Today: Senator Sherrod Brown, Representative Alan Grayson, and a touch of Liz Cheney.
Flopposition
Rachel started us off with an update on the attempt to hammer out the Senate version of the health care reform bill and she seemed to think the opposition to reform was pretty weak.
And, yeah, if you’re putting up the guy whose major contribution to the debate is sending around a hideously racist e-mail as an expert, it’s getting pretty weak. (Though in fairness, Rachel’s own network inexplicably continues to put noted racist Pat Buchanan on the air as though he actually has something worthwhile to say.)
The amiably disheveled Senator Sherrod Brown (D — Ohio) dropped by and seemed surprisingly optimistic about a public option actually making it into the bill.
LizAd
On Friday Liz Cheney’s group Keep America Safe started broadcasting Web ads about how MSNBC pundits are “afraid” to have her on. (Well, the evening shows — the last time I saw her on Morning Joe she stayed for so many segments I thought it was going to turn into Brunch with Joe and then You Hang Up! No, YOU Hang Up! OK, We’ll Hang Up at the Same Time with Joe.)
The ad says that “they” are panicked and don’t want to talk about anything of substance. Rachel, hiding the panic really well, said that she would very much like to talk about things of substance with Liz Cheney and the TRMS bookers have been calling Ms. Cheney for months.
Oddly enough, clips of Rachel are mysteriously left out of the ad.
I’m assuming that’s an oversight. I’m just so glad nobody is afraid to discuss things of substance.
Grayson’s Anatomy
After his claim that the Republican health care plan is “Die quickly,” Representative Alan Grayson’s (D — Florida) political career was supposed to be over.
Rachel pointed out that against all odds, people have decided they like a Democrat with actual nards and are thinking they’d maybe like to keep him.
Florida Republicans are now in a bit of a pickle. They’ve found a challenger for Grayson, but it sounds like they had to wait until someone was foolish enough to leave the room first.
Paranoia Activity
Rachel continued the mortifying story of how four actual members of Congress called for the investigation of an American Muslim group for wanting to participate in our government.
Former Hill staffer Suhail Khan dropped in and was impressively cool about having to deal with what he accurately called “professional bigots” on a regular basis.
I know that there are noncrazy, nonbigoted conservatives out there. I’ve had dinner, drinks, and/or arguments with you. You people have GOT to start speaking up loudly and angrily against this crap.
Because if you don’t, you’ll be increasingly tarred with the same brush as the eejits in the next item.
One More Thing:
Senator Jim DeMint (R — South Carolina) was accused of not doing his part to take care of his state’s finances. So two of his buddies from the South Carolina Republicans decided to help out:
“There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves…”
Good luck with that big tent, Republicans!
Ms. Information
How did Representative Steve Buyer (R – Indiana) think he could get away with raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for a “scholarship fund” and not actually giving away any scholarships?
Maybe he’s smoking some of that lettuce he was once so concerned about.
In much, much scarier news, Rachel decided to rob us all of our sleep by bringing up the recurring problems of the Minot, ND Air Force base, including losing a truckload of liquid rocket fuel and missile parts due to an insect attack and accidentally mounting live nuclear missiles onto a plane.
No more lettuce for Minot either.
Finally, Rachel issued a correction and an apology for attributing a false quote to Rush Limbaugh. Back in June, Rachel repeated a false story that Limbaugh had once suggested that Martin Luther King assassin James Earl Ray should have received the Medal of Honor.
Rachel regretted the error, but lest one erroneously walk away with the impression that Limbaugh is not vile, she left us with a few of his most charming bon mots.
Cap’n Played
Looks like there’s hoaxing in the air lately. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has long been a fierce opponent of climate change legislation, which is why it was so surprising when they called a press conference to announce a complete change of heart.
Turns out the whole thing was a prank by the Yes Men, which was almost as fun and interesting as the bizarre business card fetish displayed by the Chamber of Commerce representative who came to confront them.
