Today: Rachel tears up the Republican response to the underpants bomber and counts down the top Moments of Geek.
Record Scratch
Rachel started us off with the attempts by numerous Republicans to score political points with the attempted underpants bombing on Christmas Day.
Dr. Maddow seemed to have had exactly enough of that sort of thing, characterizing the political opportungasm as “a serious of obviously baseless, factually incorrect, demonstrably untrue, and hypocritical attacks.”
No, of course Dick Cheney couldn’t resist. Science can’t explain why Cheney is unable to resist whispering dark threats into microphones any more than religion can explain why he has not been struck by lightning for his continuous stream of malicious lies.
Cheney, fresh and glowing after a session draining puppies of their life essence, issued a statement to Politico that somehow once again omitted the part where his administration was specifically warned that Osama bin Laden was determined to attack the United States and yet refused take it seriously.
I guess he’s speaking as an expert on failing to properly respond to terror threats?
Rachel delivered an epic smackdown and reminded us, via clips, that we used to have a President who pronounced the word describing acts of violence designed to provoke fear “tirrr.”
Silent Majority
The Democrats and their milquetoast response to the Republican grandstanding did not escape Rachel’s laser beam gaze unsinged.
Representative Eric Massa (D — New York) showed some spine and Wheaties in calling out Dick Cheney and Senator Jim DeMint (R — South Carolina) on their bushwah, but didn’t seem to have a lot of backup.
Rachel and staff helped out by getting their “O Fortuna” on and putting together a take-back-the-national-security-high-ground commercial for the Democrats.
Breaking News
On a more somber note, Rachel reported that four Canadian troops and a reporter were killed in Kandahar, and eight American CIA agents were killed at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan.
Rachel pledged to continue covering stories of life during wartime. In this one case, we can all hope that she runs short of material.
TRMS Investigates: Yes, We Did; Yes, We Will
Rachel took a look at some of the most amazing TRMS Investigates segments. Goodness, I had almost forgotten how much sleazebaggery there is in the world.
She segued around to our pals at the John Birch Society (well, OK: nobody’s pals at the John Birch Society) and used their commie-hatin’ anti-fluoridatin’ whackadoodle ways to explain why it’s important to report on the fringe.
(And, yes, she admitted that one reason is simply that it’s fun.)
Moment(s) of Geek
Rachel counted down the top three moments of a marvelous Year of Geek. You definitely want to see these again.
Especially since Rachel ends the segment with one of the raciest jokes I’ve ever heard her make. Brava.
Operation Iraqi Baseball
Rachel finished with a story that warms the heart and the horsehide before ending with full credits and pictures of the staff and crew — a class act all the way.
Happy New Year! Here’s to even more well-researched smackdowns, bits of whimsy, and crazy smart news and commentary in 2010.
