A Brilliant Stroke by Bu$h's Handlers - Here's the Clip Before Colbert...

[Peter Frank]

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/2006/BushandImpersonatorWHCorrDinnerApril2906.asx

They invited Colbert. They understood his faux O'reilly style. They knew that, once Bu$h was self deprecating -- Colbert's prepared act would be perceived as piling on.

These guys are extremely good at politics. Too bad they can't transfer these skills into policy.

[AmericanDream]

1. But it wasn't - they failed this time; Colbert pissed the Bushes

and many of the media people. He was cruel - not just piling on to Bush's layman comedic ritual.

[Peggy Day]

4. They're already pissed off nt

[chookie]

9. He wasn't cruel

There was nothing mean-spirited in anything he said tonight. He was performing at a sublime level -- like Groucho or Jonathan Swift. Like Mohammed Ali, he had all the bastards on the ropes, pummeling them mercilessly, all the while floating like a butterfly.

Tonight, Stephen Colbert earned immortality.

[jdelullo]

11. Exactly

The audience was forced to laugh at the President's gag because lets face it, he is the President of the United States of America. And rarely does he make fun of himself. He has an entire nation that does that for him (zing).

However, Colbert's speech, although mildly humorous, drew much fewer laughs than the Prez. Maybe because the audience felt no pressure to laugh at Colbert? Or maybe he just sucked? Or maybe they just dont understant comparing the uselessness of our government to that of Iraq is funny. Oh well.

[babylonsister]

14. He was cruel? How so? Gimmeabreak! Who is

really cruel? The American people for having this idiot for a 'supposed' prez.

[AmericanDream]

44. Cruel as in a brutal truth teller. Calm down. Didn't mean anything bad

[rodeodance]

53. yes, speaking truth to power is wonderful--and scary to the Bush crowd.

[checks-n-balances]

20. Who 'was cruel'? Colbert, or Bush (i.e., his policies)?

You have got to be kidding...

[me b zola]

35. Cruel?

Hey, why don't you talk about cruel to the mothers & families of the GIs who are coming home in boxes, or coming home so fucked up their families don't recognize them anymore----ALL FOR AN ILLEGAL WAR BASED ON LIES FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF LOOTING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE?

Why don't you talk about cruel to the Iraqis who have had to burry the mangled bodies of their children, or the Iraqis who have been tortured at the hands of bush*?

Why don't you talk about cruel to the citizens of NOLA?



What Colbert did tonight was to point out to the press that they have not been doing there jobs. Fuck, somebody needs to. The filmed bit he did with Helen Thomas was to remind the lazy assed press that a criminal administration that is engaging in the horrid atrocities, some of which I have named above, should have nightmeres about the press chasing them, and ultimately not being able to get away with what they are doing.





Yeah, right, poor bush*. :sarcasm:



whatever

[progressivebydesign]

37. Cruel? Bush was quite friendly to Colbert afterwards..

I think you're reading too damn much into this. Colbert is a fucking comedian, they KNOW his schtick. And don't think for a MOMENT that his stuff wasn't vetted ahead of time.

[rodeodance]

57. Someone on DU said Bush and Laura got up, nodded to Colbert and

left.

So, what did happen?

[babylonsister]

58. You think his material was vetted? I'd hate to think what

they wouldn't approve of then. I don't think they knew what was about to hit them!

[Epiphany4z]

2. maybe by

32% or there abouts.

[NVMojo]

7. I tell ya, if one even liked the guy for a half a second, it could have

really been funny. What a way to try and save Bush's ratings! Too bad it didn't work! Colbert just underlined in bold what a failure and liar the man really is.

[blogslut]

3. Backfire

:)

[amitten]

5. If they're so good at politics, his poll numbers would be higher.

This whole crew has lost control. The pendulum has swung. Let the soft breeze blow through your hair...:)

[Peter Frank]

26. Did you miss my distinction between Politics and Policy?... n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Bush's handlers are not brilliant.

In fact, they are idiots. We need to stop being afraid of them; they really aren't the Machiavellian geniuses we've been duped into thinking they are. Colbert kicked all of their asses, but good.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. No. You miss the point.

Rove tried to create the situation you described, BUT
Colbert was so much more realistic and accurate and honest and telling the real reporters to stand up and do their jobs, that, he may have caught their attention.
Probably, some will ignore it, but with DU and other places pushing the real story, even those reluctant ducks will report and start talking the truth.

[Lars39]

15. And don't forget the C Span audience.

People *do* watch it religiously, and Colbert really summarized the bush admin tonight for them.
Absolutely brilliantly done.
They're shyting bricks at the WH right now.

It's up to us to be the media and spread the video far and wide.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. yes, what thee sayeth.

and yes again

[niceypoo]

21. Rove is a moron

he isnt the genius so many fantasize him to be. The administration is in total shambles and everything Rove has a hand in ends up in indictments and lowering poll numbers. Bush and rove deserve each other.

[alcibiades_mystery]

50. Ah, an optimist

Charming, really.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

59. even on this rainy day, yes. I feel sunny inside.

the prestitutes will go home, ask their spouses to pinch them, lest cheney comes at them with a shot gun to wake them up. They will realize that the truthiness won out and unless they get on board, they will miss the train.

[alcibiades_mystery]

61. No, the presstitutes will go home

Say that that silly comedian bombed tonight, and doesn't understand the complexities of journalism and governing, and everything he said will be completely ignored except for raised eyebrows over cocktails, remember when that - what's his name, Corbett? - did that thing. Oooo, that flopped.

And that will be that. Already, the Today show had on Bush and the impersonator, yucking it up, and showed not clip one of Colbert.

[NanceGreggs]

10. No offence, Peter Frank ...

... but I'm tired of hearing how the Bush handlers are so adept, or how Rove is a political genius.

Of course, if it takes genius to get your boy into the 32% approval ratings range when you literally own the media and the press, or political savvy to ensure that someone like Colbert reams your hero a new one in public, then I guess you're right ...

[Erika]

13. Good laugh, Nance

Thanks for the smile.

[Sydnie]

23. Speak out Sisterwoman!

They hired him and they knew what he did for a living. If anyone has a problem with it, they should take it up with Jay Smith!

:rofl: You cracked my shit up, yet again, Nance!

[NanceGreggs]

25. Hey, Syndie!

:hi:

Not for nuthin', and no personal offence to the original poster here, but this constantly turning everything around into a 'big win' for the 'incredible genius' of the Bushistas just drives me up the proverbial wall.

Bush can't show his face in his own country, or any other nation, these days without his 'handlers' taking the massive protests into account, and they have to plan their route from the airport accordingly.

Every time he opens his mouth, his poll numbers drop, and his words invariably wind up being the punch-line on every late night TV show monologue.

His party members who are facing re-election this year can't run away from Bush fast enough, and his own staff are suddenly remembering they have families they need to spend more time with.

Add to the mix the fact that for his chief handler-and-bottle-washer, KarlRover, trying to keep his own lard-ass out of the Fritz frying-pan is Job One these days, 24/7.

Yeah, that's some genius political strategery for you.

Damn those guys are GOOD, aren't they?

[Sydnie]

27. That's why it was Tony Snow time

The only hope they have of turning their numbers up at all is to have the loyal and faithful Faux watchers mount a new offensive for them. The way O'Reilly's numbers are tanking though, and his loss of radio time in some markets is not on their radar at all though.

Dick Cheney knew that someone were in their "last throes", he just named the wrong group, didn't he?

Rove is covering his ass and handing over the reigns to the policy, Libby is pointing the finger at the bigger guy on the playground, Cunningham is taking many down with him (remember the hidden listening device he wore between the time he made the deal and the time he went public? We haven't even heard what he got with that yet), Abramoff is still in play too, Delay has been neutered and Newt is saying that the GOP is in real trouble this time.

They have reached supernova status and will explode in a ball of flames before too much longer. They will really begin to eat their own ... hell, they will feast at the table filled with their "former supporters and members", and they will be no better than school yard bullies, caught with the magnifying glass and the caterpillar.

I, for one, can't wait.

:hug:

Sing on, I like your tune.

[NanceGreggs]

33. Brilliant observation!

"Cheney knew that someone were in their "last throes", he just named the wrong group."

Yeah, the demise of the Neo-Cons is looking more and more like a -- dare I say it? -- SLAM DUNK!

[Sydnie]

36. I know I would happily greet that

display of "freedom on the march" with flowers and chocolates, won't you?

:rofl:

Come on and liberate us ... please!

[NanceGreggs]

39. I'm with you, Sister Sydnie!

... and while we're at it, let's :toast: & :smoke: !!!!!!!

[leftchick]

54. and don't forget

that last third of the glass is "backwash"!

:rofl:

[RoyGBiv]

12. Uh, no ...

"They" didn't invite Colbert. The WH has no control over the invitation list to the WHCA dinner. Notice where Helen Thomas was sitting? Think that was a Shrub idea?

Yeah, the skit before Colbert was intended to humanize him, by pretty much ignoring all the serious issues that surround this Presidency. But Colbert hit him in a different way, and it stung. Look at the President's reaction. He was not pleased.

[Yupster]

40. Bush's reaction

was the same this year as the last five years.

He hates these things and can't beleive he has to sit and listen to these comedians make fun of him for half an hour. I doubt if he listened to a word of what Colbert said, or Cedric the Entertainer last year, or any of the others either.

[RoyGBiv]

41. Oh, I dunno...

You're pretty much correct about his typical behavior, but since I've become involved in several "let's bash Colbert because we refuse to go along with the crowd" threads, I've now watched it in its entirety a couple times and specific parts several more. Bush can't hide his body language very well, and he has a blush reflex when he's angry that's unmistakeable. His color was bad through the whole thing, even before Colbert, but he got redder toward the end. The body language when he was leaving, particularly when he passed Colbert, was very expressive in my view. He seemed irritated at a different level than he usually does.

So, how ya doin' Yupster? I've missed debating history with you. Thought we might have a chance to spar in a thread a couple weeks ago, but it never materialized, in part I think because I agree with you more than the opposition. Anyway, good to see you around.

[Maat]

16. I loved Colbert!

Good job, Steven. I'm proud of you.

[genieroze]

17. Dang, I missed it.

[havocmom]

22. Crooks & Liars

usually have such goodies for your enjoyment ;)

[Emit]

24. Here's a link

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/29.html#a8104

[Rhiannon12866]

49. It's repeated today at 12 or 12:30. Check C-Span.

They repeat things over and over, then have the video available on their website.:-)

On edit: the video is available right here.:-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1062761&mesg_id=1062761

Video AND text!:yourock:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1062760&mesg_id=1062760

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

19. Once upon a time, I believe that they seemed to be brilliant

especially the roverer.

But they've been at this stuff for over 3 decades. That's long enough to virtually perfect a "craft," especially one so sleazy that most people won't even attempt to join the game.

But IMO day by day, month by month, year by year we have watched and learned what these sleazoids are all about. And what lengths they'll go to.

Now that we're used to looking at and analyzing their shenanigans, the mystery is gone. The mystique dissipated.

They myth of genius dispelled.

He was a drudge at what he did. Taught by the worst, Atwater, Nixon et al.

He's not like the genius to whom things come easily and brilliant insight is a daily thing.

He's like the boring person who works so hard and only seems smart cause he is studying the stuff nobody else is interested in and therefore nobody else knows about.

[Catrina]

34. Yes, they were never brilliant, just ruthless ~ Rove couldn't keep a

job anywhere but in a crime syndicate ~ his lies and nastiness and incompetence would get him fired in a week. Threatening and bullying people doesn't work in the real world. In fact he WAS fired by Bush Sr. I wonder if Bush will blame him for his downfall eventually. Pundits probably will, once he's indicted.

They only hire crooks. Telling us they are brilliant is part of their stupid strategy. In the beginning many of us didn't much about Rove et al. They are seriously flawed individuals, most of them. They have the usual weaknesses of all would-be dictators. Their huge egos, dishonesty, greed and lust for power will be their downfall.

Sadly, because we have no free press here, they had it all, handed to them on a silver platter. And still they screwed it up.

They're slipping. Four years ago, Colbert would never have slipped past them. I'm beginning to think they are the most incompetent administration (as well as corrupt, brutal and ruthless) ever.

Rove is nervous now, facing a real possibility of indictment and ultimately possibly jailtime. That's not smart ~ it was arrogance and ruthlessness that had everyone scared for a while. Not brilliance. I never did understand that.

[blitzen]

28. oh what a load of crap!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

29. "Piling on"??? Who thought Colbert was "piling on"???

[Media_Lies_Daily]

30. Is that why Rove is appearing before Fitz's grand jury?

[Peter Frank]

31. Here's the Permalink from Can-o-Fun (Bush's Clip Before Colbert)...

http://www.canofun.com/cof/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=18990&posts=3&start=1

[incapsulated]

32. Not. This. Time.

We Won. They Lost. One look at the chimps bulging veins was all you needed to see to know this.

Stop giving them wins they didn't even get, for chrissakes.

[Peter Frank]

38. You Missed My Point (we agree)...

Their Psyops dogs won't hunt anymore. Policy trumps politics. They have no policy, so it doesn't matter how much of a spike they score politically today.

Two Wars, Katrina, Gas Prices, The "Patriot" Act, NSA, Torture, Ports Deal, Secret Prisons (concentration camps), record deficit/spending, growth of federal government et.al.

These are the reasons why the polls are down & will not significantly recover for the Republicans.

The in-power Republicans have totally betrayed their Conservative base -- and the base is increasingly wising up.

Policy trumps politics.

[TheWatcher]

42. If you really want to see the whole thing in all it's glory

View it from here.

Crooks And Liars Does NOT have the complete clip

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=25673&mesg_id=25673

[Peter Frank]

43. I saw the whole thing live...

Colbert was caught off guard & was undermined by Bush's preemptive & uncharacteristically self deprecating skit with his best impersonator.

[Peter Frank]

45. Grow some balls (some) folks...

One battle does not make a war.

[kansasblue]

46. if you were going to 'hande' the situation....

you just wouldn't invite Colbert

[Peter Frank]

47. Colbert Was Setup & Played... n/t

[galloglas]

48. Oh, they can. But they just never, ever

choose to do so in real life.

And it is not merely a lack of transference or adaptability, either.

The GOP genus porcus gustatator pecunia omnia aliae, with George Walker Bush, junyoor, as it's porker boy, is actually quite versatile.

GWB, Junular, has been able, throughout his first administration, to competently and cleverly field, and exploit to maximum advantage, all possible nuances of those many memorable Press Room Powder Puff soft balls questions hoisted to both L'il Scott and Big George as just as soon as a certain manly hand appeared.

Whenever Press Room waters would roil, triangular fins circling would appear, either man could count on the epiphany of a personal Saviour, tossing each a Powder Puff softball in the form of a spurious and fatuous question, guaranteed to obfuscate and negate any prior perjurious or treasonous acts, spoken or performed, uttered or performed during that day (if not all others).

On launch the Puffs ares shaped like a questions and sound like speech. But what descends smells of a barn, goes splat upon landing. And this intercession prompts each of the two men to immediately start spouting BS in response, as if priest and confessor. Except in this administration, no one has ever really made an error.

Were it not for the talc filling the air; the obscurance of all previously said or understood that day; and the noxious powder sending poor Helen Thomas to the hospital with asthma; one might have wonder if the entire room were not being flooded by Bull Shit.

These lines always succeeded pulling the duo free.

They snake out, a true fail-safe; stout, stolid, steady, and on top of all situations! Who is this friend to our Big Important Friends on the Hill?

None other than the finest e-journalist ever to simultaneously sink his teeth and "Talons" into hearts, and other organs, of all who have ever stood in the Press Room, while occupying the corner office in Talon News' Corner Executive Suite, in Bobby Eberle's Texas Post Office Box.

All of these achievements while still commanding some of the highest prices paid in Washington, DC for hourly training in military decorum and pseudo-Spartan "posture". At any rate (about $2500 for the weekend, less for short timers. Probably works out to $ 250 a lick, or so. But, who knows? ... Yeah, well, maybe, Rove...).

Anyway, Guckert is still Gosch-darn brave! No asshole is going to keep him from protecting his President. Not like that poem-reading pansy, Clint Eastwood. That girlie-man!

"Greater love hath no man than he who lies down with...". Uh,... well, perhaps not now.

But, Guckert is A-OK with me!
Tell Negroponte to get 100,000 as loyal as Guckert, by Gosch, not just some rag-tag bunch of G-Peepers and Eavesdroppers he said he had the other day, and he'll catch them Al-Qaida.

No, sir! Put Jim Guckert in charge of AbooHoo! Ghraib, and he'll get some Intel from those Iraqi assholes, if he has to get it out of them himself.

They should bring Jim Guckert back and let him do what he does best for this administration. And they should give him back a permanent press pass, also.

Someone needs to ask the GOP leaders those Feather-Lite questions; the non-sequitarian, fallaciously based, and mostly irrelevant questions, which heretofore had been the provenance of, and had been launched by, the most conspicuous and best paid (from all sources, at any rate) non-ejournalist to ever to "hook up" with such a well paid pool of non-peers. Hell, he's the straightest newsman there. Lives by his creed, he does. "No guts, no glory. No money, no story".

Bush and Scotty were always so happy to see his hand go up during a Press Conference, they could kiss him. You could see it in the faces... Really!

But, Mid-Eastern relatons are complicated and Prince Bandaid might be offended. So, there's that.



Oh, Right! There was a question.

Well as I obviously intended to imply above, in answer to the question, the reason that he GOP cannot transfer their skills to productive ends is not cannot but will not. Just a slight difference in philosophy with most of the rest of the world.

The reason they will not do so is because they are greedy, arrogant, narcissistic assholes who don't give a fuck about you, I or anyone else but themselves.

Temporarily excluding, of course, any persons who they might be currently victimizing, using, stealing from, profiting from, and anyone recently purchased or who is intended to be sold.

Once any of those persons are of no further use to them, or happen to require more to effort to extract benefit that what is to be gained from the effort, there is no further use for them.

At that point, the GOP people consider it the greatest luck if those they were interested in simply die of natural causes, or starvation, the very instant the last erg of energy in its body is expended for the profit of the owner. Next preferable is disappearance. And, in the final analysis, if it is both legal worth the effort the GOP people might wish to invest a bullet in them.

A small cost, indeed, and a possible gain from the sale of body parts. Perhaps even tallow for lamps, provided any fat is left on the body.

But, most simply, the answer to your "Why?" question is that they are actually not a species of humans. To be short, if slightly indelicate, the beings whom appear human are actually not. Not even Homo, except as noted above.

These people are motherfuckers, pure and simple. They care about nothing but a personal bottom line, whether measured it is measured in money, marbles or chalk. You, and I, are simply means to their end or fuel for their journey to some personal world domination.

In the Right Wing of the Christian Church, there is a philosophy of life based upon this principle. three names recur: Dominion ism,Christian Reconstruction, and Theonomy. Though some might quibble, all seek for world domination.

The only difference between the people above and the GOP and is terminology and timing. The three groups of Christians intend to destroy everyone else first, and then turn their desire for total power into an internecine Holy War.

With the GOP, the war is going on now, the weakest are the easiest targets, but don't pass up screwing over anyone, if the opportunity occurs. You have to get all the others sooner or later. So, pick your chances.

But, the greatest similarity between them is this.

Each group is best defined by a corporation charter. Corporations exist solely to accumulate money endlessly, at the expense of others, and with no care for any social disadvantage it causes others. This includes war, starvation and death. They are tools to enhance wealth.

But the two greatest similarities I see between corporations and the GOP and the self-proclaimed
Christians above are these two.

1) A corporation has no Soul.

2) The following of a corporate charter, as well as the personal code of the two groups above, assumes that lying, cheating and stealing are the preferred ways of behavior.
The only time number two above does not hold true is when the Corporation, GOP, or Christian Reconstructionist determines that a risk is involved with the above behavior and waits for a more propitious time to lie, cheat, and steal.



Hmmmmm. Saturday night. I felt the need for a good rant.

I wish a better world to any of you who took the time to read this far. And I thank you for hearing my rant. For, if there are no ears listening, no one can hear a scream.


Phil

[rodeodance]

51. Bryon York on c-span now saying the Bush part was funnier WA Journal

[rodeodance]

52. says bush got lots of laughs while did not

[rodeodance]

55. talking of Colbert--moving chairs around on the Hindenberg. York ack

nowledges--there is no change in policy yet.

[rodeodance]

56. So, York is saying the Hidenberg joke has lots of truth in it.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

60. No, not at all

The Bush performance was not self-deprecating. It was condescending, a transparent attempt to deliver a back-handed slap to his critics.

But whether I am right or you are, it doesn't make a bit of difference either way. In the big picture, a WH Correspondents Dinner is not going to change a goddamned thing.