Yes, it's me again... not sending a 'mail' message, because you have not responded to any I have sent in the last 2+ years. PLEASE, PLEASE eliminate ExxonMobil ads from Rachel Maddow's show! i am a true FAN of hers, and even she has done extensive coverage against EM's oil sands projects, etc. How can I eliminate this and other ads from her show? or at least, show less offensive ones? Even ads for toilet paper would be acceptable, albeit reluctantly!

I don't know where to post this, but I hope that here is as good a place as any.

Assertions: Obama, though infinitely better than the current alternative, has proven to be at best a moderate. His general argument style seems to be one of "I believe in Position A, Republicans believe in Position I, so let's just meet in the middle Position E." Republicans then proceed to argue for position J, then K, (Etc...) on up to position Z and no matter how many times they shift, Obama follows them up through at least M. But since Republicans view Obama as the proverbial anti-Christ and have vowed to defeat him at any and all costs, they have given up on even the pretense of actual governing. Seriously, just how often do we have to hear about either an ex-Republican or former Moderate Republican's position now being right in-line with Obama's views before we realize that we have already lost... Moderate positions of yesteryear are now considered today's ultra-left-wing socialist commie whatever insult views. It's ridiculous. But whatever Obama's faults, Democrats writ large seem to be even worse, especially in the Senate. The 2010 elections were a nightmare for liberals, but we had this unbelievable gift in the form of keeping the Senate. We screamed as loudly as we could for the rules to be changed so that there could at least be a hope that at least the Senate business regarding confirmations could get done, but did most of the Democrats in the Senate listen? So, we've had complete and utter gridlock in Congress, and have played right into the hands of those who believe that Government can't work effectively and therefore needs to be reduced/eliminated where possible. Our only hope to combat this is information to educate people and that's extremely hard to do when there are so many moneyed interests intent on misinforming the public.

I hope that Wisconsin goes well and we hand the Republicans a crushing defeat, but I fear that they've already won. Money is such a meaningless commodity to those who have so much of it. It's all just an investment to them and even if they don't win, they always have degrees of success that justify their investments.

I wish that we on the left had even half the success that the righties have had in shifting the center of the debate. In what sane world do we find ourselves where de-funding planned parenthood is a position that succeeds in so many places?!? I dunno.

Sorry for the rambling but I needed to vent to the internet...

Oil and oil paintings

When Bush Junior pulled back the cover from the portrait of himself this week, I was so hoping it was to be of chain saw skills he had demonstrated for the most of his first six months in office as President. Can anyone say, puppet ?

@Summer_Ash is awesome. That is all.

Dear Rachel and the folks at TRMS,
First: I would take this opportunity to commend the TRMS staff member who clearly did such a fabulous job advising you on the segment about the transit of Venus - and who also helped explain the technical bits so well at the end. I really want to say how very cool it is that your show is giving employment to an astrophysicist... That mere fact does my geeky-little heart good...

How-some-ever, second: [Heavy SIGH here...] As someone who double-majored in Physics and Astronomy, minored in History of Science - and was employed for 12 years to create, among other things, astronomy shows for Pacific Science Center's Planetarium, may I also point out that you totally should have listened to your expert about that pronunciation issue. Sadly, you fell into the trap that so many others have over the years, by mispronouncing the name of Sir Edmund HALLEY - YES! It really does rhyme with SALLY... Why are Americans so inclined to do this? Why does "Halley" - rhymes with Sally - just 'sound wrong' to our ears? Answer: Well, Marketing is everything, don't you know, and when some guy called, "Bill Haley" (NB: One "L") came along in the early fifties and wanted to start a Rock n Roll band, he figured "Bill Haley and his Comets" would be just the ticket - and the rest is history - rock n roll history - not science history.
- In the whole grand scheme of things, of course, how much does it really matter? After all, Sir Edmund can't hear you mispronounce his name - he been dead for over 250 years. One has to wonder, however, how much it would irk Ms Maddow if folks started pronouncing her name, "Made-ow"? Just sayin'...

People keep wondering what the bible is about; well it is really much simpler than you think. In a nutshell, it is basically about our human nature. People wrote about how they were and their experiences they had in their own way of what their human nature was with very little knowledge available. They tried their best to explain what they saw or experienced, but still couldn’t quite get it right. And probably why Jesus knew too well that it would be some future time like now that he would be better understood. But still there is one additional comment that does need to be made and that is the bible is not really complete. If one wants to fully understand what this is about, you have to read all the gospels about Jesus and not just the ones in the so-called bible to see that there really is a greater acceptance of all people in what it is to be Christian. And we do need to learn and do the better things of our human nature more than to promote the worst of our human nature. Meaning, we help all people, especially the poor, instead of putting limits on them that causes despair like the lack of financial help, food, birth control, allowing them to make their own choices, better education, etc.

Just an observation about corporations v. unions. It never seems to be pointed out that when a corporation donates $$, it is expressing the views of just a few, a ceo/ board of directors and/or shareholders; when a union PAC donates $$, it is the views of hundreds or even thousands of individual members freely choosing to pool their resources. When Rachel shows the chart of donations to each party, it seems as though corporations and unions are on equal footing as to who they represent.

Summer rocked the house. Love the fact that there's a resident astro-physicist (though we also do have a genuine nuclear physicist posting on these boards too-- let's tap that person too!)

What other experts represent the geek-depth of the Maddow team? Is there a whole Posse? Should there be one? How many disciplines should be represented?

Bill Moyers always did something similar, and it is one reason his work drew me like a magnet. Instead of just "booking" the usual cable/PBS talkers, Moyers brought in poets, literary essayists, theologians, literature teachers, anthropologists, even rhetoricians (Kathleen Hall Jameson, anyone? Bring her on Maddow! Flackcheck.com rocks). He has always made an overt attempt to tap into real expertise and to raise the level of conversation, instead of dumbing everything down to some kind of lowest common denominator broadcast industry BS that carries the day more often than not.

When that kind of thinking becomes "common wisdom," however, no one mentions that lowest common denominator THINKING often means thinking reduced to the level of inane stupidity. Transform that average, unremarkable inane stupidity into the coin of the realm, the vox populi of the day, the VOICE of the POLIS, and what do you get? A stupid polis. Fancy that.

Until Maddow came along.

What makes TRMS so special ? ?

Is it the basic up-beat presentation ? Or , maybe the respect they demonstrate in trying to supply enough intelligent information for me to actually make up my own mind ? Could it be because some of TRMS’s subject coverage take on the feel of a mystery novel ? Maybe it be because I sometimes find myself smiling and giving TRMS an enthusiastic thumbs-ups when covering certain news ? No . . .that‘s not it. It can only be because everyone wants to take the quiz at the end !. . . ..ok . . .I want a quiz at the end. . . ? After watching any episode of TRMS, I feel smarter. Please give me the test now before I forget it.

On a different note:: If you ask my girl friend, she insists that I have a crush on Rachel Maddow. That is totally not true. Just because I sometimes say that Rachel reminds me of my amazing tenth grade history teacher from the 1970‘s ? Or just because I am a bit disappointed when the show sometimes has a substitute sit in for the Rachel ? That is only because Rachel explains stuff better.. . . that’s all . . .And yes, I maybe looking for a four foot tall poster of Rachel for my living room wall, but it will be right next to my Chris Matthews poster.!!! . .So . . .what are you saying Madelyn ?

Fascism is defined as a system in which an authoritive government imposes economic control over its citizens, under the influence of Big Business. I would like to see a complex and thoughtful discussion of this issue, vis-a-vis today's Republican Party and recent or current Republican administrations. TRMS seems to be the ideal place for such a discussion. How about it?

Fascism is defined as a system in which an authoritative government imposes economic control over its citizens, under the influence of Big Business. I would like to see a comprehensive and thoughtful discussion of this issue, vis-a-vis today's Republican Party and recent and current Republican administrations. TRMS seems to be the ideal place for such a discussion. How about it?

CymES: Yes, it was nice that there was a segment on the June 1 show about the transit of Venus. Besides the mispronunciation of "Halley," it was disappointing that the solar system model that was used showed the inner three planets revolving around the Sun in a different direction than the outer planets. All the planets revolve around the Sun in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Sun's north pole.

Sooo... has Obama shown up to support Wisconsin unions and worker's rights? Where the hell is that man? We elected a leader didn't we? -Isn't he our leader? This is a war for what America will stand for next year. It's a war to defend our rights and our families' interests. Wars need leaders, and our leader needs to show up and be seen and heard where the pivotal battles are being fought.

Here's the truth: This war has got to be fought on the same terms and at the same level as the opposition. If they want to fight in the streets, we have got to meet them there with axe handles. If they want to use their money to drag us through the gutter with smears and lies, we have to fight their underhanded efforts with something bigger, like dynamite and flame-throwers.

Here's what I know about the opposition. They are true believers. Convinced their cause is right and just, they now believe the ends justify the means. They are willing to do anything to win. Political ethics mean nothing to them. They are willing to undermine and eliminate voting rights that have served this democracy since blacks and women won the right to vote. They are willing to run their own candidates as fake democrats on our ballots. They are willing to lie. They are willing to smear. They are willing to intimidate. At their worst, they are willing to shoot people in churches and use bombs as terror weapons.

To combat this sorry situation, our leader needs to command some respect. Our leader must be willing to blacken some eyes and break some noses. They are killing us out here every day, -and what have we got? We've got less than nothing. We've got a leader who dicked us around for 3 years. We've got a leader sitting alone at a diplomatic table somewhere looking for another political compromise with an enemy that takes no prisoners.

STAND UP OBAMA! STAND UP OBAMA! STAND UP OBAMA! -Remember we put you in power, and we can damn sure remove you. All we have to do is exactly what you've done for us. -Nothing.

Dear Rachael,

Thank you for extricating the cogency from the confusing cacophony referred to as our modern politics.

Yours truly,

WynantNY