If you’re anything like me, you make a point of watching “The Rachel Maddow Show” each and every evening on MSNBC. Since Comcast took over ownership, Rachel is one of the few truly progressive and unapologetically liberal voices left on the network.

On last night’s show, Rachel made a very important point that wasn’t being highlighted anywhere else in the media: While the GOP pretended to be outraged by Donald Trump’s comments on punishing women who have abortions, what he said isn’t the least bit inconsistent with what the majority of the Republican Party believes and practices.

First, Maddow called out her colleagues in the media:

“I don’t know if the Beltway media sort of doesn’t get this yet, or if they don’t feel like reporting on it or if it’s uncomfortable, or if it earns you too many enemies from people you want to be sources or friends in the future. But what we are having right now in terms of the focus of the Republican presidential race and its national media coverage right now is a farce.”

That sure as hell got my attention when she said it, and it’s hard to argue with her premise. And then she noted that Ted Cruz is smart (and calculated) enough to never ever say out loud that women should be punished for exercising their right to choose, even though that is what they believe:

“Ted Cruz is right, that the anti-abortion movement in general has learned to stop talking about that. They don’t like to talk about that; they like to say that they’ll never talk about that. But it is, if we’re being honest here, an unavoidable consequence of what it would mean if they get their way.”

And Maddow concluded with a statement that has needed to be said for years now. It may not be popular to say it, but it’s most certainly honest:

“So, just a note to the national media and to the Beltway media on this subject. I know everybody’s all over Donald Trump on this — what will this mean for his campaign? — but covering a story like this does not mean just writing down what people want you to say about them in the terms they want you to use.”

Absolutely right! It means reporting with perspective and analysis. Somehow we’ve gotten the idea in this country that those who report the news are not supposed to have an opinion or express that opinion to those they report to. But that is utter and complete bullshit. Opinion and analysis are an essential part of the job.

Watch the Segment For Yourself:

This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.