Me and Rachel Maddow

by David Safier

OK, OK. Not really me and Rachel Maddow. Me in the Hotel Congress bar crowded in among 100 other locals, with Bill Wolff and Laura Conaway from the Rachel Maddow Blog.

But I did get into a video with Bill and Laura, shot on Mike's iPhone, with them saying howdy to BfA readers (see below, or maybe above, this post). And if you watched the show tonight, in the Skype feed from the Congress Hotel, I'm the blurry face over Bill's right shoulder (left side). [Looks like Mike has put up the skypecast segment under the iPhone video.]

I made the Rachel Maddow Show! And yes, it counts.

I also had a chance to talk awhile with Bill, who is the executive producer of the Maddow Show, along with a few other people who gathered around him after the Skype feed.

I let him know about the private prisons story here in Arizona — dangerous criminals held in medium security private prisons, so poorly guarded that an accomplice could throw wire cutters over the fence to the prisoners, who could then cut their way out (I expect to see that kind of absurd prison break scenario in a Coen Brothers movie — it was probably in an outtake from "Raising Arizona," as a matter of fact). We'll find out if the story makes it to the Show.

Bill said Maddow is exactly what you see on the screen. She's an incredibly hard working, intelligent, conscientious person who is involved with the content of the show from the moment she walks in until airtime. She writes lots of the copy and has final edit over everything that goes on the show. He says she's often typing away during commercial breaks, adding to or editing content.

Bill also made a point of saying the Show prides itself on its original content and analysis. They don't see themselves as simply compilers of the day's stories. The quality and originality of much of what is on the show bears out what he says.

Anyway, good times tonight. Bill and Laura are going home with a couple of Blog for Arizona bumper stickers, and they promised to present one to Rachel.

Hi Rachel! I'm a big fan.