The Rachel Maddow Show Blog

On today's TRMS Rachel will be talking to two giants in their fields: author Tim Weiner and former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinsky. Weiner wrote "Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA" and he'll join us to discuss the appointment of Leon Panetta. Then Brzezinski and Rachel discuss the escalating war in Gaza, what sending more troops to Afghanistan would really mean, and how Condi Rice became angrily passive.

Enjoy, and play nice...

On today's TRMS Rachel will be talking to Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director of the progressive, pro-Israel organization J-Street about the ongoing Israeli air assault in the Gaza Strip, a densely populated area roughly twice the size of Washington D.C. Will there be a ground assault? What does Israel want? How will they know when they've won?

And then Patrick Campbell, Legislative Director Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, chats with Rachel about the news this week that not one of the major TV networks has a full time correspondent in Iraq.

On "The Rachel Maddow Show" last night, Rachel explained why the scandal behind President-elect Obama's selection of Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation will not go away. One reason would have to be that Rick Warren keeps discussing it publicly.

Last night, Rachel discussed how the Bush administration auctioned off leases to Utah's red rock wilderness for oil and gas drilling. Environmental activist Tim Dechristopher signed up as a bidder thus monkey-wrenching the bids.

Earth Justice President TripVan Noppen joined Rachel to discuss how the Bush administration is continuing to ruin the environment.

On today's show Rachel will be deabting to potential and even probable appointment of Caroline Kennedy with her pal and political guru David Bender, host of Politically Direct.  It's not that Kennedy is a particularly terribel choice, but why can't New York find a worthy leader not named Kennedy, Cuomo or Clinton?  And then Mark Greenberg, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, talks to us about the state of th ewelfare system left in tatters by Bill Clinton's 1996 "reforms."  When an economy starts to tank, people really need that social safety net.  Is ours too full of holes?

And if you live in New York and you aren't too terrified of the scary snow, please join Rachel at Susan Mikula's awesome art opening at CHC Gallery in Chelsea.  If you can't make it tonight, the show will be up until January 24th.