Last night Rachel Maddow treated us to a memorable 25 minutes master class in journalism, ethics and civic values. Starting out with a history lesson on several fascist wannabes (I once wrote a paper in university on Father Coughlin. He was the first to purposefully use electronic media - radio at the time - to spread his venom) whose campaigns never got traction as they lacked the support of one of the big parties she then explained how trump made a difference. He was able to usurp the GOP. And he did so with the help of the Quisling he installed and later dumped.
Well done. The future of Ronna Romney McDaniel at NBC should be over already. As many probably didn't watch it for understandable reasons here is a link I found (unfortunately only the second half of her piece):
Robert, I am going to keep on feeling positive that Biden-Harris will win come November. The House is falling apart as the cards are rapidly crashing down. We just need a couple more R’s to say “adios” and Hakeem becomes speaker. Brings music to my ears. In the meantime, this morning or afternoon, we will get the grim news from SCOTUS that the Justice 6 will vote against women, once again, in not allowing mifepristone to be legally made available to those who need it. As a mother of two adult daughters and a strong advocate for women’s rights, don’t be surprised at the surge at the floodgates. I am hoping that governors in blue states will simply ignore this decree and carry on as if nothing has happened. Just my two cents.
Ronna McDaniel deserves every bit of anger aimed at her and at the execs within the NBC universe. She was right in the middle of things, phone calls, allowed Trump to pilfer the RNC coffers and told lies upon lies about the newscasters which put them in harm’s way. Ronna is as despicable as her former master and for NBC to spit in the faces of the very people who bring us the news on their stations, is abhorrent. Don’t know if you watched Lawrence tonight but he said if he had an opportunity to have her on, which he won’t, he would ask her why she changed her name for Trump from Ronna Romney McDaniel to just Ronna McDaniel. I thought that was great!
As you are I am sure aware, there are two levels of the crime of Falsifying Business Records in NY, one a misdemeanor (where the intent is simply to defraud) and the 2d a felony (where the intent is to cover up a crime). He's charged with the 2d. But I got interested in what would happen if Bragg couldn't prove the cover up but could prove the intent to defraud; what KIND of Misdemeanor?? Turns out it is a Class A. The sentence for an A misdemeanor in New York can include UP TO ONE YEAR IN JAIL, a fine of up to $1,000, probation for two or three years, and/or a conditional discharge which can include the requirement to abide by certain conditions such as an Order of Protection or not being re-arrested.
So he could end up in the clinker even if the much debated "what crime did he cover up" turns out to be a problem.
On the bond reduction in the James case: some say it must because the panel thinks the court will reduce the judgment. But on what grounds? Wasn't the amount determined by a trier of fact? What will the appeals court USE to reduce it? I can see them buying the "nobody was hurt" (though I'd respect them even less) but that would reduce the judgment to zero. How will they just get to a lesser amount?
The McDaniel decision is not "inexplicable." CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, the bunch of the "legacy media" have lost over a third of the audience they had as of 2020. The intergalactic widgetmakers who own them, who haven't got the collective corporate brains to swat flies as evidenced by all the other dumbass media decisions they have made in the past two years, have convinced themselves that "streaming is the future" and that these news companies are a collection of albatrosses around the widgetmaker's necks. The widgetmakers are demanding that these companies get "profitable", i.e., get their ratings back to where they were, so the widgetmakers can unload them on the first hayshakers they run across who think the companies still have value.
Remember that when Paddy Chayefsky was interviewed about "Network" 48 years ago, he was asked if he was "predicting the future," to which he replied, "No, I'm talking about today." And everything in that movie is still true. If they thought they could bring back 100 viewers, they would make an exact copy of "the Howard Beale Show."
They don't give a rat's ass about truth or lies, they can say either one, just tell them what you want to hear. The only song they listen to is "Money Money".
NBC’s hiring of Ronna McDaniel is not inexplicable. It’s all about the Benjamins. I’ll stop watching any NBC program including MSNBC so long as McDaniel is employed. I suggest we all do the same.
Rachel was right our country needs us to be strong now. That means for all of us to keep doing what we are doing everyday. Trump’s show and rhetoric has become boring and ineffective and most people are not paying attention and it’s only going to get worse. Notice the Biden Administration is pushing back harder and calling Trump out. The question that should be asked everyday is “ If Trump innocent as he claims why isn’t he rushing into court to prove his innocence?” Innocent defendants don’t try and delay their day in court.
“But then I spoke to legal expert and fellow Nerd Avenger Jen Taub. Her perspective helped me understand that the real problem wasn’t that the New York Court of Appeals reduced Donald’s bond, though we can still be angry — it’s that the media once again bent over backwards to make us think that Donald had won. That is not what happened today, and by the time you get to the end of this piece, you’ll have some confidence that justice may actually be coming.”
Rachel Maddow has been one of my favorite commentators for almost a decade now. Glad to see Robert quoted her and also agree that it's "good advice for all of us: “Our country needs us to be strong right now.”"
I am writing this email to report a mistake as suggested on your website. The mistake is in hiring an election denying and dishonest person to be a contributing journalist at NBC. Ronna McDaniel cannot be trusted as she spread election denial lies and was involved in a pressure campaign to get Michigan officials to not certify the vote. This is a breach of trust for those of us who have previously trusted MSNBC and NBC as a media source. To quote you, Carrie Budoff Brown, "it couldn't be a more important time to have a voice like Ronna's on the team..." Wrong. It couldn't be a more important time to have honest voices in the press. What a huge disappointment. I will not be viewing any of your programs as long as this hire stands.
Here’s my contribution to the email blizzard you set in motion yesterday re NBC and Ronna the beast: “Don’t put her on the air. Do you think she supports a free press? Do you think NBC will exist if Trump is elected? You are giving a platform to someone who supported a traitor. STOP THIS CRAP! ”
So appreciate your call for emails to those tone deaf executives. Let’s hope this form of in your face democracy works! Her slimy slithering lying “walking back” is so appalling….
There is a bit of rot in upper management at MSNBC. Remember a few years back he wanted to dump Lawrence? That was a nuclear reaction they had to pay attention to. Obviously MSNBC needs a lesson in democracy and paying attention the the voices of their solid followers in the country.
NBC is a long, long way from the Huntley and Brinkley days. That was an era when television networks abided by the FCC's fairness doctrine, where networks' news programming was kept separate from the entertainment and profit-making programming. That all changed starting in the 1980s, after the fairness doctrine was abolished during the Reagan Admin. Ever since network (and local tv and radio station) news is infotainment.
Last night Rachel Maddow treated us to a memorable 25 minutes master class in journalism, ethics and civic values. Starting out with a history lesson on several fascist wannabes (I once wrote a paper in university on Father Coughlin. He was the first to purposefully use electronic media - radio at the time - to spread his venom) whose campaigns never got traction as they lacked the support of one of the big parties she then explained how trump made a difference. He was able to usurp the GOP. And he did so with the help of the Quisling he installed and later dumped.
Well done. The future of Ronna Romney McDaniel at NBC should be over already. As many probably didn't watch it for understandable reasons here is a link I found (unfortunately only the second half of her piece):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqassXP6HAU
Robert, I am going to keep on feeling positive that Biden-Harris will win come November. The House is falling apart as the cards are rapidly crashing down. We just need a couple more R’s to say “adios” and Hakeem becomes speaker. Brings music to my ears. In the meantime, this morning or afternoon, we will get the grim news from SCOTUS that the Justice 6 will vote against women, once again, in not allowing mifepristone to be legally made available to those who need it. As a mother of two adult daughters and a strong advocate for women’s rights, don’t be surprised at the surge at the floodgates. I am hoping that governors in blue states will simply ignore this decree and carry on as if nothing has happened. Just my two cents.
Ronna McDaniel deserves every bit of anger aimed at her and at the execs within the NBC universe. She was right in the middle of things, phone calls, allowed Trump to pilfer the RNC coffers and told lies upon lies about the newscasters which put them in harm’s way. Ronna is as despicable as her former master and for NBC to spit in the faces of the very people who bring us the news on their stations, is abhorrent. Don’t know if you watched Lawrence tonight but he said if he had an opportunity to have her on, which he won’t, he would ask her why she changed her name for Trump from Ronna Romney McDaniel to just Ronna McDaniel. I thought that was great!
Aren't you tired of seeing the bad actors in the GOP using the freedoms of our democracy to destroy democracy?
As you are I am sure aware, there are two levels of the crime of Falsifying Business Records in NY, one a misdemeanor (where the intent is simply to defraud) and the 2d a felony (where the intent is to cover up a crime). He's charged with the 2d. But I got interested in what would happen if Bragg couldn't prove the cover up but could prove the intent to defraud; what KIND of Misdemeanor?? Turns out it is a Class A. The sentence for an A misdemeanor in New York can include UP TO ONE YEAR IN JAIL, a fine of up to $1,000, probation for two or three years, and/or a conditional discharge which can include the requirement to abide by certain conditions such as an Order of Protection or not being re-arrested.
So he could end up in the clinker even if the much debated "what crime did he cover up" turns out to be a problem.
On the bond reduction in the James case: some say it must because the panel thinks the court will reduce the judgment. But on what grounds? Wasn't the amount determined by a trier of fact? What will the appeals court USE to reduce it? I can see them buying the "nobody was hurt" (though I'd respect them even less) but that would reduce the judgment to zero. How will they just get to a lesser amount?
To the anchors who spoke out THANK YOU.
The McDaniel decision is not "inexplicable." CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, the bunch of the "legacy media" have lost over a third of the audience they had as of 2020. The intergalactic widgetmakers who own them, who haven't got the collective corporate brains to swat flies as evidenced by all the other dumbass media decisions they have made in the past two years, have convinced themselves that "streaming is the future" and that these news companies are a collection of albatrosses around the widgetmaker's necks. The widgetmakers are demanding that these companies get "profitable", i.e., get their ratings back to where they were, so the widgetmakers can unload them on the first hayshakers they run across who think the companies still have value.
Remember that when Paddy Chayefsky was interviewed about "Network" 48 years ago, he was asked if he was "predicting the future," to which he replied, "No, I'm talking about today." And everything in that movie is still true. If they thought they could bring back 100 viewers, they would make an exact copy of "the Howard Beale Show."
They don't give a rat's ass about truth or lies, they can say either one, just tell them what you want to hear. The only song they listen to is "Money Money".
NBC’s hiring of Ronna McDaniel is not inexplicable. It’s all about the Benjamins. I’ll stop watching any NBC program including MSNBC so long as McDaniel is employed. I suggest we all do the same.
Math teacher here!
You write
“That’s right, the appellate division reduced Trump's bond by nearly a third and did not provide a word of explanation. “
The situation in even more extreme!
$175M is about 39% of $454M, so the bond was cut by over 60% and is now less than 40% of what it was. One could fairly describe this as
Cutting the bond BY substantially MORE than half
OR
Cutting the bond TO substantially LESS than half
You got the amount of explanation perfect though: 0.
Rachel was right our country needs us to be strong now. That means for all of us to keep doing what we are doing everyday. Trump’s show and rhetoric has become boring and ineffective and most people are not paying attention and it’s only going to get worse. Notice the Biden Administration is pushing back harder and calling Trump out. The question that should be asked everyday is “ If Trump innocent as he claims why isn’t he rushing into court to prove his innocence?” Innocent defendants don’t try and delay their day in court.
Mary Trump⬇️
“But then I spoke to legal expert and fellow Nerd Avenger Jen Taub. Her perspective helped me understand that the real problem wasn’t that the New York Court of Appeals reduced Donald’s bond, though we can still be angry — it’s that the media once again bent over backwards to make us think that Donald had won. That is not what happened today, and by the time you get to the end of this piece, you’ll have some confidence that justice may actually be coming.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/marytrump/p/now-judge-shuts-down-donalds-lawyers?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Rachel Maddow has been one of my favorite commentators for almost a decade now. Glad to see Robert quoted her and also agree that it's "good advice for all of us: “Our country needs us to be strong right now.”"
Dear NBC Executive,
I am writing this email to report a mistake as suggested on your website. The mistake is in hiring an election denying and dishonest person to be a contributing journalist at NBC. Ronna McDaniel cannot be trusted as she spread election denial lies and was involved in a pressure campaign to get Michigan officials to not certify the vote. This is a breach of trust for those of us who have previously trusted MSNBC and NBC as a media source. To quote you, Carrie Budoff Brown, "it couldn't be a more important time to have a voice like Ronna's on the team..." Wrong. It couldn't be a more important time to have honest voices in the press. What a huge disappointment. I will not be viewing any of your programs as long as this hire stands.
Sincerely,
Margaret G
Lake Placid, NY
Musical hint for the GOP ...
Just because you all are singing the same song in unison doesn't make it a national hit..
Here’s my contribution to the email blizzard you set in motion yesterday re NBC and Ronna the beast: “Don’t put her on the air. Do you think she supports a free press? Do you think NBC will exist if Trump is elected? You are giving a platform to someone who supported a traitor. STOP THIS CRAP! ”
So appreciate your call for emails to those tone deaf executives. Let’s hope this form of in your face democracy works! Her slimy slithering lying “walking back” is so appalling….
There is a bit of rot in upper management at MSNBC. Remember a few years back he wanted to dump Lawrence? That was a nuclear reaction they had to pay attention to. Obviously MSNBC needs a lesson in democracy and paying attention the the voices of their solid followers in the country.
NBC is a long, long way from the Huntley and Brinkley days. That was an era when television networks abided by the FCC's fairness doctrine, where networks' news programming was kept separate from the entertainment and profit-making programming. That all changed starting in the 1980s, after the fairness doctrine was abolished during the Reagan Admin. Ever since network (and local tv and radio station) news is infotainment.