I don’t want to make too big of a deal about it, but Steven Colbert’s performance at the White House Correspondent’s dinner was spectacular. I don’t know where he found the guts to take the President to the woodshed like that when he was standing ten feet away. The brilliance of his construction, ostensibly being a huge supporter of Bush, and his refusal to be sidetracked by the lack of laughter and the uncomfortable smiles, made for a comedic triumph of the highest order. The truth stands in such stark contrast to the official spin manufactured through the White House, and through the White House correspondents, that Colbert’s job was relatively easy. Just tell the truth, tell it relentlessly, say it doesn’t matter, say not to care, endorse closing one’s eyes to what everyone clearly knows. The emperor and the Washington press corp are wearing no clothes, and last night they were exposed. A captive audience had nowhere to run, as Colbert dropped bomb after bomb after bomb on them. If there is a hell, Bush will be there getting subjected to Colbert’s speech over and over again for all eternity.
We should build a statue to Steve Colbert for providing a little dose of justice on a most deserving ‘inside Washington’ glitterati. He savaged Antonin Scalia, he savaged John McCain, he savaged the corruption in Washington, he accused the press of being mere stenographers for the administration, he bashed the Washington Post, he brutally attacked the war in Iraq, the President’s response to Katrina, his failure to address global warming, the budget, the NSA leaks, the Plame affair, the secret prisons, and the torture. Colbert left almost no national disgrace unmentioned, and he pulled no punches. I have nothing but admiration for him.
Unsuprisingly, the wingnuts see things somewhat differently…
White House Correspondent’s dinner
Some samples from Pam’s House Blend:
“God bless our President for having the fortitude to put up with this waste of time and these tacky, talentless, hollow little people.”
“Oh. My. God. I cannot believe the vile string of invective cloaked as comedy delivered by that simpering fool Colbert. It was a serious lecture. He picked up confidence and conviction with every worn out accusation he learned on Daily Kos. Unlike Imus, who had enough of a conscience to pour flop sweat on his filthy self, this guy actually developed a glow by the end of his diatribe. He was proud. I cannot believe our president was forced to endure this disgusting insult. I am beyond ashamed.”
“If you have the stomach to watch, be sure to pay attention to the psychopath’s exit. GWB shook his hand curtly. Laura pointedly refused to stand or extend her hand. She gave him a look. Then the filthy coward moved on to kiss and warmly embrace the fossil Helen Thomas… great minds and all.”
“Stephen Colbert’s long presentation could not have been more awful. I did not laugh once. I broke a smile maybe once (the Mayor Nagin joke). Colbert even managed to ridicule the President’s standing-on-the-rubble 9/11 moment as a “staged photo-op”. His blinding hatred for all-things-Bush could not have come across more clearly. Ugh.”
“Watching Stephen Colbert was an exercise in agony. It went on and on and on forever, generating few laughs with everyone checking their watches. Whoever said he was funny, besides Don Imus, should have watched Colbert’s non-performance tonight. It’s like he didn’t have a clue that he had bombed! Bush and his look-alike stole the show. Bush is a master of self-deprecating humor which makes him endear himself more to the American people. Gosh, I love this guy and am so proud of him.”
“I just watched the clip with Steve Bridges, it was great! I’ve seen him doing his Bush impersonation on The Tonight Show, he was exactly the same tonight. He has the style and mannerisms down and their timing was excellent. Missed Colbert and it sounds like a good thing. He is a smarmy little guy. I’ve watched his show a few times to see what it’s about. Whoever invited him failed to realize that he is MOCKING conservatives and Fox News types (especially O’Reilly), not in a nice way either. [Give this moron a cookie!] Too bad he couldn’t be decent tonight. “
The truth hurts.
