Rather: Wendy Davis Likely to Lose, But 'Let Her Rip' at 'Hardcore Con

On Friday's Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, Dan Rather poured cold water on Wendy Davis' chances of winning the Texas gubernatorial race, but maintained a glimmer of hope: "I'm not predicting she'll win. If you have to bet the trailer money, you bet she loses. But overnight's a long time in politics – a week is forever – and we're talking about an election that doesn't happen [until] a year from…
Matthew Balan
October 8th, 2013 3:56 PM

GOP Congressman Decimates Andrea Mitchell and Slams 'Pathetic News Rep

[***UPDATED*** 17:30 ET: More analysis and full transcript added] Appearing on Andrea Mitchell's MSNBC 1 p.m. ET hour show on Tuesday, Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy slammed the press for not doing its job in pointing out the hypocrisy of ObamaCare being delayed for certain groups but not for all Americans: "...the media won't even ask the question about, 'Why are you [the Obama administration…
Kyle Drennen
October 8th, 2013 3:21 PM

Hollywood Uses Influence to Push Obamacare, Denies It Has Influence on

Celebrities mobilize over 67 million Twitter users to ‘Get Covered’ by president’s health insurance plan.
Kristine Marsh
October 8th, 2013 3:13 PM

WashPost Reports ATF Attempt to Spike Whistleblower's 'Fast and Furiou

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has put the kibosh on a book by whistleblower John Dodson not because he would disclose any sensitive, classified information but rather "because the agency says it would hurt morale," reported Washington Post staffer Sari Horwitz in Tuesday's paper in her 16-paragraph story, "ATF rejects 'Fast and Furious' book." While…
Ken Shepherd
October 8th, 2013 1:30 PM

CNN Belief Blog Attacks O'Reilly's Jesus Book 'Flubs,' But Came to Mus

CNN's routine marketing lie is that they're the centrist network that doesn't take sides. In July, CNN's Belief Blog promoted Muslim creative-writing professor Reza Aslan's book about Jesus. CNN contributor Stephen Prothero wrote a Fox News-"correcting" article titled "What Reza Aslan actually says about Jesus" and they published Aslan's own piece on "Why I Write About Jesus." But when it…
Tim Graham
October 8th, 2013 1:18 PM

'View' Crew Love 9/11 Truther Jesse Ventura: Run for President

  ABC's mid-morning talk show The View has repeatedly featured anchors and guests who promote the debunked 9/11 truther movement. That tradition continued on Tuesday as conspiracy theorist Jesse Ventura appeared as a co-host. Although Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy avoided Ventura's September 11th beliefs, the former Minnesota governor expounded on his other favorite…
Scott Whitlock
October 8th, 2013 12:59 PM

CNN Interviews 'Fast and Furious' Whistleblower; Will Networks Follow

CNN scored an exclusive interview with a "Fast and Furious" whistleblower on Tuesday morning, and New Day co-host Chris Cuomo was intent on letting his guest tell his story that the Obama administration did not want him to tell. The guest, ATF agent John Dodson, wrote a book on the operation "Fast and Furious" but the government is blocking its publication. Cuomo's first question to Dodson…
Matt Hadro
October 8th, 2013 11:51 AM

MSNBC’s Alter Endorses Obama Team's Slam of Boehner: He ‘Can’t E

MSNBC contributor Jonathan Alter on Saturday continued the liberal media pattern of siding with the Obama administration on the current government shutdown. Appearing on Weekends with Alex Witt, Alter claimed that House Speaker John Boehner is not acting in a “patriotic fashion” and “can’t even deliver a pizza,” as Team Obama says. Fill-in host Mara Schiavocampo had asked Alter about the…
Paul Bremmer
October 8th, 2013 11:42 AM

WaPo, USA Today Declare Redskins’ Name Debate Over

Well Redskins fans, it’s over. The ruling has been handed down from on high – The Washington Post and USA Today. They’ve got a foam finger for you, but it’s not the index and you’re certainly not #1 to them, and they’re the ones who matter. They’ve decided your team name will change. They got some help last week from President Obama, who took a break from refusing to negotiate with…
Matt Philbin
October 8th, 2013 11:22 AM

Open Thread Tuesday

Discuss the news of the day or anything else you'd like...
NB Staff
October 8th, 2013 9:58 AM

Why Is The Government Now Spending Millions For PBS to Take On Establi

Back in the 1960s, PBS was created to fill a hole in the market for educational television. So it’s strange to read The Washington Post and find PBS trying to finagle its way into a crowded market of digital and mobile apps in 2013. Reporter Cecelia Kang began: “On television, Big Bird stands tall among children’s shows. But on the iPad, he is just a little chick.” Kang says PBS is hoping for…
Tim Graham
October 8th, 2013 9:09 AM

Carl Bernstein's Complaint: Media Too Fair To Republicans

Poor Carl Bernstein: he's suffering a bad bout of MSM nostalgia. He longs for the good old media days when the news was dominated by the likes of the New York Times, the Washington Post and the then three broadcast networks. They could slam Republicans with impunity, without any conservative media counterweight. In covering the shutdown, today's media culture, kvetches Carl, is just too darn…
Mark Finkelstein
October 8th, 2013 7:53 AM

Can The Blacklist Keep the Mystery

A look at what makes The Blacklist great.
Evan Mantel
October 8th, 2013 4:44 AM

MSNBC's Hayes: Wendy Davis for Gov is 'Matter of Life and Death for Ma

On Friday's All In show, as Chris Hayes celebrated Texas Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis's announcement that she will run for governor, the MSNBC host characterized her run as "literally a matter of life or death for many Texans," as he lambasted Texas Republicans for opposing Medicaid expansion. Hayes took a shot at Republican Senator Ted Cruz as he rejoiced in Davis's infamous…
Brad Wilmouth
October 7th, 2013 11:51 PM