All Episodes Discussion: 2017 Season

[EyewatchTV211]

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

I had one of those, too! I hated it!! It slows you down tremendously to have to reach up for the manual return at the end of every line.

I got to use a Selectric at work for a while. I loved that machine so much! It was radically better than other typewriters of the time.

I had no idea that people don't learn to type with a full hand nowadays. That's crazy!! We use keyboards so much more now, I'd have thought it would be a high priority for everyone.

This actually surprised me, too. 

[Apprentice79]

Richard Engle's show last night was really illuminating and the corruption associated in the current administration  is very disconcerting and scary.  The emoluments clause are being violated and nothing has been done to address this. The country is slowly becoming a banana republic.  Democracy is very fragile and has to be protected at all cost..

[attica]

2 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

The emoluments clause are being violated and nothing has been done to address this.

What's a little constitutional crisis when you have tax cuts to get done? 

[Calvada]

Small correction to Rachel's story about Nixon and the Manson trial - the defense attorneys did not hold up the newspaper with the huge headline about Nixon saying Manson was guilty.  When Nixon made his statements, one of the defense attorneys wanted the jury questioned about whether they had heard about it. The judge denied it, because the jury was sequestered and their access to newspapers was strictly limited.  But one of the defense attorneys had brought the newspaper into court and Manson grabbed it and held it up.  Then judge questioned the jurors about it one by one - some hadn't even seen the headline, since the paper was grabbed from Manson pretty quickly, and those who had seen it said it would not affect their decision about whether Manson was guilty or not.  One juror pointed out he hadn't voted for Nixon, so would not be influenced by anything he said.  And the defense attorney who brought the paper into court was sanctioned by the judge for doing so - I believe sentenced to 3 nights in jail.  

[jjj]

Thank you for this fascinating account.  You should send it to the Maddow Blog.  

3 hours ago, Calvada said:

Small correction to Rachel's story about Nixon and the Manson trial - the defense attorneys did not hold up the newspaper with the huge headline about Nixon saying Manson was guilty.  When Nixon made his statements, one of the defense attorneys wanted the jury questioned about whether they had heard about it. The judge denied it, because the jury was sequestered and their access to newspapers was strictly limited.  But one of the defense attorneys had brought the newspaper into court and Manson grabbed it and held it up.  Then judge questioned the jurors about it one by one - some hadn't even seen the headline, since the paper was grabbed from Manson pretty quickly, and those who had seen it said it would not affect their decision about whether Manson was guilty or not.  One juror pointed out he hadn't voted for Nixon, so would not be influenced by anything he said.  And the defense attorney who brought the paper into court was sanctioned by the judge for doing so - I believe sentenced to 3 nights in jail.  

[meowmommy]

3 hours ago, Calvada said:

Then judge questioned the jurors about it one by one - some hadn't even seen the headline, since the paper was grabbed from Manson pretty quickly, and those who had seen it said it would not affect their decision about whether Manson was guilty or not. 

And, IIRC, the judge also denied the defense's request for a mistrial because he said the defense could not benefit from its own misconduct.

[ahisma]

Wow, she was not kidding about a busy night. And in the midst of it all, managed to pull out of a hat the Manson trial history to link to Nixon to link to Trump's judicial meddling to link to the ATT merger. Holy smokes. 

I'm glad she squeezed in mention of both the net neutrality regulation and the Veterans Administration shenanigans. I have a feeling those were planned to be bigger stories, and I'm glad they weren't cut completely. They're both important.

Edited November 21, 2017 by ahisma
fat fingers

[possibilities]

I hope she's right that there will be protests. I'm worried that we're all getting outrage fatigue. PR has been bumped off the headlines due to the avalanche of catastrophes and horrors that have come since, but otherwise THAT would be the headline story STILL... which could be said about a dozen other things as well.

Remember when she had time to devote to failing spillways? Now we have no utilities in PR for months and no time to even mention it.

Manson's death was a timely headline to tie current events together, though; clever of her to use it to highlight present day behaviors in that particular way.

[grooveshinney]

On 11/14/2017 at 10:44 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

I can do you one better on the "We are old, we used typewriters" front.   (And yes, I raised my hand when Rachel asked that question.)  Many, many years ago I got a call a few days before my college graduation saying that I wasn't going to graduate because I failed an anthropology course and therefore didn't have enough credit hours.  I knew that was impossible, so I contacted the professor who told me he never received my final paper (which was responsible for our entire grade and which I had turned in to his secretary several weeks earlier) so he gave me an F.  I had not made a carbon copy, so I ended up frantically recreating the paper from my handwritten notes overnight and then had my uncle drive me to the professor's house to turn it in.  I ended up getting an A and more importantly a diploma but it was, needless to say, a traumatic experience.

I work at a university (support staff) and your story is precisely why I have always refused to take students papers.  Now it's not such a big deal with computers but back then I would tell the professors, "if you want students to hand in a paper, you be here, in your office, to receive them.  I will not take responsibility for a student's assignment because it's the student's word against mine and the student will always win."  A student could 'say' they handed it in to me but actually didn't.  And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me if said student passes the class or not and it's not up to me to make sure their assignments get handed in to the right person.  [/rant]

[ktwo]

Quote

Remember when she had time to devote to failing spillways?

I have had that A block where she compares the failing dam to Mike Flynn in my head for months.

Edited because I looked it up so I'd get it right. My 12-year-old daughter and I were listening to this on Sirius on a long drive, and she was so frustrated at all of the descriptions of the dam's size and magnificence that I recorded the midnight rerun once we got there to show her the next morning.

"Is part of the reason we got this new president not just because some foreign government tried to make that happen?  Is part of the reason we got this new president because his campaign worked with a foreign government to influence the outcome of our election, to make that outcome happen? 

If so, it feels to me like that`s not a sinkhole.  That`s not a busted spillway or an eroded hillside.  To me, that feels like blowing the dam."

http://www.msnbc.com/transcripts/rachel-maddow-show/2017-02-10

Edited November 22, 2017 by ktwo

[Calvada]

21 hours ago, jjj said:

Thank you for this fascinating account.  You should send it to the Maddow Blog.  

I'm sure someone on the Maddow staff has read Bugliosi's Helter Skelter - the account of this incident may be found there.  

[attica]

12 hours ago, Calvada said:

Bugliosi's Helter Skelter

You couldn't get down the hallway in my junior high school without that book. It was what everyone read (but never assigned by teachers). So lurid, so procedural, everything middleschoolers love.  And then the tv-movie adaptation came out when I hit high school! Whee!

[Sharpie66]

51 minutes ago, attica said:

You couldn't get down the hallway in my junior high school without that book. It was what everyone read (but never assigned by teachers). So lurid, so procedural, everything middleschoolers love.  And then the tv-movie adaptation came out when I hit high school! Whee!

Me, too! I am just a bit younger than you, because the TV movie was why my entire junior high was reading that book. Between that and the John Wayne Gacy case breaking a few years later, we were all obsessed with true crime stories.

[Calvada]

I remember this family I babysat for had the book, and once I got the kids off to bed, I'd read parts of it.  My mother wouldn't have the book in our house, and the library kept it behind the counter and allowed only adults to check it out.  It took me many Saturday nights of babysitting to read I the entire thing  Then I'd go home and not be able to go to sleep!  

[Sharpie66]

I am a bit disappointed in Rachel right now. She kept calling the name of the Russian cargo plane company “weird,” but it’s just the name of two major rivers in Russia. If someone here in the states called their company “Allegheny-Shenandoah,” it would be long, but not weird.

[meowmommy]

On 11/22/2017 at 10:09 AM, attica said:

You couldn't get down the hallway in my junior high school without that book.

Vincent Bugliosi came to our university as a speaker, and as part of the organization that brought in speakers, I got to go to the after-party and got to meet Mr. Bugliosi.  You can touch me now.

Edited November 23, 2017 by meowmommy

[jjj]

I was really pleased that Rachel was hosting her show this week.  I was expecting her to take a well-earned vacation.  That final segment, about Mary Moran, was a great piece of counter-holiday programming.  I am sure we will have an update on Mary Moran next week. She would be around 60 now.  Wouldn't it be amazing to find your 40-year-old film footage on Rachel's show?! 

[meowmommy]

2 hours ago, jjj said:

That final segment, about Mary Moran, was a great piece of counter-holiday programming.  I am sure we will have an update on Mary Moran next week. She would be around 60 now.  

What struck me about the story was that if a teenager wrote the same kind of essay today, it would be fodder for huge, nasty Internet arguments, by people who should know better, about the merits of holidays, teenagers, and the general state of humanity.  Instead, the governor was exquisitely polite and respectful in gently declining to use the essay as his holiday message. 

She said she was class of 74.  I am also class of 74 and I just turned 60 but everyone else in my class is 61, so she is probably 61.  I thought I was special at the time but now it just means they get to collect SS a year earlier than I do...

[ahisma]

I loved that Rachel wanted to dig into the details of the closing of the bar at Trump SoHo. :D

[Apprentice79]

9 hours ago, jjj said:

I was really pleased that Rachel was hosting her show this week.  I was expecting her to take a well-earned vacation.  That final segment, about Mary Moran, was a great piece of counter-holiday programming.  I am sure we will have an update on Mary Moran next week. She would be around 60 now.  Wouldn't it be amazing to find your 40-year-old film footage on Rachel's show?! 

This is why Rachel is the best, you would not see this on another program.   I hope we see Mary on the show in the flesh real soon.   I would love for her to chat with Rachel about the state of affairs that we are living in this moment in time..

Edited November 23, 2017 by Apprentice79

[Fairfax]

2 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

This is why Rachel is the best, you would not see this on another program.   I hope we see Mary on the show in the flesh real soon.   I would love for her to chat with Rachel about the state of affairs that we are living in this moment in time..

I loved the high school student's essay & appreciated the Gov's polite & respectful reaction.  And I also got to see my 2 favorite TV news guys from childhood & adolescence:  David Brinkley & John Chancellor.  I think they both would have appreciated Rachel Maddow.

[meowmommy]

15 hours ago, Fairfax said:

And I also got to see my 2 favorite TV news guys from childhood & adolescence:  David Brinkley & John Chancellor.

We watched a lot of the Huntley-Brinkley Report, NBC's nightly news, and while Chet and David were terrific, even more wonderful was that they used Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as their theme music.   AFAIC, Rachel can show clips from old news reports any time she wants for as long as she wants...

[suomi]

Rachel and Susan realized at the last minute that their turkey was too large for their oven so they roasted it in the backyard BBQ.

"From now on all turkeys regardless of size will be prepared the same way." She is so dang cute.

Edited November 28, 2017 by suomi

[ahisma]

I really appreciate that Rachel had Sen. Warren on to explain the legislative history of the CFPB bill and the significance of the separate succession process. The Justice Department probably hasn't filed yet because they have a pretty weak position!

[Medicine Crow]

I'm Canadian, so not familiar with Congress/Senate, but when they were having the vote (12-11), which Rachel showed the whole process, the woman sitting behind the "head guy" looked like she was going to have a stroke because of the protestors.  It was funny!!

[jjj]

55 minutes ago, Medicine Crow said:

I'm Canadian, so not familiar with Congress/Senate, but when they were having the vote (12-11), which Rachel showed the whole process, the woman sitting behind the "head guy" looked like she was going to have a stroke because of the protestors.  It was funny!!

I thought the same thing -- and that she would become a GIF of high disapproval.  It's one thing to know you are on CSPAN -- another to watch your face like that for many long minutes on MSNBC! 

[Apprentice79]

It was chilling, seeing, the people screaming, in desperation, begging for mercy.   The Republicans voted for the awful tax bill and put party, over country.  It is truly disheartening and Putin has won..

Edited November 29, 2017 by Apprentice79

[ScoobieDoobs]

Oh man, oh man, oh man, this is going to be another close one.  It's scary.  Very, very, very scary -- for a whole lot of people.  As Rachel says so often, there is just so much going on all the time with this administration, it's way too easy to overlook something important.  It's so tiresome, I wanna take a break from thinking about Trump, but it's not possible, is it?  No, this awful tax plan they're trying to ram thru ASAP can NOT be overlooked.  Glad Rach is all over it.

Jeez, Rachel was great tonite.  She's doing what she can to shine a gigantic spotlight on what Republicans are trying to do.  And more importantly, she clearly stated the effects of their horrible tax plan.  She should be repeating this EVERY nite.  Keep showing ALL those protesters, Rach!

[possibilities]

I love when she shows footage of the protests. It's upsetting as hell but the only thing that gives me any hope at all is that people are resisting.

I also love that she had Carmen Yulin Cruz on, and is not letting Puerto Rico be forgotten. I disagree with Rachel saying the recovery has been "botched" because I think we know perfectly well that we are capable of implementing competent recovery plans, so I think it's deliberate neglect, not an innocent "botching"-- but I love that she's not letting this story drop, because it's really important.

[TexasGal]

10 hours ago, jjj said:

I thought the same thing -- and that she would become a GIF of high disapproval.  It's one thing to know you are on CSPAN -- another to watch your face like that for many long minutes on MSNBC! 

The contrast of that woman's stank face and actually listening to what the protestors were saying (which had me in tears) - wow.  We've found a new Grinch this Christmas.

[EyewatchTV211]

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

I love when she shows footage of the protests. It's upsetting as hell but the only thing that gives me any hope at all is that people are resisting.

I also love that she had Carmen Yulin Cruz on, and is not letting Puerto Rico be forgotten. I disagree with Rachel saying the recovery has been "botched" because I think we know perfectly well that we are capable of implementing competent recovery plans, so I think it's deliberate neglect, not an innocent "botching"-- but I love that she's not letting this story drop, because it's really important.

Not that I would ever want to be seen as defending this administration, but I actually saw some data recently somewhere indicating that America has generally (not just recently) done very poorly in recovering from natural disasters compared to other first world countries - we're closer to third world there. I'll try to look out for it again. Though I still wouldn't use the word "botched," because I think the problem has long been partisan politics, not accidental mistakes. Such as the difference in voting for emergency funds between Harvey and Sandy, and the hypocrisy that was highlighted there with the votes of Republicans. Even with an administration in charge when Sandy happened that most of us here would probably consider competent, our politicians were playing political games in Congress. Our government can never just prioritize helping citizens, it seems.

Edited November 30, 2017 by VMepicgrl
several typos

[ScoobieDoobs]

Am I the only one here who doesn't give a rat's ass about Matt Lauer?  Ugh, I never could stand him.  Whatever it is that got him the ole heave-ho is A-OK with me -- I just don't wanna know anything about it.  OK, OK, I get it, Rachel has to talk about it because it's happening at her company.  Still, Rach, can you keep the Matt Lauer coverage to a minimum -- please?

You've got too much to cover now, Rach, to waste more than a minute or 2 discussing Lauer.  Yeesh, yet another one who I go BLECH every time his name is mentioned.

Is it my imagination, or does Rach take particular joy in discussing the latest sinister shit on Erik Prince?  Same for Jared.  Me likey!

[Calvada]

I don't care about Matt Lauer, but they had to cover it, or they would have been called out for the double standard of reporting others' misconduct, but covering it up when it happens in their house.

[chessiegal]

Agree, they needed to mention Matt Lauer. But the bigger picture that is emerging is the common theme, starting with Weinstein, is that there were rumors, people knew, but until now accusers would be discredited, therefore not worth coming forward. Seems times have changed for the better.

Her reporting tonight on obstruction of justice charges against Trump seem compelling.

Edited December 1, 2017 by chessiegal

[ScoobieDoobs]

I would be careful, Rachel, in drawing any conclusions that the Repub tax plan has been stopped because it would add a trill to budget.  They may vote for it anyway.

[Apprentice79]

1 hour ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

I would be careful, Rachel, in drawing any conclusions that the Repub tax plan has been stopped because it would add a trill to budget.  They may vote for it anyway.

The republicans want to satisfy their donors. They wanted a return on their investment and I fear that they will get it...Collins, McCain and Murkowski have fallen in line..

[TexasGal]

Rachel was just interviewed by phone and the anchor (listening on Sirius so not sure who it was) said we'd hear more from Rachel about this tonight.

Edited December 1, 2017 by TexasGal

[ScoobieDoobs]

Oh c'mon, Rach, the Flynn news you've been waiting what seems like eons to break, & now Jared is implicated too (I know how much you'll enjoy discussing that one), & the Repubs are passing their hideous tax plan, which you wrongly assumed was stopped -- and you're really not on tonite?  Say it ain't so!

OK, glad she was on.  Enjoyed her giddiness in discussing anything on Flynn.  Uh, but did her giddiness carry over into the tax horror?  She was laughing (we can safely assume) in disbelief when discussing some of that & it made me shudder.  I don't fault her, but it made me think she realizes it's a lost cause (at least for right now) & the Repubs are gonna pass this awful shit no matter what. 

Ugh, stay all over this, Rach.  Keep shining your spotlight on the effects of their awful shit & keep showing the protesters & continue to bring on the experts to explain just what exactly is in this tax bill & how horrible it actually is.

Edited December 2, 2017 by ScoobieDoobs

[Apprentice79]

5 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Oh c'mon, Rach, the Flynn news you've been waiting what seems like eons to break, & now Jared is implicated too (I know how much you'll enjoy discussing that one), & the Repubs are passing their hideous tax plan, which you wrongly assumed was stopped -- and you're really not on tonite?  Say it ain't so!

She is on tonight. She has been making sense of the convoluted Russian connection, for months. 

[meowmommy]

Anyone understand why Rachel showed a clip of George Foreman hawking his grill?  I have a GFG and I love it, and yes, the grease does roll down.

[ahisma]

7 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Anyone understand why Rachel showed a clip of George Foreman hawking his grill?  I have a GFG and I love it, and yes, the grease does roll down.

Trump Jr is a chicken burger, and Adam Schiff is an epic grilling machine. :D

Edited December 7, 2017 by ahisma
Why does autocorrect change names?

[possibilities]

She was being a dork. But I'm okay with it. .

[attica]

I giggled that A-Schiff was down with the grill-dorkitude too. I bet all the committee members will be doing Foreman impressions before all their witnesses (behind closed doors) ere long.

[jjj]

Thanks -- I was baffled by the Foreman grill ad, even after Rep. Schiff said something about it. 

I thought I heard something about a special show in Rachel's time slot on Friday -- not Richard Engle, but some special she has prepared?  Maybe I heard wrong, a couple of days ago? 

58 minutes ago, attica said:

I giggled that A-Schiff was down with the grill-dorkitude too. I bet all the committee members will be doing Foreman impressions before all their witnesses (behind closed doors) ere long.

[Sharpie66]

Friday’s show is a TRMS special report on the Christopher Steele dossier.

[attica]

Knowing Rachel all this time, I'm gonna doubt that she'll cover the pee tape. (which totally exists) I'll be happy to be proven wrong, for sure. Maybe TRMS has unearthed it?

Edited December 7, 2017 by attica

[ScoobieDoobs]

So did Rachel seem more puzzled than supportive of what happened to Franken so quickly?  Me too, Rach.

Rachel's constant snickering over Jr.'s idiocy gave me a nice giggle.

Edited December 7, 2017 by ScoobieDoobs

[Galloway Cave]

28 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Rachel's constant snickering over Jr.'s idiocy gave me a nice giggle.

"Speaking of the Chicken Burger, can he REALLY invoke the attorney/client privilege?" She really was goofy last night. I think it's all getting to her.

I am really looking forward to her report of the Dossier. She and her crew are so good at dissecting a story and finding all the little bits and pieces.

[jjj]

Oh, no, Rachel brought back film of Dr. Bornstein and his "rhyming limerick that said Trump was Superman" (TM Rachel).

Also, in the handoff from Chris Hayes (which will not be repeated), they briefly discussed the new podcast of Chris' show (hurrah!) and that once when Rachel was on the subway (!), someone "sheepishly" held up his phone so Rachel could see her own avatar from her own podcast.  "Don't tell me what part you're at!" she said to us this evening. 

8 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

So did Rachel seem more puzzled than supportive of what happened to Franken so quickly?  Me too, Rach.

Me also, although I have heard explanations of the timing from the Senators opposed to his continuation in the Senate.  I'm glad Rachel seemed somewhere between puzzled and conflicted on this. 

[TexasGal]

Rachel's intro into the clip of Donnie's dentures slipping really cracked me up.  I'm sure she was sincere in her statement that she doesn't like to focus on the way people talk etc but for some reason it just made the whole thing more amusing for me.  God Blesh the United Shtatesh.