The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell - General Discussion

[lb60]

Joy just tweeted that she's guest hosting tonight.  I have a feeling we might not see Lawrence until next Tuesday, if at all.  :-(

[Wings]

Damn.  I don't understand him not showing up regularly.  Maybe it is not related to his content but something personal?  

[lb60]

Joy just said that Lawrence is still in Boston, enjoying a family event, but that doesn't make me feel any better (and it is all about ME!). I think he hosted from Boston on Tuesday.  

::sigh::

Just would like to know what the deal is with the contract.

Okay, David Frum and David Corn both being on makes me a little happier.  D. Corn always looks so happy when they introduce him. lol

[Wings]

Maybe he didn't use up his allotted time off in his contract and since it is almost up he is taking what is owed.  Not a good sign.  

Or he is at Mass General Hospital with a loved one who has a medical problem or he does.  Not good either. 

The excuses for his absence do not read true.   They sound like cover stories. 

Too much is happening in the news to take time away now.  

Edited May 26, 2017 by wings707

[lb60]

27 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Maybe he didn't use up his allotted time off in his contract and since it is almost up he is taking what is owed.  Not a good sign either.  

Or he is at Mass General Hospital with a loved one who has a medical problem or he does.  Not a good either. 

Joy did say he was enjoying a family event, so hopefully she spoke the truth. 

Just saw a tweet that someone saw Lawrence at Harvard graduation today.

And now I feel like a stalker.  lol

Edited May 26, 2017 by lb60

[Moose135]

32 minutes ago, lb60 said:

Just saw a tweet that someone saw Lawrence at Harvard graduation today.

I didn't see the tweet, but when Joy said he was at a family event, given the time of year, I thought he might be at some favorite niece/nephew's graduation or something.

[Wings]

Given the stir about his contract I would think that someone would give a believable reason for his absence.  Not buying 'having a good time in Boston with family.'  It reads as a kiss off.  Be genuine when you say where he is.  At niece's graduation would work.  Be specific or I won't believe you.  

[lb60]

14 hours ago, wings707 said:

Given the stir about his contract I would think that someone would give a believable reason for his absence.  Not buying 'having a good time in Boston with family.'  It reads as a kiss off.  Be genuine when you say where he is.  At niece's graduation would work.  Be specific or I won't believe you.  

Can't get a link to work, but Lawrence tweeted that he will be on tonight from Boston.  Happy Friday!

[Wings]

Excellent!  Thanks. 

[suomi]

Lawrence ended the show tonight with a tribute to Dr Z, and a mention of Mika. It was a nice touch.

[lb60]

I just read that Phil Griffin signed a new contract.  Hopefully, that means good news for Lawrence.  Lawrence tweeted before that Phil has always been supportive of the lineup (night time) that he created.  Griffin should now be fighting to save Lawrence.

[lb60]

Did Lawrence just imply that he signed a new contract?

[spiderpig]

That's how I read it at the end of his interview with the intern.

[thosme]

Lawrence O'Donnell had a discussion tonight with an intern that was leaving that indicated he (Lawrence) would be right there on TV for a couple more years.

[spiderpig]

Came right here to post and @thosme beat me to it!  Happy news, very slyly delivered by Lawrence.

[kib]

Larry's sticking around !!!!!!!

More seriously, tonight's program was quite good.  The Ex-CIA guy made an excellent point.  Franken seemed very confident in his positions but as noted getting his sense of humor back.  Bidding adieu to the intern was a nice touch and kind of self-humbled the contract extension announcement. Nice work.

[lb60]

Yay!  Very subtle announcement from Lawrence.  So happy he's sticking around.  Good move, MSNBC.

[lb60]

Lawrence confirmed the news with a tweet.  

<happy dance>

[possibilities]

I don't give MSNBC any credit for the renewal. They were dumshits to want to cancel one of their most highly rated shows in the first place.

[car54]

I went to sleep with a big smile on my face because Lawrence announced he was renewed!    Now they just need to get Rachel healthy and back on her show!     I was so nervous when he started by saying "And now...a goodbye"--that was tricky!

[zoeysmom]

YES!!!!

[HyeChaps]

Yay!

(Glad Lawrence stays and equally glad that BW doesn't get the 10:00 hour. )

[stormy]

Stephanie Miller is excitedly "taking credit" for Lawrence getting his new contract.  This week she has been reporting that listeners answered her facebook  message for Lawrence fans to call MSNBC and support Lawrence.  Happily it worked!

[kib]

On 6/2/2017 at 3:29 PM, stormy said:

Stephanie Miller is excitedly "taking credit" for Lawrence getting his new contract.  This week she has been reporting that listeners answered her facebook  message for Lawrence fans to call MSNBC and support Lawrence.  Happily it worked!

Perhaps Ms. Miller should learn the difference between correlation, causation and coincidence...

Edited June 4, 2017 by kib

[spiderpig]

Really enjoyed Lawrence's interview with Al Franken.  He (Lawrence) seemed to be trying hard not to crack up.

[Wings]

2 hours ago, spiderpig said:

Really enjoyed Lawrence's interview with Al Franken.  He (Lawrence) seemed to be trying hard not to crack up.

Not sure if the newest video on yourtube is this show but all Al has to say is impressive.  Franken for president!  

[navelgazer]

I just had a great a-ha d'oh moment.  Lawrence is introducing his guests, I saw the picture of the bald guy and thought oh, goody, Heillmann.  Dang it, turned out it was Max Boot instead.  (I'll be mortified if I end up having a crush on Heillmann.)  

[spiderpig]

Anybody watching Lawrence tonight?  Ari is sitting in.  The interview with Mike and Karen about loss of Medicaid is jaw-dropping.  Ari could barely keep it together.

Reruns in a couple of hours.  Please watch if you can.

[car54]

That young man and his mother were beautiful.   Watching that statement that the young man made should be required watching for any Senator or Congressman who is going to vote on this law.    Ari was very good last night--it's ok when you respond emotionally to something that should make you emotional.     That young man --whose health problems limit him so much--he can't even breathe on his own---was so full of life and hope.

[spiderpig]

@car54 - I DVR'd the rebroadcast so Mr. pig could see it when he got home.  We are a pair of tough old boots, and we were choked up at the steadfast devotion of mother and son and their testimony to how lives matter!  Mike said despite his limitations he is able to live a full life, and is terrified about having to be institutionalized.

I always liked Ari when he would sub for another host, but this vulnerable side he showed makes me really love him.

[car54]

I agree, Spiderpig---Ari seems like such a good guy in real life.    He and Joy Reid are always my first pick for replacement hosts and he did a good job last night- Lawrence would be proud of him!

[Macbeth]

Why is George Will on my screen now talking about health insurance?   The look on Lawrence's face it appeared as if he was struggling really hard to maintain a genial appearance.  If I could guess Larry was repeating to himself over and over - "He's a co-worker now - keep it together."

That was funny.  But I turned it off I can't deal with George Will.

[izabella]

I did appreciate George Will pointing out that the conversation around health care has changed in our society since 2009, when the ACA was in process.  He said that today, there is a consensus that universal health care is the standard against which we measure the success of health care.  Also, there is now a consensus that insurance companies should not be allowed to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, people that are sick.  I also agreed with him that the source of the problem is employer-sponsored health insurance plans.  Why should it be associated with employment?  We don't buy car insurance through an employer provided plan.  Just like we need insurance when we have a car regardless of whether we are employed, we need insurance when we inhabit a body regardless of whether we are employed. 

I didn't agree with him that the employer-sponsored plans should be taxed and that, along with unregulated, free markets, would solve all the problems with health insurance and health care in this country!  That won't keep costs down - that's just a different way to funnel tax money to insurance companies, and it still leaves out all those people who work two jobs and still don't have employer plans, and people who can't work.  Universal health care with the bargaining power of the government could keep costs down for essential, basic coverage.   Medicare is popular for a reason, and it's not even free - Medicare recipients do pay monthly for coverage.  People with more money could buy supplemental insurance from insurance companies still, just like with Medicare, and get even more coverage.  Everyone should have basic health care and that safety net for when something bad happens without bankrupting us.  George Will's conservative view that entirely free markets is the answer to keeping costs down is relying on faith that insurance companies wouldn't go back to doing what they used to freely do before 2009 - deny coverage to any of us or make it too expensive to buy coverage that actually covers us.

Edited June 28, 2017 by izabella

[possibilities]

LOD is saying there would only have been 5 yes votes on the repeal bill-- really? I mean, that's great as far as I'm concerned, but I wasn't sure where he got that number and I'm not sure I believe it.

[suomi]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

I did appreciate George Will pointing out that the conversation around health care has changed in our society since 2009, when the ACA was in process.  He said that today, there is a consensus that universal health care is the standard against which we measure the success of health care. 

Universal health care with the bargaining power of the government could keep costs down for essential, basic coverage.   Medicare is popular for a reason, and it's not even free - Medicare recipients do pay monthly for coverage.  People with more money could buy supplemental insurance from insurance companies still, just like with Medicare, and get even more coverage.  Everyone should have basic health care and that safety net for when something bad happens without bankrupting us.  George Will's conservative view that entirely free markets is the answer to keeping costs down is relying on faith that insurance companies wouldn't go back to doing what they used to freely do before 2009 - deny coverage to any of us or make it too expensive to buy coverage that actually covers us.

Approximately 60 countries provide (varying degrees of) universal health care. Congress needs to be forced to admit that for-profit health care is the problem. Imagine the health care landscape if the billions in corporate income were instead going toward premiums/deductibles and services/drugs. George Will gripes my ass.

Edited June 28, 2017 by suomi

[possibilities]

We do need to hammer away at the contrast between here and elsewhere (Jim Jeffries did that on his show this week and it was delightful), but George Will is not going to be the person to bring that message. I suspect MSNBC is mandating that everyone include "conservatives" among their guests, so I'm just grateful some of them are at least choosing ones who aren't foaming at the mouth and spewing nothing but beltway talking points. George Will and I disagree about many things, but he's one of the people I disagree with who isn't devoted solely to a campaign of complete disinformation. He owns his viewpoint calmly and more or less openly, so you can agree or disagree without being gaslighted. He doesn't think that partisanship overrides absolutely ANY other consideration or the possibility of ANY dialogue or error. I'd rather hear from him than a lot of the other options, if I have to hear from people I think are most of the time wrong.

[Medicine Crow]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

We do need to hammer away at the contrast between here and elsewhere (Jim Jeffries did that on his show this week and it was delightful), but George Will is not going to be the person to bring that message. I suspect MSNBC is mandating that everyone include "conservatives" among their guests, so I'm just grateful some of them are at least choosing ones who aren't foaming at the mouth and spewing nothing but beltway talking points. George Will and I disagree about many things, but he's one of the people I disagree with who isn't devoted solely to a campaign of complete disinformation. He owns his viewpoint calmly and more or less openly, so you can agree or disagree without being gaslighted. He doesn't think that partisanship overrides absolutely ANY other consideration or the possibility of ANY dialogue or error. I'd rather hear from him than a lot of the other options, if I have to hear from people I think are most of the time wrong.

Exactly!!  I'd rather have his measured & reasonable opinions that any of those lyin' heads on CNN!!!

[jjj]

Great show this evening, eviscerating the Trump NY Times interview.  Lawrence basically saying, rightly, that Sessions will have to choose between the Truth and the Trump.

[suomi]

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 3:46 AM, navelgazer said:

I just had a great a-ha d'oh moment.  Lawrence is introducing his guests, I saw the picture of the bald guy and thought oh, goody, Heillmann.  Dang it, turned out it was Max Boot instead.  (I'll be mortified if I end up having a crush on Heillmann.)  

I have a crush on Heileman, partly because of his potty mouth.

[TexasGal]

I'm not sure what this says about me, but the only thing I could think all day hearing this Scaradouche insanity was - I can't wait to hear Lawrence talk about this!!  And he hasn't disappointed so far.  The hand off from Rachel was amazing, him reassuring her that Bannon could not do that.  It's a "physical impossibility."

[jjj]

27 minutes ago, TexasGal said:

I'm not sure what this says about me, but the only thing I could think all day hearing this Scaradouche insanity was - I can't wait to hear Lawrence talk about this!!  And he hasn't disappointed so far.  The hand off from Rachel was amazing, him reassuring her that Bannon could not do that.  It's a "physical impossibility."

Yes, I wrote about the handoff over in the Rachel thread.  And just realized it will actually repeat later, as their show repeat in order.  I think Lawrence spent a little too much time thinking about this! 

Loved his idea of getting Joe Pesci to read the Scaramucci New Yorker article.  I'd pay money to hear that. 

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, TexasGal said:

 The hand off from Rachel was amazing, him reassuring her that Bannon could not do that.  It's a "physical impossibility."

Because if it were possible, men would never leave the house...

[HyeChaps]

BriWi mentioned that he couldn't say the acrobatic phrase. 

[stormy]

God I hate when I love Steve Schmidt.

[Padma]

I always love Steve Schmidt. I even look forward to the snippet of him on the commercial where BriWi asks, "Who is there in the Trump WH to speak truth to power?" And he answers with that confident monotone, "Not a single person.!'   Lawrence + Schmidt + Nance + Corn are one of my favorite combos.

[spiderpig]

On 7/30/2017 at 6:54 PM, Padma said:

I always love Steve Schmidt. I even look forward to the snippet of him on the commercial where BriWi asks, "Who is there in the Trump WH to speak truth to power?" And he answers with that confident monotone, "Not a single person.!'   Lawrence + Schmidt + Nance + Corn are one of my favorite combos.

Does Nance ever sleep?  He's on 24/7.

[stormy]

LOL.  I love Malcolm. He's a regular on The Stephanie Miller Show too.

[spiderpig]

Lawrence is on fire tonight. I've been yelling at the TV in a good way.

[Calvada]

I'm weeping as I watch these clips of Heather Heyer's mother.  It's obvious where Heather learned her courage, her willingness to stand up for what's right, her strength.  Such brave women!  They are the best of America.  I am amazed that her mother is able to speak so eloquently of her pain and loss.  If it had been my child horribly murdered in this way, and that person in the White House reacted as he did, I think I'd be standing on Pennsylvania Avenue, both middle fingers raised, and screaming incoherently with the unspeakable pain of it.  

Thank you, Lawrence, for showing us Heather's mother.  

[TexasGal]

13 hours ago, Calvada said:

I'm weeping as I watch these clips of Heather Heyer's mother. 

I was too.  As emotional as Lawrence gets sometimes, I was surprised he didn't sound choked up.  I guess he was focused on anger at our shame-in-chief, which is the way I like him.