I can't recall when I've seen so many unhappy reps. And he bashed the
press too. He salted the earth after scorching it. Colbert rocks and has
Giant Brass Balls.
WASHINGTONA blistering comedy "tribute" to
President Bush by Comedy Central's faux talk show host Stephen Colbert
at the White House Correspondent Dinner Saturday night left George and
Laura Bush unsmiling at its close.
Earlier, the president had delivered his talk to the
2700 attendees, including many celebrities and top officials, with the
help of a Bush impersonator.
Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show
character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged the
Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on
reality, "and reality has a well-known liberal bias."
He attacked those in the press who claim that the
shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on
the Titanic. "This administration is soaring, not sinking," he said. "They are re-arranging the deck chairs--on the Hindenburg."
Colbert told Bush he could end the problem of protests
by retired generals by refusing to let them retire. He compared Bush to
Rocky Balboa in the "Rocky" movies, always getting punched in the
face -- "and Apollo Creed is everything else in the world."
Turning to the war, he declared, "I believe that the
government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by
these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."
He noted former Ambassador Joseph Wilson in the crowd,
as well as " Valerie Plame." Then, pretending to be worried that he had
named her, he corrected himself, as Bush aides might do, "Uh, I mean...
Joseph Wilson's wife." He asserted that it might be okay, as prosecutor
Patrick Fitzgerald was probably not there.
Colbert also made biting cracks about missing WMDs, "photo ops" on aircraft carriers and at hurricane disasters, and Vice
President Cheney shooting people in the face. Observing
that Bush sticks to his principles, he said, "When the president
decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no
matter what happened Tuesday."
Also lampooning the press, Colbert complained that he
was "surrounded by the liberal media who are destroying this country,
except for Fox News. Fox believes in presenting both sides - "the
president's side and the vice president's side." He also reflected on
the good old days, when the media was still swallowing the WMD story.
Addressing the reporters, he said, "You should spend
more time with your families, write that novel you've always wanted to
write. You know, the one about the fearless reporter who stands up to
the administration. You know - fiction."
He claimed that the Secret Service name for Bush's new
press secretary is "Snow Job." Colbert closed his routine with a video
fantasy where he gets to be White House Press Secretary, complete with
a special "Gannon" button on his podium. By the end, he had to run from
Helen Thomas and her questions about why the U.S. really invaded Iraq
and killed all those people.
As Colbert walked from the podium, when it was over,
the president and First Lady gave him quick nods, unsmiling, and left
immediately.
E&P's Joe Strupp, in the crowd, observed that
quite a few sitting near him looked a little uncomfortable at times,
perhaps feeling the material was a little too biting--or too much
speaking "truthiness" to power.
Asked by E&P after it was over if he thought he'd
been too harsh, Colbert said, "Not at all." Was he trying to make a
point politically or just get laughs? "Just for laughs," he said. He
said he did not pull any material for being too strong, just for time
reasons.
Helen Thomas told Strupp her segment with Colbert was "just for fun."
Perhaps the best part was when they panned the audience and you could
see the stone-faced repubs. Bunnypants has never had someone punk him
like that in public. This one goes in the vault.
The Smothers Brothers must be giggling - at last justice for the
bravery of comic geniuses. You might recall that the Brothers were
cancelled after Pete Seeger sang "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy". I remember being very angry at the injustice of it all,
but tonight - justice has been served.
The silence was priceless. And Stephen just marched on, driving the
nails in further. A must-see! My favorite: "The President stands for
things. He stands on aircraft carriers. He stands on rubble. He stands
in abandoned, flooded city squares. There's no place he won't stand for
a photo op."