Colbert Report: "edWORDs"

This is probably the funniest thing I have seen in awhile. Edwards reminds me again why he was the candidate that I picked to support in this race. He also reminds me why he is one of my favorite politicians: a genuine sense of humor.

Crooks and Liars...

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards took over the Wørd segment from Stephen Colbert to discuss the all important demographic in this election: white, male voters. And who better to talk about their values than Edwards?

You know, Stephen, you’re right about white males playing an important part in this election. Their votes are being courted as a demographic tiebreaker between these two tough candidates and no white male’s vote is being courted more vigorously than this one. [points to self]

It is no secret that both campaigns have sought my support. So far, I haven’t decided which of these excellent candidates I’m going to endorse. On the one hand, I don’t want to be seen as anti-hope. On the other hand, I don’t want James Carville to bite me. So who? Who am I going to vote for in the next to the last primary, North Carolina? Well, I’ll support whoever presents a platform that’s consistent with my values. I’ll support the candidate who’ll raise the federal minimum wage. Someone who’ll fight for the 37 million Americans who wake up in poverty every day. Somebody who’ll protect the interest of working families. Also, I’d like a jet-ski.

LINK: The Colbert Report: EdWørds!

Of course, to counter my favorite candidate of the 2008 race doing a very funny monologue, my least favorite candidate of the 2008 race did a very unfunny monologue. (But I have to give Mitt credit -- the "number one" reason was hilarious!)

-Mr. Joseph

Olbermann reads Tom Tomorrow on air!

Hilarious!

YouTube video...

LINK: Bill O'Reilly's Advice To Teens - Comic Strip

RELATED READING...

LINK: The comic: "Bill O'Reilly's very useful advice for young people, as channeled by vile left-wing smear merchant Tom Tomorrow."

LINK: C&L: Keith Olbermann Reads Tom Tomorrow

-Mr. Joseph

Chuck Norris Endores Huckabee

Well, Chuck and I agree on the best Republican candidate. We certainly did not agree on the last.

CNN...

It could be the latest so-called Chuck Norris fact: The American people don't choose presidents, Chuck Norris does.

The cult hero of “Walker Texas Ranger” fame said Monday he’s backing Republican Mike Huckabee for president.

“Though Giuliani might be savvy enough to lead people, Fred Thompson wise enough to wade through the tides of politics, McCain tough enough to fight terrorism and Romney business-minded enough to grow our economy, I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee,” Norris wrote on the conservative Web site World Net Daily.

“Mike is also a respected and fearless leader, and he does not cower to the cries of any majority or minority,” Norris added. “He doesn't abandon his values for what's expedient. Like our Founding Fathers, he's not afraid to stand up for a Creator and against secularist beliefs.”

Huckabee’s campaign has not responded to a request for comment.

LINK: Martial arts TV star picks presidential candidate

The Indecision 2008 blog had a great "Mike Huckabee Facts" parody...

You may be wondering why Chuck Norris has decided to throw his massive support behind Mike Huckabee for president. Turns out there's a bunch of reasons...

• When Mike Huckabee participated in the Iowa Straw Poll, they had to re-name it the Iowa Iron Pole.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee can cut taxes... with his penis.
  
  
• Stephen Hawking told Mike Huckabee the universe was 12 billion years old once. Once.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee lost 100 pounds of body fat by eating it.
  
  
• Jesus asked Mike Huckabee for career advice, but Huckabee was too busy body-slamming Satan.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee flosses his teeth with the bones of abortion doctors at least twice a day.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee is forbidden to interfere with human history.
  
  
• Top scientists believe global warming is a direct consequence of Mike Huckabee getting angry.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee opposes gay marriage because every man on earth wants to marry him.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee won't repeal the Estate Tax out of sympathy for the families of his victims.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee has completed six marathons, two of which aren't until next year.
  
  
• Fred Thomspon, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani all got cancer because Mike Huckabee looked at them too hard.
  
  
• If Mike Huckabee is elected, he'll bring all the troops home--he can handle this himself.
  
  
• If Mike Huckabee had been around in Biblical times, the symbol of Christianity would be Pontius Pilate with a cross up his ass.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee would've stopped the attack of 9/11, but there was an asteroid hurtling toward Earth that day.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee doesn't talk in sound bites; he speaks in decibel munches.
  
  
• Charles Darwin was actually born the same year as Mike Huckabee, but Huckabee punched him back to the 1800s.
  
  
• If Mike Huckabee had been President, the levees in New Orleans never would've broke, because Katrina would've known better.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee's philosophy on showing mercy is "abstinence-only."
  
  
• Atheism can be cured by Mike Huckabee's farts.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee is so powerful, even the ugly, unwanted, weight he discarded is running for president: Dennis Kucinich.
  
  
• Most bass players tune to a low E; Mike Huckabee tunes to F U.
  
  
• The 1976 Tangshan earthquake killed over 250,000 people. Nine months later, the Huckabees welcomed their first son.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee spelled backwards is "Jesus Loves You." It's not? I dare you to tell that to Mike Huckabee.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee is only running for President because he's reached his term limit as Grand Master of Space and Time
  
  
• Mike Huckabee opposes the right to die... painlessly.
  
  
• Mike Huckabee is running the greenest campaign transporting his entire staff from state to state on his c*ck and huge rolling balls.
  
  
• In Soviet Russia, President runs for Mike Huckabee!
  
  
• Fifteen years ago Mike Huckabee cured "Andrew" Coulter of his vestigial male genitalia.
  
  
• If elected, Mike Huckabee will replace the Justice Department with his fists.

LINK: Propaganza: Mike Huckabee Facts

Go Huckabee?
-Mr. Joseph

UPDATE (11/19/07):

LINK: Mike Huckabee Ad: "Chuck Norris Approved"

You really can't make this stuff up.

What follows Gore's Nobel Peace Prize?

What an honor. Following an Oscar and an Emmy, Former Vice President Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Politico documents the part of story on everyone's minds...

Former Vice President Al Gore was named joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his environmental activism, likely increasing pressure from his supporters for him to enter the Democratic race for the White House.

Sources say Gore will resist entreaties but will continue to tease by not ruling it out.

Just this week, an unofficial "draft Gore" movement bought a full-page ad in The New York Times — a move that succeeded in amping up the buzz among pundits and operatives.

The announcement boosts Gore's leverage with his party's presidential candidates and the next White House, if a Democrat wins. Now he and his agenda will command more attention.

The former vice president scheduled a news conference for 1:30 p.m. Eastern time in Palo Alto, Calif., at the offices of the nonprofit Alliance for Climate Protection, of which he is chairman. The group receives 100 percent of Gore's proceeds from the film and book versions of "An Inconvenient Truth."

A top Gore adviser said the prize — the latest in a string of awards Gore has won for his environmental work, including an Oscar in February — will not push him into running.

“My sense is that this won’t affect that calculation," said the adviser, Michael Feldman.

"He has said all along he has no plans to run for president. He’s been spending all his discretionary time on the climate crisis. This great honor will further enhance that.”

Gore said in a statement he was "deeply honored" to win the prize.

"The climate crisis is not a political issue; it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity," Gore said in comments e-mailed by his office 44 minutes after the prize was announced at 5 a.m. Eastern time. "It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level."

He said he would donate 100 percent of the proceeds of the award to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

Denied the presidency in the chaos of the Florida recount of 2000, he now has received what is arguably the most prestigious award in the world.

Gore, 59, shared the $1.5 million prize with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The citation praised him and the U.N. panel for their effort to “disseminate information about man-made climate change” — in the former vice-president's case, most notably with his book and movie, "An Inconvenient Truth."

Kudos from potential rivals

Gore was in the San Francisco area when the Nobel Foundation announced the prize in Oslo.

Democrats are already buzzing about the possibility that he could get a high-level post in a Hillary Rodham Clinton administration, perhaps as a roving ambassador charged with seeking global cooperation on climate change.

Fifteen minutes after the announcement, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards was out with a three-paragraph congratulatory statement praising Gore's “prescient and compelling — and often lonely — advocacy for the future of the Earth.”

Friday morning, the home page of Clinton's presidential campaign featured a large photo of Gore in a thoughtful pose and a huge "CONGRATULATIONS!" A tribute says his "dedication and tireless work have been instrumental in raising international awareness about global warming."

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), another leading presidential candidate, issued a statement saying: “By having the courage to challenge the skeptics in Washington and lead on the climate crisis facing our planet, Al Gore has advanced the cause of peace and richly deserves this reward."

On Thursday, Clinton told MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann when asked about the prospect of running against Gore: "There isn’t anybody who deserves it more, for the work he’s done for the past 20 years or more on behalf of sounding the alarms in the world concerning global warming."

There was a flurry of speculation on Thursday that Gore would win the Nobel when he unexpectedly canceled some appearances for what Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called "an exciting and urgent mission that could result in a major breakthrough in the fight against global warming."

The Gore camp pushed back against the rumors, saying the former vice president had meetings in Asia which were later canceled.

Gore is also on the board of Apple Computer Inc.; is a senior adviser to Google Inc.; is chairman and founder of Current T, an independently owned cable and satellite television network for young people; and is chairman and founder of Generation Investment Management, a private partnership focused on "sustainable investing."

LINK: Gore's Nobel boosts talk of White House run

In an email, Gore's statement was this...

Dear Joseph,

I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This award is even more meaningful because I have the honor of sharing it with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change--the world's pre-eminent scientific body devoted to improving our understanding of the climate crisis--a group whose members have worked tirelessly and selflessly for many years. We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level.

My wife, Tipper, and I will donate 100 percent of the proceeds of the award to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan non-profit organization that is devoted to changing public opinion in the U.S. and around the world about the urgency of solving the climate crisis.

Thank you,

Al Gore

LINK: AlGore.com

Brent Budowsky wrote another fantastic essay in response to Gore's victory...

As these words are written the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize has been chosen but not yet announced and for purposes of the future of America the great and inconvenient truth is that this does not matter.

America does not need another prize, we need another president.

Americans deserve a president who aspires not merely to wield power but to use the office of the presidency as the center of action to lift our land to the greatness that was bestowed to us by Americans who came before us.

My hope is that Al Gore is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He deserves it, and it would be a great moment for America and a great statement about the future of the earth.

But America does not need another prize, we need another president. “An Inconvenient Truth” was a brilliant, noble and historic undertaking, but if saving the planet from the ravages that threaten it is our purpose, in a journey of a hundred steps, the film took us one step, not 99.

The Assault on Reason will be viewed by historians as possibly the most sweeping and profound analysis of the troubles of our times, and the most brilliant manifesto of where an American president in the tradition of Roosevelt and Kennedy would lead this land we love.

But America does not need another brilliant book with a compelling program; America needs another president to make it happen.

The concert for the earth was a wonderful and important moment that brought to the attention of the planet the latent idealism and dreams of young people who want to inherit the wind of a better world, not merely the winds for another war, and a statement of generosity and conviction of stars who joined with kids on every continent of the earth.

But now, America does not need another concert, we need a new courage, a new conviction, and a new president to bring out the best of all of us, and make America a force that brings light to the world…

Personally I will support any of the Democrats over any of the Republicans, but does anybody believe that the campaign of 2008 has given any hint of a renewal of American greatness?

In my view, never before in memory have the man, the moment and the magic come together as they come together for Al Gore in 2008.

My hope is that he is awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, but whether or not that comes to pass does not ultimately matter.

There is a far higher stake than another honor, another prize and another award, and that is the future of a great country that deserves a remembrance of our past, a renewal of our better angels, a reform of our shortcomings, a revival of our national spirit and unity, and a restoration of our role as the true leader of the free world.

LINK: Al Gore for President

TIME Magazine covered this aspect of the story of well. And, of course, Political Humor did a fine wrap-up of Gore's career. Keith Olbermann weighed in as well.

Congratulations, Vice President Gore.
-Mr. Joseph

UPDATE (10/21/07):

LINK: The Daily Show: "Gore and Peace"



LINK: Colbert Report - Enviro-medal Disaster

Friday Funnies

This was actually posted last Friday, but I couldn't help it...

LINK: Mother Goose and Grimm

-Mr. Joseph

Imus Comeback?

From WTOPnews.com...

Don Imus has reached a settlement with CBS over his multimillion-dollar contract and is negotiating to resume his broadcasting career.

Imus and CBS Radio "have mutually agreed to settle claims that each had against the other regarding the Imus radio program on CBS," the network and Imus' attorney Martin Garbus said in a joint statement Tuesday.

The terms of the settlement will not be disclosed, according to the statement. CBS and Garbus confirmed only that the settlement had been reached.

The settlement pre-empts the dismissed radio personality's threatened $120 million breach-of-contract lawsuit.

Meantime, Imus is talking to WABC-AM and other stations about making a possible comeback, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details had not been announced, also said the deal with CBS calls for a "non-disparaging" agreement that forbids the parties from speaking negatively about each other.

The settlement and possible comeback come more than four months after Imus created an uproar over his racist and sexist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

More...

LINK: Imus Settles With CBS, May Make Comeback

Matt Drudge also chimed in this morning...

IMUS: $20 MILLION MAN

**EXCLUSIVE 10:19 AM ET ** Radio host Don Imus has agreed to settle his contract with CBS for $20 million, and a non disparaging clause, legal sources claim. The move opens the possibility Imus will soon return to the airwaves -- on WABC in New York! [Top radio executive strongly dismisses Imus will be offered WABC slot] Developing...

Link: The Drudge Report

And now the NewsMax poll is back up...

On a side note, Karl Rove resigned. Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart say goodbye in the perfect way...

Speaking of Jon Stewart, John Gibson is an absolute bitch. And Jon Stewart made Bill Kristol into one as well.

-Mr. Joseph

PS This is ridiculous...

Link of the Day: Indecision 2008

Comedy Central's The Daily Show is doing a great job with their new InDecision2008 blog. It is absolutely hilarious and well worth a bookmark and a daily check.

Indecision 2008

http://www.indecision2008.com/

The Indecision 2008 blog is the best part...

So props to the Daily Show and Comedy Central!

...

On a side note, I recently bought Matt Drudge's book, "The Drudge Manifesto". G. Beato of the Washington Post described it as...

"Indeed, while Drudge Manifesto runs 247 pages, it takes a lot of filler to reach that length: 40 blank pages; 31 pages of fan mail; 24 pages of Drudge Report reruns; 13 pages of a Q & A that Drudge did at the National Press Club three years ago; 10 pages of titles and other book boilerplate; six pages of quotes from Drudge's favorite philosophers (Monica, Madonna, etc.); four pages of a chat transcript; three pages that include nothing but a large zero; two pages that include nothing but a large numeral 1; one page that includes nothing but a tiny zero; and one page that includes Drudge's favorite Web sites. Which leaves, in the end, 112 pages of new material, including nine pages of poetry."

...So, I definetly looking forward to reading that. I should post a review somewhat soon. I also bought "Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter" by Joe Maguire. It looks to be quite entertaining...

God bless eBay!

-Mr. Joseph

Al Gore on the Daily Show

His performance was impressive. I really enjoyed the interview.

Crooks and Liars:

Former Vice President Al Gore talks to Jon about his new book The Assault on Reason and the power of the internet.
I'm shocked Jon didn't ask about his weight or his presidential ambitions. Just a substantive discussion on the thesis of his book. What a concept!

VIDEO/LINK: Al Gore on The Daily Show

I really hope he does, eventually, enter the 2008 Presidential race.
-Mr. Joseph

UPDATE (5/30/07):
A reader alerted me of this story...
LINK: Al Gore Scares David Brooks

Wrap-Up of Political Humor

Think Progress and Crooks and Liars bring together some of the best moments of political humor of last week from The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, the Daily Show, and Real Time.

TP:

In its highly-publicized 400th episode last night, The Simpsons skewered Fox News and modern journalism. At one point, outraged news anchor Kent Brockman confesses to the world:

Friends, the press and the government are in bed together in an embrace so intimate and wrong, they could spoon on a twin mattress and still have room for Ted Koppel. Journalists used to questions the reasons for war and expose abuse of power. Now, like toothless babies, they suckle on the sugary teat of misinformation and poop it into the diaper we call the 6:00 News. Demand more of your government. Demand more of your press.

LINK: The Simpsons v. the media.

RELATED READING...

LINK: Homer Simpson for President

C&L:

The 2008 presidential candidates air their dirty laundry.

LINK: SNL: Presidential Candidates Come Clean to Oprah

Then...

Samantha Bee takes a look at the "attractiveness" of cable news. Lara Logan will always be my personal favorite.

LINK: Daily Show: News I’d Like to F@#k

Followed by...

From Friday's "Real Time." Bill Maher captures the essence of last week's Republican debate in 45 seconds.

LINK: The FOX News GOP Debate in 45 Seconds

And of course, from About Political Humor...

A roundup of the latest political insanity:

• The 2008 presidential candidates appear on Oprah to air their dirty laundry in a hilarious new SNL TV funhouse cartoon.

• Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, received a warm reception in Cannes. FOX News called the film "brilliant and uplifting," and the Wall Street Journal said, "After the screening, several hard-nosed U.S. critics and journalists admitted to crying during the film."

• Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones serves up "blooper reels" from South Carolina's Republican presidential debate. (Comedy Central video)

• Stephen Colbert debates himself on the future of Iraq. (Comedy Central video)

• From The Borowitz Report: GOP Hopefuls Clash Over Who Is the Whitest

• David Letterman presents the Top 10 Little-Known Facts About Mitt Romney. #4: "Is the model on packages of Jockey underpants."

• Watch a funny political satire bit from FOX's Family Guy, in which Lois Griffin resorts to fear-mongering and meaningless catch phrases to dupe undecided voters. (video via Crooks & Liars)

Read more insanity...

LINK: This Just In...

RELATED READING...

LINK: The Week in Political Cartoons

-Mr. Joseph

Check out all the goodness at AdultSwim.com as well! (I'm partial to Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Robot Chicken, and Saul of the Molemen.)

SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest

Think Progress reports...

A new study by the Pew Research Study shows that viewers of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have the highest knowledge of national and international affairs, while Fox News viewers rank nearly dead last:

Despite significant technology shifts, however, Pew found that “today’s citizens are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was the public nearly 20 years ago.”

The results about Fox News echo findings of previous surveys. In 2003, University of Maryland researchers studied the public’s belief in three false claims — that Iraq possessed WMD, that Iraq was involved in 9/11, and that there was international support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The researchers stated, “The extent of Americans’ misperceptions vary significantly depending on their source of news. Those who receive most of their news from Fox News are more likely than average to have misperceptions.” Fox News viewers were “three times more likely than the next nearest network to hold all three misperceptions.”

LINK: SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest

Figures...
-Mr. Joseph

Jon Stewart rips into Nancy Grace

The guys at the Daily Show are brilliant. The segment that ran regarding how brutal Nancy Grace has been regarding the Duke LaCrosse scandal is very hard-hitting. I can't stand Nancy Grace's ruthless, unintelligent, accusitory behavior. So, I was very happy to see this video.

"Now, I know she seems nice."

It is quite funny.
Here's the video via YouTube...

LINK: Nancy Grace gets ripped by Jon Stewart

Crooks and Liars also has the video and more...

Also, for more on Nancy Grace, check out the book, Bloodthirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power: The Rise and Risks of the New Conservative Hate Culture . I believe the first chapter is dedicated to her (she's also on the cover!).

Here's an (very) small article from The Onion, that slams her...

-Mr. Joseph

Don Imus: CANCELED

MSNBC reports...

MSNBC said Wednesday it will drop its simulcast of the “Imus in the Morning” radio program, responding to growing outrage about the radio host’s racial slur against the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

“This decision comes as a result of an ongoing review process, which initially included the announcement of a suspension. It also takes into account many conversations with our own employees,” NBC news said in a statement.

Talk-show host Don Imus triggered the uproar on his April 4 show, when he referred to the mostly black Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.” His comments have been widely denounced by civil rights and women’s groups.

The decision does not affect Imus’ nationally syndicated radio show, and the ultimate decision on the fate of that program will rest with executives at CBS Corp. In a statement, CBS reiterated that Imus will be suspended without pay for two weeks beginning on Monday, and that CBS Radio “will continue to speak with all concerned parties and monitor the situation closely.”

MSNBC’s action came after a growing list of sponsors — including American Express Co., Sprint Nextel Corp., Staples Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., and General Motors Corp. — said they were pulling ads from Imus’ show for the indefinite future.

NBC News President Steve Capus said he made the decision after reading thousands of e-mails and having countless discussions with NBC workers and the public, but he denied the potential loss of advertising dollars had anything to do with it.

“I take no joy in this. It’s not a particularly happy moment, but it needed to happen,” he said. “I can’t ignore the fact that there is a very long list of inappropriate comments, of inappropriate banter, and it has to stop.”

NBC’s decision came at a time when Imus’ program on MSNBC was doing better competitively than it ever has been. For the first three months of the year, its audience was nearly identical to CNN’s, leading CNN to replace its morning news team last week.

‘He's crossed the line’
Calls for Imus’ firing from the radio portion of the program have intensified during the past week, and remained strong even after MSNBC’s announcment. The show originates from WFAN-AM in New York City and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS Corp. MSNBC, which had been simulcasting the show, is a unit of General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal.

Bruce Gordon, former head of the NAACP and a director of CBS Corp., said before MSNBC’s decision Wednesday he hoped the broadcasting company would “make the smart decision” by firing Imus.

“He’s crossed the line, he’s violated our community,” Gordon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “He needs to face the consequence of that violation.”

Gordon, a longtime telecommunications executive, stepped down in March after 19 months as head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the foremost U.S. civil rights organizations.

He said he had spoken with CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves and hoped the company, after reviewing the situation, would fire Imus rather than let him return to the air at the end of his suspension.

“We should have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to what I see as irresponsible, racist behavior,” Gordon said. “The Imus comments go beyond humor. Maybe he thought it was funny, but that’s not what occurred.”

A CBS spokesman, Dana McClintock, declined comment on the remarks by Gordon, who is one of at least two minorities on the 13-member board.

The 10 members of the Rutgers team spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday about the on-air comments, made the day after the team lost the NCAA championship game to Tennessee. Some of them wiped away tears as their coach, C. Vivian Stringer, criticized Imus for “racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable, abominable and unconscionable.”

The women, eight of whom are black, agreed to meet with Imus privately and hear his explanation. They held back from saying whether they’d accept Imus’ apologies.

Stringer said late Wednesday that she did not call for Imus’ firing, but was pleased with the decision by NBC executives.

She said the meeting with Imus was never designed to call for his removal but to give the women on the team the opportunity to meet with him and for him to see the people he had so publicly hurt.

“The young ladies and I needed to put a face behind the remarks... He needs to know who these young ladies are that he hurt,” Stringer said.

Imus has apologized repeatedly for his comments. He said Tuesday he hadn’t been thinking when making a joke that went “way too far.” He also said that those who called for his firing without knowing him, his philanthropic work or what his show was about would be making an “ill-informed” choice.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said in New York that he would put pressure on CBS but that the issue was larger than Imus.

“I think we also have to have now a broad discussion on how the music industry allows this to be used,” Sharpton said. “I don’t think that we should stop at NBC, and I don’t think we should stop at Imus.”

LINK: MSNBC drops simulcast of Don Imus show

Media Matters issued a statement regarding this decision...

Cancellation Sparked by Racist Comments First Posted by Media Matters

Washington, DC - This evening, David Brock, President and CEO of Media Matters for America released the following statement regarding the decision of NBC News to cancel MSNBC's simulcast of Imus in the Morning.

"By canceling their simulcast of Don Imus on MSNBC, the National Broadcasting Company has finally done the right thing. We hope CBS Radio will again follow NBC's lead.

More and more Americans are coming to understand the damage done by major news organizations providing a platform for bigoted commentary and other conservative misinformation, and they are demanding change. MSNBC's decision is an important step in the right direction.

This decision sends a clear message to other networks, journalists and media personalities that bigotry and hate speech have no place on America's airwaves.

The cable networks would be well advised to think twice about their broadcasting decisions in the future. It is our hope that this will open a larger dialogue on the overall tone of the media today."

As first posted by Media Matters for America, on the April 4 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, host Don Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team, which is comprised of eight African-American and two white players, as "nappy-headed hos" immediately after the show's executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, called the team "hard-core hos." Later, former Imus sports announcer Sid Rosenberg, who was filling in for sportscaster Chris Carlin, said: "The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the [National Basketball Association's] Toronto Raptors."

More ...
LINK: Imus Cancellation: Statement from Media Matters

RELATED READING...

LINK: Media Matters: Timeline: A week in the life of Imus in the Morning

LINK: Crooks and Liars: Laura Ingraham Cuts and Runs on Hannity & Colmes

LINK: C&L: The Daily Show Tackles Imusgate

LINK: Think Progress: PBS’s Gwen Ifill speaks out on Imus.

LINKS from the Drudge Report...

VIDEO: NBCNEWS PRESIDENT...

CBS puts off any further action...

Hillary Slams Imus: 'I've never wanted to go on his show and I certainly don't ever intend to go on his show'...

CBS Director Hopes Imus Will Be Fired...

Obama calls for Imus to be fired...

Rosie on Imus: 'Thought police' are coming...

Edwards On Imus: 'I Believe In Forgiveness'...

Will CBS Radio follow suit? I'm not sure -- not after this comment he made....

-Mr. Joseph

Humor at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner

Although it was not as funny as Stephen Colbert's performance last year...

It was still quite good. President Bush's self-depreciating humor was actually pretty funny. About Political Humor documents everything quite well...

"A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the Supreme Court had just withdrawn, and my Vice President had shot someone. (Laughter and applause.) Ahhh, those were the good old days."
...
I have to admit we really blew the way we let those attorneys go. You know you botched it when people sympathize with lawyers. (Laughter and applause.)
...
Considering what's next -- President Clinton, of course, wrote a very successful presidential memoir, with 10,000 pages or something. (Laughter.) I'm thinking of something really fun and creative for mine -- you know, maybe a pop-up book. (Laughter and applause.)

LINK: Bush's Comedy Routine at Radio-TV Correspondent's Dinner

About Political Humor also documents Karl Rove's "MC Rove" Rap.

Improv comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood of the ABC show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" tapped Karl Rove to come on stage and participate in an impromptu rap song. Rove brought down the house as he frolicked on stage. (Watch the video)

From The Politico:

His arms flailed, he mugged, he shimmied, he crossed his hands, he backed it up, his BlackBerry became a prop, his voice went guttural, he took it up an octave. He waved, leaned back and exited the stage with both arms raised in victory.

As Newsweek's Richard Wolffe noted, Rove could soon be giving Tucker Carlson a run for his money on Dancing With the Stars.

Jimmy Kimmel: "We're still at war, right? Just checking. Bush is joking, Rove is rapping, Condoleeza Rice is in a thong singing the 'Milkshake' song."

Rove's performance inspired Jon Stewart to come up with his own rap:

From the West Wing to the Crawford Ranch
Karl Rove has destroyed the executive branch
He has no scruples and I don't mean maybe
He said John McCain had a secret black baby
F**k that guy (Watch the video)

LINK: Karl Rove as 'MC Rove'

LINK: Karl Rove Raps, Bush Plays Comedian at Press Gala

YouTube Video...

LINK: Karl Rove as MC Rove

RELATED READING:

MyWay News: Bush Serves Jokes at Broadcasters Dinner

Crooks and Liars: Bush Monologues: Open Thread

Think Progress: Video: Rove raps at correspondents dinner.

Crooks and Liars: Give It Up for MC Rove!

Crooks and Liars: JibJab.com's new JibJab’s “What We Call The News”

Good stuff! But the Karl Rove thing was nothing short of creepy.

-Mr. Joseph

Family Guy Rips on Falwell and Robertson

I think Family Guy is a pretty dumb show, but then again something like this happens...

Crooks and Liars:

While searching for his missing beloved teddy bear Rupert, Stewie tells Brian that without him he'd be lonlier than Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell after the rapture. God I love this show.

Robertson: Damn it, Jerry. Why are we the only ones still here?

Falwell: I don't know. We hated all the right things.

You think Falwell will sue McFarlane over this like he did Flynt?

LINK: Family Guy Rips on Falwell and Robertson

Mr. Joseph

Jon Stewart vs. FOX News ...again

Crooks and Liars put this great clip up...

C&L:

You knew it was only a matter of time before The Daily Show weighed in on FOX's Obama smear and boy, was it a doozy. Instead of summarizing, I'll just leave you with this instantly classic line…

"By the way, I actually believe the last time that Doocy used the phrase "this is huge" is when he and Hannity were caught in the broom closet at the Christmas party giving each other a sloppy Cronkite. What? You never had a sloppy Cronkite?!"

VIDEO / LINK: Jon Stewart Rips Apart FNC

-Mr. Joseph

O'Reilly vs. Colbert: Aftermath...

About Political Humor and Crooks and Liars followed this "fight"...

Political Humor:

Watch video clips of Stephen Colbert appearing on Bill O'Reilly's show, and Bill O'Reilly appearing on Stephen Colbert's show, in what Colbert described as a "meeting of the guts."

LINK: Colbert on O'Reilly, O'Reilly on Colbert

Colbert was in full right-wing, well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status-idiot-mode and kept O'Reilly on the ropes while getting in a few good jabs — like ripping on Bill's ancient audience.

To put this nonsensical myth to death, although O'Reilly refers to Daily Show viewers as "stoned slackers," MSNBC found that Daily Show viewers are actually more educated than those who watch The Factor. No-spin, indeed.

VIDEO / LINK: Colbert on the O’Reilly Factor

VIDEO / LINK: “Papa Bear” O’Reilly on the Colbert Report

Keith Olberman even weighed in...

Keith breaks down rounds 1 & 2 of Colbert vs. O'Reilly with Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane.

VIDEO / LINK: Olbermann Dissects Colbert vs. O’Reilly

And then there was this...

I didn't bother adding this to the "Papa Bear" post last night because I thought it was a joke. Alas, it wasn't.

From ABC News:

It may have been a greater error allowing Colbert into the Fox News headquarters, located near the "Colbert Report" studios in Manhattan. There, Colbert smuggled a microwave out of the green room, a bounty which he proudly displayed at the conclusion of his show.

A spokesman for Fox News confirmed that Colbert stole the microwave, but said it was all in good fun.

HuffPo has more:

According to FNC spokeswoman Irena Briganti, Colbert told O'Reilly off-camera of his plan to take the microwave from the Green Room. "We were well aware of it and entirely amused - it was all in good fun," said Briganti in an email earlier today. "We honestly just thought the whole thing was hysterical."

LINK: Colbert Stole O’Reilly’s Microwave

I loved the 30% off sticker...
-Mr. Joseph

FNC Humor: "...droppable, to say the least"

I predict a lot of really bad things coming from this show...

Radar Online:

Breathe easy, Jon Stewart. It's looking like the satire program billed as Fox News Channel's answer to The Daily Show will combine the timeliness of Newsweek with the incisive wit of Mallard Fillmore. So far, Fox has taped two episodes of The Half-Hour News Hour, as the show is being called. (Its working title, This Just In, had to be scrapped, as AOL has a broadband channel with that name.)

Producer Joel Surnow, whose credits also include 24, has described the show as a cross between Comedy Central's Daily Show and Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment. A source who attended the tapings describes the format as far more similar to the latter, with a two-anchor setup and skits interspersed with the talking-head segments. "It was hit and miss—some stuff was inspired, and some was droppable, to say the least," says the source. Not surprisingly, he adds, most of the jokes had a conservative slant.

Comedians Kurt Long and Susan Yeagley share anchor duties, and toss to a cast of correspondents that includes original Daily Show cast member Brian Unger. Guests so far have included Rush Limbaugh (who bragged about appearing in a skit as the president, with Ann Coulter as his vice president), comedian Dom Irrera, and original Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall. While early reports on the show promised a January debut, as of now, no air date has been set.

LINK: FNC's Daily Show Rip-off Falls Flat

...

MediaBistro:

It sounds like Rush Limbaugh is making an appearance in FNC's news satire pilot:
"I went out and did some television Saturday in Los Angeles," the radio host said on Monday. "There's a new show that probably will air soon, I'm not sure when, but it's called The Half Hour NewsHour. That's the working title of it now. I guess that's subject to change. Well, actually it's not, because if it changes I gotta go back out there, but nevertheless it's a parody newscast, takeoff on liberal media newscasts, and I play the president of the United States in the opening segments of this program.
I went out and shot three takes. Ann Coulter is the vice president. (laughing) It's hilarious. The whole thing is hilarious..."

LINK: Rush Tapes Intro For FNC's News Satire?

Ugh...
-Mr. Joseph

UPDATE (12/9/07):
Crooks and Liars...

FOX Opinion Channels dreadful “Half Hour News Hour,” billed as the “right-wing answer to ‘The Daily Show;” has been canceled. It was really only a matter of time, wasn’t it?

Let’s take a look back at the show’s awful and short-lived life:

The Half Hour News Hour: Still Not Funny

Fox News 1/2 Hour News Hour Goes From Bad To Worse

Half Hour News Hour - Still Waiting For The Funny

LINK: R.I.P: FOX’s “Half Hour News Hour” Canceled

Bush's State of the Union 2007

"Congress has changed," President Bush said, acknowledging the new Democratic majority, "but our responsibilities have not." (NY Times)

There was a lot of chatter on the internet after Bush's State of the Union address...

Here are some stories that stuck out to me...

Think Progress conducted a real-time fact-check of this year’s State of the Union address...

VIDEO / LINK: VIDEO: The Annotated State Of The Union

Think Progress also noted Sen. Jim Webb's response...

Transcript:

The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable — and predicted — disarray that has followed.

The war’s costs to our nation have been staggering. Financially. The damage to our reputation around the world. The lost opportunities to defeat the forces of international terrorism. And especially the precious blood of our citizens who have stepped forward to serve.

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq’s cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

On both of these vital issues, our economy and our national security, it falls upon those of us in elected office to take action.

Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt.

Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves “as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other.” And he did something about it.

As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. “When comes the end?” asked the General who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became President, he brought the Korean War to an end.

These Presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.

Thank you for listening. And God bless America.

VIDEO / LINK: Webb: If Bush Doesn’t Take The ‘Right Kind Of Action…We Will Be Showing Him The Way’

On a lighter note...

Think Progress and MSNBC's Tucker Carlson (on Hardblogger) note that John McCain had fell asleep...

VIDEO / LINK: TP: McCain falls asleep during the State of the Union?

Tucker Carlson:

"If you’re McCain, who will be over 70 by 2008, you’ll want to make doubly sure to demonstrate your alertness and vigor. You definitely won’t want to slump in your seat, out cold, when Bush starts talking about Iraq. And yet that’s exactly what McCain did tonight, napping on camera for ten agonizing seconds. Lack of self-control? An expression of contempt? Embarrassing in any case."

LINK: Carlson: Lack of self-control? An expression of contempt? Embarrassing in any case.

While McCain slept, Speaker Nancy Pelosi blinked...

"What was worth commenting on, however, was the contrast in blinks per minute between Pelosi and Cheney. While Pelosi clocked a good 25-30 blinks per minute, Cheney barely mustered 3 or 4."

LINK: Watching the SOTU Speech on ABC

And, of course About Political Humor got some great videoes regarding the speech...

"Check out a funny State of the Union spoof video by Bush impersonator James Adomian (a worthy sequel to last year's version), plus watch President Bush talk tough and threaten the world in this remixed version of one of Bush's previous State of the Union addresses.

See also: The Daily Show's preview of the State of the Union address, featuring a matchup between two bitter rivals: Bush and words.

Late-Night Jokes
"President Bush addressed the nation tonight. He talked about how we can save energy, how we can still win the war in Iraq and then gave a beautiful rendition of 'Wind Beneath My Wings.' Randy and Paula were in tears." --Jimmy Kimmel

"Down in Washington, DC, there was the annual State of the Union address. ... The speech was so dull. Behind President Bush, Nancy Pelosi and Dick Cheney were making out." --David Letterman

Read more late-night jokes..."

LINK: State of the Union Parody Videos

And then this...

"From the official State of the Union Drinking Game...
Every time Bush says:
“nukular” – 1 drink
"Bring it on" = Arm-wrestle the person next to you; loser drinks
Detainees = 1 drink, with your hands behind your back
"illegal immigration" = 1 shot of cerveza/tequila
"sectarian violence" = 1 Car Bomb
“Mark Foley” = one shot of Scotch, aged 16 years
"macaca" = Invite George Allen for a drink - he doesn't have anything better to do
Every time Bush...
praises a Democrat by name = 1 drink
....if that Democrat is not Joe Lieberman = 3 drinks
Every time the camera shows...
a close-up on Nancy Pelosi = 1 shot, taken without moving any facial muscles

Read more at Drinking Game.us, plus check out alternate State of the Union drinking games from political comedian Will Durst and Wonkette. Or if you prefer to cry in your beer in the company of like-minded lefties, you can partake in a Drinking Liberally State of the Union Party, featuring bingo cards.

State of the Union: The Bushism Version
With the help of our Bushisms collection, the San Francisco Chronicle presents an amusing State of the Union address parody, constructed entirely from classic Bush verbal gaffes and other inane presidential utterances:

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished citizens and fellow citizens:

This is historic times.

The past is over. There may be some tough times here in America. But this country has gone through tough times before, and we're going to do it again...

I think the American people -- I hope the American — I don't think, let me — I hope the American people trust me. Read more...

The State of the Union and Groundhog Day
This one originally circulated a couple of years ago, but is making the rounds again:

This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address occur on the same day. As Air America Radio pointed out, "It is an ironic juxtaposition of events: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, while the other involves a groundhog."

Read more funny forwards..."

LINK: State of the Union Drinking Game

Just think, he only has one more after this...

-Mr. Joseph

FOR REAL: O'Reilly vs. Colbert

My Way News picked this up...

It may feel like looking into the mirror for Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert next week. The Fox News Channel host and Colbert, who has essentially based his comic character every evening on Comedy Central on him, will trade appearances on each other's programs Jan. 18.

"I'm really looking forward to speaking to a man who owes his entire career to me," O'Reilly said.

On "The Colbert Report," Colbert portrays a self-involved talk-show host who has tried to bring "truthiness" to the world. His character owes an obvious debt to O'Reilly, who holds court in the "no-spin zone" each evening.

On "The O'Reilly Factor," O'Reilly portrays a ... um, he hosts the top-rated program in cable news.

"I look forward to the evening," Colbert said. "It is an honor to speak face-to-face with a broadcasting legend, and I feel the same way about Mr. O'Reilly."

LINK: O'Reilly, Colbert to Trade Appearances

This will be good. I'll post videos ASAP.

-Mr. Joseph

Humor Wrap-Up of the 2006 Elections

Credit to Crooks and Liars for these...

Bill Maher: "I don't want to say that George Bush is a lame duck, but today Dick Cheney shot him."

VIDEO / LINK: Bill Maher’s Post-Election Opening Monologue

Keith Olberman...

VIDEO / LINK: The 2006 Election… A Comedic Roundup

Mr. Joseph