Maddow Revisits Buchanan Segment, Adds Corrections (VIDEO)

Rachel Maddow took some time last night to revisit last week's segment with Pat Buchanan, in which they argued over affirmative action policy in the context of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, whose appointment to the Supreme Court would be a major opportunity cost to white people everywhere. Lacking Buchanan's presence, Maddow averred that while it was "not cool to talk about guests after their segment was over," and that it would be unfair to "re-litigate" the argument in the absence of a litigant, she would be offering various factual corrections.

Said corrections included Buchanan's statement that "[Sotomayor has] never written anything that I've read in terms of a law review article or a major book or something like that on the law." As it happens, Sotomayor has written at least five law review articles, though Maddow was obviously unable to verify whether Buchanan had managed to read them. Additionally, his assertion that Sotomayor was admitted to the Yale Law Review via affirmative action was not factually accurate. A spokesman from Yale Law School said that students pick who is on the law journal, and that the affirmative action claim was simply, "A statement of opinion by Mr. Buchanan."

But, more to the point, there was this statement:

"White men were 100% of the people that wrote the Constitution, 100% of the people that signed the Declaration of Independence, 100% of the people who died at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, probably close to 100% of the people who died at Normandy. This has been a country built basically by white folks."

This was a matter that I was basically able to pick apart into something resembling oblivion in just a matter of minutes. Maddow was able to do much more:

MADDOW: Pat joined us for this discussion from a studio in Washington, DC, that is not far from the White House, which was of course built by slaves. Who were not white folks. The U.S. Capitol, the physical building was built by slaves. The city of Washington, DC, where Pat has spent his entire life was physically built, in part, by slave labor. It's not even possible to imagine how America could have competed in a place in the global economy in the 1800s without plantation cotton and tobacco and sugar and rice and the industries so thoroughly dependent on slave labor.

BUCHANAN: [TAPE] This has been a country built basically by white folks.

MADDOW: That statement is only true if you don't consider any one other than white folks to be folks. Even if you only consider slave labor, even if, for example, you reimagine the railroad somehow magically building themselves without Chinese laborers, the idea that only white people built America is a fantasy and it should not have been maintained on this show as fact. As for who has died for this country in combat? More than 200,000 Black Americans fought for the Union in the Civil War. Thousands even fought for the Confederacy. 1.2 million African-Americans served in World War II, and yes, they were among those who stormed the beaches at Normandy. The Defense Department says almost 10,000 Mexican-Americans fought for the Union during the Civil War. Hundreds of thousands of Hispanics served in the armed forces during World War II. 12 Hispanics awarded the Medal of Honor. 24 Asian Americans received the Medal of Honor. For heroism in World War II.

BUCHANAN: [TAPE] This has been a country built basically by white folks.

MADDOW: That's just not true. I love white folks. I'm white folks. Yay, white folks! It's just not factually true to generalize from white experience to explain how America came to be.

Now, this part sort of feels like a re-litigation of the previous segment! But what the heck: it's delish!

MADDOW: Also, a clarification. Pat said over and over again in our discussion that he is against affirmative action. Rick Perlstein, who wrote the book Nixonland, turned up a memo in 1971 which Pat actually suggested an affirmative action program to Richard Nixon's White House. It was an affirmative action program for Catholics.

"Instead of sending the orders out to all our agencies -- hire blacks and women -- the order should go out -- hire ethnic Catholics, preferable [sic] women for visible posts. One example: Italian Americans, unlike blacks, have never had a Supreme Court member...Give those fellows the 'Jewish seat' or 'black seat' on the Court when it becomes available."

In other words, choose a Supreme Court nominee in part on the basis of ethnicity and religion, said Pat to Nixon.

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Comments

[strangelet]

Well, now. It appears that Pat is far more influential than many of us think. We got a whole SCOTUS full of Catholics.

[socalgal59]

Buchanan is confused on the reality of our history: our country was not built by White folks; rather, through violence and outright brutal murder White folks exploited humans of every other race in an effort to horde all the resources this country has to offer.

[pumpkin]

It would have been enough for Pat to say that for most of our history, White men have been in charge, so it's not surprising that the Supreme Court has mainly been made up of white men. I think we all can agree on that.

But Pat went on a White Power! rant filled with misinformation that suggests that White men DESERVED to run the Supreme Court by nature of all they've done for this country (as if non-white, non-male people were just sitting around doing nothing).

I think Rachel was stunned by his comments during the original show. I'm glad she came back with the facts.

[whydodemshate]

Comrad Rachel MadCow Give me Liberals or give me Death.

[JackieRSM]

So it's Liberal to be anti racist?

[motherforpeace]

Did you come up with that rebuttal all on your own? Shows your intellect.

[Einstein44]

Rachel Maddow rocks! Now, let's see if Pat comes back on the show and spew more spotty historical nonsense.

[RL999]

Unbelievable ... when PB says that it was White Men who wrote our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution he makes it sound like women and black people could have participated in those efforts if they wanted to, but they just chose to take a pass. Jeez

[susierr]

I love that Rachel does not interrupt her guests and lets them speak till they are out of breath ;)

[cbates]

I think it is good to have young folks on the front line and at the same time she wasn't prepared to defend the rights of folks in this country. She does a much better job in terms of research on some events than many other hosts and in this particular case her staff let her down or she shouldn't have open this can of worms with this old professional spinner. He probably is sorry that he put himself in this lose-lose situation.

[Dionita]

I agree that Rachel wasn't prepared to defend "other folks" against that sputtering spinmeister, however, she more than held her own. I don't think she realized the depths of Pat's vitriol until he came out blazing blanks.

[motherforpeace]

Usually she is all over it. But that night I think she was literally taken back by Buchanan's stark comments and decided to give him the room to fully expose how he really thinks. I am glad that she gave it that time and came back with nothing but facts.

[LongIslandWins]

It's hard to believe Buchanan still has any platform at all. I wonder if he says ridiculous things like this bc otherwise he'd be off the air. See our posts on his recent comments here http://bit.ly/o6mdc

[MarianneEvans11]

Rachel, you are the best! Buchanan, you have to love him! Is like the other Republicans - time to go pack up your bags and retire for the century! Leave the thinking and debating to the progressive leaders of today (not backward leaders of yesterday!).

Love you Pat, but admire and respect Rachel for her intelligence.

[h0tr0d]

It takes some pretty painful parsing to try to pick apart what Pat Buchanan said. My thinking is 90% of this country would agree with the statement that this country was built by white folks. Sounds to me like sour grapes, because Rachel Maddow got her arse handed to her.......really why else would she revisit this a week later ?

[JackieRSM]

She came out later with her smackdown, hotrod, because she normally let's her guests speak freely without big debate on her part. Pat clearly crossed the line. Her position was to debate his statements but not overrule a guest. She was obviously pissed at his extremism and after revisiting and reading her email (mine included) I'm sure she saw that some of his outrageous comments deserved rebuttal. Let's face it some of his history needed research like his being for affirmative action as long as it included Catholics. As Nixon's speech writer he said, "Instead of sending the orders out to all our other agencies-- hire blacks and women-- the order should go out-- hire ethnic Catholics preferable women, for visible posts. Pat has a long history of being racist. So Pat got his arse handed to him and well deserved.

[strangelet]

Well, 90% of the country would then be wrong, eh?

[didntvote4thedude]

A do over for ya?

[Niasia]

I love Rachel. She interviews the best people. I remember when she got to interview Pres. Obama a day before the election. Rachel is top notch and I expect to see a lot more from her. I will support her all the way!

[JackieRSM]

Me too Niasia!

[Talaan77]

Why is it when any minority person is successful it is said to be a result of affirmative action, and take away from the person hard work. Affirmative action can only take you so far, it may open the doors that is usually closed to you because old white men wanted to keep minorities including women out of the club, that being said it cannot make you succeed without some inteligence and talent

[clearmountain88]

the fact of the matter is Maddow felt compelled to try to rebut Buchanaan without his presence becuase when he wiped the floor with her the first time and she was left babbling liberal shibboleths in his presence. even know, when she has the floor to herself she has skewed his comments by taking them in an overly literal way.

I think rachel is great, probably the best of the cable pundits. but just a "cable pundit" she still is.

[Talaan77]

I keep having to aske the same question, how do you rebut facts, or defend yorself about facts. How did he wipe the floor with her? If he had take the time to double check his facts before he said certain things, like she did then there would be no need for her rebuttal. She checked her facts before she spoke

[Talaan77]

100% of the people who died at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, probably close to 100% of the people who died at Normandy. This has been a country built basically by white folks."


How do you skew that or take it overly literal, it wa pretty straight forward