Rachel Maddows will not back down from Koch Brothers attack machine

[UCmeNdc]

No matter how hard they try, Rachel Maddow is not going to read the Koch Brothers' script.

Here's how this whole thing started. In late December, Rachel did a segment on how the Kochs buy their economic studies reinforcing conservative ideas. They do this by donating huge sums to universities and demanding the right to hire faculty who think like they do. That report is here.

Apparently the Kochs didn't appreciate her reporting, because for some bizarre reason they don't mind throwing billions around the political universe but shy away from receiving credit for it. So they had their lawyers send Rachel a letter, and boy was it a doozy, as you'll see in the segment. It included a demand that she read a prepared script by the lawyers retracting her report and apologizing for it.

She did not apologize. I believe her exact words were "I will not renounce or retract reporting that is true, even if the subjects of that reporting don't like it." As for the script, she let them know she does "not read scripts provided to me by anyone else. I don't do requests."

She also reminded them that if they don't like it when the truth is brought to light, they should just stop doing those things that generate attention.

The only thing she forgot was the part where she informed her audience that the Kochs are a couple of libertarian thugs with big wallets and emptier heads. The only thing bigger than their own egos might be their bank accounts.

- See more at: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/rachel-maddows-epic-koch-brothers#sthash.JzL5aO1n.dpuf

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/rachel-maddows-epic-koch-brothers

[Lint Head]

1. I love Rachel sooooooooooo much!

[NYC_SKP]

2. Recommended. (nt)

[nilram]

3. Thanks, so awesome. k&r

[JohnnyRingo]

4. K 'n R

Thanx for posting!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. Here's hoping they try this on Jon Stewart.

[Cleita]

27. Oh Gawd! I want a ring side seat for that. n/t

[Kablooie]

6. Besides her steadfast reporting I love that she often finds new angles to popular news items.

You will hear the same thing over and over on other news shows but when she comes on the air she will usually have some background info that isn't being reported by other news sources.

It is genuine informative journalism.
Something that is very rare in today's media outlets.

[JDPriestly]

12. Yes. She is like one of those great teachers who bring wisdom. patience and those special

details that show you why and how events happened. She doesn't just tell you her opinion. She lets you know the facts that reveal why her opinion is right.

[Kablooie]

13. She also carefully researches her details before presenting them.

And will alway offer an apology or retraction if she discovers something was reported in error.

Her kind of honest journalism seems rare in today's tabloid and propaganda laced media.
It's kind of amazing that MSNBC allows her to do this.
The media moguls today usually stick their fingers into the news departments and muddy them up.

[defacto7]

7. Go Rachel!

R & K

[EileenFB]

8. Love Rachel but....

(it's awful to feel this way) but I do worry for her safety.

[SunSeeker]

9. She was amazing tonight. She totally baited them last night.

And the Kochs were stupid and arrogant enough to bite instead of ignore her. Well played, Ms. Maddow.

[xxqqqzme]

10. The latest

dust up w/ the kochs was her report last night over the failure of the drug testing of persons applying for assistance and the District Court ruling that Florida has to cease the testing. Last night she interviewed an ACLU representative beginning w/ her usual 'did I get anything wrong lead'. As the interview concluded, as his sound was being cut, he blurted out, "There's an error". (the error was Rachel said it was a Federal Court ruling) So today was the 'outrage' by the kochs calling her on her error and the insistence that she read their prepared script.

I guess until the kochs own their own 'news' outlet, they will just have to be happy w/ Rachel calling the shots, if M$NBC allows it. They validated the permafrost princess's Obamacare just like slavery ignorance by firing Martin Bashir. The kochs have mountains of more money to go after Rachel.

[oldandhappy]

11. She always has her facts!

Be Careful, Rachel. these guys play dirty.

[annabanana]

14. I expect to see the Koch boots kicking around MSNBC and NBC and anywhere

else they think they can buy leverage.

[farmbo]

15. Here's hoping they try to sue her for "slander"...

Since truth is a defense in a slander case, and Rachael would be entitled to broad discovery into their "dark money" financial dealings, that would be the greatest outcome possible.

Heck, if necessary we'll crowd source her defense and throw in a counterclaim along the way. She'll have 3 years of new stories on the vast RW conspiracy they oversee.

Even the Koch's aren't that dumb. This is a rank attempt at prior restraint.

They're just Bullies and cowards who have sic'd their lawyers on Rachael to try get her to pull her punches.

[imthevicar]

16. Dear Rachel,

Please stay out of small Airplanes.
Signed,
A Fan

[rurallib]

17. If MSNBC someday decides Rachel is no longer a fit

and I suspect that day gets closer all the time ........
remember there is Free Speech TV. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have an hour of Rachel with no commercials?

[DFW]

19. You can put your suspicions to rest for now

I was at a gathering with MSNBC's Krystal Ball for four days over New Year's, and she said that MSNBC considers Rachel to be their star, their flagship and their standard bearer. We have more to fear from the Kochs engineering a gas leak explosion in her apartment building than we do from MSNBC ditching their biggest breadwinner.

[Leith]

22. That Sounds Great Except...

so were Keith Olbermann and Phil Donahue.

Did I hear recently that the highest rated news/opinion show was Hardball with Chris Matthews?

Stand by for more to come in this story. It ain't over yet.

[DFW]

25. Point taken

I don't get U.S. TV anyway, so all of what I see is just from links to clips that people send me.

However, I figure Krystal, working there full time, probably knows what is going on. We are going to try to get together while I'm in New York, maybe even at 30 Rock before or after her show, and I'll learn more. My hotel is about a ten minute walk from there. I wouldn't mind hanging with Rachel for a few, either

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. Or have her run for Congress?

[Gothmog]

18. Rachel was great last night

Rachel likes to stand up to lawyers.

As a lawyer, the Kochs were poorly represented if a any lawyer told them that they had a chance of convincing Rachel Maddow to read their script. A good lawyer should have been able to convince their client to be reasonable in their demand.

[TexasTowelie]

39. However, there are plenty of people that can't understand the meaning of "no".

You can't blame the Koch's lawyers when their clients are obstinate assholes.

[openfield]

20. I'm not a fan of hers

But kudos for going after these bastards.

[Curmudgeoness]

21. Tell us why you aren't a fan.

I think that we need ten more of her.

[Stuckinthebush]

24. 10 more of Maddow??? Lord!

That's not going to be enough.

I'm thinking thousands.

[winter is coming]

23. It would be sweet if she could massage this into one of her commercials for MSNBC.

The additional exposure would make the Koch brothers' heads explode.

[RKP5637]

26. If all of MSM were like her we would be far into the future than koch crap. I'm pleased

more are seeing what these jerks are about. Yes, they are thugs and of the worst kind.

[JNelson6563]

28. Wow! She's awesome!

Go girl!!

Julie

[Dawson Leery]

29. Rachel Maddow will not be silenced.

[catbyte]

30. It must gall those old geezer crook bastards that they can't intimidate her.

Rachel is a national treasure & a hero.

[another_liberal]

36. She should be in the U. S. Senate.

No doubt in my mind that she is qualified. It would be awful to lose her show, but I would make that sacrifice.

[catbyte]

37. No doubt about it, she & Elizabeth Warren together would be a force to be

reckoned with.

[tofuandbeer]

38. +1

[Cha]

31. NOthing uglier than a whining

Koch except maybe two of them.

Now because of their whining their sneaky crap is getting more Exposed.. thanks Kochs.

Thank you, Rachel!

Thank you, UCmeNdc

[TRoN33]

33. Guys and gals... Hypocrisy ALERT!

Did you all know that Koch brothers were the main driving force that pushed for Supreme Court to allow news to lie during live air? This ruling was designed for the Fox News' bullshot on milk's impact on health. Rupert couldn't had done it if he didn't received the hep by Koch brothers.

Now if Koch brothers doesn't like what Rachel Maddow said about their shady businesses, then they should reconsider that bullshot ruling by Supreme Court.

For Koch brothers, hypocrisy works in all of the directions from their own center of their own universe. The worse part? They already show the obvious sign that they want to be the gods of this world.

[greiner3]

34. This is just one more attack on MSNBC;

And a few of them are being all but cheered by some on this board.

[another_liberal]

35. I will sign a petition in support of her.

If things get rough and she establishes a defense fund, I will donate.