Colbert Lampoons Bush at White House Correspondents Dinner-- President Does Not Seem 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.”

Noting those low ratings, Colbert advised, "The glass isn't half empty - it's 68% empty. There's still some fluid in there, but I wouldn't drink it."

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.”

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 hurriance 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."

He 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 runs fleeing from Helen Thomas and her questions about why the U.S. really invaded Iraq and killed all those people.

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."

As he walked from the podium the president and First Lady gave Colbert quick nods, unsmiling, and left. E&P's Joe Strupp, in the crowd, observed that quite a few felt the material was, perhaps, uncomfortably biting.

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."

The president had talked to the crowd with a Bush impersonator alongside, with the faux-Bush speaking precisely and the real Bush deliberately mispronouncing words. 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, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers--in a kilt.

Hope the video is up soon. I heard you could feel the tension and could hear a pin drop at times. Bush deserved all of it.

Colbert has some balls for doing that.

This is gold, absolute fucking gold.

Good read.

“This administration is soaring, not sinking,” he said. “They are re-arranging the deck chairs--on the Hindenburg.”

Gold?

Fucking gold?

He deserved all that?

Good read?

There's no shades of gray when it comes to your set.

What?

Fuck George W. Bush, his fucking wife, and all his fucking cronies. They deserve far fucking worse than a comedy routine.

He also paid mock tribute to Bush as a man who "believes Wednesday what he believed Monday, despite what happened Tuesday." (S. Colbert)

I think that really rings true (along with pages and pages of mistakes, errors, ignorance, and arogance) with the Bush Admin.

I can't wait to see this. Are they showing it on the Colbert Report or what?

And hey, we all know Stephen Colbert supports the President, so get over it W.

I'll reiterate. When the rubber meets the pavement there are no shades of gray with you people.

c-span will have it up soon

c-span will rebroadcast it as well

this is for chickenhawkwing

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=w ... e_uploaded


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FBDPCyi ... te%20house

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g8vCqvI ... te%20house

Couple of audience shots of LW in the crowd. They were the ones not laughing.

Bush shouldn't be questioned.

How's the weather on high today LW?

Colbert just said what 68% of Americans want to say. Except they can't because Bush is protected by

gop house
gop senate
gop supreme court and

a spineless media.

Laura and george were the only ones not to stand up when he left. It was like when he was told about the 9/11 attack, he didn't know what to do.

This is on Cspan right now.

good call

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/WH-Dinner-Colber.mov

Man that dude's got balls! Way to go Colbert!

how did colbert get to make a speech? who selects him?

the president of thewhite house press corp

last year the speech/comedy was by cedric the entertainer
he bombed