Maddow in a Minute

For those of you distracted by the lameass Lost premiere ( you know who you are (if you don't, your names are listed below)), you are missing Ms. Maddow totally ripping it up over on MSNBC.

But don't worry, here are the talking points for tomorrow at the water cooler. Because if your office is anything like mine, intelligent political discourse always trumps the latest on Locke and the gang.

So Obama, knowing full well he can pass his economic stimulus bill with only Democratic support, goes to all the trouble of meeting with Republicans and even taking out important parts to make them happy (who needs family planning!), then NOT ONE Republican votes in favor of the bill. It passed anyway, but maybe it's time the GOPpers stopped sulking in the corner and learned to play with the big kids.

Then some Republican congressman comes on the show (kudos to him because most are too scared to face a razor-sharp Dem with a PhD) explaining that people should just get $5,000 vouchers to go buy Jeeps because there's a Chrysler plant in his district. And Maddow's like, um, duh, they could also buy stuff if they had jobs, which is what infrastructure stimulus would do, riiiiiight?

Guess who else is broke! The Post Office! Shocking! Their primary product costs 43 cents.

The new White House Chef? A 28-year-old from Chicago. I'll bet you a stimulus check my chef-fetish roommate has made out with him and if not, he ought watch his back.

Attorney General confirmed! Welcome Eric Holder - also our first African-American AG.

Russ Feingold on whether Bush Administration will be in trouble for getting us into so much trouble: maybe!

Gwen Ifill's book is out and she's making the rounds. Defending Obama, interpreting DC doings for the rest of us, scoffing at the notion of reverse racism in the press corps, all in a snappy brown leather jacket. You go!

RM Quote of the night: "Obama's approval rating is somewhere between photos of baby pandas on the internet and free beer."

Whew! I need a cigarette.

Kaki, Stephanie, Aaron, Bret aka the Lost Crew -- this one's for you.