MSNBC Tops TV Ratings

Isn't this something! MSNBC beats out BOTH CNN and the Fox "news" channel in a critical rating!
Here's what Nielsen is reporting:

MSNBC beat CNN in primetime last month in the key Adults 25-54 demographic, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. MSNBC was also the #1 ranked news network among younger viewers, 18-34, in August. MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “Hardball with Chris Matthews” all out-rated CNN among A25-54 in August. Following are MSNBC ratings highlights for August:
MSNBC out-rated CNN in August in A25-54 in primetime (M-Su, 8-11 p.m.) by 11 percent (276,000 vs. 248,000). MSNBC was also the #1 news network among younger viewers, Adults 18-34, in primetime, outdelivering CNN by 61 percent and FNC by 4 percent.
“Countdown with Keith Olbermann” continued its success, beating CNN’s “Campbell Brown” among Adults 25-54 by a huge 62 percent among A25-54 (345,000 vs. 213,000) and by 43 percent among total viewers (1,087,000 vs. 761,000). “Countdown” out-rated “Campbell Brown” among A18-34 by 114 percent last month (124,000 vs. 58,000).
“The Rachel Maddow Show” out-rated CNN’s “Larry King Live” among A25-54 in August (304,000 vs. 294,000). “TRMS” is the fastest growing cable news show at 9 p.m, up a huge 92 percent in total viewers versus August 2008 (996,000 vs. 519,000) and up 61 percent in A25-54 (304,000 vs. 188,000). “TRMS” also beat “Larry King” among younger viewers 18-34 in August by 29 percent (93,000 vs. 72,000).
“Hardball with Chris Matthews” at 7 p.m. beat CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” by 13 percent in A25-54 in August (198,000 vs. 175,000) and virtually tied CNN at 5 p.m. among A25-54 (148,000 vs. 149,000).

So much for progressive shows not being able to compete.

Do You Really Trust A Man Whose Company Stole $1.7 Million From Feds To Be Patients' Advocate?

Just as Rick Scott's so-called "Conservatives for Patients Rights" put out an ad attacking President Obama's healthcare plan, Scott himself came under more scrutiny in another segment on Rick Sanchez's television show on CNN.
Notice how Scott tries to weasel out of answering Sanchez's questions about the $1.7 million his hospital group had to pay in fines for activities that happened while he was heading the group.
Here's the clip:

Sanchez's Scott piece didn't go without notice. Wrote Jason Linkins in the Huffington Post:

On Friday, Rick Sanchez went after Conservatives For Patient's Rights, another one of these groups that likes to pretend to want "real reform" when what they really want is a big ol' dollop of status quo. Rick Scott, who heads up the organization, is a real piece of work, the kind of guy you cross the street to avoid. His Hospital Corporation of America bilked the government by fraudulently "upcoding" Medicare billing codes, and it ended up paying $1.7 billion in penalties for stealing from American taxpayers. You might also recall that when Health Care For America Now called Scott out in an advertisement, CPR and Scott manufactured a phony controversy that took me about five minutes to debunk. Scott has hobbies, too, among them "sitting on the board of a company used by Saudi Arabia and Iran to suppress Internet access." All you guys out there with green-tinted Twitter avatars should take note!

Trusting Rick Scott to be a leading spokesman for patients' needs and rights is like trusting Bernie Madoff to be a leading advocate of financial responsibility. As Rick The Thief and his crew travel to Martha's Vineyard to hound our president and falsely claim that his anti-reform position represents the will of the American people, I hope those AT Martha's Vineyard are ready to expose the real Rick Scott everywhere he goes.
Maybe that'll make him think twice before continuing to con the American people against their own interests and against real healthcare reform.