Rachel Maddow just ripped into Tom Ridge. The whole exchange was

[Hieronymus]

very civilized, but Rachel made her point, about our going to war in Iraq.

[Greenpeach]

1. She nailed him!

To the wall!

[Gregorian]

2. Incredible. Afer all of this time, we're finally seeing done what we wanted to say.

The Iraq invasion was about democracy? But it was sold as if they were a threat. And if it was bad intelligence, then it was a lie, and if it was about democracy, then 4000 American soldiers is a hell of a price to pay.


Rachel just ruled!

[eleny]

3. Chris Matthews said he was having Ridge on his program

Did Rachel get the first interview on MSNBC?

[Gregorian]

4. Gosh, I admit that I don't watch Hardball.

There are so many hours in the day. Now I wonder how that interview will go.

[eleny]

7. I was thinking that if Rachel is the first, then those are big shoes for Chris M to fill

I envisioned Matthews' interview like a good old boys club with elbows, winks and softball. But this interview of tonight sets the bar very high, as it should.

I figure that Matthews won't play at being Rachel's tag team partner but more like the "good cop". We'll see.

[Gregorian]

14. I don't know. He was on the Colbert Report recently, and came across pretty wise and progressive.

I decided during his Colbert interview that he wasn't so bad after all. I'll admit that I wasn't paying attention to him during the lead up to the Iraq attack. I think I recall he was helpful in avoiding any critical opposition.

[valerief]

9. It was a wow moment for me the way she handled that. nt

[Dudley_DUright]

5. What a pathetic performance by Ridge

I have never seen such furious backpedaling in my life. I liked when Rachel said "Really??? You really think Iraq was just an intelligence failure?".

[LiberalFighter]

15. Ridge is a fool!!

I bet if all of it had happened with the players being Democrats he would be saying that they were faking the reasons for going to war and jacking up terror alerts.

[global1]

6. Rachel Took Ridge To The Woodshed......

We need more Rachel's out there to take on these liars.

Ridge was backpedaling. Rachel got him. Go Rachel!!!!!

[polichick]

8. He sounded like a panicky liar - gee whiz, I wonder why. nt

[Hissyspit]

10. VIDEO here:

BEGINNING OF INTERVIEW: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=363305&mesg_id=363305

RACHEL'S GREAT RESPONSE AT END OF INTERVIEW: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=363291&mesg_id=363291

[mscuedawg]

11. The Cheney Planet must have landed at Ridge's house...

[uponit7771]

12. Ridge was caught off Gaurd, Rachel again was prepared and pointed and didn't hold punches...

...was she ever a lawyer?

Steward, Colbert and now Maddow

[Manifestor_of_Light]

18. No but she is a Rhodes Scholar.

Has a Ph.D. (or british version of it) from Oxford University.

One smart lady.

[deerheadgal]

13. She smoothly led him along, then zing! Off at the knees!

It was a thing of beauty.

[bertman]

16. Rachel was brilliant. She did not let him off the hook. She did not accept his lies and

excuses. She talked to him face to face and told him he was a liar but without calling him a liar. She read him his own words from his book to show him that he was not telling the truth. She did everything but call him a liar. God that must have taken restraint.

She just gets better and better.

Maybe she will inspire some of these sycophants who call themselves journalists to start acting like they have spines.

Recommend.

[zulchzulu]

17. I was hoping for her to cite the timeline where terra alertz were used for Bush's poll numbers

Google "Ridge Kerry Timeline Terror".

It's all there. Ridge even admitted he knew they were using fear to get poll numbers or to distract from bad news. It's well documented that if Kerry made a speech or had some strong statements in 2004, Ridge was right out there telling people the alert level was higher.

[progressivemar]

19. ridge

i felt sry for him, she tore him apart

[lunatica]

20. Rachel is very effective

She asks pointed questions and follows up until she gets answers. She questions the answers themselves which is how someone does follow up questions correctly. But another thing she does is she lets people talk as much as they want when responding to her. She lets people explain things in their own way.

Chris Matthews, on the other hand interrupts constantly and never lets anyone finish a sentence.