Sunday, April 30, 2006

If this were Baghdad, 2002...

...Stephen Colbert probably wouldn't have a tongue today.

At the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Stephen Colbert thrilled the libs in attendance with an all guns blazing Bush-bashing routine.

According to some reports, Bush supporters and the President himself felt Colbert's schtick was a bit much.


WASHINGTON -- A 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.

...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. “If anything, 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."

...Colbert also made biting cracks about missing WMDs, “photo ops” on aircraft carriers and at hurricane disasters, melting glaciers and Vice President Cheney shooting people in the face. He advised the crowd, "if anybody needs anything at their tables, speak slowly and clearly on into your table numbers and somebody from the N.S.A. will be right over with a cocktail."

USA Today's report on the event presents a very different picure. According to its story, the President wasn't upset by Colbert's bit at all.
Colbert said the president seemed to get a kick out of the comedy.

"He was very nice. He was like, 'Good job, good job.'"

...Jeopardy's Alex Trebek, a guest of CNN, seemed to be enjoying the night: "I thought the two presidents bit was fantastic, a marvelous bit. I asked Wolf Blitzer – because he has attended about 20 of these – whether all the presidents have such a good sense of humor about poking fun of themselves, which I think George Bush does. It's a great quality."

...Actor and rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges was impressed with the president. "I didn't even know he could be that funny."

I wasn't there to see whether the President laughed or smiled or was ticked off. I can't explain the differing reports.

I will say that the President is clearly very gracious, and that really, REALLY bugs the angry liberals.

3 comments:

Andy said...

Makes me think of "I'm known to mangle the English language; I get that from my dad."

The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

I've seen varying accounts as well. I linked and embedded the vids if you want to check them out for yourself. I think Colbert was mostly met with silence for many of his jokes, that were a bit biting. And the only one I thought was really funny, was the Valerie Plame crack. Although, I like the line about reality has a liberal bias.

Mary said...

Thanks, WS.

I will check them out.