All Episodes Talk: TRMS 2018 Season

[Apprentice79]

11 hours ago, izabella said:

I would believe Rachel long before I'd believe anything coming from Nunes.

Nunes is a joke and an embarrassment. It is amazing how people are sacrificing their integrity and career for this bullshit.  Unbelievable!

[Tunia]

^^^Many animals were harmed in the testing of this product.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Tunia

[M. Darcy]

Rachel got a haircut!   And its been a really good week of shows so far.  

[car54]

I hope Rachel figures out who that previous VP hopeful with Russia ties is.

I did that little pinky thing that Dr Evil does and after she told that story I said "hmmmm Paul Ryan is a former VP hopeful".   Altho the story kind of made it sound like it was further back in time than when he ran.

[ktwo]

1 hour ago, car54 said:

I hope Rachel figures out who that previous VP hopeful with Russia ties is.

I did that little pinky thing that Dr Evil does and after she told that story I said "hmmmm Paul Ryan is a former VP hopeful".   Altho the story kind of made it sound like it was further back in time than when he ran.

Wow, good call. I figured it was someone who was being looked at as a possible running mate but the Kremlin ties took them off the list, not someone who successfully became the running mate but lost the election. Yours would be a much bigger story.

[Hooper]

Quote

Wow, good call. I figured it was someone who was being looked at as a possible running mate but the Kremlin ties took them off the list, not someone who successfully became the running mate but lost the election. Yours would be a much bigger story.

Day-um.  Ryan with Russia connections would explain so much.  I hadn't really thought about the vice-presidential "hopeful" being someone who was being considered as a running mate but wasn't actually picked, but that is certainly a plausible interpretation.  Still, it's more fun to speculate on VP candidates who actually ran, so I'm rooting for someone who could see Russia from her house as the failed (on soooo many levels) VP wannabe with the ties to Russia.

[M. Darcy]

That was great when Rachel pointed out how awesome Nancy Pelosi is - and I love it when she uses old timey language - whippersnapper! 

[attica]

I myself have never worn a pair of heels higher than 3.5 inches, and even that, my friends, was manymanymany years ago. (I feel confident I never will henceforth, neither.) So: respect to NancySmash and her Achilles Tendons of Steel.  And I hope Rachel's sneakers come clean after all that tape gets peeled off! 

[kimaken]

14 hours ago, Hooper said:

Still, it's more fun to speculate on VP candidates who actually ran, so I'm rooting for someone who could see Russia from her house as the failed (on soooo many levels) VP wannabe with the ties to Russia.

That was my first thought, too! But Paul Ryan makes sense, especially since his SuperPac received a lot of Russian money to help GOP candidates in the House. I think this little mystery is something Rachel will "stick a pin in it" and will get back to it if/when she learns anything more about it. She's not one to leave loose ends dangling if she can find the right thread to pull!

[jjj]

Rachel is doing a second live show at midnight ET tonight, Thursday heading into Friday, to cover the mini-shutdown. (9:00 PM on the West Coast) 

ETA:  the first twenty minutes or so were new, then back to segments from the earlier show.

Edited February 9, 2018 by jjj

[ahisma]

49 minutes ago, jjj said:

The first twenty minutes or so were new, then back to segments from the earlier show

Thanks for the heads up! My podcast feed only has the regular show. I wonder if they'll post a bonus ep?

[jjj]

It was not much to see -- Rachel cut live to the chaplain reading a prayer right at midnight.  Then it was mainly filler about Rand Paul.  

[ahisma]

Okay, not so sorry I missed it, then. Thanks!

I'm glad Rachel got to spend lots and lots of time on security clearance shenanigans during the main show. 

[Xena]

16 minutes ago, ahisma said:

I'm glad Rachel got to spend lots and lots of time on security clearance shenanigans during the main show. 

 

Yes, watched this morning - I like that Rachael if focusing more on the 'this should not be happening' (regarding the clearance situation), rather than focusing on the salacious details of the abuse allegations.  To be clear - the latter is a serious matter, in no way am I trying to minimize it.  But the clearance situation - is something that also needs serious follow up, and I fear that the abuse allegations have become the focal point of the story.  I have not been able to keep up with the news cycle the past couple of days as I normally can, so let me know if I'm wrong!

[attica]

12 minutes ago, Xena said:

But the clearance situation - is something that also needs serious follow up,

I agree, because clearance shenanigans cut across every aspect. You can get blackmailed/compromised for beating your wife, for borrowing from the Russians, from hanging out with Wendie Murdoch, for gambling, for inappropriate sexytimes, whatever. And nobody in the WH seems to care at all. 

But none of this makes me any less furious that Porter would still have his job had their been no black-eye photo. I can be furious about many things at once, it seems. I  have learned this about myself here in the Age of the Orange Flapheaded Smallhands.

[Xena]

Agree Attica, I am amazed at the number of things I can be furious about at one time.  And to flesh out what I'm trying to say above - it's horrible that Porter abused both of his wives; and the administration should not have ignored it; but Porter is the one who did the abusing, not Kelly, not Trump.

Allowing someone to remain in a position to see the most highly classified information, daily - this is something that Kelly and\or Trump allowed.  Kelly\Trump actively DID this; they can't shrug it off as something that someone else did, and it doesn't reflect on them.  It certainly does reflect on them, as does allowing Jared to sit in on daily briefings while still not holding a permanent clearance.  

All this from the party so concerned with how Hillary handled 'classified info'.  

Edited February 9, 2018 by Xena
I left a hanging chad at the end; deleted.

[Happycatisfine]

During Thursday's show (2/8) when talking about the serious clearance situations, I swear she mentioned someone who was found guilty of raping a child in 2015...and then something about the subject of clearance in 2017.  If that person was found guilty of raping a child in 2015, why weren't they in prison in 2017?

Edited February 9, 2018 by Happycatisfine

[Apprentice79]

13 hours ago, Xena said:

Agree Attica, I am amazed at the number of things I can be furious about at one time.  And to flesh out what I'm trying to say above - it's horrible that Porter abused both of his wives; and the administration should not have ignored it; but Porter is the one who did the abusing, not Kelly, not Trump.

Allowing someone to remain in a position to see the most highly classified information, daily - this is something that Kelly and\or Trump allowed.  Kelly\Trump actively DID this; they can't shrug it off as something that someone else did, and it doesn't reflect on them.  It certainly does reflect on them, as does allowing Jared to sit in on daily briefings while still not holding a permanent clearance.  

All this from the party so concerned with how Hillary handled 'classified info'.  

 

The irony of all this would be funny, if, it was not bloody serious, obscene and hypocritical...

Edited February 10, 2018 by Apprentice79

[Tunia]

It doesn't surprise me in the least that trump is blocking the release of the Democrat rebuttal memo.  I'd be more surprised if he let it come out.  He's the last person who would be open to an opposing, probably coherent response to anything the Republicans put forward.  He's incapable of entertaining the thought of anything that doesn't coincide perfectly with his very strange train of thought.

[maystone]

Rachel re: Rachel Brand resigning and leaving the way open for Trump to fire Rosenstein: She saw the hordes coming. She lowered the drawbridge, and she left.

I can't remember the last time I saw RM that coldly angry in the show, but she said what so many of us were thinking. You speak for me, Rachel. Thank you.

[chessiegal]

7 minutes ago, maystone said:

Rachel re: Rachel Brand resigning and leaving the way open for Trump to fire Rosenstein: She saw the hordes coming. She lowered the drawbridge, and she left.

I can't remember the last time I saw RM that coldly angry in the show, but she said what so many of us were thinking. You speak for me, Rachel. Thank you.

Never saw Rachel so clearly pissed.

[jjj]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Never saw Rachel so clearly pissed.

Thanks for pointing this out -- I had only listened the first time it aired, and sat down to watch it on the repeat.   I'm betting Rachel is not scheduling any vacation days for the next few weeks.   I also appreciated her distinction of RosenSTEEN and RosenSTINE, depending on the point of view of the speaker.  Glad Rachel got Benjamin Wittes for an interview, as he was a friend of and had already talked with the newly resigned  Rachel Brand at the DOJ.   And he seemed to have been cleared by Ms. Brand to say on-air that she had not been forced out, but had a great opportunity at Walmart.  (okaaay?)  "Hollowed-out Justice Department" is an excellent description. 

[Morrigan2575]

I had to turn the show off last night. I was so depressed watching Rachel list out the ways this leads to Muller being fired and the Investigation shut down.

[maystone]

On 2/10/2018 at 7:05 AM, Morrigan2575 said:

I had to turn the show off last night. I was so depressed watching Rachel list out the ways this leads to Muller being fired and the Investigation shut down.

It is getting to feel like an act of courage just to pay attention, isn't it? It's overwhelming and depressing and leaves me feeling more helpless than I've felt since I was a child.

[Padma]

I'm glad she's really highlighting these security threats. 8 secret administration contacts with Putin & Co -- and we only know about them because he's kind of trolling us about them?  For several there were not even any U.S. officials present--no American translators--only Trump.  And at least twice classified information was given.  I'm glad she's keeping a spotlight on this. It's disturbing, especially along with everything else Russia-related.

[ahisma]

I love that Rachel keeps going back to the top and setting the big picture. The Rs love getting down into the weeds, like, "this one FISA warrant on this one guy based on this one source...It's all a witch hunt!" Meanwhile, as Rachel points out, multiple countries were telling us they heard things about a Trump campaign officials. Multiple wiretaps of Russian conversations revealed discussions of Trump campaign officials. Multiple hacks were done by Russians on American computers. There is a damn reason that Ds are saying, "Russia, Russia, Russia." 

[M. Darcy]

Sigh.  I miss hearing Rachel's angry voice about Trump shit as opposed to her angry voice because of covering another mass shooting (angry since its keeps happening and happening).  Her interview with the journalism teacher was very good.  That poor woman - I don't want to say her students were lucky to have her because they certainly weren't lucky that they went through that but it seems like she saved them - and kept calm throughout.   

The fact that they were so prepared is so heartbreaking.  All I had to deal with in school was fire and bomb drills. 

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

The fact that they were so prepared is so heartbreaking.  All I had to deal with in school was fire and bomb drills. 

And on the other end of the spectrum, I couldn't believe that police rep immediately saying that if someone was "determined" they would kill a bunch of people so don't anybody go saying that there's anything we should do to make it harder on a determined person. We're all helpless in the face of determination. If he didn't have the AR-15 he'd have killed 17 people one by one like in a Friday the 13th movie or something. But if you must talk about prevention, I'll throw out a few words about mental illness even though the guy might just be an angry young white man. Arrgh!

[sacrebleu]

I especially appreciated Rachel inviting the students from that journalism class to come to MSNBC. A very nice gesture and I hope those kids get a chance to go-- when things settle down.

[jjj]

God bless Rachel Maddow for that A block tonight.  What a brilliant demonstration of the soulless hypocrisy of this president, signing behind closed doors his "first piece of meaningful legislation" that put guns in the hands of the mentally ill, and him trying (and succeeding) to hide the picture from the public.  And the only evidence that there even is a picture is that the White House photographer said there is a picture.  And then Rachel showing him trying to blame our lack of attention to mental illness for the slaughter of teachers and children.  We are out of vocabulary for how reprehensible he is, but Rachel conveyed it with icy clarity. 

[Apprentice79]

Rachel made me cry tonight.  I have never seen her so furious and she had tears in her eyes.   She kept it together, but, it took everything in her, to not break down and cry. The ADA was gutted today.  Rachel exposed the cynicism and duplicity of this administration. So many things, are going on, right under our noses and the media never talks about it.. It is demoralizing and it hurts to know that civil rights are under siege.  

Grassley and his ilk are beneath contempt..

Edited February 16, 2018 by Apprentice79

[shok]

19 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

But if you must talk about prevention, I'll throw out a few words about mental illness even though the guy might just be an angry young white man. Arrgh!

I heard a psychologist on CNN say all the media are making a huge mistake reporting it as the kid having a mental illness...he had an UNTREATED mental illness. The percentage of violence caused by people with mental illness is minimal, just as it is for those who don't.

[Morrigan2575]

20 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

Rachel made me cry tonight.  I have never seen her so furious and she had tears in her eyes.   She kept it together, but, it took everything in her, to not break down and cry. The ADA was gutted today.  Rachel exposed the cynicism and duplicity of this administration

I was getting pretty upset last night too. I had to turn it off and finish it this afternoon.

[ScoobieDoobs]

Rachel's Boston background visual was kinda funky.  Was giving me a headache.  Glad she knew this was too important a news day to take off.

The new stuff on Manafort, I haven't heard anywhere else, so good on her that she's so up on this.

Edited February 17, 2018 by ScoobieDoobs

[maystone]

I think a side benefit of Mueller releasing this indictment is that the GOP is going to have to respond to the clear danger of Russia continuing to interfere in our elections. I don't see how, in the face of the facts put forth here, that they can still just sit on their hands instead of actively providing measures to protect our voting. It also cuts Trump off at the knees; he's had to admit that there was tampering in the 2016 election. Now let's see how he and the GOP squirm to get out of enforcing the sanctions. Also, I think this is going to make it really tough to fire Mueller now.

And like Rachel, I'm just so damned relieved and thankful that someone - finally - is trying to defend us.

[jjj]

Ah, I had not noticed the Bahstahn background, but cheered when Rachel said she cancelled her day off, "in the middle of MY DAY OFF".  We really needed to hear from Rachel this evening, and I think she really needed to talk to us.  Here's a deal, Rachel:  we will all pitch in for a spa weekend in mid-November 2020 if you keep exercising your outstanding judgment about cutting short your days off until then.  Heck, I'll even pitch in for one in mid-November 2018.

ETA:  Clint is an excellent name for an FBI agent.  This particular Special Agent Clint Watts could be played by Jeff Goldblum when they make a movie of all this.   When Rachel showed the footage from his testimony, I wondered why Jeff Goldblum was testifying before Congress.  Also:  great interview. 

Edited February 17, 2018 by jjj

[Scout Finch]

Sitting here writing "Mrs. Robert Mueller," "Mrs. Scout Mueller," "Mrs. Scout Finch-Mueller," and drawing hearts on my Pee Chee folder. He is such a badass!

Edited February 17, 2018 by Scout Finch

[Galloway Cave]

Even though the DA kind of poo-pooed the idea, I agree with Rachel that these indictments were needed first in order to establish that the Russians did interfere with the election process and they were working to install Trump in the White House. Mueller will probably have a ton of other charges against Trump and associates (money laundering, tax issues, etc.) but he wants to firmly establish Russians interfered and Trump and Co. conspired with them.

[Quilt Fairy]

Is it wrong that I'm (a little) mad at Mueller for making Rachel cancel her day off - in the middle of her day off?

[ahisma]

What an intense night tonight. From victims of horrific domestic violence fighting back and getting their abusers fired, to victims of devastating school shooting violence fighting back. May they also win.

Also, f.u. to the WH staff who were glad for the “reprieve,” to Kelley for trying to weasel out of taking responsibility for all the unapproved staff seeing secret documents, to Jared for asking for all that secret material, and to Manafort for being an unmitigated scumbag. 

Never has it been truer that the news should afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, and thank god for Rachel, who embodies this.

[jjj]

Thank you, Rachel, for interviewing Cameron Kasky, a student from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL.  How amazing for him and all these children to be so articulate and furious through their shock and grief.  And how sniveling is Congress and Trump to try to tell them it is too soon to politicize this incident.  Said Cameron:

"It's not too early.  It's way too late."

There is a long way to go, but they will never regret throwing themselves into this issue and turning their heartbreak into action. 

[movingtargetgal]

These kids are really media savvy.  I think they may be getting some advice from adult organizers but this passion is coming from our youth.  The NRA and the politicians they have bought and payed for should be very afraid. I don't think these kids are going to give up until the "grown up" politicians do their jobs and protect them.  I can't help but be proud of these kids.  Maybe their is hope for the future.

[attica]

I was interested to see Rachel's coverage of Alex Van der Zwaan's plea. It made me think a couple of things:

• So much illegality must be SOP at so many big firms, because nobody is ever paying any attention; there's no reason not to! Just bad luck that Bobby Three Sticks has you under his microscope now. He may not have been necessarily looking at you for your misdeeds, but now that he sees them, he's not likely to just let 'em go. You might actually face some consequences! Boo hoo! And by 'boo hoo', I mean 'Yaaaay!'
• Since I visited the country more than a decade ago, I've been convinced that the Dutch are nearly universally good looking folk. Even their felons are pretty! And well-tailored!
• Seems to me marrying into a Russian oligarch's family is a bad idea. Relationships with in-laws can be tricky in the best of circumstances; I can't imagine knowing your FIL will dioxin your ass if he's displeased is a recipe for happily ever after. But that's just me...

eta: I fell down a Yushchenko wormhole. Turns out he's still alive, and his skin has cleared up! Scientists think the skin growths on his face actually saved him, because they isolated the poison from the rest of his body and gave him time to detox. You know more now! (rainbow-tailed star crosses screen)

Edited February 21, 2018 by attica

[Hooper]

Quote

These kids are really media savvy.  I think they may be getting some advice from adult organizers but this passion is coming from our youth.

I was a fairly thoughtful and reasonably articulate high schooler, if I do say so myself.  But I can't imagine me being as poised and well-spoken in front of TV cameras as these young Stoneman survivors are under any circumstances, much less in the aftermath of seeing my teachers and classmates executed.  So, yeah, I think Cameron Kasky and all the other students I've seen speaking out are getting some coaching and advice from some adults with more media experience than they have.  To which I say, so the fuck what?    It's not like the NRA spokescreeps who are trying to discredit the students aren't also being coached by well paid media consultants, and aren't being well paid themselves to state their position.  People who are speaking up for a cause are smart if they give some thought to how to best articulate their position, and even get advice from people with experience.  Those students heard and saw their classmates and teachers being gunned down, hid in closets,  ran for their lives, and sometimes put their own lives at risk to shield each other.   Why would anyone believe it's implausible that they might try to organize themselves to try to reduce the chance of others having to face the same horror, or try to discredit them for seeking and accepting support from people who can help them present their message effectively?  Oh, never mind.  We all know the answer to that question.

(Oh, and  I definitely did not interpreted Movingtargetgal's post as  criticizing the Cameron Kasky - this is my reaction to all those well paid/well coached NRA mouth pieces who are criticizing students for, heaven forefend!, being brave and articulate.)

[stormy]

Rachel's update on Van der Zwaan was going to be about the fact that he pleaded guilty but is not cooperating with Mueller.  I never didn't see the second half of the show where she was going to talk about that. 

Also, Chris Hayes had on Nick Ackerman who is convinced that Van der Zwann is actually a bigger deal but we just don't know it yet.

[attica]

11 hours ago, stormy said:

I never didn't see the second half of the show where she was going to talk about that. 

Former USA Chuck Rosenberg came on to say that AvdZ may be compelled to sing, rather than being a cooperating singer. Once he's sentenced under his current plea, Mueller may immunize him on other crimes and make him talk. Me, I suspect that his not being an outed cooperating witness may be a bit of kabuki so that the oligarch FIL doesn't get all murdery. Or to give the whole fam space from Putin's wrath. 

[izabella]

15 hours ago, stormy said:

Also, Chris Hayes had on Nick Ackerman who is convinced that Van der Zwann is actually a bigger deal but we just don't know it yet.

His father in law, German Khan, is a co-owner of the Russian Alfa Bank, which is tied to all those transactions between Alfa Bank and a server in Trump Tower.  The server's traffic was 87% between Alfa Bank and Trump Tower, which indicates that it was there primarily (only?) to facilitate communication between Alfa Bank and Trump Tower for some mysterious reason.

Edited February 22, 2018 by izabella

[maystone]

On 2/21/2018 at 10:58 AM, attica said:

I was interested to see Rachel's coverage of Alex Van der Zwaan's plea. It made me think a couple of things:

• <snip>
• Since I visited the country more than a decade ago, I've been convinced that the Dutch are nearly universally good looking folk. Even their felons are pretty! And well-tailored!
• Seems to me marrying into a Russian oligarch's family is a bad idea. Relationships with in-laws can be tricky in the best of circumstances; I can't imagine knowing your FIL will dioxin your ass if he's displeased is a recipe for happily ever after. But that's just me...

eta: I fell down a Yushchenko wormhole. Turns out he's still alive, and his skin has cleared up! Scientists think the skin growths on his face actually saved him, because they isolated the poison from the rest of his body and gave him time to detox. You know more now! (rainbow-tailed star crosses screen)

I was in Amsterdam for a while, and you're right - they are a damn good looking group of people, as well as being funny, helpful to strangers, and generally laid back. (But, this was decades ago; I know that like the rest of the Western world, they're now troubled with nationalist/fascist political parties and all that they bring with them.)

Thanks for the into on Yushchenko. The bravery of the Russian political opposition just takes my breath away. I'm glad to hear the this one beat the odds.

[Quilt Fairy]

I love that Rachel can just read from the new Gates/Manafort indictment and it's riveting television.

 

ETA: Bobby Three-sticks isn't making her Fridays any easier.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Quilt Fairy

[Morrigan2575]

I absolutely love how Rachel connects all the little dots to give us the big picture