I love how Letterman makes Brian Williams uncomfortable

[Kat45]

I've seen it happen before, and when Williams was on Letterman tonight, it happened again. I tuned in part way through so I don't know what I might have missed, but what I saw was excellent. Dave was talking about Boner, like what's with the pronunciation of his name, Bayner, Boner, implying that it's supposed to be Boner, what's with this Bayner shit.

Then he started talking about Boner's crying. Dave was saying that one time he was given Valium and started crying during a MacDonald's commercial. He said he wasn't saying Boner was taking drugs, he was just talking about situations that can cause crying. He said he thought perhaps he had some trauma or difficulty in his past that he hasn't dealt with causing him to cry so easily. He said he thinks perhaps he could use some counseling. This whole time, Williams was very uncomfortable. He said he's an emotional person and he's even cried on the air, during 9/11 and when Tim Russert died. Letterman countered that those were normal times to cry. Williams said this is the Speaker of the House. He was saying he's going to be meeting with him in a few days (like these were reasons that this conversation shouldn't be happening). Was Williams ever this solicitous of Democratic legislators/politicians? So Dave told him he should pass along his suggestion of counseling.

Then Dave started talking about the recent weird events of flooding in Australia, and the dead birds and fish in Arkansas. When he said something about it being due to climate change, you should have seen the look on Williams' face and his body language. He was totally uncomfortable and would not agree with Dave or acknowledge the point. He said something to the effect of that he doesn't take positions, ie he's an objective journalist! No shit! First, since when have these particular journalists been objective? Second, climate change is a basic scientific fact, not an opinion. Why is this "journalist" treating it like it's an issue with different valid opinions? Unreal! I couldn't believe Williams' behavior; I saw it as blatant climate change denial, not journalistic objectivity.

[abq e streeter]

1. One of the , maybe THE best of Nance Greggs' rants here was called "Brian vs. Vinny"

Brian being Brian Williams... it was right on the freakin' money about corporate puppet 'journalists"..

[Kat45]

3. I don't remember that one.

Who was Vinny?

[abq e streeter]

6. Not sure if it's OK to repost someone else's OP but,

if you type in Brian vs. Vinny on the DU search function on the top right, it's the second item that comes up on the google page (at least for me). "Vinny" is some mythical blogger that Williams disdains because he's not a trained "pro" like himself. Nance just rips him to shreds over it.

[Corey_Baker08]

2. That Is Weird...Generally I Think of Brian Williams As a Wonderful NN Anchor & Fair To Obama & Dems

I look at him as someone who probably votes democratic as far as Presidential candidates at least. Nightly News is the only 6:30 newscast that I will watch,usually its a pretty fair democratic leaning show in my opinion...I may be wrong I dont always watch it.

Election Night 2008 I didn't watch MSNBC's coverage I watched Brian Williams on NBC and I believe he did a better job than the MSN11BC commentators. I will never forget at exactly 11pm that night Brian Williams came on and his first words were "For the first time since JFK there will be young children in the White House" I jus thought this was a great way to honor the new President Elect & his lovely family while in a sense comparing Obama to one of the greatest Presidents in history JFK...

I read somewhere that President Obama & his family were watching Brian Williams coverage and found out he won when B.W. came on there and said those exact words and he was honored to be compared to such a wonderful president.

[Kat45]

4. I don't watch the national news that often so I can't really judge his anchoring

But I was particularly bothered by his reaction to the words "climate change" coming out of Dave's mouth. And in the past, I have seen him uncomfortable with comments that Dave has made.

[Obamanaut]

7. Inasmuch as Amy Carter was around nine, and Chelsea Clinton around

ten when their respective parents took them into the WH, the Obama daughters are actually not the first young children in the WH since the Kennedy family.

IIRC, the Obama daughters are/were quite close to the ages of the other two WH daughters.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Williams might have been referring to the plurality, I think - children.

just a guess

[2Design]

5. he looks and acts republican and dave does needle him and he seems to like it

loves the jokes and looking human instead of heartless - I won't watch him on the news because of his bias

[mucifer]

8. Go Dave!

[TZ]

9. Guess you don't watch Jon Stewart

Mr. Williams has been a very funny and entertaining guest on that show on a regular basis. He obviously gets along well with Stewart. But don't let facts get in the way of your opinion. He MUST BE a FReeper!
BTW, I find Letterman funny, but he's NOT a nice person, he's a sexist pig to say the least. Also, as someone whose family member knows almost every single high profile journalist on TV, almost everything you read about journalists on DU is completely wrong. Except for Robert Novak..he was every bit the arrogant douchebag he appears.
Brian Williams is neither stupid nor FReeperish and to judge that on ONE TV appearance is the most shallow of stereotyping.
I still find him to be a better journalist than most of the cable idiots..and I like the fact that I have no clue really of his politics.

[tigereye]

11. he usually banters well with Dave- I didn't see that particu-

lar show that the OP is referencing.

I like Williams, haven't really had a sense that he's a Rep, and he usually seems somewhat compassionate. I agree that we shouldn't make broad assumptions.

[Kat45]

13. I don't know where his politics lie

I was just reacting to this particular appearance, which did cause me to make an assumption based on his reaction to Dave's mention of climate change. I was uncomfortable with his treating it like an opinion, like one side of an issue, when I believe it is scientific fact. As I see republicans and others in Congress using their climate change denial to try to stifle laws and regulations to help protect the environment, as well as to pass things that directly would harm the environment, seeing a prominent journalist doing this bothered me greatly.

[Kat45]

12. I never called him a Freeper.

You're right, I don't watch Jon Stewart so I have not seen those interactions. But as I just said, I never called Williams a Freeper. I see him as representative of the mainstream media, which does tend to support the power rather than the people. And I was reacting to HIS reaction to Letterman's mention of climate change. It just bothered me and reminded me of how today's media tends to think it's being 'fair and balanced' by not even acknowledging that scientific facts are facts, and treating them as opinions to be challenged. I assume Williams is an educated person, likely somewhat intelligent, and I was amazed that he wouldn't even acknowledge climate change as anything but one side of an argument.

I was uncomfortable with his treating it like an opinion, like one side of an issue, when I believe it is scientific fact. As I see republicans and others in Congress using their climate change denial to try to stifle laws and regulations to help protect the environment, as well as to pass things that directly would harm the environment, seeing a prominent journalist doing this bothered me greatly.

[mucifer]

14. I appreciate Letterman pushing liberal issues on his show He doesn't have to do it.

Hopefully, he has been opening some minds. If not at least he is amusing some of us liberals.

[tigereye]

15. yeah, pretty much all scientists agree on the premise of

human behavior affecting climate. It's not really a debate anymore, or shouldn't be.

[Bucky]

16. To be fair, there really are two sides to the climate change controversy.

One side says scientific analysis of meteorological research shows that human-originated pollution is leading to rapid alterations in the global climate. The other side contends that boo fuckin hoo I don't wanna think about it.

[siligut]

17. Here it is on video

http://tv.yahoo.com/late-show-with-david-letterman/show/31647/videos/23704344 There will be a brief ad first.