Today's Show: Tuesday, September 19

Upcoming

- Weekdays - 5am

- Sunday - 2pm

- Saturday - 2pm

- Monday - 5am

Today's Show: Tuesday, September 19

By mhirshberg

.
TOP STORY

Presidents Bush and Ahmadinejad were among the world leaders giving speeches to the UN General Assembly today. George faced a dilemma--he didn't want to run into his Iranian counterpart, but he wanted to go to the gala lunch. Luckily, the Iranian president wasn't hungry.

With time running out for the desperate people of Darfur, President Bush showed his priorities by spending most of his speech to the UN General Assembly today talking about other things. But he did urge the UN to act, and named a Presidential Special Envoy to deal with Sudan--Andrew Natsios.

Oh.
God.
Not.
HIM.

We talk with Sidney Blumenthal, author of the new book, How Bush Rules: Chronicles of a Radical Regime. Blumenthal is a former senior advisor to President Clinton and a regular columnist for the online magazine Salon and for the Guardian newspaper in Britain.

And we talk to analyst Andrew Grotto from the Center for American Progress. Grotto says it was no surprise that Bush made another one of his predictable campaign speeches to the UN. Nor, he says, is it a surprise that Ahmadinejad slammed the US occupation of Iraq and questioned the legitimacy of the UN Security Council.

UNDERBELLY

If there's ever someone who failed up, it's George W. Bush. As a businessman, his companies lost money and he became a millionaire. In 2000, he managed to win the presidential election while losing in the polls. And he appointed an attorney general (John Ashcroft) who had just lost an election to a dead guy. George W. Bush is big on failing up, and on helping his friends do it. And that's what he did today.

At the UN today, Bush had the opportunity to do something noble, to focus the world's attention on the crisis in Darfur and take bold action to save lives. It wouldn't just have been the right thing to do, it would have been a classy political move that would have improved the degraded reputations of both President Bush and the United States. Instead, he did his usual "war on terror" dance and burried two minutes on Darfur into the middle of his speech. And he took "action" by appointing Andrew Natsios Special Envoy on Darfur.

Andrew Natsios, who managed the dissastrous "Big Dig" project in Boston. Andrew Natsios, who assured ABC's Ted Koppel that reconstruction in Iraq certainly wouldn't cost the American people any more than $1.7 billion. Andrew Natsios, who as head of USAID, explained to us that Africans don't know how to tell time.

Andrew Natsios has definitely failed up. Now he's the man who will be the American point man in an effort to avert further disaster in Darfur. Lord forgive us.

CAMPAIGN COUNTDOWN

Montana's Republican Senator, Conrad Burns, has a fondness for ethnic slurs and taking money from lobbyists. Unfortunately for him, the people of Montana have noticed. Burns trails Democratic challenger John Tester 52% to 43% in a new poll. It's likely to get worse for Burns, which means better for the Democrats in their bid to take over the Senate.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If we could turn Congress into one big A.A. meeting, where people would be required to say what they mean and mean what they say, it would be a lot better Congress.”

--Minnesota's Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad

PET STORIES

The invasion of the jumping carp!
Solution: Carp cakes.

Are those two little monkeys in your pants? Or...

EXTRA CREDIT

Getting a U.S. Defense of Freedom Medal for not suing Halliburton.

September 19, 2006
SHARE
x

Ahoy!

Once again, it be "Talk Like a Pirate Day"! And fer those o' ye what missed it, here be the Cap'n's own offering. Eyarrrrrrr!

By capn_crustySeptember 19, 2006 - 3:07pm

Arrrghhhhhh

Ya beat me.

By pb_trueSeptember 19, 2006 - 3:11pm

Boston station and Rachel

Even though I don't listen at home to this station because it doesn't come in on my home radio. Sometimes, I can catch the station in my car when driving around southern New Hampshire. I looked at their website yesterday and was horrified to see that Rachel wasn't on their schedule. I did my duty, wrote the station and this REPLY just came about 40 minutes ago:

"Thanks for your email. The overwhelming support for Rachel has been amazing and I want to assure you that we are doing our best to get Rachel back on in Boston live or at least delayed. Many have provided strong possible scenarios regarding the line-up that we are not taking lightly. Just so you know, we have not finalized our line up and Rachel's return was always an option. We just needed time to review our contracts and should be finalizing over the next couple of weeks. Totally appreciate the feedback and your listening to Boston's Progressive Talk. Stay tuned. Joe Mazzei Marketing Manager AM 1200 & 1430 Boston's Progressive Talk p 781-396-1430 f 781-391-3064"

So.. if you are in the Boston area, drop them a line too.

And oh.... Avast ye Maddow-Mateys! Eyaaaarrrrrr.....

By Athena1955September 19, 2006 - 3:45pm

Re: Boston station and Rachel

MaddowFans has been BCC'd on a number of emails to the Boston station -- I'm not surprised they're rethinking things!

You folks are awesome. Bring on 6 o'clock!

By duckofpreySeptember 19, 2006 - 5:13pm

Re: Boston station and Rachel

The latest BCC I've gotten.. it sounds a bit more encouraging than what you got, Athena1955:

-----------------------------------------------------

From: Mazzei, Joseph
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 1:19 PM
To: [Fan!]
Subject: RE: Re Rachel Maddow Show

Let me be clear...Rachel's show will return to our station very soon. Boston's influence with Air America jumpstarted the conversations and decision to have her move from 5-6am to 7-9am. We are BIG fans and love her show. It will return live or taped delay within the next few weeks.

Honestly, ratings had nothing to do with her move locally and I am not 100% sure why Air America moved Rachel to nights. My guess Rachel didn't want to do mornings any more and having a night slot would allow her to be on the talking head shows.

By duckofpreySeptember 20, 2006 - 2:26pm

fellow swashbucklers

shiver me timbers - bush was at the un today - too bad he didn't wear an eye patch although that would have been an insult to all upstanding citizen pirates.....

By cactiSeptember 19, 2006 - 3:52pm

Last night I said that

Last night I said that Rachel's voice is really hard to listen to. I just had a few friends listen and tell me what they thought. Rachel, please stop screeching! That is from more than just me.

I love Air America and listen to many shows, but your voice is just impossible. I guess 6-8pm it's back to NPR.

By alaskabmillerSeptember 19, 2006 - 6:23pm

Well, alaska...

...it would seem that there are quite a few more that disagree with you. Myself being one. Indeed, I'd much rather hear Rachel's dulcet tones, than that whiny, grating noise that Rantin' Randi Rhodes puts out every day.

By capn_crustySeptember 19, 2006 - 6:28pm

Screeching!!

Rachel does not screech. I have been listening for over a year and have never heard her screech. She may let her emotions show in her tone of voice, but I expect that and enjoy it. If she did not have a good radio voice, she wouldn't have been in the business for seven years. So, it must be yours and your friends ears or radios that have the problem.

By BJSkarSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:32pm

To each his own.

I actually find Rachel's voice soothing. I liked it from the first time I heard her filling in hours on end for other hosts around the time of Katrina.

It is a shame what you will miss out on if you don't give her voice a chance.

You should try adjusting your eq, perhaps a bit more bass.

By AntillectualSeptember 19, 2006 - 8:00pm

Daytime Rachel!

Howdy Bloggeratti.

How nice to have Rachel on when I'm awake.

* * * * * *
:aar: - la revoluciÃ³n no serÃ¡ televisada

By citizensteveSeptember 19, 2006 - 6:24pm

Hey, cit!

Long time, no see! 'N' Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day! Eyarrrrrrr!

By capn_crustySeptember 19, 2006 - 6:25pm

Steve!

Welcome back!!! Yeah, now Rachel is on during your daytime, while the sun is going down here in ET. Here's hoping you stay for awhile, and return regularly. Can't speak for the rest, but I've missed ya.

Capn, you must've been stoked by Kent's mention of pirate day, eh?

By chemgirlSeptember 19, 2006 - 6:27pm

Aye!

Does me pillagin' heart good, it do. Here's a cup o' grog, hoisted in his scurvy honor! Eyarrrrrrrrrrrr!

By capn_crustySeptember 19, 2006 - 6:29pm

capn_, chemgirl,I've missed

capn_, chemgirl,

I've missed bein' here too... and just now my housemate came in and said she's volunteered us to stand on a street corner with campaign signs, ten minutes from now! Sooooo, :down: gotta go. But I'll be back ;-)

* * * * * *
:aar: - la revoluciÃ³n no serÃ¡ televisada

By citizensteveSeptember 19, 2006 - 6:41pm

Does your local AAR broadcast Rachel now?

I have to either listen on-line, or else wait 'til midnight.

If the former, well, hell: take a little radio!

By capn_crustySeptember 19, 2006 - 6:43pm

local radio

Ahoy Capn,

It appears our young mate CitizenSteve is out protestin' something. But he and I sail the same seas, ya might say.

Rachel is on here in Seattle AM 1090 KPTK, 3pm-5pm. Perfect for the commute home from all that pillagin'

Eeeeyarrr!

By punkskiSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:12pm

Re: Does your local AAR broadcast Rachel now?

Atlanta's local AAR affiliate was bought out and the new station only runs Al Franken from noon to 3pm. It's listed as an affiliate, but only running 3 hours of AAR programing a day is really stretching it.

By gapeachSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:33pm

The Rasmussen Reports

Senator Joseph Lieberman (I) continues to sustain a bare lead, now 45% to 43%, over Democrat Ned Lamont in the closely watched Connecticut Senate race. The Connecticut Governor's race is less eventful, with Republican incumbent Jodi Rell holding a comfortable lead.

In Ohio's edge-of-seat Senate race, Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown now claims a six-point lead of 47% to 41% over Republican Senator Mike DeWine

By CharlieNineSeptember 19, 2006 - 6:50pm

Blumenthal, Underbelly = failing up

Wonderful interview with Sidney Blumenthal. Bravo!

========

Failing up: As with (way too) many things in everyday life, Seinfeld has an appropriate episode -- the one where Elaine, as acting CEO of J.Peterman, plans to fire a co-worker until she meets him, is intimidated by his, well, brusque persona, and instead promotes him.

Yep, we've all seen this before. It is just so embarrassing and infuriating that it happens - over and over again - by this president and this administration. Eyaarr!

By chemgirlSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:25pm

Buying at local Farmers' Markets . . .

. . . not only helps farmers, it helps the environment as well. Produce shipped over shorter distances releases less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

By gapeachSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:36pm

Politically Direct was good last nite

Tonite David Bender will have Bishop Desmond Tutu.

By CharlieNineSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:39pm

no mas screech

maybe it's the radio but Rachel doesn't sound screechy in new mexico - possibly the airwaves in alaska??? and, how could one possibly categorize RM as screechy after listening to randi for 3 hours, not that there's anything wrong with it!!!

By cactiSeptember 19, 2006 - 7:51pm

Poor Signal During Rachel's Show

Hey, Rachel— welcome back to you Kent & Co.! Seems longer than 2-3 weeks since you guys left the air here in New York.

Sent a regular e-mail to the show about the drastic fall-off in WWRL's signal from 5 PM on. We only live 20+ miles from Manhattan in western Nassau County (LI). Very frustrating trying to listen to The Fastest Two Hours in Radio. Is this temporary, I hope?

Illegitimi carborundum!

By securitythreatSeptember 19, 2006 - 9:41pm

Poor radio reception

Make that "NON illegitimi carborundum!"

By securitythreatSeptember 19, 2006 - 9:43pm

Eyarrr!

Hope the cap'n be havin' a fine day! ;-)

By NJSharonSeptember 19, 2006 - 10:02pm

a) blumenthal

great guy - love his columns, 'Clinton Wars' was a really interesting book.

b) you can do better than 'bad reputation' as a joan jett music clip -- check out the album Naked. alot of good stuff there.

By zoomSeptember 20, 2006 - 12:00am

ps Hi Essic

I see you're logged on. Hope you're having a nice evening.

By zoomSeptember 20, 2006 - 12:02am

Hello, Zoom

Thanks for asking. Actually, I am having a nice evening, and have had a prolonged streak of nice days and evenings over several months recently. Many sudden and unexpected turns in life lately, but jaw-droppingly good ones. Hope all is equally well and good for you, Zoom.

Glad to see TRMS going strong. Glad to see the faithful bloggerati are hanging in. Glad to see the new bloggers, too.

Nods to chemgirl, punkski, citizensteve, cap'n my cap'n, et alia -- the coolest kids in school and rock stars of TRMS blog. Keep the fire burning, and maybe DrG will surface, eh?

Y'all be good or, if not good, then bad in an interesting and worthy way that doesn't require bail.

By essicSeptember 20, 2006 - 1:13am

Essic!

Hey Essic!

Coolest Kids? Rock Stars? Aw shucks, :red:

I think we just like to argue and keep coming back for more... You've been super busy, but you should hang out on the blog more and argue with us! :-)

By punkskiSeptember 20, 2006 - 9:31am

Punkski

Hang out and argue? Just about the time I work up a good lather, I find I've exceeded the word count limit that Chemgirl has imposed on me, and I have to log off.

;-)

But, of course, Chemgirl is right -- I am too wordy. I'm working on it.

By essicSeptember 24, 2006 - 9:37pm

Congrats on your good

Congrats on your good fortune. You, my fine (fake internet) friend, deserve every bit of it.

Things suck abit more here. One of my buddies is off being trained for deployment to afganistan. I’d like to be supportive and all, but, uh, not really. (Afganistan is the better war, but not with rummy in charge). I keep getting email of training photos & I don’t want to be a dick or anything, but . . . I have a draft email of todays randi Rhodes torture documentation ready to go. Where is it that says you don’t have to follow an illegal order? Is it just the Nuremberg trials? I’d like to pass that on.

Ah,prob everyone’s gone to sleep & will start fresh with the blog tomorrow. ciaoZ

By zoomSeptember 20, 2006 - 2:20am

Apocalypse

Hmm... a friend just invited me to join a blog called, "Apocalypse". The description for it is, "The American Empire is about to go down. GET YER PARTY ON!!"

I found, "GET YER PARTY ON!!" a bit disturbing, but of course I joined. :-)

I'm mentioning this because I feel there is a significant increase in a sort of, "political fatalism" in American politics lately. We've had so many civil liberties and rights denied that it seems many citizens are just rolling over.

Why bother fighting the NSA spying, the repugs will just do it anyway? Why bother fighting for the basic right of habeas corpus, the repugs will just ship prisoners (American or not) overseas? Why bother voting when the repugs have the machines rigged?

Whenever possible, I try to encourage people to not fall into the fatalistic approach to what used to be the best democracy in the world. Democracy, by its very nature, will fail if its members don't actively fight to maintain it.

By punkskiSeptember 20, 2006 - 9:48am

Who's A Terrorist Sympathizer?

Peter King, Congressional Head of Homeland Security!

It takes a village to have an idiot - Actor212

By actor212September 20, 2006 - 9:54am

Howdy, essic!

Hmmm, you resurface the same day as citizensteve...

Coincidence? Very curious.

Perhaps you and steve are one in the same ... naw! :-)

Am very happy you reappeared! Welcome back to the schoolyard, counselor. Missed ya. We need your likes around to explain the intricacies of ConLaw and other legal missteps by the powers-that-be. Hope you return more regularly. I always appreciate your input, even if it is sometimes a bit, well, wordy. ;-)

By chemgirlSeptember 20, 2006 - 10:18am

Eyarrrrrr! A hearty, salty welcome back t' ye, essic!

With this bloggish crew we be formin' here, the scurvy neocons nay have a chance! On with the pillaging!

By capn_crustySeptember 20, 2006 - 11:03am

Squeeky voice??

I think it is funny that there are those who don't like Rachel's voice, I too think it is soothing, I only listen to 2 shows on Air America and she is one of them. Randi is raspy and reminds me of a lefty Rush. Al sounds likd a drone...and constantly says..umm umm umm. Rachel sounds great and is full of useful info. My market has chosen to air Randi instead of Rachel and I'm bummend, not to mention my morning drive now consists of cheesy FM radio personalities. I'll just have to catch the stream...

Keep doing what you do mama, you rock!!

By AnodyneSeptember 20, 2006 - 12:34pm

monkeys in pants

Ok, this is such a funny story about the guy caught in LA trying to smuggle in monkeys in his pants, wild cats, etc. This is almost the same exact story as something from December 2002 where another guy was detained in LAX after an exotic bird popped out of his carry-on & ran around the airport. In that case, the guy was also trying to smuggle rare flowers (mostly orchids). But the best part was (& I would have pd to be waiting in this customs line) that the customs officer said with a straight face "Do you have anything else you'd like to declare?" The guy actually calmly responded "Yes, I have monkeys in my pants." Not even Hollywood could write this stuff.

By xmonkey7September 20, 2006 - 3:01pm

Republican Record

Rachel earlier said that the Republicans had nothing to run on. She is absolutely correct but what she forgets is that the Republicans don't need anything to run on. With the American public so self abosorbed, selfish, greedy and barely literate, Karl Rove knows that all he has to do is rattle their gilded cage a bit and they will storm to the polls in November to pull the Republican lever. Rachel makes the mistake in thinking that the American public cares about the facts and the truth. The only thing a vast majority of Americans care about is the smell of a powerful gasoline, a shoe shine, and what is happening on their favorite reality show. Bread and circus for the masses.

By MIBlueSeptember 22, 2006 - 8:27pm

Looking for democracy

Punkski, if you're looking for democracy you will have to look elsewhere because it is waining in the States. Americans care little about the democracy. The "home of the brave" indeed. They have become a frightened and easily manipulated people that just want to feel safe and protected by the Leader so that they can continue to pursue their mindless addictions. Modern Rome lives. Enjoy the collapse.

By MIBlueSeptember 22, 2006 - 8:56pm

Cool site!

By ClavSunerMarch 27, 2007 - 8:14am

By ClavSunerApril 7, 2007 - 1:23pm

Upcoming

Today's Show: Tuesday, September 19

Comments

Comments

Recent Host Posts

Poll

Our Partners

WELCOME BACK!

Don't have an account?

Forgot your password?