Thursday, December 1, 2011

Two titans of Washington

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Indecision 2012 - Newt Gingrich Denies Lobbying
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You know, I thought Newt Gingrich had already "destroyed himself in some spectacular and unforeseen manner like gay-marrying a burning American flag," as Colbert puts it.

I mean, really, Gingrich's campaign crashed and burned months ago. But in their never-ending quest to find an anti-Romney who's not completely insane, the Republicans have started going back through the list again. Sorry, but Gingrich doesn't get any better the second time around (just ask his ex-wives).

Well, as Paul Krugman pointed out, Gringrich is "a stupid man's idea of what a smart person sounds like," so he seems to get an astonishing amount of respect in the GOP, considering his past. He's actually considered to be the intellectual in the Republican Party! Considering what Republicans think of intellectuals, well, no doubt their standards are just really, really low, huh?

Stephen Colbert followed this up with a look at another "titan of Washington," Barney Frank, who just announced his retirement. (The segue into that speaks volumes about Newt Gingrich, too.)

I don't know much about Frank, but he could really speak his mind. Remember this? "On what planet do you spend most of your time?... It is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated. Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it."

(Here's the video clip of that. Less than a minute and a half long, and still a classic!)

And speaking of vile, contemptible nonsense, the Tennessee Tea Party really outdid itself here, don't you think? ("It sounds harsh, but in Tennessee, that's the state motto.")

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Barney Frank's Retirement
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2 comments:

Chimeradave said...

that was a great Barney Frank clip. I'm gonna miss that guy.

m1nks said...

Heh, even with my previously limited interest and exposure to American (US) politics, even I'd heard that world class rebuttal.