There's no way for them to trick Rachel Maddow.

[Sparkly]

In their DREAMS.

She and her team are so many times smarter than they are, and so aware of recent history let alone current events, they're doomed if they keep trying.

Actually, I hope they keep trying.

[mopinko]

1. yup. she is a good friend of dan rather.

[Sparkly]

4. I have been thinking of that episode repeatedly through the years

and I yelled in agreement when she mentioned it just now.

This is EXACTLY what they do. (We used to call it Rovian, but these people have twice as much to hide, with half as much brainpower to work with.)

[calimary]

18. Dan Rather was railroaded. But the CONS had a hard-on about him for years.

George HW Bush very much counted among them.

[Raster]

19. Basically the info about Bush* was true...

...the document in question was DELIBERATELY FALSE to shut down any further investigation or examination.

Obviously, the Rethuglican spinmeisters are pulling out all the stops to shut down the further investigation of traitor tRump* and his Russian sugar daddy.

[mopinko]

21. he was set up like a bowling pin.

knocked down
it gets to wearin thin.

[certainot]

20. any normal media would have exposed the fake take-down but

the difference is 1000 coordinated radio station screaming for rather's head, and americans continue to ignore it.

talk radio is still trumputin's best weapon and americans are doing fuck all about it.

the story they tried to trap rachel into is just a slightly more eleborate than a hundred others already making the rounds on those radio stations while enjoying a complete free speech free ride.

[madaboutharry]

2. It is a good thing that Rachel

is brilliant.

I hope they find out where it came from.

[nikibatts]

3. Rachel is too damn smart for them. But they are really after her now.

[Sparkly]

6. My worry, as well.

Didn't want to say it.

[VOX]

33. With you.

And no need to elaborate.

[CincyDem]

5. Rachel has to know that she's the "big target" for RW disinformation. They're on their toes. n/t

[Sparkly]

8. And the other side is back on their heels.

She is awesome.

[hlthe2b]

7. The tax summary incident was a blessing in disguise. It elevated her (and her staff's) skepticism..

[Sparkly]

9. Good point.

She didn't fall for it, and they take the gambit further ... = further proof they are out of their league.

[politicat]

32. You know, it was everyone else that was hair on fire about that.

I looked up the tweets recently. The (one or two) tweets that evening said she had two pages of a return. They used to regularly tease the A block. (Less, now.) And it was interesting information - at least for accounting types. Those numbers *still* look funky. Too small to be proper LTCG and wrong for STCG.

She & staff can't be blamed for the Twitterverse.

[Generic Brad]

10. Who do you suppose was named in the fake document?

This sounds like the handiwork of Bannon. I strongly suspect the American named in the document was Kushner. Bannon is obsessed with discrediting Briebert's legitimate competition. And he hates Kushner.

[Sparkly]

12. Interesting!

Yes, that would make sense.

[malaise]

11. Yep

You don't fool PHD researchers that easily - and she's close to Rather so she understands a setup.
Checkers to chess

[grantcart]

13. born at night, but not last night

[Jim__]

14. They're woking on uncovering who did it.

Hope they find out and blast it all over the news.

[Sparkly]

15. I hope so, too --

-- with plenty of proof, because they know a trap when they see one, thank GOD. This war against the legitimate press is seriously dangerous.

[ecstatic]

16. Oh yeah! That would be amazing

I think it was Kushner/Ivanka (egged on by Trump Jr). I can't imagine anyone other than family doing something that stupid.

[Volaris]

25. Bannon thinks he's as smart as Karl Rove.

Ahahahahahha.

Rove was a evil pick to be sure, but at least he was a SMART evil prick. Bannon, not quite so much.

[VOX]

35. Precisely. Turdblossom damn near wrote the book...

On right-wing asshole-ism. Bannon brings chaos, but he's a one-trick pony and easy to second-guess.

[NastyRiffraff]

17. I like that she made this attempt public

and warned other news organizations. She has the integrity that too many lack.

[AgadorSparticus]

31. Yes!! They probably never thought she would out them like this.

Coming out like this enables her to frame the narrative and protects her and other journalists from getting Rathered. Big kudos to her!!

Stay woke, folks....

[SweetieD]

22. The timing of this is what is so weird.

[Akamai]

23. Well -- treacherous waters out there. I really, really liked Rachel tonight -- as I do most nights.

Great job! Rachel and company!

[Hekate]

24. It was a great detective story. People all over the blogosphere could learn from Rachel...

But as with assassins, the target has to be lucky every single time, while the murderer has to be lucky only once. May she always be this smart and this lucky.

Rachel and all the free press in this country are now being hunted -- go safely, people.

PS: What the heck was that bit about Richard Engel moving into Rachel's time slot as of tomorrow? Or did I misunderstand because she said 6:00, and Rachel comes on at 6:00 California time, when I watch her show? I feel like I misunderstood.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Rachel has Fridays off for the summer. Engel is doing a series

for those slots.

[Hekate]

29. Excellent. Richard Engel is fine, but we need our Rachel!

[BarbD]

28. Engel is having a series, but it's unclear about Rachel's time slot.

I'm not sure what is going on -- they should have been clearer. Will Rachel be back tomorrow?

[Gothmog]

27. After the CNN mess, I am glad that she checked this document out

[gaiadiversity]

30. Really?

It's this kind of thinking that makes us all look like fools.

[Justice]

34. What kind of thinking is that?

[VOX]

36. Can you be specific? Welcome to DU.

[lostnfound]

37. Can't imagine who you mean by "us" nt

[revmclaren]

38. Are you saying us as in 'Democrats'

or us as in 'other'?

Very curious to know...

[randr]

39. Exposing the culprit would be real journalism

The alarmist milking of imagined threats is getting old.