Cheney-Gingrich 2012
Rachel led off with not so much new news as finally-sinking-in news that Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich are becoming the voices of the Republican Party.

There’s even talk that Cheney could be sent out to help Republican election campaigns. Not just to frighten potential Democratic voters into staying home hidden under their beds, mind you, but apparently to actually help Republicans.

Joan Walsh of Salon.com dropped in to help Rachel figure out why the Republicans are using one of the most off-putting public duos since Burke and Hare to drum up popular support.

Three More Things:
Tom Ridge, Charlie Crist, and John McCain aren’t thrilled with Cheney’s ooze back into public life, and the reasons were so numerous that Rachel had speed reader Douglas Wilder on hand to help out.

Thanks for the taste of awesome, Mr. Wilder. May you be well employed. And may we find a way to make bad news pass that quickly for real.

One-Party State
Liberty University, founded by the late Jerry Falwell, has a new policy. The administration has decided – Or was it revealed to them? – that one cannot be both a Christian and a Democrat. Thus, the official recognition of the school’s Democratic Party club has been revoked.

Rachel welcomed Brian Diaz, president of Liberty University’s former Democratic Party club. She seemed concerned over the fact that a tax-exempt school could be so nakedly partisan, but I was far more concerned for Mr. Diaz and any other student on campus who identified as a Democrat.

Why are you there, Mr. Diaz? Was your leg caught in a bear trap just below camera range? Blink the Morse code for “habeas corpus” if you need help!

Run for the Hills
In celebration of the latest Guantanamo Maximum Fear re-mix, Rachel took us on a quick tour of astonishing political ads from the past.

Wow. Looking at them side by side, The Guantanamo ads are actually less subtle than the one featuring nuclear annihilation.

And how hastily was the new one thrown together? They couldn’t find a real voiceover actress? Is that Liz Cheney dubbing the little girl?

The fantastic Melissa Harris-Lacewell of Princeton University stopped by the studio to harpoon Republican fear tactics and take Congressional Democrats to task for being such complete wussbags.

One more thing:
Because Friday is What-the-Hell Day at TRMS, Rachel and friends put together a fear commercial of their own in response to the new law allowing concealed weapons in national parks.

Ms. Maddow, some things just aren’t funny.

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in our national parks knows that you may need to pump a bunny full of lead at a moment’s notice.

If you want to give up your tactical advantage and let those furry little bastards know you’re packing heat, fine. Don’t come crying to me when Flopsy and Mopsy get the drop on you.

Developing Story
You know how Rachel has a way of clogging up your reading list? Make some room.

23 years ago Didier Lefèvre, a photojournalist, went into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders. On foot. Through Pakistan.

Rachel welcomed Dr. Juliette Fournot, the leader of the mission, and illustrator Emmanual Guibert who, with Lefèvre, helped create The Photographer, a book that combines Lefèvre’s war photos with prose and graphic novel panels.

Because it’s a long weekend and because you’ve been good and because several readers have already indicated that they will strangle me if I don’t include this, I will send you off with this bit of Toss Magic.

Just for context, Keith Olbermann was tweaking Rush Limbaugh by playing the disturbing clip of Rush bouncing around at CPAC and, well, Rachel likes to play. Enjoy.

May the rest of your week be just as bouncy.