The Truth about Laughing Liberally concert tour (with Jokes!)

Blaming Bush for our problems is like blaming an accident on the chrome dog on the hood of the Mack Truck. – Rick Overton

As Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart prove nightly, satire is often the sharpest tool for combating, the slings and arrows of the not-so-sharp tools in this administration.

The Senate is investigating profiteering on oil and gas. The important questions are: 1. Which oil companies are raking in huge profits? And 2. How big contributors are they? – Will Durst

Laughing Liberally is a concerned group of hilarious dyed-in-the-wool lefty political comedians who are taking their progressive laughs on the road to Los Angeles, Sat., June 3; the YearlyKos Convention in Las Vegas, Thurs.-Fri., June 8-9; Boston, June 15-17 & 22-24 and possible future stops in other states all in aid of those of who need a laugh or two to get us through until the next election, indictment or impeachment.

The administration says the American people want tax cuts. Well, duh. The American people also want drive-through nickel beer night. The American people want to lose weight by eating ice cream. The American people love the Home Shopping Network because it’s commercial free. — Will Durst

And these aren’t Leno-come-lately comics finally getting wise or providing “balance” to their acts by alternating Bush bashing with Clinton dick jokes. Laughing Liberally political comedians have made a career of their liberal wit, including Air America Radio’s Marc Maron who is tired of divisiveness, “Left wing, right wing, I am wingless and tired of trying to fly. Here comes the ground.”

Of course, Washington DC is corrupt. You can’t wave that amount of lobbyist money in front of Republicans and expect them to remain honest. It’s like leaving food out at a campsite. – Rick Overton

Rick Overton has spent several decades being right about being left — I remember fondly his late `80s Showtime environmental comedy special (“Why can’t we just invent a machine that sucks in all the pollution and blows out oxygen like a, oh yeah, like a tree.”) Rick won an Emmy Award for his writing on HBO’s DENNIS MILLER LIVE, back when he was schooling Miller as a Leftertarian, before Miller went over to the dark side.)

We need the children of Indonesia and the Philippines to manufacture our freedom of choice. -Marc Maron

Political comedian Will Durst has been host of the award-winning PBS series We Do the Work, taped a One Night Stand for HBO, and starred in A&E’s A Year’s Worth with Will Durst.

How did sex come to be thought of as dirty in the first place? God must have been a Republican. – Will Durst

Comedian Shang has been a panelist on MTV’s “Choose or Lose” and is also a regular guest on Air America Radio.rica Radio’s ‘Unfiltered’.

Pro-life people shoot up a clinic and then say, “Jesus told me to do it.” It’s always somebody you can’t get on the phone and verify. — Shang

Dean Obeidallah is the co-founder of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival “The closest thing we get to Arab Awareness month is when they raise the terror alert.”

They keep saying assault weapons can be used as legitimate hunting rifles. Okay, I can buy that. You can also use a chainsaw to cut butter. It’s just going to get a little messy around muffin time. — Will Durst

James Adomian will be on hand to supply his dead-on, deadpan Bush impression: “Rest assured, if I catch Osama bin Laden, I will find him.”

If evolution is just a “theory,” then let’s repeal the “law” of gravity. — Will Durst

Comedian Katie Halper is also comedy curator at The Tank in New York, a space for emerging artists, where Laughing Liberally was initially developed.(“Poor Dick Cheney. He’s really been under attack ever since his hunting accident story was leaked to the Corpus Christi Middle School Gazette.”)

I think the whole Arab-American community could use a hug. We need some kind of aromatherapy, like hummus flavor, to help us relax. For instance, true story: I’m paying with a credit card, and this guy picks up it, sees my name, and becomes hostile, “What kind of name is this?” “Well, it’s Arab.” “What does it mean?” “In English, it means `Peaceful, friendly Arab.'” “But what country is your family from?” So I’m tried to think of the most peaceful Muslim state, “We’re from the same country as Aladdin.” – Dean Obeidallah

Below are the details for upcoming concerts, check out the website for future dates, and scroll down further for more liberal laughter:

LOS ANGELES: Wadsworth Theater, 226 Eisenhower Ave., W.L.A.

www.laughingliberally.com

Pretty soon racism will be a thing of the past. The ozone layer is going so fast, soon everyone will be black. – Shang

You can’t be wealthy with no ozone layer.  – Rick Overton

Racism is so stupid. There are more than enough reasons to dislike people on an individual basis. — Will Durst

I like to describe myself as a “matriot.” A patriot is just loyal to their country, I’m loyal to my species. I love humans, they pay my bills. – Rick Overton

Now don’t get me wrong, the Bible is a great book, but it has as much to do with science as Gummi Bears have to do with aerospace navigation. – Will Durst

The Patriot Act gives this administration leeway to riffle through all our library files supposedly to search for terrorists. But honestly, do you think al-Qaeda has so little money, that they’re patronizing public libraries? “We need a book, but we’re $20 short. Omar, go to the library and try not to look suspicious.” And are there even books in the stacks that would give them away? I’m al-Qaeda, You’re al-Qaeda and Chicken Soup for the al-Qaeda Soul. — Dean Obeidallah

Although a member of the Bush family has been part of the ruling Presidential ticket five out of the last seven contests, both number 41 and 43 went out of their way to say they don’t appreciate the term “dynasty.” Yeah, well, you know what? Neither do we. — Will Durst