Rachel Maddow - First Out Lesbian to have her own MSNBC show

"Rachel Maddow has been sounding off about politics on MSNBC so often she might as well have her own show," says Washington Post commentator Howard Kurtz.

And now she does.

Openly lesbian political commentator Rachel Maddow, 35, is getting her own prime-time show on MSNBC starting on Sept. 8th.

Maddow will be replacing Dan Abrams’s program “Verdict” in the 6 p.m. PT time slot with “The Rachel Maddow Show.” Maddow's show will initially focus on the presidential race but will become more of a general news program after the election.

“Live audience. Live punk band. You know, mariachis for important segues,” she joked with Keith Olbermann Tuesday evening during her appearance on his program announcing her new show with MSNBC.

Maddow will be the first out lesbian to host a prime-time news or political commentary show on American television. In fact, MSNBC does not have any other news or political commentary shows hosted by women.

"Rachel is unbelievably talented and brilliant; her breadth and depth of knowledge of politics and news is astonishing and I'm so excited to give her a place to really showcase what she can do," said MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement.

Maddow is considered something of a hero for the liberal left. New York magazine ran an article last month headlined "Why We're Gay for Rachel Maddow," and in an article from The Nation: "Maddow didn't get here by bluster and bravado but with a combination of crisp thinking and galumphing good cheer. Remarkably, this season's discovery isn't a glossy matinee idol or a smooth-talking partisan hack but a PhD Rhodes scholar lesbian policy wonk who started as a prison AIDS activist."

Maddow currently divides her time between Manhattan and western Massachusetts, where she lives with artist Susan Mikula, her life partner of 10 years.

Maddow Makeover???

The NY Post recently reported that, "MSNBC loves the chatter of liberal pundit Rachel Maddow, but not her look." Maddock has always worn tailored men's clothing and her signature thick black-framed glasses for her public appearances.

However, with her new position, Maddow is now being subjected to a "network makeover" by a "glam squad, " she has even been asked not to wear her glasses. MSNBC is going to do everything they can to make Rachel look more like a lady, even if that means "putting her in a skirt."

But why the need for such a change? I mean let's face it, this is one brilliant, hot butch! We can only hope that she is as strong about keeping her entire identity, as she is about her political views. And hey, some of us think those thick rimmed glasses are sexy!