WATCH "The Daily Show" replay today! (Banner-Gate)

[Brotherjohn]

The first five minutes of The Daily Show last night were incredible. I’m paraphrasing a bit, but here’s a run-down. Watch the replay today (10AM and 6PM CST?).

First, John Stewart does a “news” bit on the Bush press conference. He calls Bush on his fear-mongering by playing his strongly worded “the terrorists WILL attack” quote and then saying “and that was in response to a question about school lunches!” Then he brings out Bush’s mean-spirited side by playing the “face for radio” insult.

But the best part was when he played Bush’s claim that the Navy was responsible for the banner. He then moved into a bit on “Banner-Gate” that could have been written by those of us here at DU who were posting on the subject (several here posted things like “let’s hope TDS reads DU”, and “this would be great material for TDS”).

First Jon played the White House’s “clarification” that they did, in fact, make the banner. Then, and he could barely contain his incredulous laughter, he said:
“So there you have it, folks. The White House is basically saying they can’t be held responsible for what the Navy does with a sign that they MADE and BROUGHT to the ship!”

Stewart then cuts to “Senior White House Correspondent” Rob Corddry, and asks him:
“Was it a mistake to blame the Navy?”

Corddry replies that Bush “has no control over the Navy”. When Stewart says “but he’s the Commander in Chief!”, Corddry says “Sure, he has control over the regular Navy, but not the elite ‘sign-hanging units’”. He then goes on to reminisce about the ‘sign-hanging unit’ he was embedded with, and how they’re the craziest bastards in the military, but you wouldn’t want anyone else hanging a sign for you when you needed it (wiping a tear from his eye).

Corddry further clarifies that it was a two-sided sign, and that they were supposed to hang the other side: “DON’T GET COCKY. IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG, HARD SLOG.” (There were posts here saying “if it’s what Bush meant, he should have hung a sign that SAID “Iraq is a dangerous place!”).

Stewart said that who hung the sign is irrelevant if the White House made it and brought it on board. Again incredulous, he asked Corddry:
“Don’t you see a larger pattern emerging? The WH blamed the FBI for faulty 9-11 intelligence. They blamed the CIA for bad information on Iraq. They blame the Navy for hanging the sign. Yet each of these groups is under their control. Why do they keep blaming everyone else?”

Corddry (losing it, very “angry” and frustrated):
“BECAUSE THEY KEEP F***ING UP, JON!!”

I guess sometimes it takes a fake news "correspondent", blathering in fake "rage" and "frustration", to reveal real truths.

He then goes on a tear, cursing angrily at the White House and the Navy for “hanging a sign they weren’t supposed to, instead of waiting for instructions, especially when they KNOW that the sign they hang will give people a FALSELY POSITIVE impression of how the war in Iraq is going!!!”

As he regains control, Jon simply says something like “when did this show get so dirty?”

Priceless. Especially the parts about the "falsely positive impression", the “larger pattern”, and the fact that "they keep f***ing up!" THAT’S why this is an issue.

[ninkasi]

1. It was great...

try to catch the replay if you can, I saw it last night, might watch it again today.

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. ROFL

pResident Bush* "The Nation's CEO"

[HFishbine]

3. I'm now convinced

that the Daily Show puruses DU regularly.

Glad you do. We love John and the crew!

[veganwitch]

4. i was listening to that part

last night when i was on the phone with jeremy.

ill have to call him again tonight.

im sure they will have the segment online.

[henslee]

5. yeah, first 5 min. was purddy funny but....

what the heck happened to the next 25 min.? I sound curmugeony but really, I love Stewart and Colbert and the other guys... but the show has been getting formulatic. I can imagine how hard it must be to deliver a topical half hour 5x a week but still.. its just not a nonstop ribtickling snortle fest from begin. to end anymore.

[julka]

7. that's why I tape it every night......for the snips

I haven't even seen this one yet! thanks for the heads up

at some point a compilation of the best bush bits would make a swell show of its own, if they have the guts to do it.

if I can get motivated, I'll do that myself. I have access to editing equipment at work, but anybody with two VCRs can do the same thing at home very easily.

[RichM]

6. Great description!! I'll try to catch the replay. (Last night, for some

reason, Comedy Central didn't have the Daily Show in its normal time slot here.)

[booley]

8. still, it's sad...

...that the Daily Show and the Onion provide better news commentary then the real thing.

What "real" news agency has brought up the fact that a pResident that stresses personal responsibility from a party thats supposed to be big on personal responsibility..that Shrub can't seem to ever take responsibility for what he does , says or happens during his term?

you gotta worry when satire stops being satirical (sp)