Essential Maddow: Four Almost Unbelievable Stories in One Night (and She's Got the Evidence)

by: KathyinBlacksburg

Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 10:09:47 AM EST

Last night was one of the best episodes of Rachel Maddow ever.  Some of the news was pretty hard to watch.  It contained some of the most amazing (and disturbing) news I've seen in a while.  That news included that:

• Some corporations (and the American Enterprise Institute) want no restrictions against slavery and child labor;
• Pete Hoeckstra leaked the secret information about Hassan (the Ft Hood shooter) sending emails to an imam overseas, and, thus, alerted the cleric that he was being watched;
• Blackwater may have offered a large bribe to remain in Iraq.
• And there's yet more evidence of astroturfing for big corporations hell-bent on denying us health care.

Slavery (and Child Labor) Prevention Language Draws Ire of Corporations AND the American Enterprise Institute!

There are times when there is only one word that's appropriate: evil.  Take a look at this story (video above).  While discussing changes to regulations to reign in financial abuses of corporations, Rachel shows the lengths some companies (and the AEI) will go to protect profits over children, and slavery over legal employment. The AEI screen shots show just how morally bankrupt is the so-called think-tank on this same subject.  The only tank there is it's being IN THE TANK for ruthless companies.  These companies do not deserve their  customers or the profits they make through exploitation.

Pete Hoekstra Leaks (Brain Fluid) Again
In a segment called "For Pete's Sake!" Rachel reveals that it was Pete Hoekstra who gave out the information that the Yemeni cleric who corresponded with the Ft. Hood shooter was being watched and his emails read.  What part of secret does the Congressman not get?  

Hoekstra obviously did this for political reasons.  [My aside: Other Repulicans picked this up and ran with it alleging that Barack Obama dropped the ball, when the email exchange occurred in the Bush administration.] As Chris Hayes says, this guy is a grandstander. Hoekstra has even previously and falsely alleged that Obama is "at war" with the intelligence agency (CIA). He falsely accused Nancy Pelosi of lying about the CIA.  Yet it is Hoekstra who reveals its secrets.   This is not the first time.  He once  revealed a document and falsely  purported it proved that the weapons of mass destruction had been found.  But you have to wonder how low he'll stoop in revealing information that should not be disclosed and how Hoekstra-centric this congressman thinks the world really is.  He flew home to campaign for governor this past weekend and then railed that he wasn't briefed in Washington.  I am mystified how this guy even gets to read classified material.  

DCI: More Astroturfing

They bring us fake grassroots support and fake "news."  They fight anything ordinary people care about. Now DCI and its sponsors, such as Exxon Mobil and Verizon, are trying to sink health care.  This is a great backgrounder (video below).  Take a look.