaking out.

He's a primary source- he has first-hand knowledge of what was going on, at least from his point of view. He was there from the very beginning and is telling us and the world what he saw. That's significant.

Plus, he was wearing an "Iraq Veterans Against the War" t-shirt- a side issue, I know, but a kick-ass one.

[Dammit Ann]

8. Totally.

Loved his shirt!

[Dammit Ann]

7. I agree with part of what you are saying, I've seen the "justice system" first and second hand

in this country. BUT, she is getting some, and I will repeat, SOME truth out there. Give her time. She will get even more aggressive.

[radfringe]

10. I think the key thing that he said was about

how there were no guidelines or procedures - things were made up on a day by day basis

This indicates a lack of a clear and well defined chain of command. When the "rules" change everyday it creates a situation where there are no rules.

It puts a spotlight on the lack of planning by the bush-cheney misadministration.

[Dammit Ann]

12. bingo.

It gives accountability to the culpable.

[moez]

9. She's a little disconcerting though....

She's got a really crooked head - kind of talks out the side of her face.

[Dammit Ann]

11. So that's your reply? Do you listen to women or just watch their mouths move?

CROOKED HEAD? What does that even mean? It has so many connotations...
Not trying to be an asshole, but what are you talking about?
Rachel is smart and trying to open eyes and all you see is (your perceived) her physical flaws?
HMMM... maybe it's just me.

[moez]

14. No, I agree - what she says is great....

It's just her crooked head that creeps me out... she's much better on the radio.

[KharmaTrain]

13. She's Come A Long Way...

It's fun to see her in the background in "Left Of The Dial"...the documentary about the early days of AAR. While the movie focused on Al Franken and Randi Rhodes, it would be Rachel...still wearing the big horn-rimmed glasses, who would emerge as the star. No knock on the others, but one could see in that movie how Rachel was working her behind off and doing a lot of the behind the scenes things that now we see nightly on the teevee.

It's not easy to transform from one medium to another...especially radio to television. They're two different animals and she's not just mastered them, she's now creating her own niche...a beautiful compliment to Keith Olbermann and a breath of fresh air in the fetid world of the corporate media.

She's truly doing some incredible work...tapping into a whole world of topics and people who have been shut out of the corporate media for decades. She's bringing the attitude that have transformed the internet into a major source for news and information for so many and gave it a home on our teevees. And she's done it with class.

I honestly thing we're seeing a transformation of the media...call it a post-corporate media that will emerge after the collapse of the bigger is better society...and Rachel represents a new day in what is considered quality television.

Cheers...

[Sophree]

15. I sure hope so.

I sure hope so, about the post-corporate media. That's what's so great about Rachel's show, it's had this transformative quality from the very first airing.

And you're right- she is a class act. That's why she's getting so many of the "high value" interviewees, IMO.