Rachel Maddow kicked off her show Wednesday evening with what seemed like a repudiation to what was said on her own network several hours earlier.
“It has been a big day today in the biggest political story in the country this year, and we’re going to be reporting that out tonight,” Maddow told viewers, previewing her program’s coverage of the George Washington Bridge scandal.
Maddow’s description of the scandal that’s been swirling around New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) contrasted sharply with how the day began on MSNBC.
On Wednesday’s edition of “Morning Joe,” former George W. Bush aide Nicolle Wallace criticized MSNBC for “covering every teeny, minuscule, breaking non-news event” related to the politically motivated lane closures on the bridge. When NBC chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd refused to praise Christie’s performance at an event in Chicago, Wallace went off.
“Rachel’s not on ’till 9,” Wallace said mockingly to Todd.
Maddow devoted part of her broadcast Wednesday to defending MSNBC’s coverage of the scandal against criticism from New Jersey Republicans, whose attacks levied at the cable news channel sounded pretty similar to Wallace’s own critique.
“To all of the hundreds of thousands of people who were hurt here on purpose, the New Jersey Republican Party would like you to know that the real outrage here is that this tv network is reporting on what happened and trying to figure out the answers that the Christie administration still won’t provide,” Maddow said.
“They want you to know that we’re the real outrage and that they’re the real victim — not you. They want the people of New Jersey to stand up, not against this kind of corrupt and abusive outrage by their government, they want the people of New Jersey to stand up against us covering the story. It’s amazing, but it’s good to know.”
