Stephen Colbert may have just become the most dangerous man in America. No, it's not because he's part of a terrorist organization trying to blow up the states. He's not even the president of a country with a lot of oil. He's just an average man with boring hair and rimless glasses who had the guts to speak the truth in front of president Bush at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
With witty humor Colbert paid tribute to Bush's presidency and it's sinking public support by comparing Bush to Rocky Balboa, always getting punched in the face "and Apollo Creed is everything else in the world." He also urged Bush not to pay attention to the low approval ratings that his government is getting by saying that they were simply based on reality, "and reality has a well-known liberal bias."
Colbert also turned his attention on the war by saying, "I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq." He also paid tribute to the way Bush sticks to his principles, "When the President decides something on Monday, he still believes in it on Wednesday--no matter what happened on Tuesday."
But perhaps one of Colbert's strongest attacks was on the media. Addressing the Washington reporters he said, "Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The President makes the decisions, he's the decider. The Press-Secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know--fiction."
Not without surprise, a lot of the funniest moments in Colbert's speech, specially the one's against Bush, went without much response from the audience that included celebrities, top officials and members of the Washington press corps. Many in the crowd appeared uncomfortable but that is to be expected anytime that someone speaks out against the current administration.
Personally I applaud Colbert for doing what has become unaccepted. Even though his speech was satirical, his comments and criticism were both biting and correct, I just wish there were more courageous people out there.
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"I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound -- with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world."
Google: The Actual Speech.