It looks like MSNBC has about 6 or 7 too many reporters. That was fine when there was breaking news all the time during the election but now they seem to be getting in each other's way. How many more stories about the meetings or interviews will we have to suffer through regarding Blago and alleged connections to the Obama team? Enough already. Either find those extra reporters other things to write about or lay them off.

In other pay-for-play news, for the second time I've heard the state agency implicated in the emerging Richardson scandal as the "New Mexico Finance Authority".  I'm confused - we have a Department of Finance and Administration and a Mortgage Finance Authority (which is actually a quasi-governmental agency).  Which one is it?

MSNBC Doughboys Todd, Matthews & Co.  KEEP trying to make this Blago creep an issue.  It ISN'T.  the "O" team is TOO SMART to EVER be involved with this insane and profane sucker.  This isn't the "W" team of GWB number two and Darth Cheney that they have been used to sucking up to with NON reporting.

Get a life and reset your caps for the new administration.  To keep trying to marginalize Obama and his Admin. and CONTINUALLY spin this garbage is INSULTING. Period.  Try investigating the BANKS and what they are doing with the U. S. taxpayer funded BILLIONS they are mis-using instead.  DO your JOBS and report what is IMPORTANT for a change.

Blago is in his own mess!!

Perhaps the most interesting and intriguing part of this story is that there really isn't anything interesting or intriguing about it!!!

wooop"s

FR - this is for Rachel Maddow - I like your show and you do an outstanding job.

However, don't let your displeasure with Rick Warren cloud your vision.

If you want to continue this bashing of Rick Warren in the hopes of Barack Obama disowning him or to retract his offered to him - it won't happen.

And you are wrong – the only person in the media that is really paying attention to Rick Warren at this point is - YOU.

Let it go - be happy with who you are and don't make your show an avenue for gay rights.

Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

FR - this is for Rachel Maddow - I like your show and you do an outstanding job.

However, don't let your displeasure with Rick Warren cloud your vision.

If you want to continue this bashing of Rick Warren in the hopes of Barack Obama disowning him or to retract his offered to him - it won't happen.

And you are wrong – the only person in the media that is really paying attention to Rick Warren at this point is - YOU.

Let it go - be happy with who you are and don't make your show an avenue for gay rights.

Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

Poor Moaning Joe, He just cant get a good ole nasty scandal on PE Obama. I know he will keep on trying untill something will stick, I didnt hear him say anything about PE Obama having his shirt off yesterday. I was sure he would try to make something out of that. So that you know Moaning Joe is the worst show that MSNBC has. I do appreciate Pat B. a lot more than I used to, He has a lot to say about our economy that makes sense, saw him and some woman from Atlanta last night, and he made alot of sense about our manufactoring industry ( lack of). I see Pat B. becoming a admirer of PE Obmam as He goes about the work of making our country a better place to live, infrastructure, jobs, health care,education.
 He really needs to keep his promise to raise taxes on the rich, 36% to 39%, it wont hurt them, and it will help the country. Another promise he needs to keep, get us out of Iraq, another promise close Gitmo.
To everyone on First Read,  Have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!!!
marty

more proof that no one in the obama/biden transition team was even considering anything illegal. it is sad that we are still conversating about the subject. i guess when news is slow msnbc has to keep something going.

It looks like the gossip mongers are trying soooooo hard to find any little crumb to latch onto and blow out of proportion. Unfortunately they keep getting egg on their faces. They fall flat on those faces as they find nothing and look foolish for even trying. It looks like there are way too many "reporters" at MSNBC. Maybe some should go the way of the unemmployment line if they can't be assigned to places with real news. Then when something does require more people move them around. Flexibility is crucial when chasing the news. Please stop the gossip mongering. Or go work for National Enquirer.

wow. now we want to make up a scandal on bill richardson. amazing. moaning joe has become a real obama basher. he is going to be hosting his own right wing radio show soon. that's right. he will be joining limbaugh, rudy, and thompson. joe's true colors are becoming brighter. obama will get out of iraq. i think the tax thing will haooen, but after the economy get back on track. he is definitely closing gitmo.

Merry Christmas MSNBC, Chuck Todd my man - I listened to the clip of you talking about this Blagojevich story.

Come on Chuck - just because we like you - doesn't mean you can feed us a bunch of bull.

I totally disagree with you - PE Obama doesn't have to say anything else about this man or he and his staff interactions or less there of - it's over.

You media folks - can't keep this going in hopes of something juicy to happen later on.

Focus!! - Your opinions are welcomed - but don’t overdo it or you will look and become foolish.

Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

Thanks Marty, and I too like Pat B.  I learn so much about the history of politics from him!

Ditto:  Merry Christmas to all

This is a total non-story to the point where I begin to wonder if the major networks aren't all just a paid distraction.

Any of you news hounds notice that Bush's former IT manager - the one who'd know all about missing emails - is suddenly and thoroughly dead? I saw it on Russia TV. They report that Rove threatened him and his wife.

I'm reading some smart posts this morning.  Amen to get off the pot about a connection between Obama and Blago.  Winky has it right.  Why aren't we hearing about what the Banks are doing with the billions they were given.  None of them really know where the money has gone and cannot account for much of it.  Why isn't MSNBC investigating that?  It's taxpayers dollars (including each and every reporter's tax dollars) and yet we continue to hear so called "reporters" like Joe S. try to start a scandal before Obama has even taken office.  That is not responsible reporting.
The Gay Community needs to let the Warren issue go.  If the gay community expected Obama to select only people supportive of their movement, then they live in fantasyland.  Things will change, just don't push it on us like some religious people feel the need to do with religion.  People are more open to views when they're not shoved down our throats.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

What I find interesting is all this hatred directed at the reporters.  Should they simply ignore everything that may tarnish the messiahic image of our beloved (future) leader?  Perhaps you all think there should be a law preventing them from reporting the news they see fit to report.  Oh wait, there is that troublesome First Amendment thing...

This stuff is boring. I want to hear some Bubba tapes when he was Governor of Arkansas.

We can continue to analysis the minute details of this case, but whne it's all done we'll have only one criminal going to jail...http://www.enewsreference.wordpress.com

President-Elect Obama is an oxymoron.....An honest politician. All we ask of him and his team is the truth, warts and all. It might not be pretty to look at, but it must be the truth. In solving any kind of problem the truth pinpoints the direction to take, anything else is a waste of time.    MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND HOPE YOU HAVE A BETTER NEW YEAR!!!....and that's the truth.

The banks won't tell us what happened to the taxpayers money , CEO's are still getting bonuses , wages are at a standstill , people are losing jobs left and right-------and all you can talk about is a normal call between the President-Elect and his Governor . Stop nitpicking ! Show me the money!!!!!
mildred , shreveport, louisiana

Here's a story:

'...Eighty-two percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday morning approve of the way the Obama is handling his presidential transition. That's up 3 points from when we asked this question at the beginning of December. Fifteen percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way Obama's handling his transition, down 3 points from our last poll.

The 82 percent approval is higher than then President-elect George W. Bush 8 years ago, who had a 65 percent transition approval rating, and Bill Clinton, at 67 percent in 1992.


"Barack Obama is having a better honeymoon with the American public than any incoming president in the past three decades. He's putting up better numbers, usually by double digits, than Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, or either George Bush on every item traditionally measured in transition polls," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland...'


Higher than Ronnie Reagan !!
Pretty impressive
Presumably, the Rick Warren flap-doodle will not do permanent damage


But, will his stimulus package get passed intact?
And, will it be effective ?

Will his popularity and the collaspe of conservative economic policies allow him to institute needed freorms >

What are those 'reforms' that Obama will propose/enact?

Anti-trust ?
Our industries have become so concentrated, there is no competition
When corporations become 'too big to fail',
They become TOO BIG !!
Why did Clinton allow MASSIVE MEDIA MONOPOLIES?

Needed Regulation?
Poisoned baby food anyone ?
The lack of regulation has endangered our children, our pets and ourselves
Perscription drugs are being flogged without safety testing, 'Frankenfoods' (or Genetically Modified Organizisms (Great sci-fi plot)) are un-tested and dangerous (see BGH for cows)

Tax reform?
Under Clinton and Bush, the rich get richer and the middle class suffer
We Obama be able to change this ?

'Fair Trade'?
So called 'Free trade' has hollowed out our manufacturing base
Notice that Southern states are SUBSIDIZING foreign auto makers and forbidding union organization
How many low wage, low benefits worker DON'T WANT Unions?
Not many

Mass Transit?
Now is the time to push for mass transit
Light rail subways work on so many levels
Environment, saving fossil fuels, spurring the economy


Let's hope the media/infotainment undustry will pay some attention to these issues
(assuming Brittney or Angelina don't so something amazing, (maybe date Blago !))

Stay tuned

CHUCK AND CO WORKERS YOU HAVE GOTTEN ALL THE JUICE OUT OF THIS STORY AS POSSIBLE YOU AND CAMPBELL FROM CNN. HEY GUYS THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES YOU COULD REPORT ABOUT PEOPLE ARE REALLY HURTING THEY ARE NOT LISTEN TO YOU ON THIS CONNECTION YOU ARE TRYING TO PUSH. IT IS SO HARD TO TAKE OF OUR FAMILY NOW I DON'T YOU KNOW . YOU GUYS ARE SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE CATCH UP SAY REAL AND SOMETHING WE CAN USE OH ANOTHER THING I LIVE IN CHICAGO I LIKE THE FACT THAT OLD GIRL LYNN SWEET IS GETTING HER FIFTEEN MINUTE IN SUN BUT SHE IS GOP  SHE WILL ALWAYS FIND OR SAY SOME THING TO CONNECT PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA TO THAT IS HER MISSION . HERE IS A TIP NOBODY HERE IN CHICAGO LISTENS OR READS HER COLUMN.

The man is not working with a full deck.

I agree on the comment about Rachel Maddow.  When the issues are dividing the country, and your show becomes "your agenda", I stop watching the show, and that includes Sean Hannity as well as Ms. Maddow.

Also --- To Joe Scarborough...I love you too, but what happened between you and Rahm to make you so unhappy with him?

I wish the media would get off all this Obama bashing. It is becoming very boring and unproductive.  Let's talk about the important stuff like the ecomony, our country, Iraq, etc.  Lets start pulling together.

Also re:Rachel Maddow:  I agree with not concentrating too much on Rick Warren.  Everyone must realize that everyone else is probably not going to agree with them on everything 100% of the time. It is going to happen then that Obama will not do what they want 100% of the time.  That is okay as long as he is not working against their cause. That may happen too but that is different.  I like the fact that he is including Warren in his ceremony because he is at odds with some of his beliefs.  That is okay.  This is America. If he disincluded Warren that would offend people too.  In America we are allowed to think differently.  That is something people like.  So when they do think differently we need to realize it is okay.That includes the press and Rachel Maddow.  I like her show but if she gets too far one way like Hannity and Limbaugh have, that will not improve the show but move it to the gutter to where Hannity and Limbaugh have gone. Those shows are such a shame to middle America.    

I. too, am very tired of the media trying to make a conncection between Gov Blago and Obama.  I know it's a slow news time but let it go!  We expect it of FOX -they don't know any better!

And Rachel, though I love your show and listen to you faithfully, you also have to let the Warren bashing go.  I don't agree with anything he stands for either but didn't Pres Obama run on an inclusive theme?  Let's walk his talk and make it ours.

hey The - Democrat Soldier ...

Maybe Rachel Maddow WANTS her show to be "an avenue for gay rights."  Maybe she actually BELIEVES in equal rights for gay people, that if we relegate certain people to 2nd class citizenship that others, possibly even yourself, could be next.  Maybe she thinks it's actually important to speak out.

Perhaps she doesn't believe that gay rights should be shoved under the carpet so that polite society won't be bothered by its presence ... which is frankly what your comment telegraphs.

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