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Maddow Melts Down on HBO's Real Time: 'Leave Me Alone About RomneyCare, All of You'

By Noel Sheppard | June 23, 2012 | 15:51

A  A
Noel Sheppard's picture

MSNBC's supposedly most intelligent "news" anchor almost had a total meltdown on HBO's Real Time Friday.

When repeatedly asked by host Bill Maher and guest Nick Gillespie for her opinion of  Massachusetts' healthcare program, Maddow whined like a little girl, "Leave me alone about RomneyCare, all of you" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

BILL MAHER, HOST: Mitt Romney said on the campaign trail last week, he said, “We're going to get rid of ObamaCare and return to personal responsibility.” This is the return to personal responsibility is ObamaCare.

MARK RUFFALO, ACTOR: Which is why it was RomneyCare in the first place.

MAHER: Exactly.

NICK GILLESPIE, REASON: Wait, so now, so this is, to go back to the question, RomneyCare is something that you would agree with? You would say that’s a great Republican policy.

RUFFALO: Yes.

RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC: You don't know anything about me.

GILLESPIE: I’m just asking.

MADDOW: You should start making your arguments in places other than, “Here’s the thing I’m assuming about you."

GILLESPIE: I’m sorry, it’s because I haven’t read your book or anything you’ve written.

RUFFALO: Why do you keep picking on her?

MADDOW: Just start from a…

MAHER: Wait, you're not for RomneyCare?

MADDOW: Start from something that’s not about me. Make it on your own terms.

GILLESPIE: Wait, so are you a fan of RomneyCare?

MADDOW: What, make your point.

GILLESPIE: I'm sorry, I'm asking.

MAHER: You're not for RomneyCare?

GILLESPIE: You’re not for RomneyCare?

MADDOW: Leave me alone about RomneyCare, all of you.

GILLESPIE: That’s a f—king no to me. I don’t…

MADDOW: Listen, my job is to cover these things, not to tell you how I like them or not.

MAHER: Oh.

Did I mention that this is supposedly the most intelligent person at MSNBC if not all of NBC News?

Yet when asked a simple question about her position on RomneyCare, she became childish, defensive, and downright foolish.

It's especially odd given how often she's spoken about the Massachusetts healthcare program, and in rather glowing terms.

This was from MSNBC's coverage of January's Florida primary:

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

MADDOW: Congressman Tom Rooney, honorary co-chairman of Mitt Romney`s campaign in Florida. Congratulations to you tonight as a Mitt Romney supporter with Mitt Romney the projected winner of the Florida Republican primary tonight.

I should note, as a person who lives in Massachusetts, when I hear people say there are 92 percent of people covered under Romneycare, that's almost exactly the percent of people in Massachusetts covered under Romneycare, 92 percent of the people without insurance, because of Mitt Romney's good healthcare plan.

So on MSNBC, Maddow's comfortable calling it "Mitt Romney's good healthcare plan."

But when asked about this by Gillespie and Maher Friday night, she behaved like a kindergartner being taunted with a spider.

As for her claim, "My job is to cover these things, not to tell you how I like them or not," isn't calling RomneyCare "good" telling people she likes it?

In reality, the entire so-called "news" network she works for is full of people constantly telling viewers what they do and don't like rather than just "covering these things."

Any pretense to the contrary is preposterous. Judging from Maher's response, it appeared even he agreed.

I guess this is what happens when MSNBC's supposedly most intelligent anchor gets out of her comfort zone and is actually asked unscripted questions.

Kind of like President Obama without his trust teleprompter.

(HT NB reader John Watson)

To receive my articles hot off the presses follow me on Twitter ow.ly/btalc and Facebook ow.ly/btald.

— Noel Sheppard (@NoelSheppard) June 9, 2012

About the Author

Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Click here to follow Noel Sheppard on Twitter.
  • 2012 Presidential
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Stop Censoring The Gosnell Trial!

Comments

Note to Mad-dow: Putting on

Submitted by Slyrr on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:04pm.

Note to Mad-dow: Putting on a pair of exaggeratedly ugly glasses does NOT make you 'intelligent'. Thinking that liberalism is smart, however, DOES make you an idiot.

If a Liberal/Democrat politician/media figure wants to put their arms around you, or pat you on the back, all they're doing is looking for a good place to stick a knife.
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She's trying for that librarian look

Submitted by frank14 on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 6:45pm.

It drives her groupies wild.

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Except

Submitted by tvhall on Mon, 06/25/2012 - 12:12am.

When she takes off the glasses and lets down her hair she's even uglier.
No man would touch her and I wonder how she finds girlfriends!

***************************************************************************************** T.V. I love my country, it's my government I don't trust.
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How dumb

Submitted by DeclinesToState on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:08pm.

This lady tells her audience how she feels about issues constantly, but apparently can't answer a question.....

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Yep

Submitted by Galvanic on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 11:27pm.

She has trouble answering questions when she's not in control of the program.

And remember: she has a PhD.

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Piffle!

Submitted by Clyde Gatton on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 12:32am.

"...she has a PhD."

Pfffft...I can pile it higher and deeper too, lol.

V/R
Clyde

"...the aspirants to tyranny are either the...men of the state, who in democracies are demagogues,... or those who hold great offices, and have a long tenure.." - Aristotle, Politics, c350BC

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PHD in Man-hating maybe.

Submitted by Staying Normal ... on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 4:02am.

PHD in Man-hating maybe. She's being sued for some of her outrageous over-reaching twinsting on her own show, so reporting the truth isn't really a strength for her

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Lady?

Submitted by DoktorFranken on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 3:50am.

Please excuse me but I am new here. This guy is a lady?? Reals!?!?

(/sarc)

  • Login to post comments

The howler of the piece.....

Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:09pm.

Listen, my job is to cover these things, not to tell you how I like them or not.

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Uh-oh--someone needs a hug

Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:36pm.

Even if the Romney plan (smaller scope, diff time, and a state function not federal) was an abject failure, she is saying his name over and over. She can't win. Romney has "evolved" on this as a federal program--remember evolved? The other guy evolves a lot.

 

 

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The "other guy"?

Submitted by stratosaurus on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 1:35pm.

You wouldn't, by any chance, be referring to our illustrious emir, Odildo the Mad, would you? His "policies" evolve on a minute-by-minute basis, to suit the mood from whichever audience he's begging for more money. If you want a carved-in-stone, ain't-gon'-change answer, Clueless Leader is NOT the person to ask.

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Listen Madcow, the only reason that Maher's show

Submitted by WhoIsJohnGalt on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:39pm.

even EXISTS is so that he can invite guests on and everyone can yammer on about their opinions about various toipics, not for you to COVER something.

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The howler, for me

Submitted by Model850 on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 5:45pm.

MB

For me the howler was this:

MADDOW: You should start making your arguments in places other than, “Here’s the thing I’m assuming about you."

Isn't "the thing I'm assuming about you" the de facto jumping off point for almost every liberal commentary about conservatives?

  • Racist
  • Anti-immigrant
  • Anti-women
  • Anti-elderly
  • Anti-children
  • Homophobic
  • ad nauseam
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Poor little Madcow.

Submitted by Pinetree3 on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:38pm.

Poor little Madcow.

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Maybe

Submitted by grammajane on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:04pm.

Madcow could go and cry to the authority on bulling people, her best friend Savage. She ? really proved herself in that clip. A whiney crying radical lib. "Feel sorry for me as I again make an a$$ out of myself"

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I noticed a little

Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:30pm.

snot there; little bit, right on the end of her nose. There.

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Are you sure about that?

Submitted by hbnolikeee on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 9:41pm.

You might have been looking at Billy Mohron.

hbnolikeee
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"Make 'im stop, George. Make 'im stop!'

Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:37pm.

Aw, poor Racial Madcow. She should be glad she isn't sitting across from Larry Oddonnell and getting his rants at full force in her face. Or Chris the Wide Mouth Frog's spittle!

But, on the bright side, it's good to see Chris Hayes returned her glasses.

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Maddow and Hayes

Submitted by Redrowan2000 on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 9:08pm.

Hey haven't you noticed that you never see Maddow and Hayes together? I'm just sayin.
"Don't let the bastards grind you down."

Red
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Rachel really came apart more than just that once.

Submitted by RaggedyAnne on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:44pm.

I detest Maddow! You can see how uninformed and shallow she is by spending just the shortest amount of time watching her show or seeing her on another program, as in the Bill Maher program.
Here is the entire show website, which you might find entertaining, as Nick Gillespie fights the good fight with standing up to her madness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EkTQuxXnzU&feature=related

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did she really

Submitted by sometimesright on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:51pm.

did she really say......."Listen, my job is to cover these things, not to tell you how I like them or not."?

she must be on drugs if she thinks ANYONE believes this statement. if she's objective then i'm a little green alien.

"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." Ronald Reagan
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She's a leftish fish..

Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:58pm.

who doesn't know she's all wet.

I'm still trying to get my head around how ObamaCare, i.e. GOVERNMENT MANDATED health insurance, is "the return to personal responsibility(?!)"

That's just my opinion; I could be wrong. -- Dennis Miller
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Racial Madcow getting drubbed on Mohair's show

Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:52pm.

That reminds me: Any sightings lately of her mentor, Keith the Sports Boy?

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What a freakin' rip, all of a

Submitted by cristo on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 6:14pm.

What a freakin' rip, all of a sudden she wants to play journalist? This girls' headed for the psycho lounge, the day after election day, when Romney is elected by an overwhelming mandate - a real mandate - this one, Fat Eddie, Larry ODoul, The Draft dodger, all of them, right to the rubber room.

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Rock, hard place

Submitted by Sockpuppet Politic on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 6:33pm.

My guess is that it's less about wanting to play journalist, and more about a serious dilemma (for her). On the one hand, if she says she likes it, she's giving praise to Romney -- something that she's not willing to do now that he is clearly going to be the Republican candidate and is leading Obama in a lot of polls. On the other, she can't say anything bad about it without also slamming ObamaCare.

Rock, hard place.

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Good point. What was it Jack

Submitted by cristo on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 6:48pm.

Good point. What was it Jack Nicholson said about the truth? Maybe it applies her, she knows it, but can't say it in public.

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cristo,

Submitted by Hog_Flambe on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:28pm.

Thinking that the following Nicholson line applies as well....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgz5-8chSlk

:o]

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doh...

Submitted by Hog_Flambe on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:34pm.

...ble post

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My question is this:

Submitted by stratosaurus on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 1:44pm.

Will PMSLSD show the event when Chris Mattresspad and Racial Maddog both experience a cerebral implosion on live TV on 6-7 November 12? I would certainly hope so. As a matter of fact, I many have to get a television so I can connect to cable for one or two days in order to watch ALL the libturds' heads explode.

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I Really Love Rachel Maddow!!!

Submitted by Samaritan01 on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:00pm.

After seeing her display I am reserving a front row seat in front of my wide screen, complete with popcorn, for when SCOTUS dumps Obamacare. Maddow is gonna' FREAK!!

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After the show

Submitted by Robersire on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:02pm.

After the show they went and honed their verbal skills by licking toilet bowls, a skill excelled in by Bill Maher.

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Hey Madcow Maddow

Submitted by NVRAT on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:46pm.

You started it Bi--h so, take your medicine.

NVRAT
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"To unscripted questions

Submitted by ant on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:51pm.

"To unscripted questions resist we much about this ado."

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What description?

Submitted by IndianaCarl on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:53pm.

So she said, "MADDOW: Listen, my job is to cover these things, not to tell you how I like them or not." When exactly are you going to start DOING your job, and simply covering things and not giving your opinion? Did you get a big dose of reality from talking to someone in flyover country?

God Bless the U.S.A. and the troops that defend her and her Constitution.

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Reminds me of Col. Jessup

Submitted by knuckle_head on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:12pm.

You can't handle the TRUTH! Just shut up.

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Maddow is a propagandist, who

Submitted by tombaker on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:16pm.

Maddow is a propagandist, who uses deceit to manipulate, today more than ever she was exposed. Notice the go to "why are you angry", usually the diversion works for her.

LEAVE BRITTNEY ALONE

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Whoa! Not So Fast!

Submitted by BBallleaper on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:44pm.

She's a GIRL?????????????????

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LOL

Submitted by dmacleo on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 9:33pm.

that was a coffee out nose post for me :) :)

dmacleo http://www.theconservativevoices.com
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At one time

Submitted by TBAR on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 8:49pm.

She was.

http://news.spreadit.org/rachel-maddow-yearbook-photo/

Wonder what happened to make such a drastic change in her.

Life is too short to be serious
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Rumor has it she dated Helen Thomas.

Submitted by UpNorth on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 8:55pm.

Changed her life.

To re-elect Obama would be like the Titanic backing up and hitting the iceberg again.
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I used to watch a show MSNBC

Submitted by kit9 on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 1:05am.

I used to watch a show MSNBC had for the runup to the last election. It was hosted by that moron Shuster. Anyway, Rachel was a regular panelist. Joe Scarborough was the token conservative and he routinely schooled Rachel on basic political history and theory. And, nearly every time he was supported by the panel's other 2 liberals. She didn't seem to have a political knowledge base past the last 10 years. I kept wondering, why is she on this panel, she's totally out of her league. Well, her number one way of dealing with being exposed as an intellectual lightweight was to giggle.

No kidding-she'd giggle like a 5 year old when she didn't have a coherent response of comeback to a given criticism of her analysis. While, clearly, it was her pathetic attempt to say, 'what you're saying is so dumb, I can't help but laugh and laugh'--after about the 4th time, it became clear to me she employed the giggling when she had no response. She and Scarborough got into some pretty nasty exchanges and he totally had her number and seemed, after a while, to really enjoy sticking it to her. Then, after getting her own show, she magically became regarded as this uber intelligent analyst and I couldn't believe it. She still uses the giggling tactic when she's pressed, which isn't often on her how. But, watch for it.

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Butch Maddow

Submitted by adamsmith on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:45am.

She's got a PhD and was a Rhodes Scholar. Man, they really have dumbed down education enough that they graduate intellectual lightweights like this. I received a BA from Univ. of Florida back in '86, she wouldn't have made it through two semesters...She would have probably been a killer in the Glee Club though. Silly lesbian Communist, thinking is for Conservatives. Stay in your prewritten environment next time. If you're making Little Billy Maher looking smarter than you, you really have problems. Now, go make me a sandwich and get me a beer, Rachie Baby.....

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I've been tryin to tell y'all

Submitted by RESTLESS 1 on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:14am.

They anoint Rhode's Scholars like Pez dispensers give out candy. With slightly more care than Nobel prizes are given out.

"I don't like repeat offenders, I like dead offenders". - Ted Nugent
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Yea, er Yeah?

Submitted by Boudin on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:36am.

We know?

: ]!

Seek Truth, Defend Liberty
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A little of both, Boudin

Submitted by RESTLESS 1 on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:49am.

It gets frustrating seeing things come to light we've known for a long time now.

I mean, God help us if maddow is the standard for intelligence.

"I don't like repeat offenders, I like dead offenders". - Ted Nugent
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I'm So Sorry

Submitted by Bighead227 on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:20am.

I'M NOT ONE OF THE FOUR PEOPLE WHO WATCH YOUR SHOW OR THE TWO PEOPLE WHO'VE READ ANYTHING YOU HAVE WRITTEN

  • Login to post comments

Why are you on this show

Submitted by Okieflyover on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:53am.

If not to tout your opinion and repeat talking points.

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Madcow abandoned by Maher

Submitted by minky on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 8:17am.

It's obvious that Madcow was reeling from a sense of abandonment when she felt pressure from Maher to answer the question. She couldn't believe that Maher wasn't playing by the rules. The rules I'm referring to, of course, are the Leftist Talk Show Rules which include the clause about inviting only one conservative guest and an army of leftists to beat up on him.

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you think

Submitted by texasborngranny on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 10:34pm.

that was a "meltdown"?

Or, was that another intentionally exaggerated headline?

The 2nd I've seen on here today.

Plus, it seems more and more that NB is going for quantity, in place of quality.

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