Rachel Maddow's Criticism of GOP Medicare Overhaul Feebly Limited to Word 'Kill'

May 20th, 2011 8:59 PM

Wow, talk about digging deep.

Then again, Rachel Maddow's critique of Congressman Paul Ryan's proposed reform of Medicare did extend beyond the word "kill." It also included the words "killed" and "killing."

Just how the GOP plan does this Maddow didn't say on her MSNBC show last night, what with inconvenient facts lying in wait to undermine her allegation of homicide.

She decided instead to repeat the same thing over and over, nine times in the first 11 minutes of the program,  as if repetition will make her wishes come true (video after page break) --

Mr. Gingrich's downfall was criticizing the Republican Paul Ryan kill-Medicare plan. ... But there's also an unexpectedly strong challenge from the Democratic candidate whose political traction is being attributed to the fact that she seems to be a pretty good candidate, and also, the Republican in the race said she agreed with Paul Ryan on killing Medicare. ... What they tried to do as their closing argument in this district this week for this Republican candidate, Jane Corwin, who is struggling because she said she'd vote to kill Medicare ... This is what happened at an Allen West town hall event in his home district on Tuesday when his own constituents got angry at him about his vote to kill Medicare. ... In the House, Lord knows why, but House Speaker John Boehner had all of the Republicans in the House go on record and cast a vote on the Paul Ryan kill-Medicare thing, so the 235 out of 239 House Republicans who voted for this thing are all vulnerable to that kind of anger from any of their constituents who don't want  Medicare killed. ... Which is very good news for somebody like Republican senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts. Scott Brown of Massachusetts has spent the last week trying to unravel himself from the human knot he tied himself into on the Paul Ryan kill-Medicare thing. ... If you want to see just how much this Republican Paul Ryan kill-Medicare thing has taken over U.S. politics right now, you have to look at the Democrats too. ... Nancy Pelosi this week has gone to Paul Ryanville. Nancy Pelosi is in Wisconsin making sure that Paul Ryan and his kill-Medicare plan stays on the front pages as much and as long as possible.

At the end of the segment, Maddow held up a cellphone playing ABBA's "Dancing Queen," an allusion to the song being Newt Gingrich's ring tone, as reported by the AP. "You know, when you repeat it like that -- Medicare, Medicare, Medicare --- it kind of has a nice ... Medi- ..." Maddow said, her voice trailing off and giving way to a giggle.

And when you repeat "kill Medicare," kill Medicare," "kill Medicare" while offering nothing more, observers may conclude you've morphed from a pundit to a parrot.