Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
So I had an interesting Thursday. I got to the radio studio around 3 pm and started prepping for the show. Believe it or not, Rachel Maddow was not the first TV show to invite me on yesterday. The first one was a Russian TV show, believe it or not, and they wanted to talk about Liz Cheney. Over Skype. At 6 pm, when my show starts. I told them I couldn't do that, but could on Friday. They said they'd get back to me.
About a half hour later I got an email from one of the producers of the Maddow show asking for my phone number. He calls a couple minutes later and says they might want to have me on the show to talk about Stupak. He asked me a bunch of questions about my reporting on Stupak, what I knew about him, and so forth. And he said he'd get back to me.
About a half hour later he calls back and asks a few more questions. He said they were trying to find a studio for me to go to but the NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids, where I was, couldn't do it. He asked if I could get to Lansing. I said yes. He called back two more times and it still wasn't certain that they were going to find a place, but by that time I knew that if I was going to do the show I would have to cancel the radio show.
At this point, you see, I was ready for radio, not TV. I had two days growth on my face and was wearing a very casual button down shirt. So I knew I had to get home first to shave and put on a suit or a sportcoat at least. So even though things were still up in the air, I decided to take a chance, cancel the radio show (put on a rerun) and head home to prepare.
On the way home, the producer called back and said okay it's a go, can you get to Lansing or can we send a car for you. I said either would be fine, he said he'd see if he could get a car to my house in time. Then he called back a few minutes later and said they couldn't get a clear signal out of Lansing, so could they send a satellite truck and a cameraman to my house instead? Sure, whatever. So we're back to "maybe."
About the time I was almost home, he calls back to say the truck and the cameraman are on their way but it's gonna be a scramble to be ready in time. They both call me on the trip here to avoid getting lost. As the satellite truck pulls up, I go outside to greet him -- and promptly take a major header on a patch of ice. I mean legs fly up in the air and I land flat on my back. Cut my elbow and my wrist through my suit coat. Perfect.
So they get there. Problem: All the walls of my house are white. Solution: Quickly hang up a picture on the wall. Wait, it's too high, let's bring it down. Meanwhile they're running cable all over the place, setting up lights and mics and stuff -- and my neighbors are all looking out their windows wondering what the hell is going on at the new guy's place.
After all the scrambling for 3 hours, we finally get to the show. And it lasts 5 minutes. And then took half an hour to pack back up so they could leave. Whew. What a night.
Politics
Comments
Here's the link to the relevant segment of Maddow's show: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#35718090
Posted by: Michael Heath | March 5, 2010 9:27 AM
He was such a quiet man. Kept to himself mostly. Always had a neatly trimmed lawn. We never would have guessed in a million years a *blogger* lived next to us. And to think we let our children play outside unattended.
Posted by: carlsonjok | March 5, 2010 9:42 AM
You did an awesome job. I even sacrificed watching the Office to catch it.
Posted by: TimmyP | March 5, 2010 9:58 AM
Wow. What a lot of work for just a few minutes on TV. I bet you're even more happy now that you do radio most of the time.
Posted by: Allen | March 5, 2010 10:08 AM
Posted by: Herod the Freemason | March 5, 2010 10:09 AM
Hah hah hah. I was watching Office Space on Comedy Central and said, "Screw it, Ed will be online in a few hours."
You did do a good job though. Frankly, you should have said something really idiotic and polarizing then milked your 15 minutes like Joe the Plumber.
Posted by: Brandon | March 5, 2010 11:06 AM
Bravo, Ed. Bravo.
Posted by: bourgeois_rage | March 5, 2010 11:20 AM
I'm curious. How is it that they happened to (find out about and) choose you for the segment. Through this blog? Or, more likely, they started asking around for a local Michigan newsperson of some sort, and your Michigan Messenger work showed up?
I just happened to flick by Maddow just as you were being introduced and did a double take.
Posted by: Ahcuah | March 5, 2010 11:43 AM
I have to admit, when I started reading the 4th paragraph, I was going to make the ol' 'he's got a face made for radio' joke, but you beat me to it.
I'll have to check out the broadcast when I get home. Congratulations on the air time, though.
Posted by: FastLane | March 5, 2010 11:45 AM
Ahcuah-
It wasn't this blog, it was the Messenger. Rachel has had a lot of our folks from the Washington Independent on the show and the producer that called me is one that has worked with our people in DC before. I assume that's how the connection was made.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | March 5, 2010 11:57 AM
Ha, I had wondered where they were shooting you; I saw part of the framed picture on the wall behind you and thought it looked like a hotel room or something more than a studio.
Posted by: Spartan | March 5, 2010 11:58 AM
But at least you didn't have to change out of your Burmuda shorts with the palm trees and pink flamingos. They only showed you from the chest up.
BTW, you did a great job! I hope Ms Maddow calls on you more often.
Posted by: DavidK | March 5, 2010 12:07 PM
Glad you were able to get in the thing about Stupak's bill to give the Coast Guard land to the church school. That was one of those little success stories that almost nobody had even heard about because Stupak backed down so quickly.
Posted by: Chris Rodda | March 5, 2010 1:02 PM
I had no idea Ed was going to be on, but I happened to have the Maddow show on as I was doing dishes. I heard "Ed Brayton" and it caught my attention.
Well done, Ed.
Posted by: barry | March 5, 2010 1:06 PM
I had no idea Ed was going to be on, but I happened to have the Maddow show on as I was doing dishes. I heard "Ed Brayton" and it caught my attention.
Well done, Ed.
Posted by: barry | March 5, 2010 1:06 PM
You are an impressive guest, you managed to get a lot of information out there in your responses. I hope Rachel has you back on again. You were fair in your assessment of Stupak, too, though I disagree with him on abortion, as well as his C Street connections, I think you summed him very nicely.
Good job, thanks!
Posted by: Lori | March 5, 2010 2:29 PM
You did a very good job and looked like you had done it a thousand times.
Posted by: JAF Rusty Shackleford | March 5, 2010 2:30 PM
They didn't even mention the blog on the show, which was a shame.
Posted by: Nemo | March 5, 2010 2:44 PM
Thanks for detailing your adventure. What I find interesting is how the grilled you a bunch of times before they put you on. It sounds like Rachel's people really do their homework.
And thanks for doing the piece and highlighting this issue. Sadly, with our major media a wholly-owned corporate lap dog, they'll never highlight cases like this. But it's great that it's on the web, so interested parties can seek it out and learn about it.
Posted by: JSD | March 5, 2010 2:52 PM
As he clutches her pearls; Ed, you do not have to start every sentence with a "Well".
Posted by: ThirtyFiveUp | March 5, 2010 3:39 PM
Shackleford @ 17:
That was my wife's observation as well.
Posted by: Michael Heath | March 5, 2010 3:43 PM
I followed a link from John Cole's 'Balloon Juice' blog, and caught that Rachel Maddow clip. It was a sweet clip, and you did a nice job.
Of course, you should have taken off your jacket to display your bloodied shirt, and hinted that 'The Family' was after you.
Posted by: Another Barry | March 5, 2010 3:45 PM
Yesterday,I perused Dispatches as usual-- (No, I'm not a lurker,it's just that I usually have little to add.) Then, in the mail, I got the latest issue of Reports of the NCSE, with Ed featured. Friend of Darwin , 2007. Bless the NCSE, I thought, always up to date. Well, I had always thought about listening in to his radio broadcast, so today, why not, I thought. Interesting show. And then he (or you) showed up on the Rachel Maddow Show. I went to bed fearing I would be haunted by fuzzy-faced demons, but the booze kept me safely dreamless. Bob
Posted by: Bob Carroll | March 5, 2010 3:49 PM
Ed @ 10:
I had a hunch that was the connection. Perhaps the decline in standards at the Washington Post has provided the opportunity for the Washington Independent and its affiliates to get access to the TV talk shows.
I'm a fan of the WaPo's Ezra Klein; however we know the WaPo's opinion writers are not subjected to standards of honesty nor do they seem all that concerned about making cogent arguments that rise above partisanship and provide actual provocative insight. In the end we may get superior insight than if they'd maintained their standards given their downfall has created opportunities for superior content. Eugene Robinson has my lifetime vote as the ultimate Mr. Obvious and best liberal sycophant of all-time.
Posted by: Michael Heath | March 5, 2010 3:55 PM
Nice job, and I want to second Lori's comment about your even-handed treatment of Stupak. It was a nice break from usual political media and I don't think Maddow was going to take that route herself, so Well Done.
Posted by: Scott Hanley | March 5, 2010 4:01 PM
The piece was my introduction to you; when I first saw your picture come up and you were looking around a bit (no wonder after what you went through to get to that point) I was wondering a bit how this was going to play out. You were poised, informative, and (as mentioned by someone else) gave an impression of being fair in your comments. I wish all guests on these types of shows would do half so well. Kudos!
Posted by: Michael Bramel | March 5, 2010 6:40 PM
Very well done, Ed. I'm glad to see more people are digging into The Family; it seems to me there's likely to be more rich nuggets of gold for an enterprising reporter to dig up.
Posted by: Kenneth Fair | March 6, 2010 12:22 AM
Ed, On tv, you are the spitting image of Bert Lahr as the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, except not so cowardly (and cuter).
(You don't look like Bert Lahr, you only resemble his lion character.)
Please don't ban me for this comment. :)
A fan
Posted by: jocaso | March 6, 2010 5:30 AM
I always watch Rachel, and when I heard your name, I thought, "I know that name. Who is that?" The Panda's Thumb was my introduction to the wonderful world of ScienceBlogs! I am originally from Michigan, too, and it may be hard to believe, but when you are living in Hawaii it is nice to hear from home.
You really did seem poised and knowledgeable. When they turned off the camera, did you collapse?
Posted by: elpico | March 6, 2010 1:33 PM
I also watch Rachel Maddow almost every night. I recognized your face even before I recognized the name. Funny about the picture on the wall - I thought the background was suspicious looking, almost as if they were intentionally trying to break it up and make it busier.
That sucks about the spill on the ice. Yowza. No one needs that, especially not right before going on the TV machine.
You did a great job.
Posted by: MomTFH | March 6, 2010 3:36 PM