Rachel Maddow has some advice for Michael Steele and company who can't stop lying about the president's use of the word terrorism. What's pitiful is
January 7, 2010

Rachel Maddow has some advice for Michael Steele and company who can't stop lying about the president's use of the word terrorism. What's pitiful is they pay no price for doing this day in and day out because almost no one besides Rachel is calling them out for it.

MADDOW: But first, Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele has told our booking producer on this show that he would love to do an interview with me, which is great. I would love to interview Michael Steele. The other folks at the RNC who decide what interviews Mr. Steele actually does, however, seem rather less certain that it will ever happen.

So, Mr. Chairman, between you and me, the invitation is open anytime.

Don‘t let your handlers hold you back. We‘d love to have you.

The reason you‘ve seen a lot of Michael Steele on TV recently is because he‘s promoting a new book, which is called “Right Now.” Its subtitle is more interesting. The subtitle is, “A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda.” Twelve steps, just like A.A.

The first and second steps, according to Mr. Steele, are that Republicans should “admit we have a problem, then admit our mistakes.”

In the spirit of trying to help Mr. Steele out so maybe some day he‘d come on this show, we have decided to try to help Republicans out with steps one and two. We have identified a problem that we‘d like to help Republicans admit to, because it is a political mistake.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has encouraged Republicans to believe that President Obama and his administration don‘t talk about war and terrorism. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Congressman Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, even Chairman “Admit Our Mistakes” Michael Steele have also been out in public reiterating that, insisting that it‘s true—even though it‘s really not.

Congressman Peter King of New York has even taken this assertion to, as Mr. Steele would say, “beyond the cutting edge.”

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: Name one other specific recommendation the president could implement right now to fix this?

REP. PETER KING ®, NEW YORK: I think one main thing would be to, just himself, to use the word “terrorism” more often.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: Just use the word more. Because saying something a lot stops it?

Regardless of whether it makes sense that saying the word “terrorism” would magically stop terrorism, consider that it‘s not at all true that President Obama avoids using the term.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Suspected terrorists—

terrorist watch listing system—terrorists or suspected terrorist—

connections—state sponsors of terrorism—terrorist watch list system -

attempted terrorist attack—attempted act of terrorism—known and suspected terrorists—terror and extremist—extremists sowing terror—instability and terror—terrorists and potential terrorist attacks.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

MADDOW: OK. Because people, like Congressman Peter King, have been able to get away with claiming that President Obama never says words like “terror” and “terrorism,” which is a lie, people including Peter King are getting boldly, weirdly specific about that lie now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING (via telephone): I remember Secretary Clinton saying that the policy of the administration was not to talk about terrorism. Even when the president gave his speech at West Point, about the troops going to Afghanistan, he didn‘t use the word “terrorism.”

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: When Congressman King says those things, he is lying. He is

lying in a way that can be obviously, demonstrably, embarrassingly proven

by anyone who has a spare 45 seconds and the Google.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

KING (via telephone): I remember Secretary Clinton saying that the policy of the administration was not to talk about terrorism. Even when the president gave his speech at West Point, about the troops going to Afghanistan, he didn‘t use the word “terrorism.”

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: There is a terrorist syndicate with al Qaeda at the head—continuing threat of terrorist actions—stop terrorism—terrorists on the plane coming into Detroit.

OBAMA: Al Qaeda‘s terrorist network—Iraq and terrorism—new acts of terror—loose nuclear materials from terrorists—safe haven for terrorists—devastating attacks of terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

MADDOW: When the people in the Republican Party who have the highest profile on national security say things that are easily, provably, flagrantly false, that‘s a mistake. That makes it look like the party doesn‘t know what it‘s talking about on national security issues.

Peter King wants to be a senator. Peter King is their top guy on homeland security.

So, in the interest of trying to help Republicans out, and to woo Mr. Steele to do an interview on this show, here‘s my one-step effort to try to help Republicans recognize this political mistake they keep making.

You guys, when you say that President Obama doesn‘t use the word “terrorism,” try to remember that when you say that, people are laughing at you. Maybe this will help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEELE: The inconsistency in the Obama administration‘s approach to foreign policy, particularly with respect to terrorism, is a concern. If you can‘t call a thing what it is, then there‘s a question about what do you think it is?

(LAUGHTER)

SEN. JIM DEMINT ®, SOUTH CAROLINA: The worldwide terrorist war is something we seem to have lost our focus on.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: There seems to be a little reticence on their part to get into it when it involves the issue of terrorism.

(LAUGHTER)

REP. PETE HOEKSTRA ®, MICHIGAN: The Obama administration came in and said, “We‘re not going to use the word “terrorism” anymore, we‘re going to call it manmade disasters,” trying to, you know, I think, downplay the threat from terrorism.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: Seriously, listen to your chairman. Admit you have a problem. Admit your mistakes. Or at least come up with a new mistake.

Can you help us out?

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