Former George W. Bush speechwriter and National Review blogger David Frum appeared last night on The Rachel Maddow Show, and the interview quickly became a discussion of the tone taken by the MSNBC program.

In what was a lengthy, contentious, yet calm interview (neither raised their voice), Maddow and Frum had a back-and-forth about the tone of the race and its coverage.

Frum talked about the focus on small issues in the campaigns, but turned his attention to the program. “This show, unfortunately, itself is an example,” he said. “With its heavy sarcasm, its sneering and its disregard for a lot of substantive issues that are really important.”

Maddow followed up, asking if Frum was comparing her show to some supporters at Sen. John McCain‘s rallies. “Are you accusing me of an equivalence in tone?” asked Maddow. “I don’t think that’s an important question,” said Frum.

Also revealed in the discussion: Maddow says the McCain campaign has only made one person available for a three-minute appearance since her program began.

Click continued to see the interview…