The Rachel Maddow Show Blog

Rachel is back!

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:18:43 -0500

Rachel is back from the Air America cruise where she met so many of our very smart and very fun listeners. As we ease back into the swing of things Rachel will be hosting the first hour of the show and Nicole Sandler will be hosting the second hour.

Nicole has done a bang up job filling in for Rachel these last three days, we are lucky to have her! More on tonight's show later...

Guest Host: Maddow and Reagan Today

Beau Friedlander — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:22:54 -0500

Tonight on the Rachel Maddow and Ron Reagan Radio Programs....

Rachel and Ron are off on the Air America Cruise, and I'm thrilled to have the honor of filling in for them for the next few days.

By way of introduction, my name is Nicole Sandler, and I'm broadcasting this week from Miami, FL. I've actually been in radio for close to 30 years, but most of those years were spent playing music. Listeners in Los Angeles might remember me from my days with Mark & Brian at KLOS, or from the "Triple A" stations KSCA and Channel 103.1.

After losing a couple of jobs due to stations being sold and changing formats, I moved around the country a bit, and wound up back in South Florida, where I grew up, for family reasons. I started a video production company, but spent much of my time listening to the Air America affiliate down here, and soon contacted them for employment.

To make a long story short, I wound up hosting mornings on 940 WINZ until, along with much of the radio industry, I was downsized. I now podcast and blog daily at www.RadioOrNot.com, and this week am honored to fill in for Rachel and Ron Reagan while they're cruising.

Tonight, we'll deal with the passage of constitutional amendments in California, Florida and Arizona that outlaw gay marriage... and more. We'll look at the effect of the legislation, how this happened in a supposed enlightened time in American history, and what we can do to counter it.

I'll be joined by Melissa Etheridge, activist/artist Charles Merrill, TV's Judge David Young, adoption professional and gay foster parent Robert Lamarche, and you on the phones at 866-303-2270.

You can always reach me at www.radioornot.com, or nicole@nicolesandler.com.

Looking forward to talking with you tonight! And stick around for the third hour for The Ron Reagan Show!

Watch New IAVA PSA

Andrew Dunn — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:55:18 -0500

http://www.iava.org/content/view/2867/235/

- or -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcvmoGjGNc

Ron Reagan hosts TRMS tonight from 7-8 EST

logan — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:25:07 -0500

From Ron Reagan:

Victory.

How sweet it is.

Hour 1: An update on the controversial ballot initiative, Prop 8, which passed yesterday with Rev. Susan Russell (Prop 8)
And behind-the-scenes details on team Palin, McCain and Obama with Newsweek reporter, Nick Summers

And stick around for hour 2 : John Nichols, from The Nation, on the obstacles ahead and the historical nature of the Obama win
And Darcy Burner (running for Washington State’s 8th Congressional District) on the yet undeclared results this local race

Plus your calls throughout the show

866 – 303 – 2270 IS THE NUMBER TO CALL-IN FOR YOU LISTENERS OUT THERE

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:17:43 -0500

Happy Election Day! On today's show we are talking about the HOW of voting. How active duty soldiers vote, how the campaigns get out the vote, how Florida will or won't get voting right this year. Rachel's guests will be Sean Quinn from fivethirtyeight.com, Paul Rieckhoff, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Rachel Talks with Obama

Air America — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:00:32 -0400

Attention all Air Americans! As many of you know, Rachel is on her way down to Florida to talk to the guy who will turn this country around, and you can listen to their conversation and Rachel's commentary tomorrow! Tune in at 6pm!

Josey Packard's Election Day Cocktail Recipes

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:19:39 -0400

The Fix

Source: an American classic! courtesy of Josey Packard

Build in a tumbler:

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon water
mix that up til the sugar has started to dissolve

half-fill the glass with cracked ice, then add:

2 oz spirits (josey likes whisky)

fill the glass to the brim with more cracked ice
stir
garnish lavishly -- slice of lemon, slice of lime, berries, tropical fruits if you've got 'em.

The Prosecutor

Source: a Josey Packard original cocktail

In a cocktail shaker, combine:

2 oz rye (try Old Overholt or 6 year old Sazerac)

half-ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice

half-ounce st. germaine elderflower liqueur

half-ounce yellow chartreuse

Add lots of ice, shake for at least ten seconds, and strain into a cocktail glass. No garnish.

Want Josey to make you a cocktail? http://www.drinkfortpoint.com

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:13:18 -0400

On today's show Rachel welcomes back the man we think of as both the dean and the class president of Air America Radio, Al Franken! Al will be talking about ihis tight Senate race against Norm Coleman and why he thinks it's OK for McCain to go on Saturday Night Live this weekend.

And then Josey Packard, official Rachel Maddow Show mixologist and bartender at a the very new Drink in Boston, talks to Rachel about what cocktails we should make on Election Day.

And finally, if you are bored this weekend, here is a Rachel Maddow-approved video about robots!

Ron Reagan hosts TRMS ...

logan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:18:04 -0400

Tonight, from Ron Reagan:

Rachel Maddow on her BIG get: Obama!

Plus Sonja Eddings Brown, Rev. Susan Russell, Chris Carlson, on some of the more controversial ballot proposals:

- Prop 8 California Constitutional Amendment to eliminate same-sex couples from marriage.

- Prop 1000 in Washington State "Right to Die"

Plus, linguist George Lakoff & filmmaker Eugene Jarecki later in the show on framing talk about war and politics.

And your calls.

866 – 303 – 2270 IS THE NUMBER TO CALL-IN FOR YOU LISTENERS OUT THERE.

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:24:54 -0400

Every prediction we make about the election is based on one thing: polls. But do you trust the polls? What if they are wrong? On today's show Rachel will be talking to Nate Silver, founder of fivethirtyeight.com, about why we should trust the polling and why it should also be keeping us up at night.

And then Kathy Spillar, the executive vice president of Feminist Majority, will be here to talk about anti-abortion ballot initiatives and what they might mean for women across the country.

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:21:51 -0400

Barack Obama isn't the only candidate off the campaign trail today. Rachel will be talking with Newsweek's investigative correspondent, Michael Isikoff, about why Sarah Palin needs to spend 3 hours giving a deposition in the Troopergate scandal to an special investigator.

Also, if you know anything about Rachel it is that she is, well, a pessimist. Give her a silver lining and she'll show you the dark cloud. Today she asks Noam Scheiber from the New Republic "how can Obama still lose this thing?" Let them count the ways...

Juan Cole tells Rachel the Iraq War will accidentally end Dec. 31, 2008

Andrew Dunn — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:07:41 -0400

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:28:09 -0400

On today's show Rachel will be talking to Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD-D) about why she calls Palin "George Bush in earrings" and how Democrats are going to fare in this election. Will they get a filibuster-proof majority?

And then David Bender joins Rachel to guess as to what will happen in this presidential election when one of the candidates-- Barack Obama-- had to take 36 hours off to visit his ailing grandmother.

Obama/Biden Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer talks to Rachel before the debate

Andrew Dunn — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:33:15 -0400

Rachel: I’m sure you were delighted to see the latest New York Times/ CBS Poll that puts your candidate up by 14 points. I do not want to rain on the parade, but, Truman made up that same deficit in 1948 at one point in the 19080 election even Reagan was that far behind. Does John McCain still have a legitimate shot at winning the election, or do you think that polling is better and more accurate and a 14 point lead today is now more predictive than it might have been 30 or 60 years ago?

Dan Pfeiffer: This thing is certainly not done. There’s no question about it. We’re very happy about where we are right now, but we were up by a near similar margin in New Hampshire back in January before that ended up in Senator Clinton’s column. So, Senator Obama is going to keep working I think we’ve gotten to this place in large part by outworking John McCain all across the country doing 2 to 3 events every day to his one, and we’re going to keep doing that.

R: Do you think that there is an inclination – a self-serving inclination – in the media to portray the race as if it is closer than it is as in order to sort of keep the drama high?

Open Thread

Tim Einenkel — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:28:37 -0400

...

Ron Reagan hosts TRMS tonight

logan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:02:01 -0400

From Ron Reagan:

Unfortunately, 'it’s the economy, stupid,' and I’m speaking with Bob Sullivan, who writes the popular blog The Red Tape Chronicles for MSNBC.com.

I'm talking "The week that was” with Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter. His latest book is "Between the Lines: A View Inside American Politics, People, and Culture."

Later in the show, the real differences between Obama and McCain’s healthcare plans with Richard Kirsch, Health Care for America Now’s National Campaign Manager, followed by an advocate for single payer plans, Geri Jenkins, Co-President of the California Nurses Association and National Nurses Organizing Committee.

The Nation’s John Nichols has an update on Trooper gate, including a report to be released today on the story and the McCain campaign’s claims that Sarah Palin was never contacted for testimony.

And Harry Shearer shares the many voices of Sarah Palin and why he thinks you can judge candidates by how they walk (not how they talk).

Open Thread

Tim Einenkel — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:31:24 -0400

....

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:29:08 -0400

Rachel Maddow is live tonight with her pre-debate show. She will be talking to former Labor Secretary Robert Reich about the bailout bill that passes the Senate last night. Then David Bender joins Rachel to debate the debates. Why is it that everyone thinks Palin will fail when she is considered a superb debater in Alaska by the many people who've had to go toe-to-toe with her in the past? Do the negative trends mean that people are now inclined to see the worst? Is it even possible for there to be a winner tonight?

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:07:53 -0400

Matt Yglesias, Senior Editor at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, joins Rachel today to talk about the politics of the bail out bill. What do Republicans really want? Is the GOP as disorganized and fractured as it seems? Are Republicans just trying to hang this albatross around Democrats' collective neck?

Also, Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, talks to Rachel about efforts to make it easier for veterans to vote and why there wasn't a single question about veterens' benefits at last week's debate.

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:53:59 -0400

The bail out bill has failed. Why did it fial? Well, according to Republicans it's because their feelings were hurt by that big ol' mean Democrat, Nancy Pelosi. So on today's show Rachel will be talking to economist Dean Baker about why he thinks the crisis doesn't warrent a bail out of this magnitude. And then David Bender stops by to talk about the McCain-Obama debate last week and the upcoming Palin-Biden debate on Thursday.

Rules for tonight's debate drinking game!

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:03:20 -0400

NOTE: you can of course drink something non-alcoholic but if you do choose to go the booze route Rachel suggests beer or a half-strength high ball: one ounce of booze in an eight-ounce glass filled with ice and topped with seltzer.

drink once...

if mccain says:
prison
vietnam
table
chair

drink twice...

if mccain says "marie the flame of florida"

drink once if obama says...
anything about protecting main street and not just wall street

drink once if either candidate...
uses jim lehrer's first name in an answer

drink once if obama...
uses the phrase mccain-bush or bush-mccain

drink once if mccain says...
my friends

drink twice if...
obama displays his most presidential ability -- being able to do two things at once -- by patting his head and rubbing his tummy at the same time

drink twice if...
anyone says "first dude"

drink twice if...
anyone's cellphone goes off and it's giuliani's wife calling

drink once if...
obama references that in order to capture bin laden you have to go not to the gates of hell but rather to a country that rhymes with shmakisatan

drink everything in the house if...
governor palin shows up in mccain's place

quit drinkin forever if...
mccain declares war on someone new (iraq, afghanistan, russia and iran don't count since he's already done the deed with them)

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:25:34 -0400

Boy oh boy do we have a show for you today! Rachel will be joined by David Bender, her political guru, who will explain the spin surrounding the debate this evening and give his take on whether John McCain's gamesmanship these last 10 days has been effective. Then Rand Beers, the president of the National Security Network and a former adviser to the Kerry-Edwards campaign, talks about the national security issues the next president will have to face in January and the candidates might have to discuss tonight.

Also? Rachel welcomes Austan Goolsbee, senior economic adviser to the Obama campaign. They will talk about the pending bail out bill and why John McCain hasn't exactly been super helpful in getting the legislation passed.

And finally, Anthony Lappe is the author of one of Rachel's favorite books, Shooting War. It's now out in paperback so Anthony is coming back on the show to talk about which of the book's prognostications have come true and what he might write about in the sequel.

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:44:11 -0400

What do you think of the McCain campaign's political stunt, proposing a postponement of the debate on Friday? David Bender is filling in for Rachel today and he is taking your calls. Get on the line now! (866) 303-2270

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:22:33 -0400

On today's show Rachel will be talking about the proposed bail out-- crafted in three teeny tiny pages of legislation-- with Alex Blumberg, a producer at This American Life and the NPR series Planet Money. And then Time magazine's Amy Sullivan reports on early voting. It begins in earnest this week.

Today's TRMS

Vanessa Silverton-Peel — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:33:25 -0400

On today's show Rachel will be talking to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll of the New Yorker Magazine and the New America Foundation about the Bush Administration's efforts to arm the world to the teeth. Do more weapons mean more peace? And then Dave Zirin joins Rachel to talk about his latest book, The Peoples' History of Sports in the United States, and about the controversy currently swirling around one player for the Dallas Mavericks who got caught refusing to sing along to the National Anthem.