Hilarious! Colbert Upsets Bush During White House Dinner

[Mr. Peabody]

Last night they were showing the annual White House Correspondent dinner on C-Span. I started watching because Stephen Colbert was the featured entertainer and I enjoy watching the Colbert Report. I was surprised at how far Colbert went in his jokes about Bush and his administration. I have seen these dinners before on TV and people often get laughs at the president's expense, but not like this.

From watching the broadcast, you could tell that people in the audience were shocked by some of the things he was saying. It was one of those performances that is somewhat uncomfortable to watch because you know the butt of the joke is listening not more than four feet away. Also, the camera kept panning to Bush during Colbert's monologue and the president looked upset. Then, at one point, C-Span overlayed a constant feed on the president right next to Colbert, so you could see his reactions at the same time the jokes were being told. It was hilarious.

I think Colbert should be applauded for the performance. He stood there and made everyone in the audience look like a bunch of idiots and they laughed while he was doing it.

Here is an article discussing Colbert's performance --

Editor and Publisher

Colbert Lampoons Bush at White House Correspondents Dinner-- President Not Amused?
By E&P Staff
Published: April 29, 2006 11:40 PM ET

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.

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 anic. “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."

He noted former Ambassador Joseph Wilson in the crowd, just three tables away from Karl Rove, and that he had brought " Valerie Plame." Then, worried that he had named her, he corrected himself, as Bush aides might do, "Uh, I mean... he brought Joseph Wilson's wife." He might have "dodged the bullet," he said, as prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald wasn't there.

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 tail. "

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 of the story — the president’s side and the vice president’s side." He also reflected on the alleged good old days, when the media was still swallowing the WMD story.

Addressing the reporters, he said, "Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, he’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand 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 handshakes, 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. (He later said the president told him "good job" when he walked off.)

Helen Thomas told Strupp her segment with Colbert was "just for fun."

In its report on the affair, USA Today asserted that some in the crowd cracked up over Colbert but others were "bewildered." Wolf Blitzer of CNN said he thought Colbert was funny and "a little on the edge."

Earlier, the president had addrssed the crowd with a Bush impersonator alongside, with the faux-Bush speaking precisely and the real Bush deliberately mispronouncing words, such as the inevitable "nuclear." At the close, Bush called the imposter "a fine talent. In fact, he did all my debates with Senator Kerry."

Among attendees at the black tie event: Morgan Fairchild, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Justice Antonin Scalia, George Clooney, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers--in a kilt.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E&P Staff (gmitc @editorandpublisher.com)

[exstatic]

Weren't people shocked a few years ago at the goings on at this dinner? Seems like it's turned into more of a roast than anything else.

BTW, I ing LOVED this one. No shot at Bush, either.

Addressing the reporters, he said, "Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, he’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know--fiction."

[Mr. Peabody]

Weren't people shocked a few years ago at the goings on at this dinner? Seems like it's turned into more of a roast than anything else.

BTW, I ing LOVED this one. No shot at Bush, either.

Well, a few years ago, Bush made a joke about looking for WMDs in Iraq and then, showed a series of photos of him purportedly looking for WMDs under a table, under his bed, etc. A lot of people got upset because they felt it was insensitive to the soldiers in Iraq. I thought it was a funny skit.

[Marklar MM]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bJ0vv00p3MA&search=colbert

Him auditioning for the Press Secretary job.

[boutons_]

The Reugs love smash-mouth politics only when it's not the Repugs' mouths getting smashed.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Colbert is better than Stewart. His jokes are more subtle, yet somehow blatant at the same time. He rarely ever breaks character. And he almost perfectly emulates all Fox News and Neocon talkshow hosts.

who ostensibly supports the president strongly

Hilarious.

[boutons_]

whoa!

I just caught Colbert's Infernal Roasting on C-span. What a hero!

After all the staged photo ops,
the staged "town meetings" with selected Repug dubya suckers,
the Repug operatives flown down from DC to "spontaneously" mob the FL recount offices and recounteres,
protestors cordoned off 100's of yards away from the Inaugruations,
the stupidly smiliing military goons "dialoguing" with dubya,
dubya and his bimbo wife finally take a boot to the teeth.

No "president" has deserved it more.

[xrayzebra]

whoa!

I just caught Colbert's Infernal Roasting on C-span. What a hero!

After all the staged photo ops,
the staged "town meetings" with selected Repug dubya suckers,
the Repug operatives flown down from DC to "spontaneously" mob the FL recount offices and recounteres,
protestors cordoned off 100's of yards away from the Inaugruations,
the stupidly smiliing military goons "dialoguing" with dubya,
dubya and his bimbo wife finally take a boot to the teeth.

No "president" has deserved it more.

Gee, butons learned a new word "bimbo". Bet we hear that
a lot more. Of course he still wants a recount in the
2000 election. Even tho we had the paper to back up the
election. And most of the problems were in the dimm-o-craps own backyard.

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Yeah, I saw this live and it was great. I was expecting Colbert to tone down his act a little but he didn't, and the results were hilarious.

I'd love to know who thought getting Colbert to do this was a good idea, they may be out of a job soon. I've heard rumours of republicans watching The Colbert Report and actually believing he's on "their side," but I find it hard to believe anyone could be that stupid.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I don't know, Im fairly sure Stephen Colbert is mocking the rhetoric the republicans use, not their policies and I think most of them understand that, therefore I think most of them thought he would be toned down at this event. The logic being Colbert will most likely mock the rhetoric out of a democratic admin just as much if there ever is one.

[Vashner]

It's a roast they do it every year... Bush can handle them ers...
You thing a bunch of anti war pussies scare anyone?

Edit: I just heard some of this on drudge radio show.

He made a job about a "pile of rubble"

911? What an asshole...

[DarkReign]

pwned

[Ocotillo]

It seems the media in attendance were not getting the joke.....as it was on them. The only coverage deigned by the MSM was to discuss the Bush routine with the lookalike and fawn over dear leader's sense of humor.

A sense of humor that was lacking after Colbert was done as a tight lipped Bush exited with the Mrs. and only nodded at Colbert as he was leaving. That's his perogative red-staters.

Most of Colbert's satire though was focused on the media and their derilection of duty. That is why the audience was not yucking it up like they were when Commander Codpiece did his "where are the WMDs skit at an earlier dinner".

Would not a liberal media have this story all over the place? The liberal blogs did but if it were not for them, no one other than those that attended would have even known Colbert was there or what is performance entailed.

Liberal media? My ass.

[Ocotillo]

It's a roast they do it every year... Bush can handle them ers...

Oops, maybe not.

From U.S. News & World Report:

Skewering comedy skit angers Bush and aides
By Paul Bedard

Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert's biting routine at the White House Correspondents Association dinner won a rare silent protest from Bush aides and supporters Saturday when several independently left before he finished.

"Colbert crossed the line," said one top Bush aide, who rushed out of the hotel as soon as Colbert finished. Another said that the president was visibly angered by the sharp lines that kept coming.

"I've been there before, and I can see that he is [angry]," said a former top aide. "He's got that look that he's ready to blow."

[DarkReign]

pwned

[valluco]

pwned x 10. Colbert showed big huevos and the look on Dubya's face was priceles.

[Trainwreck2100]

Oops, maybe not.

From U.S. News & World Report:

Skewering comedy skit angers Bush and aides
By Paul Bedard

Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert's biting routine at the White House Correspondents Association dinner won a rare silent protest from Bush aides and supporters Saturday when several independently left before he finished.

"Colbert crossed the line," said one top Bush aide, who rushed out of the hotel as soon as Colbert finished. Another said that the president was visibly angered by the sharp lines that kept coming.

"I've been there before, and I can see that he is [angry]," said a former top aide. "He's got that look that he's ready to blow."

Why did he wait for him to finish before he left?

[Oh, Gee!!]

Why did he wait for him to finish before he left?

cuz he was laughing too.

[Ocotillo]

Why did he wait for him to finish before he left?

Because he was carrying the attenae for the NSA intercepts......

I don't know, the article implies some did leave during the Colbert stint.

[boutons_]

dubya, liar and murderer, deserves no respect.

Colbert should have gone on longer and hit harder.

[foodie2]

You can express your appreciation for Stephen and his huevos at

http://thankyoustephencolbert.org/wordpress/

I laughed until I cried. Bravo, Stephen. You truly spoke truth to power.

[foodie2]

It's a roast they do it every year... Bush can handle them ers...
You thing a bunch of anti war pussies scare anyone?

Edit: I just heard some of this on drudge radio show.

He made a job about a "pile of rubble"

911? What an asshole...

I have the whole thing (from C-Span--I must admit I won't go near Drudge) on tape, and I believe I must have missed the rubble job. What does that mean, anyway?

[Cant_Be_Faded]

"Two opinions...the presidents, and the vice presidents"

classic

[austinfan]

I have the whole thing (from C-Span--I must admit I won't go near Drudge) on tape, and I believe I must have missed the rubble job. What does that mean, anyway?

From Colbert's monologue the other night: "I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound -- with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world."

[Mixability]

I won't be surprised if Colbert mysteriously disappears ala Dave Chappelle......