Dear Rachel,

Have you heard a children's story in Japan called "Red Ogre and Blue Ogre" (precisely speaking, the title is "Red Ogre that cried"). Recent Rev. Wright's speech at the National Press Club reminded me of this story. What do you think?

I love your show.

Cheers,
Yoichi

The story is like as follows (from my memory):

Red Ogre and Blue Ogre

Once upon a time, there lived Red Ogre and Blue Ogre near a
village. Red Ogre wanted to make friends with the villagers and
he posted a sign stating:

Everyone is welcome.
Please stop by.
There are some yummy sweets and nice tea.

Red Ogre

in front of his hut. The villagers were however so scared that
nobody visited Red Ogre.

Red Ogre lamented deeply. Blue Ogre was emphasized with Red
Ogre and said to him, "I have a good idea. Come to the village
tomorrow morning."

Next day, Red Ogre went down to the village and saw Blue Ogre
bullying the villagers. Red Ogre was outraged and violently
kicked Blue Ogre out of the village. Blue Ogre got hurt and ran
away with crying. The villagers became overwhelmingly grateful
for Red Ogre and offered a thank-you visit to his hut.

Red Ogre was delighted. He asked the villagers some time to
prepare for the visit. When Red Ogre went back to his hut with
great joy after harvesting wild berries for the villagers, he
found a letter on the table. Red Ogre opened it and started
reading.

Dear my best friend,

I have just seen that the villagers left for your hut. It
seems that everything is going well. I am leaving this
place because my presence may hurt the relationship between
you and the villagers. I will not see you again.

Wishing you all the best,
Blue Ogre

Red Ogre started weeping. His tears soaked the letter.

I was watching the news this morning and Nora What's-her-face said that YOU said the night before that Clinton would not quit just like that. I think it was great how you asked your co-panelists to explain to you why Indiana was different from any other state in the sense that if she hadn't quit before there was no reason for her to quit now.

So no, not ALL pundits were saying that she was dead. ;)

I NOW START WITH THE SECOND HOUR. Thank you for an hour to get some work done at 3:00. HA! TV is not good radio.

Yes, we watched the whole thing, right to the end. At about 10pm MST we were getting a little slappy and started poking fun at most anything, Chris spitting on people, Chuck spending the weekend playing Xbox in his unders listening to Black Sabbath. It was really getting goofy.

So we changed the channel to Fox News. All these old guys trying to keep there eyes open and the hubby says: "During the commercial break on Fox it's shots of red bull with a geritol chaser."
Once we stopped crying from laughter it was back to MSNBC where Pat had somehow taken on two red cups to Rachel's none. "He can't steal the show for her, so he just took her coffee."

Hill was out of it before, she is way out there now... but, you can't say we don't enjoy the political process. :)

"Teacher Jim Piculas does a magic trick where a toothpick disappears and then reappears.

Piculas recently did the 30-second trick in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes.

Piculas said he then got a call from the supervisor of teachers, saying he'd been accused of wizardry.

Read more: http://www.local6.com/news/16169506/detail.html"

Quoted From DU, Was Originally Posetd By zonkers

This Is Not Originally From Me, I Just Think It's Funny

Dear Rachel,
Love your show on AA and your time on MSNBC(mostly Countdown).
Two things real quick:
Is your guest Matt Taibee related to NBC's Mike Taibee (? sp)
Secondly, I enjoyed reading the blog on Huffington about John G. and his comments about
you. Your fans have your back. Hundreds replied in your defence (not that you need it, you would
smoke him in any debate).
AA and RMS fan,
rick

I've been a fan since the Chuck & Liz days, and I've paid for the Premium podcast of your show pretty much since you gave us the option. I've even started watching Olberman's show because you turn up there with some regularity. You're an important part of my day.

I have less than zero interest in the simulcast of Gregory's nattering show, and I think David Bender's good but I have very little interest in the call-in format. It was bad enough losing Kent, now you seem to be fading away from your own show. Don't do it!

Please, please, please Rachel, return to format! We tune in to your show to hear YOU and your take on things, not some call-in show (albeit with a great host), and certainly not some poofy-haired liberal spokesmodel. We want you.

(Trying to listen to the KPOJ/Portland West Coast feed and Countdown simultaneously.)

The paradigm of Red = Republican, Blue = Democrat is the exact OPPOSITE of what I saw ABC was doing in 1976, 1980, maybe up through 1988. I usually watched ABC coverage so the cliché of Red = Rep/ Blue = Dem got me all confused when it became sealed in the public discourse around 2000.

Will Matt Taibbi be doing a book tour????

That's what Clinton is hoping for. Like a student who's gotten grades of 16%, 20%, and 15% on her semester exams (for example), doesn't heed the professor's "strong recommendation" to withdraw from the course (for example), and cruises towards the final exam in hope of, I don't know what, some "Matrix"-like knowledge dump of organic chemistry (er, delegates) into her brain.

As with said student, it still is mathematically *possible* to pass the course, but it isn't *realistic*. The professor (voter) watches the train wreck coming and knows she will have to issue the student's F at the bitter end. As I tell students in similar situations, 'tis better to have a withdrawal W on your transcript than an F.

============
NWRICK, I believe Matt Taibbi is Mike Taibbi's son.

Candidate Barack Ochicken

It takes a village to have an idiot - Actor212

2007 Weblog Awards Winner

FWIW, hubby is saying that he thinks Hillary won't give up coz she has to make back the $$ she loaned her campaign.....

Not sure if I agree that's the only reason, but I'll bet it's 1 factor.

Rachel,

I am not sure if you will ever get around to reading this, and I am not sure how often it has been echoed here, but I feel I must make mention of the "Race for the White House" that is blasting through my mp3 player every morning when I select The Rachel Maddow Show, Hour 1.

I fully appreciate your making inroads on MSNBC and agree with David Bender that more Maddow is always a great thing. I love the rapport with Olbermann, and love how you've taken property away from "Scarborough Country."

But I feel that Race for the White House is so beneath your talents and against everything for which I choose to listen to your program -- lengthy, rational interpretations and explanations of the issues.

Instead, we get a hyperventalation David Gregory tossing out every tired cliche in the biz (I'm a former reporter myself), and trying to reduce national issues to USA Today "McNews" style nuggets. "Next up, we'll take it to floor! We'll hit the streets! We'll swing for the fences! We'll pull no punches! We'll do the hokey pokey! etc. etc." All of this is set to a maddening, bombastic hair-metal rock riff. UGH!

If there is any person/people/power that be in MSNBC who need to be lobbied so that you can be placed on a rational, substantive show (preferrably your own!) that would be an accurate reflection of your talents, please let me know. I will be the first to start the petition.

I know that it's baby steps, but it makes me cringe when I hear your thoughts -- which are usually reflective, researched, thoughtful and intellectual -- reduced to a 15-second response before Gregory is barking at his next guest who's "ready to play!"

Sorry for the rant and I will always dowloard hours two and three! Continue to be the best progressive voice we have today.

Last Friday Rachel reported on Lurita Doan's unexpected sudden resignation as head of the Government Services Administration. Doan was able to stay on the job for 11 months after she was found in violation of the Hatch Act. Her resignation was effective immediately. Rachel rightly said that the out-of-the-blue resignation begged the question, "When will the other shoe drop?"

Rachel, the other shoe dropped. And you reported it but you didn't link the two together.

The other shoe was the FBI raid of the Office of Special Counsel. Besides the 'Geeks on Call' scandal, the OSC was the agency that found Lurita Doan in violation of the Hatch Act. It wasn't Congress or some judge somewhere. It was the OSC.

Seems to me that the White House was tipped off last week about the raid and decided that it would look bad if some nosy reporter (as if there are any) went looking into the goings on at the OSC. They might have found that the OSC found Doan in violation of the Hatch Act. Then they might have decided to look into 'where are they now' with respect to Doan. Low and behold, they would have found her still on the job.

The White House knew how bad it would look with Doan and Scott Bloch occupying the same news cycle. One scandal at a time is tolerable.

Rachel,

I am a real fan of you AND the "boys. However they all owe you an apology. On election night when Keith Olberman said he finally disagreed with you, because you heard Hillary's speech after IN as a declartion of more "scortched earth" and the rest of the panel (male) heard a concession speech. As we see today, with the race card being played again, that you were able to "hear" an other woman in a way the men did not. Refer to "You Just Don't Understand; Women and Men in Conversation," by Deborah Tannen, and other works on the subject. The genders speak, listen and "hear" differently.

It does not seem to me that the Clintons (I'm actully feeling sorry for Wolfson today, having been sent out to spread "the word") can get away from their hysteria-mode. Winning is all it is about for them. And yet, they will not win; and if Obama loses in the fall, she will be blamed. Where is Vernon Jordan when you need him to speak sense to them? Is there anyone else whom they will let in? If the superdelagates will have to embarrass her to push her off the stage, it will make it impossible for Hillary supporters to vote Democratic in the fall. Not only will we lose the White House, but the undertickets will be hammered throughout the country. We have an opportunity to set the national agenda again, and we are going to lose it.

I am,
Worried in Florida