Rachel Maddow Finishes Blagojevich's Poem (VIDEO)

As if declaring his innocence when America knows that Patrick Fitzgerald has tapes of him sounding like Tony Soprano weren't bizarre enough, Rod Blagojevich decided to make his press conference even more uncomfortable today by reading a portion of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If." Rachel Maddow pointed out that Blagojevich showed diplomacy when to choosing how much of the poem he would read. Video can be found below, along with the full text of the poem.

WATCH:

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Comments

[demfriend]

Rachel is a very intelligent person that doesn't need to be labeled but she is by many. She has brought to er show, even when covering for Olberman the very same type of intelligence by bringing on others who had never been heard on broadcast anything before brcause they also have an intelligent mind to share what they know. Sure she brings on the boob we would rather not hear from and it you notice, Pat B has been seen a bit less now that she has more to draw from. She also has said she enjoys arguing with Pat B because he is opposite fom her beliefs so often it is fun for her. How many of us will do the same with those around us for fun? But it also comes down to he sucess as we have seen happen also comes down to her and who she is and our own desire for listening and watchingsome on who has a brain speak and bring up tings we want to hear about. SHe was great during the election but she is not a rubber stamp for anyone, even Obama.

[WaitingforJanuary]

She shouldn't be a rubber stamp for anyone.

[janeyu]

shes so yesterday yawn

[RussellH]

And you are so NOT tomorrow! Find your home rock and crawl back under it!

[naschkatze]

It's disappointing to me that a so-called liberal like Rachel Maddow has made an assumption of guilt before due process.

[hangdogit]

She is a political analyst, not a lawyer. As such, she covers the political future of this man -- which is non-existent. See the 113-0 vote to launch impeachment proceedings against him. The Republicans can be expected to support impeachment, but even the Democrats can't stand this guy. I don't think Illinois voters will either.

[Genius]

For crying out loud.... She's a rhodes scolar!... Do you honestly believe that she doesn't put great thought into what she says on her show?

[break]

and also the little fact that Blago is ON TAPE...

[donnaxx]

Wait 4 years then vote for Palin, Oreilly, heck any republicans. They are fierce advocates for gay agenda.

[lizr]

?? delusional?

[tgd]

Obviously!

[kimleehan]

On this comment your going to have to read between the lines, but here goes "If gay and lesbian people are given civil rights, than everyone will want them.

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

Strange comments on this post: what's it got to do with Rachel Maddow and Rick Warren?

Isn't the point how the force of the poem blows to pieces those who quote it brainlessly?
The point being that the poem exactly proves its truth in that very event?
It's almost like 'The birth of tragedy' - or something. Like the old fella Orpheus doing his magic again, one more time, in these dire straits.

[BannedInBoston]

In a word, "Don't give up." That's always been my mantra....

[myhrtisthr]

What's wrong with attacking Obama?
What has he done for you?
Please people, Obama is not the one who will save you, it's people around Obama who will save you.
Wake up.

[propitiousmoment]

Obama's the one who chooses who the people around him will be, it's his policies and vision that they will be charged with enacting. Ultimately it all does go back to him. So it does seem appropriate to give him credit or blame when it's due....

[myhrtisthr]

well people backed him up and elected him a president so you can't say he's choosing them

[obamanation31]

I am grateful we didn't elect John McCain.

[myhrtisthr]

McCain served this country. Obama didn't.

[BannedInBoston]

Oh no? There's only one way to serve your country? Cr.ashing five air.planes and admitting to w.ar cr.imes you didn't (or maybe did) commit....

[Kaccey]

Obama DID and is serving his country. The military does not have the corner market on patriotism.

[AnalyzeIT]

More like McCain "served" the enemies country by colaberating with the enemy.

Unlike McCain, Obama is serving his country now and I might add trying to save it for you.

Do your research.

[donnaxx]

I like you show Rachel, but you have started attacking Obama daily about Rick Waren, that's not cool and it might hurt our agenda. Just remember Sean Hanniy' s attacks on Obama backfired.

[lizr]

Glad SOMEBODY on tv gets it about Rc k Wa rren!

Oba ma is bending over way too far to unify the country.

It's already done, ,except for some die hard ra cists.

Time to move to the left already. We are sick of this.

[coot]

Correct , Obama is not the president elect of only the gays but of everyone.
No one group put him in office. We all did. Rachel should stop all this attacking . Her ratings have gone down and if she keeps this up it will go down more. When she started with her attacks, I changed the channel. I have a brother and an aunt who are gay. I love them both and I support their life styles.

[iswideopen]

donnaxx:
I hope Rachel listens; her behavior is not cool among the African-American communities. I stopped watching when she popped Rev Wright on the screen. That was disrespectful to us. Be careful, Rachel. The same faces you see going up, you will see them coming DOWN. Fame is so fleeting. If you want to do something that will make you all feel better, vote for REPUBLICANS and see how much respect you find there, or don't vote at all, stay home. PE Obama is not your personal president. He will be POTUS. And no, your votes are not the largest group that got him in office, so chill with that. ALL OF OUR VOTES COMBINED DID.

[FlamingLibrul]

Obviously some folks didn't get the Compare and Contrast Rachel was doing with Rev. Wright and Rick Warren. The segment, if I remember correctly where she put the images up, was titled: "Obama's Pastor problem," as in two different controversies with two different religious figures.

People are really, really sensitive these days. Sheesh. Expressing disapproval of Obama's choice doesn't necessarily mean he's being attacked- and it doesn't mean people are switching sides.

[break]

Exacty. Rachel was not comparing Wright with Warren, she specifically said that Obama keeps having pastor problems, and also brought up the little known fact that Obama and his strategists chose to disinvite Wright from the candidacy prayer because they suspected that having such a bigoted person deliver the prayer on such an important day would cause problems. Sound famiiar? That is all people. Chill out. She is not coming after the African American community - Wright is not a spokesperson for the Black community, and niether is Obama. Get over yourself. Nobody is "dissing" Obama, just pointing out the fact the he is behaving in a bigoted and very hurtful manner by inviting a bigot to delive the invocation. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Okieborn]

Love You Rachel !!
We Get The Point About Rick Warren !!!
All Of The American Citizenry are beig Craaped On !!!!

[jaslyn]

Yuk. He's gone and spoiled this wonderful poem !!! He's none of those things, just a slimy self serving politician with his eye on the perceived big prize. Hope he's finished.

[bigmadd]

Yep, booze and smokes worked well for John Wayne.

[kimleehan]

Yea now here was a real conservitive, Very pro war but never served a day in combat.

[BannedInBoston]

But hey, he PLAYED a lot of w.ar heroes in movies. Doesn't that count?

[seattlejanet]

Rachel--- you can finish MY poem any day!

[BannedInBoston]

She is an attractive woman. However, note that she gets Kipling's first name wrong and says "Richard Kipling" instead of "Rudyard Kipling." (I could never love a woman who makes that kind of mistake....

[doublehelix68]

well, your pretty shallow then.

[lizr]

she said Roo dyard, not Rich ard. Even on my computer I coudl hear that.

And I don't think she cares if you love her, she's a le sb ian :)

[karinova]

Um, no she didn't. She clearly said "Rudyard," and I just watched the clip again to be sure about that.

It is SO easily verifiable, and yet here you are with your pointless, and most importantly, WRONG, comment. Whyyyy??? What is this, a race? You were in such a hurry you couldn't watch it one more time to make sure you heard her right, before potentially making a fool of yourself?

Aargh.I find this kind of thing SO annoying. I am about to SNAP. Aaaargh!!

[break]

I doubt she cares if you love her:)

[Citizen-Jane]

Off topic but.
Rachel gives Pat Bucannon a soap box on his show from time to time despite the fact that he is just as ignorant and offensive as Rick Warren. Yet I continue to watch her because eventhough Pat is a narrow minded, holier than thou, manipulative b@st@rd. Doesn't mean that Rachel is. So sar Rachel has been a professional, well informed, trustworthy host. I hope that she remains that way. She is right to be angry (as many of us are) over Obama's choice to include Rick Warren in the ignaugural. But I'm hoping that she won't turn her show into slimey version of what we already see on Fixxed News. She is better than that.

She's interviewed Obama before. Ask to interview him again (If she hadn't already but usually she lets us know who declined to speak with her) or David Axelrod. Go to the source Rachel. And tell the whole story not just the parts of the story to prove your point.

[IamPhenom]

Excellent point about Pat Buchanan. I agree 100%.

When Rachel has Pat Buchanan on to discuss topics, she is not endorsing or agreeing with his points of view. She's trying to open a dialogue. She wants a rational discussion about the issue, so Pat can maybe see where he is wrong, or they can find some common ground of understanding/agreement.

I'll use Iran as an analogy. Obama's position is we have to sit down and speak with Ahmadinejad, despite their major disagreements on things like Israel or even gay rights. The Bush ideology says to shun and ignore Iran, or else you are "endorsing" their radical positions. How has that worked out? Has Iran changed in any way? They are even more radical than they were before.

We have to open up a dialogue with the evangelical community. A more moderate evangelical like Warren gives us that oppurtunity. It also has a political benefit. If Obama can win over evangelical support by inviting Warren to do an invocation, it helps him build a coalition to enact all of his legislation, incudling more rights for gay people on a national level (on everything from workplace discrimination, school discrimination, hate crimes, gay civil union/marriage, etc.).

[centerdem06]

I agree with what you said but again I don't see the Rick Warren choice to speak any differently than Rachel asking Pat Bucanon on to her show and she calls him her 'friend'. I'm sure if you ask him if he believes in gay marriage, he disagrees with it. Does she stop being friends with him or not invite him on her show because he disagrees with her on this one issue? Also, she invites others on her show that agree with her viewpoint. Which is also Obama inviting Rev. Lowery who supports his viewpoint to do the benediction. I think this is the time to bring two sides together because what other time would we?

[kevinmcd]

Different events call for different rules. Rachel has Buchanan there on the public show to allow the right to haver a voice. Having a dialogue with the right is fine and in fact good. But Obama's inauguration should be a day in which he celebrates with his supporters and friends. He should have chosen as the focal point a pastor who speaks for his values and the values of his campaign and suporters who gave him the victory. Warren could have ben invited but should not have been the "star" of the religious segment. It's like its' fine to have dialogue with someone you don't agree with and invite them to the wedding but you don't ask that person to marry you or be your best man. Especially if that person publically compares your "family" or closest friends to criminals who have intercourse with children or beasts! It was a bad decision.

[lizr]

the Inau guration is a very big event.

Rather than sla p us in teh face (and there has been plenty of that lately)

why not choose a unifyi ng figu re!

[coot]

Good Point,