Rachel Maddow Takes On Pete Hoekstra's 'Epic Grandstanding'

Rachel Maddow Takes On Pete Hoekstra's 'Epic Grandstanding'

Jason Linkins

First Posted: 11-11-09 10:35 AM | Updated: 11-11-09 12:25 PM

On last night's edition of the Rachel Maddow Show, the host dug into the curious case of Representative Pete Hoekstra, who's been courting cameras lately in the wake of the Fort Hood massacre, telling tales out of school. Chief among them are his account of the email habits of alleged Fort Hood murderer Nidal Hasan to a Yemen-based "radical cleric." Maddow asks the obvious question:

MADDOW: Why is it Pete Hoekstra who's taking it upon himself to tell the press that this radical cleric is having his email read by U.S. intelligence agencies? The FBI had not said publicly that this cleric had been emailing Hasan. The CIA, the NSA, the White House... nobody else had reported this cleric was e-mailing Hasan. This is just Pete Hoekstra letting us know -- and letting the radical cleric that is under surveillance know -- that he's under surveillance.

The Rachel Maddow Show attempted to find out why this was happening, and got the run-around from Hoekstra's office, and bad guesswork from the Republican side of the House Intelligence Committee. What they did find out is that Hoekstra "complained all weekend" that he was not being briefed on Fort Hood to his liking, then missed the briefing that was held because he left town of his own accord.

So, what's up with Hoekstra? The Nation's Christopher Hayes bottom-lined it thusly: "His reputation is of an epic grand-stander."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/11/rachel-maddow-takes-on-pe_n_353706.html

I caught that on Rachael last night.. and he never gets anything right.. They went over all of the stuff he has done..

These are also the biggest faction of the Michigan GOP party and have relations with Rich and Betsy DeVos (owners of AMWAY), and Mr. DeVos' recent run for Governor and also back to former Gov Engler and "The Engler Machine". Through Betsy DeVos, Hoekstra also has connections to Betsy's Brother Eric Prince the Founder of Blackwater and an other Dutch Christian Reformed raised person (later converted to Catholic for marriage)

.... and she does it in a manner so that they can engage in a (usually) non-hostile dialog on the matter at hand. She gives everyone a chance and she'll admit when she's wrong.

We need more like her.

(and she works in cool cartoons whenever she can! :) )

He struts around like some rock star and is the rudest person I've ever had the misfortune to meet. I know that the Dutch Mafia controls Holland and Ottawa County, but for God's sake, CUT THE GUY LOOSE!!!!! Although, he could be the bestest guvner we've had since John Engler...:sarcasm:

(Come on, John Cherry!!!!!)

Ugh,

Diane

Anishnabe in MI

Thank you, Rachel..there's enough crap going on without pete hoekstra sticking his lying nose into it.