Friday, January 19, 2007

Right up Richard Cohen's ally

What a bunch of gutless knobs...and could the White House Correspondent's Dinner be any more ass-kissing or lame?

But then we read this (huge h/t to occasional reader Phoenix Woman). The cowardice of these people -- who sat there on mute for months while the president made plans to start a war under false pretenses -- is astounding. Little now says he has an understanding not to bash Bush or mention the war:

Little said organizers of the event made it clear they don't want a repeat of last year's controversial appearance by Stephen Colbert, whose searing satire of President Bush and the White House press corps fell flat and apparently touched too many nerves.

"They got a lot of letters," Little said Tuesday. "I won't even mention the word 'Iraq.'"

Little, who hasn't been to the White House since he was a favorite of the Reagan administration, said he'll stick with his usual schtick -- the impersonations of the past six presidents.

"They don't want anyone knocking the president. He's really over the coals right now, and he's worried about his legacy," added Little, a longtime Las Vegas resident.

OK, free speech means you also have a right NOT to say anything or criticize anybody. But for the White House press corps to instruct Little not to "knock" the president smacks of a kind of censorship, from the very people that we've placed in the front line trenches of free speech.


Mark Evanier suggests that Little show a little guts and open with his impression of Stephen Colbert.

After this year's lame-ivities, Bush has one more White House Correspondent's Dinner to go before he gets the fuck out of our lives forever. At this rate, I'm guessing next year's entertainment will be Shields & Yarnell ... or the corpse of Red Skelton as Freddy the Freeloader or Clem Kadiddlehopper -- nah that will make Fredo cry.

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