Steve Benen is a producer for MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" and an MSNBC contributor.

Before joining MSNBC, Benen was a contributing writer to the Washington Monthly, headlining the "Political Animal" blog. His background includes writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, the New York Daily News, and Salon.com. He is also the former publisher of The Carpetbagger Report.

Benen has been a frequent on-air media guest, appearing on several national television and radio programs. In July 2009, The Atlantic named Benen one of the top 50 most influential political commentators in the United States.

Benen got his Master's degree at the George Washington University while interning in President Clinton's White House. He has experience writing for several congressional campaigns and having been part of the communications department at Americans United for Separation of Church and State.