What the hell was the point of that MTP interview with Steve Bridges?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

Think the other two guys doing panel were wondering if they had to hang around for it?

[Olney Blue]

1. Ratings?

[acmavm]

2. Trying to make the bush** part of the dinner look like it was the most

important, and the most relevant part. Making it seem that Colbert was just a momentary distraction.

[Efilroft Sul]

30. Ding! Ding! We have a winnah!

[peacetalksforall]

3. GE wants to prove that some comedians are acceptable. Others-NOT. n/t

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. Then they should start by having a actual comedian on the show.

And why did he first refer to Vaugn Meader, Rich Little and Dana Carvey as 3 brilliant comedians then catch himself and say "two"? Who got cut?

[LA lady]

11. album only?

It's been a lot of years but I think Meador strictly put out the album and didn't perform as a comedian in other areas as Little and Carvey did. I still have that album!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. Not that I'm old enough to remember, of course, but...

I think Meador did Sullivan from time to time. I think he also was on the radio a lot.

[WinkyDink]

34. Yes, he did perform.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

4. To showcase the "nice" comedian, the polite comedian...

"When In the course of human events..." Declaration of Independence wasn't so nicey nice.

You have to love it when they want to talk about respect for the office of the Prez, when that Prez has done so much damage in the world, broken so many laws.

And even now it continues.

By all means we need a very intense dialogue now on how to be nice to the Decider, aka the Tyrant.

:sarcasm:

[rusty_parts2001]

5. Russert gets lazy.

Its like taking a basket weaving course occasionally. He pulled the same cop out on easter with the preachers, no content, all fluff.

[WiseButAngrySara]

6. The truth of Colbert hurts Pigboy Russert where it should hurt. Did

Russert even mention Colbert? Tim knows that blood and death is on his hands, also. He has to know a whole lot more than he is letting on, or he's just too dumb, even by today's standards, to be representing 'news' or 'truth' in any form.

[corbett]

22. No, He Did Not Mention Colbert, Although Joe Klein Mentioned It Last Night

Russert has that other show on CNBC and his guest last night, Joe Klein, aluded to Colbert.

http://houseofscandal.org/main.html

[librechik]

7. It's official--the MSM is a joke

nice touch, forcing the legitimate journalists to pose questions to the fake Bush. Ha.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

9. Even worse, the fake guy's answers were better than Dubya's. n/t

[July]

31. They have been rendering themselves irrelevant for quite some time now.nt

[blm]

35. The Downing Street Memos proved the m$m is every bit COMPLICIT

with BushInc. That is, if the 2000 and 2004 election coverage didn't clue you in.

[brentspeak]

10. Maybe some WH staffer suggested it to Russert at last night's

Georgetown cocktail party -- before the staffer made her way over to Katie Couric's side of the room to discuss each other's McMansion interior designing plans.

("And look, there's Cokie! Oh, Cokie! Yoo-hoo!")

[susu369]

14. You nailed it

[XanaDUer]

12. To marginalize what Colbert did.

eom.

[BlueManDude]

15. colbert was "mean" n/t

[Jazz2006]

16. Exactly.

And to keep the "nice" guy in the spotlight to massage the psyches of the backwash 32%.

Grrrr.



x(

[XanaDUer]

27. Now, Katie and Matt are going to interview Bridges...

:eyes:

[bullwinkle428]

17. How long before Rove starts using this guy as a body double, Saddam-style?

ETA : the gig would be up very quickly, as this guy is a good 1000x more articulate than *!

[valerief]

18. Yeah, I was thinking of that Dave movie and Bridges being used

as a double. I think they could use drugs to *stupidify* him.

[Lisa]

25. they've certainly done everything to co-opt him ...

Bridges was already in that part of the population which Bush views as his "base" -- Texas upbringing, father a Baptist minister, active evangelical Christian and loyal Bush voter.

Being invited to the White House for a private meeting with Bush, on the basis of Barbara B. seeing a tape of him and liking how "pleasant" his comedy was -- then approached to do a skit with George W. -- I bet this latest bit is going to show up on his website soon, like that first meeting.

www.stevebridges.com

It's not just a matter of hoping to get corporate party gigs from Republican fans ... Bridges seems to be pretty invested in making Bush seem like a nice, friendly, harmless guy. I know it sounds kind of weird, that an actor would be that involved with presenting a character ... but when one considers the amount of power and prestige involved, it must look like a step up for Bridges, who didn't have a TV/movie career like Will Ferrell or Timothy Bottoms (who have also portrayed Bush). The talent company that represents Bridges has put a lot of money into developing the makeup, staging, scripts, etc., so he is probably under some pressure to pay them back somehow.

By contrast, Ferrell declined a private meeting with Bush, and is now satirizing him in videos and appearances to help environmental and peace groups.

[valerief]

26. An actor associated with the WH? Well, golly, gee, Mommy, I

don't that will ever happen. (If you're too young to remember, that was Ronald Reagan, a turd of a Star Wars voodoo economics president but a fine Bedtime for Bonzo thespian.)

[Lisa]

32. yes, I remember "Ronnie" ...

But arguably he was playing a character he'd created himself, in order to get into the White House! While Bridges is trying to copy (or at present a more palatable version of) a character which has already been written for someone else who can no longer be bothered with it -- one of those cases where the "cover" is more popular than the original, perhaps?

I guess the way Bridges does him, "Dubya" is different enough now that the performer might have developed an attachment, and feels somewhat invested in the character now? (But not so much that he hasn't attempted to develop Clinton and "Ah-nuld" characters as well. Maybe even he realizes that at this rate, nobody will pay to see "Dubya" unless they're allowed to fling rotten tomatoes at him.)


Article by LA Times, which points out something which I wasn't smart enough to articulate the first time:

"The Bridges-Bush routine, then, was sanctioned if not vetted — jokes about the President's penchant for malapropisms and Vice President Cheney's hunting escapades.

"Bridges offers an apolitical Bush," Beato writes in his profile, "which, while it may be unintentional, is a stroke of political genius. Divorced from actual experience, the president's charm goes on the offensive again. Campaign-trail Bush reemerges, and it's 1999 in America, a return to the peace and prosperity of that era.""


http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-critics5may05,1,7915266.story?track=crosspromo&coll=la-headlines-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true

[MADem]

19. Because no one from the CABINET wants to be seen with Timmy

...ever since Timmy had to go talk to Fitzgerald. They're afraid if they go on his show, someone from the OSP will ask him uncomfortable questions about what they may have said to him vis a vis Libby/Rove/Plame.

The best he could do was a ho-ho-ho, funny copy of the original.

Timmy's days of "great gets" from the WH are no more. He's a pariah, because he talked to Fitzgerald. And the only reason he talked is because he was afraid of going to jail (the sun is never over the yardarm in jail, ya see, and he likes his cocktails). That fancy vacation home, and that BC tuition for his privleged kid, ain't gonna pay for itself! And how much longer can he shop around that "Russ and Me" shit??

On the plus side, instead of having the GOP asshole du jour "for the FULL HOUR!!!!" without forcing them to respond to members of the 4th Estate, we are at least being treated to an occasional meeting of some members of the actual PRESS. Such a concept!

They need to bag that sweaty toady and replace him with David Gregory, IMO.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

20. Has Timmy really had trouble booking big names?

I had noticed there were additional newsies on with him more often but I guess I thought it was a reaction to the "Meet Tim Russert" jokes.

[MADem]

21. Hell, yes, ever since the story broke that he talked to Fitz

No more "Condoleeza Rice....for the FULL HOUR!!!" Or "Secretary of Defense DONALD RumsFEEEEELD...for the FULL HOUR!!!"

The fat bastard probably misses those softball games...and he's trying, desperately it seems, to stay relevant. He doesn't appear to be succeeding.

Ya gotta ask yourself, why did Judy go to jail, and he didn't? The only thing that makes sense is that he sang like a well fed canary...and who knows, maybe he said MORE than we already KNOW. And maybe the thugs at the WH know this.

Let's go back in time, and refresh our memories:

Aug. 1 issue - A deal that special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald cut last year for NBC "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert's testimony may shed light on the emerging White House defense in the Valerie Plame leak case. The agreement between Fitzgerald and NBC avoided a court fight over a subpoena for Russert's testimony about his July 2003 talk with Dick Cheney's top aide, Lewis (Scooter) Libby. The deal was not, as many assumed, for Russert's testimony about what Libby told him: it focused on what Russert told Libby. An NBC statement last year said Russert did not know of Plame, wife of ex-ambassador Joseph Wilson, or that she worked at the CIA, and "he did not provide that information to Libby."

Awww, they wanted Timmy to play along, bullshit the Special Prosecutor, and he didn't...he figured if he got caught lying, he WOULD end up in jail, and wouldn't get a Libbyish Bushy pardon, either!

This now appears significant: in pursuing Russert's testimony, Fitzgerald was testing statements by White House aides—reportedly including Libby—that they learned about Wilson's wife from reporters, not classified documents. Libby's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. A source close to Karl Rove, who requested anonymity because the FBI asked participants not to comment publicly, says the White House aide—who passed info about Wilson's wife to Time's Matt Cooper—only knew about her CIA job from either a reporter or "somebody" who heard it from a reporter; he can't remember which or who. Rove did not initially discuss his talk with Cooper with the FBI, but later volunteered info about it and called agents' attention to a subpoenaed e-mail he had written to national-security aide Stephen Hadley mentioning the conversation, the source said.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8682500/site/newsweek/

Timmy's reward for failing to go along with the 'cover story' that Scooter concocted in desperation???' The old, Sopranos-style, "YER DEAD TO ME!!!!" And Libby has to switch from the
"Timmy told me!" excuse to "Gee, I was so busy I just don't remember" excuse. And the stink gets stronger...!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

23. On Tweety's Sunday show today, Tweety brought up Twin Bushits

and someone, couldn't tell who, said Colbert bombed! The conversation never turned to his comment.

It seems that by propping up the Double, they are making a concerted effort to marginalize Stephen. Let them just try!!!!

BTW...I just checked... the bit torrents for the WHCD have now been downloaded 130,000 times!

[mdmc]

33. two things ommm

1) www.wamc.org did a show on Colbert's performance. There is a link at my journal.
2) your journal has made the most viewed list!

:toast:

[Lisa]

24. basically, they sent the "fluff" version of Bush out to play nice ...

... because the actual guy can't or won't do it!

Funny, but also kind of disturbing. Evidently Bush himself has gotten fed up with the affable "Dubya" character (not that he ever did a great job of the portrayal). And they've decided to hire a professional performer in his place.

[underpants]

28. I caught it at 4 AM (the baby woke up)

The National correspondent and political editors of Vanity Fair and WaPo had to sit there for THAT?

Good lord I (ME let alone someone in those positions) would have got up and walked out.

That was bizarre. The most ironic point of course it that Russert, the epitome of Washington press in this age, has this two bit pre-emptive hasbeen on a week after a lame stupid skit that everyone who owns or uses a computer has forgotten about. Maybe this is Russert following orders to blatantly continue to ignore Colbert dressing everyone down. I don't know but this is the first time I have watched MTP in months and it will be the last. "Jumping the shark" doesn't even cover that.

That guy isn't funny. I know from funny and that guy isn't it. He is just a lame impression anyone can do with a big make-up budget that's it. At least Mark Russell could play a piano.

From what I saw of Pelosi she did okay but she isn't the best at this sort of situation. Russert interrupted her endlessly and this "See we found one so you all are just as guilty" (corruption) was straight from RNC talking points.

It is good to hear the Democrats pointing out that they DO have an agenda but she should have said "As you should know....". Wes Clark mentioned the National Security agenda on Bill Maher's show Friday night.

[drbtg1]

29. Timmy could have asked this, but of course wasted the opportunity

"Mr. Bridges, you obviously spent a lot of time studying the President, getting all the mannerisms down, to perfect your impersonation. Since you're such a student of him, let me ask you this: what's the deal with his mandible? Is that coke jaw?"