Don't Miss White House Correspondents' Dinner

[mommalina]

I just watched part of the White House Correspondents' Dinner on C-Span. You can view it again on C-Span tonight (Saturday, Apr 29, 2006) and tomorrow, Sunday, Apr 30, at 12:30 pm. ...... What I saw was hilarious. I'm eager to see it from the beginning.

If you miss it, C-Span will probably have it available on their web site later.

Lina

[casey]

Lina,

which of the three C-spans? I can't find the listing anywhere..

[mommalina]

Lina,

which of the three C-spans? I can't find the listing anywhere..

Sorry, I did not see your post in time to answer you, Larry. It was supposed to be on C-Span (#1).

I'm sure they will re-run it, on C-Span or C-Span 2 . Perhaps the video will be posted on the C-Span web-site soon. Or try Googling for the video in the next few days.

I watched it again at 11:30 last night.

I think the roasting Stephen Colbert (of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report") gave Bush was, unfortunately, above the average voter's head and definitely above Bush's head. You have to be a news junkie to get the point to most political jokes by Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, and Dave Letterman. And from the lackluster response, it was evident some of our journalists and government officials don't know what's going on.

For example, Colbert sent greetings to Judge Scalia in the audience, repeating the vulgar gesture Scalia recently made in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, by flicking his right hand out from under his chin.....it's an Italian thing. But Colbert did not accompany it with the same profane comment Scalia had made..... another Italian thing. http://politicalhumor.about.com/b/a/256783.htm

A Bush impersonator, Steve Bridges, stood at an identical podium as the president and spoke the private thoughts Bush was supposedly having as he addressed the gathering of A-list journalists, movie stars and politicians.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-04-30T063244Z_01_N30391840_RTRUKOC_0_US-BUSH-CORRESPONDENTS.xml

Bridges was great. Again, I don't think everyone in the audience or Bush appreciated how on target the self-deprecating humor was. Again, you have to be a news junkie to get the nuances.

I hope you get to see the tape.

Lina

[RAK]

I think the roasting Stephen Colbert (of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report") gave Bush was, unfortunately, above the average voter's head and definitely above Bush's head. You have to be a news junkie to get the point to most political jokes by Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, and Dave Letterman. And from the lackluster response, it was evident some of our journalists and government officials don't know what's going on.

I think they knew exactly what was going on, Lina. I just saw part of Colbert's opening address on Crooks and Liars.com and it was devestating, to say the least. Trouble is that politicians dislike hearing that they are corrupt as much as the media hates to hear they are spineless lapdogs. That silence from this pompous, self-serving audience is the echo of truth bouncing off their ears. Bravo, Colbert! I noticed they ran thet lame Bush impersonator segment on MSNBC this morning, but not any of Colbrt's bit.

On Colbert's gutsy delivery, watertiger writes, "Stephen Colbert displayed more guts in ten minute of performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner than the entire Bush family. He, along with the ever-feisty Helen Thomas, deftly exposed the "truthiness" to the world (or at least those who were watching) that Bush AND the D.C. press corps are indeed a naked emperor and his gutless courtiers."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-daou/ignoring-colbert-a-smal_b_20092.html

Well, come Monday morning, all will be as it was before; the politicians will go back to destroying the World and The journalists will return to their habit of looking the other way.

[jcampi]

I try to only view GW as little as possible. I'd rather watch some cartoon before watching him on tv.

[RAK]

I try to only view GW as little as possible. I'd rather watch some cartoon before watching him on tv.

Isn't that a bit redundent/redundent?


"The greatest thing about this man is that he is steady. You know where he stands. He believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday - no matter what happened Tuesday. Events can change, this man’s beliefs never will."

[mommalina]

Crooks and Liars has video of Stephen Colbert's presentation at the White House Correspondents Dinner here: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/29.html#a8104

Enjoy!

Lina

[casey]

Thanks Lina,

I just watched it.

[mommalina]

You're welcome, Larry..... (to Crooks and Liars has video of Stephen Colbert's presentation at the White House Correspondents Dinner here: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/29.html#a8104)

The video picture was probably too small for you to notice, but Colbert shook hands with everyone as he left .... except for George and Laura Bush. They did not even acknowledge him!

Does anyone have the url for a video of the Bush-Impersonator performance at the dinner?

Lina

[mommalina]

Here are videos of the entire White House Correspondents' Dinner with a large screen and broken down into segments. You can watch the reactions of George and Laura Bush and those in the audience. Priceless.

http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/live/

Lina

[RAK]

This is a shame, Lina; This is incredible to watch in good resolution. But you are right that it is too sophisticated for this bunch of back-slapping yokels. These people do not live in reality; they live in Washington, an insular city where they play this stupid game with our lives. My favorite think-tank, The Huff Post has some interesting insights:

The trouble started once I got inside, took the escalator down to find my ticket, and started walking around the various pre-dinner receptions sponsored by the likes of Newsweek, Reuters, and People. There they were: Negroponte, John Bolton, Henry Kissinger. One sauntering around after the other, drink in hand. And mixed among them were the various stenographers and apologists: David Brooks, John Tierney, Tony Snow. All schmoozing, and most of them off-puttingly charming. Here were some of the most dangerous men in recent US history, and everyone seemed content to glad-hand them, complement their tux, and ask for a snapshot “Oh hey, haven’t seen you in forever, you look great!” says CNN blow-dry. “Thanks, thanks, I’m quite well. How are your kids?” responds war criminal.

I walked out of the room and headed upstairs to the other floor of receptions. Part of me wanted to approach these famous power-brokers, just because I could. But what would I say? “You see the Cubs get clobbered earlier? And by the way, what’s new with the death-squads?” For someone who lives and works outside Washington, I know these men only for what they do and have done with their power and position. In person, I could not simply put the reputation of these figures aside - without knowing them, reputation was all I had. But to those up close, to the journalists and media types who see the John Bolton’s of the world 3, 4, 5 times a week, they’re friends. People from the office. Josh Orton
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-orton/loving-the-softer-side-of_b_20162.html

God help me. I know this is going to make me persona non grata with the Washington media establishment, but my conscience compels me to say this: The White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner, which I just attended, should go the way of the Linotype, the teletype and the typewriter.

If ever there was anything that proves to the rest of the world that the Washington press corps is out of touch, out of synch and out to lunch, it is this awful Spring lemming-like migration of Washington journalists, politicians, lawmakers -- although to their credit they were few and far between -- lobbyists, political junkies and celebrity seekers to the Hinkley Hilton as the press kow-tows to the powers that be.Al Eisele

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-eisele/white-house-correspondent_b_20117.html

I think the sad part of this is that modern technology is crashing the parties of the so-called "Elite" and shows how little they care about what happens to this country. And I'm certain the guy who had the idea of booked Colbert will be relieved of his privilages in the future; "Not a Team player, you know>"

RAK