Once again, I quote at you a little bit from Rachel Maddow’s radio show, an exchange from Tuesday’s show with producer Vanessa Silverton-Peel:

Maddow: In being on the news shows that I’m on, part of the reason I can do that is because their not being struck, because Writers Guild writers don’t write for those shows. But I have, since the writers’ strike started, I have been called and asked to be on shows that I have never been asked to be on before. Because — I think — by process of elimination, because so many people are saying ‘No, they won’t appear.’ So I’m getting calls which is doubly insulting because that means they’re only calling me because they’re run out of other people who won’t cross the picket line and show up. And, also, they think I’ll cross the picket line.

Silverton-Peel: It’s not just you, though. Mario Vitale had the same thing. He’s been trying to get on Jay Leno for years and years and years and years and they just called him. He was so excited, did a little dance, like, you know shook around, then realized it was because of the strike and called an canceled.

Maddow: Really?

Silverton-Peel: Yeah.

Maddow: Well good for him! It’s a bummer to have to say no, but that’s exactly the right thing to do. Otherwise people would look at his delicious food and think, ‘Hm, scabby.’

So, mixed emotions here. I’m happy to hear about Rachel making a moral choice but it’s still disappointing to hear that she’s refusing TV appearances. Bummer for you, Rachel, bummer for us.

For now, I guess I’ll have to take comfort in the podcast of her radio show made available by her San Francisco affiliate. Maddow strikes a nice balance between snarky irreverence and a solid ability to independently analyze current news… and I’ll take comfort in the reference to Maddow as an “MSNBC Political Analyst” that came on last night’s Countdown.