Check out the latest OBAMA Parody skit on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC).
During this episode we observe how Pres OBAMA really feels (I presume) about the U.S. Constitution, Democracy, Legislative Process & CONGRESS as it relates to his use of EXECUTIVE Orders, Immigration Reform and AMNESTY.
As a Human Being I couldn't help but to laugh, however unfortunately for American Voters this Skit is very TRUE.
But no one can do anything about it until January 2017 when his second term officially ends.
Former President George W. Bush brought a light-hearted tone to the unveiling of his official White House portrait on Thursday, winning over an audience of friends, family and former colleagues with jokes.
Standing beside his portrait after its unveiling in the White House East Room, Mr. Bush chided the cheering audience to quiet down and thanked President Obama "for inviting our rowdy friends to my hanging."
The new portrait "brings an interesting symmetry to the White House collection," the former president said. "It now starts and ends with a George W."
A portrait of former First Lady Laura Bush was also unveiled. Both will become part of the permanent White House collection.
It is a tradition for the sitting U.S. president to host a portrait unveiling for his immediate predecessor, and on Thursday, Mr. Obama had some jokes of his own. Mr. Obama said he would always remember the kind words Mr. Bush had for him during the transition from one administration to the next. "Plus, you left me a really good TV sports package," the president said to laughs. "I use it."
Mr. Obama and Mr. Bush had only kind remarks for one another, with Mr. Obama noting, "We have our problems politically, but the presidency transcends these differences."
The current president noted that after three and a half years in office, he has "a deeper understanding" of the challenges his predecessor faced. He commended Mr. Bush for "conveying extraordinary strength and resolve" after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and for understanding that issues of national security and economic stability transcend partisan politics.
First Lady Michelle Obama thanked Laura Bush for serving as "a wonderful model of strength and grace" as first lady and as a mother. Mrs. Bush thanked the first family and joked, "Nothing makes a house a home like having portraits of its former occupants staring down at you."
Those in attendance for the unveiling included Vice President Joe Biden, Mr. Bush's daughters Jenna and Barbara, former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, Mr. Bush's former adviser Karl Rove, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The portrait of Mr. Bush shows the former president standing in the center of the Oval Office with his right hand resting on an armchair that was made for the White House in 1818. Over his right shoulder hangs a 1929 western painting, A Charge to Keep, by William H. D. Koerner. Mr. Bush used the same title for his 1999 memoir.
The portrait of Laura Bush shows the former first lady in the White House Green Room, which she helped refurbish in 2007.
The portraits were painted by John Howard Sanden, who received the first John Singer Sargent Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the American Society of Portrait Artists in 1994.
Are Gov. Chris Christie a Republican, & Mayor Cory Booker a Democrat, too close for comfort in the Political world?
NO! A thousand times NO!
How can Booker & Christie Effectively Help the Citizens of New Jersey by Bickering & Fighting all of the time like little Children?
America needs more Politicians like them who are willing to Work together for the common Good of the People who elected them into Public Office.
Politics is supposed to be about THE PEOPLE who Elected them into Public Office.
NOT the Politicians & Their Personal Interests!
CONGRESS PLEASE TAKE A HINT!
I Most Certainly Do NOT Agree With All Of Gov. Chris Christie's GOP Political Ideologies Or Policies, But I Do Respect The Man For Having Guts To Do What He Said He Was Going To Do When He Was On The Campaign Trail.
I Respect Mayor Cory Booker For Taking His 5 College Degrees, Moving Into The Hoods Of New Jersey & Sincerely Reaching Back To Help Uplift And Improve The Quality Of Life Of Low Income, Forgotten Citizens.
The Key Word Is SINCERELY!
Cory Booker Has Been Especially Instrumental In Helping To Educate Low Income BLACK & Latino Newark Residents On Becoming Entrepreneurs, So They Can Launch Small Businesses & Become Self-Sufficient Contributors To American Society.
The American Community Is ONLY As Strong As Its Weakest Link.
If Politicians Just Focus On Always Helping The Wealthy, Then How Will Citizens Who Reside In Poor Urban & Rural Communities Ever Experience Upward Mobility Or Improve The Quality Of Their Lives?
Especially BLACK & Latino Citizens??
Regardless Of How Brilliant Someone's Idea Or Invention Is, Without OPPORTUNITY & EXPOSURE That Idea Or Invention Will NEVER Receive Recognition Or Sell.
So Cory Booker Is Providing The Citizens Of Newark, NJ With Equal Education, Small Business Opportunities & the Exposure They Need To Achieve Upward Mobility Versus Just Waiting On Welfare Checks, Food Stamps, Unemployment Checks, etc.,
"Give A Man A Fish & He Will Only Eat For Just One Day."
"Teach A Man To Fish & He Will Be Able To Eat For A Lifetime."
Now If Cory Booker Will Please, Please Do More Help To Lower Newark's Overall Crime Rate & Help Reduce Newark's Overall Gang Activity, He Will Have Done A FINE JOB At Rehabilitating A Forgotten City Previously Over Flowing With Corruption & Crime.
Thus I Applaud Both Booker & Christie For Being Man Enough To Momentarily Lay Down Their Ideologies For The Good Of ALL New Jersey's Citizens.
Of Course There Is Still Much To Be Accomplished, But At Least Booker & Christie Are Doing More Than Just TALKING!
Most 21st Century Politicians (BLACK & White) Talk A Good Game But Do NOTHING To Back Up Their Talk.
So what's my take on the Booker/ Christie Political Relationship?
Kudos to EFFECTIVE, SINCERE BI-PARTISANSHIP!!
Keep doing what you do to Help Improve the Quality of Life for the Citizens of Newark and the entire State of New Jersey.
Cory Booker doesn't need to go to Washington, DC, Congress or the White House to be an EFFECTIVE Leader or Politician.
New Jersey needs Booker More than Congress ever will.
GOD BLESS BOTH CORY BOOKER & CHRIS CHRISTIE
Cory Booker for New Jersey Governor in 2014 or 2018!!!!
They are the political 'odd couple.' New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie and Newark's Democratic Mayor Cory Booker released a web video this week parodying Seinfeld, poking fun at each other's unique reputations.
Christie pokes fun at the persistent rumors that he will be Mitt Romney's pick for vice president. The video also mocks Booker's superhero status, after he literally saved a neighbor from a burning building, and his history of shoveling the streets of Newark himself.
Setting aside the lighthearted nature of the video for a moment, it is interesting to see these two elected officials from different sides of the political spectrum together and seeming to get along. It's certainly not a common occurrence these days.
But it also could be evidence that, in their own way, both of these two politicians are using their political savvy to work together in this way to direct their future endeavors.
It is no secret that Governor Christie wants to be president of the United States.
Part of the reason he didn't run this year is because President Obama is going to be very difficult to beat as an incumbent.
The power of incumbency is real and Christie knew it; he seems to have passed on running this year in order to try with much better odds in 2016. Christie is up for re-election to the state house in 2013, so any consideration of a veep slot with Romney would take into account the probability of losing to Obama this year.
Certainly, the calculation at this point is run for re-election in 2013 and then a White House run in 2016.
Mayor Cory Booker's unorthodox alliance with Christie is likely based on a number of different factors.
First off, as the mayor of New Jersey's largest city, it's possible that an amicable working relationship with the governor of the state is good for business and good for his constituents. Certainly, Christie's budget cuts to public education hurt the city of Newark particularly hard.
Booker's chummy relationship with Christie isn't just about doing work for the people of Newark, it's also likely a strategic move based on his own personal ambition.
Booker's last office will certainly not be as the mayor of Newark. His bright future could be as a Senator and a bipartisan track record in a mixed bag state like New Jersey certainly enhances his credentials.
That said, the future is somewhat unclear for Booker because Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) says he's not retiring in 2014. That means that there will not be an open seat for Booker to fill in the Senate and with Christie running for re-election in 2013 only a direct challenge to his ally for a shot at the governor's mansion.
Recently, Booker has actually hinted at running for a third term as mayor until 2018 which would mean all routes to higher office would be clear.
Both men benefit from appearing to get along. With the partisan gridlock in Congress, two elected officials from different parties that do disagree on certain issues, but can still laugh it up and get along, is certainly symbolic of a different tone in politics. Christie says the video parody is "emblematic of his approach to governing."
Booker's spokesman was singing the same bipartisan tone and said of the video, "It's refreshing to see two political figures reach across the aisle and put politics aside to show that bipartisanship is possible when elected officials make it a priority."
The two politicians certainly know that appearing to be reasonable and willing to see past the partisan squabbles and budget battles garners support. Certainly neither Christie nor Booker is naïve or unaware of how a lighthearted video can boost approval ratings. But while both men are concerned about appearances, the people of New Jersey are likely hoping it wasn't all for show.
Rick Santorum & Newt Gingrich have now joined the "Etch-a-Sketch" Political Fray after Romney's Adviser mentioned it this Morning. Both Santorum & Gingrich are losing Badly to Romney.
Rick Santorum has found an unlikely new rallying point: The Etch A Sketch.
Santorum's campaign has aggressively seized on a comment Wednesday morning by Romney Communications Director Eric Fehrnstrom, who was asked on CNN if he was concerned that the primary challenge from Santorum and Newt Gingrich "might force the governor to tack so far to the right" that Romney will alienate moderates who would otherwise vote for him if and when he reaches the general election.
"Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign," Fehrnstrom responded. "Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."
The comment reflected a political reality: Presidential candidates from both parties traditionally tend to play to their base in the primary before tacking toward the center in a general election in order to win moderates. But it also played directly into the Santorum campaign's argument that conservatives can't trust Romney to stand up for their beliefs in the general election.
In the middle of a campaign event in Louisiana Wednesday, Santorum, grasping an Etch A Sketch, said he was launching "what I'll call my Etch A Sketch tour of America." It was not the first time Santorum brought up Fehrnstrom's comment Wednesday.
"Imagine, had Mitt Romney been around at the time we were drafting our Constitution," he said. "He would just shake it and just shook it up after it was approved to rewrite it. We're talking about big things here folks, this isn't a joke or a game. We're talking about important things in our society. Freedom is not something that you go out and give nice lofty highbrow speeches about and then turn around the next day and say no, when we have to go out and work in a general election, I'll go back to my government control approach."
Added Santorum: "The people of Louisiana have a choice to make now that we know what's very clear about the Romney campaign. We all knew it before, as he was all over the place on every issue, but now they've made it clear. They think they have this nomination in the bag so it's time to reset. It's time to start moving to the middle. We have an opportunity here in Louisiana to make a very clear statement. We're not looking for someone who's the Etch A Sketch candidate. We're looking for someone who writes what they believe in in stone and stands true to what they say."
A Santorum adviser told CBS News/National Journal reporter Lindsey Boerma that the campaign had stopped at a Toys "R" Us store on the way to the event and picked up four Etch A Sketch toys - and that on the way to the event they were doing drawings of Romney in the car. (Santorum's campaign tweeted out a photo of Santorum using the toy with the caption "@RickSantorum studying up on @MittRomney policy positions.")
Meanwhile, Santorum spokeswoman Alice Stewart showed up at a Romney event in Maryland and handed out Etch A Sketches to reporters.
"The point is that clearly the Romney camp acknowledged what we've all been afraid of is that if he were to make it through the primary he would abandon his conservative principles and go right back to the middle," she said, pointing to Romney's relatively moderate record as Massachusetts governor. "That's absolutely the last thing that we need as conservatives."
The Santorum team isn't alone in mocking Romney over the comment. Newt Gingrich brought an Etch A Sketch to a campaign event, where he gave it to a toddler and said that with it, the child could be a presidential candidate too. He also tweeted that "Etch-A-Sketch is a great toy but a losing strategy. We need a nominee w/bold conservative solutions."
Democratic consultant Matt Ortega, meanwhile, went up with a website, etchasketchmittromney.com, featuring what are presented as Romney's contradictory statements on an Etch A Sketch screen. And on Twitter, Romney's critics asked what other toys might describe the former Massachusetts governor using the hashtag #RomneyToys. (A few samples: "Hungry, Hungry Corporations," "Backtrackgammon," "My Little Phony.")
The gaffe blunted a bit of positive news for Romney Wednesday: His endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Romney responded to questions about the criticism late Wednesday afternoon by saying that his campaign "takes on a different profile," if he gets the nomination, but his positions won't change.
"I can tell you this: When the campaign moves to becoming a general election campaign, the nature of the campaign itself in terms of staff, funding, the states we would go to will be different than today, obviously," he said, adding that the campaign becomes "much larger" and involves working with the Republican National Committee.
"The issues I'm running on will be exactly the same," Romney added, saying he "was a conservative Republican governor" and is "running as a conservative Republican."
Meanwhile, the company behind the Etch a Sketch, Ohio Art Company, says it is thrilled with all the attention. The company put out a statement in which it said that it is "Happy to see Etch A Sketch, an American classic toy, is DRAWING attention with political candidates as a cultural icon and important piece of our society."
It goes on: "A profound toy, highly recognized and loved by all, is now SHAKING up the national debate. Nothing is as quintessentially American as Etch A Sketch and a good old fashion political debate. We are pleased with the added attention being drawn to Etch A Sketch which is truly one of the most recognizable, iconic and fun toys ever developed. As one of the most classic toys of all time, Etch A Sketch has always sold particularly well with today's consumer. It is too early to tell, but we are hopeful to see if there is an uptake in sales given this recent exposure."
At our 25th college reunion in 2003, Grover Norquist — the brain and able spokesman for the radical right — and I, along with other classmates who had been in public or political life, participated in a lively panel discussion about politics. During his presentation, Norquist explained why he believed that there would be a permanent Republican majority in America.
One person interrupted, as I recall, and said, “C’mon, Grover, surely one day a Democrat will win the White House.”
Norquist immediately replied: “We will make it so that a Democrat cannot govern as a Democrat.”
In a way, Republicans have accomplished that. This spring, in an effort to reduce the deficit, a Democratic president proposed to cut $2 trillion in spending, much of it from domestic programs Democrats have long championed. Last week, Republican leaders withdrew from talks with the vice president on a bipartisan plan to reduce the deficit because, as another part of the solution and like every bipartisan budget deal for decades, the president proposed to raise revenue. Specifically, he proposed to raise $1 in new revenue (through closing loopholes or ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans) for every $2 in spending cuts. In response to that modest proposal, Republican leaders walked out.
It is now clear that the Republican strategy is to drive America to the brink of fiscal ruin and then argue that the only way out is to cut spending for the powerless. Taxes — a dirty word thanks to Norquist’s “no new taxes” gimmick — are made to seem beyond the pale, even as the burden of paying for our society shifts disproportionately to the middle class and working poor. It is the height of fiscal folly. It is also not who we are as a country.
For nearly a decade, our federal government paid for two wars and a costly prescription drug benefit with borrowed money. Our government paid for the Bush tax cuts with borrowed money. Now, after exhausting the budget surplus left by the Clinton administration, the only spending Republicans are willing to discuss cutting is spending that helps the poor and vulnerable — meaning anything that does not touch the interests of large corporations and the very rich. Last December, Republican hard-liners held hostage benefits for people out of work in exchange for an agreement to extend the Bush tax cuts for those who make a million dollars or more a year. Last month, many of the same lawmakers rallied to protect special tax benefits for oil companies that have made record profits on high gas prices.
Meanwhile, some mom-and-pop stores and college students pay more in taxes than some of our largest corporations. Still, taxes are sin to the hard-liners, though they have difficulty demonstrating a correlation over the past decade between tax cuts and economic growth.
Everyone knows that we have to reduce the deficit. Everyone also knows that reducing government spending and addressing revenue shortfalls have to be a part of the plan. This isn’t partisan; it’s pragmatic. Some might even call it conservative. But Norquist and the rest of the radical right have so hypnotized the Republican leadership that they can’t come out and say it. For them, maintaining their rhetoric about spending cuts is more important than preserving the civic investments that make America stand out from the rest of the world.
That political calculus has consequences for the rest of us.
If the deficit is reduced by spending cuts alone and there is no deal to raise the debt ceiling, here’s a sampling of what happens: We stop paying our soldiers or supporting our veterans. We stop feeding the neediest children and families. We stop providing nursing-home care to seniors. We stop inoculating schoolchildren. We stop helping young people go to college. The unemployed are on their own. Roads and bridges continue to crumble. And we jeopardize the creditworthiness of our economy at one of the most fragile moments in history. All to protect the marginal benefits of the most fortunate and the political purity of the radical right.
I remember sitting in the Dunster House dining hall at Harvard with Norquist when we were sophomores or juniors in college, while he explained his view of government, or lack thereof. It sounded logical — the notion that we could live independently of each other, making our own decisions in our own self-interest. But then who puts out the fires? Who answers the calls to 911? Who educates poor children? Who helps people with disabilities?
I’d like to think that the most prosperous nation in human history can have both freedom and security. I think we have reached a point where my personal success is not threatened by a program to help our parents retire with dignity. Voters are smart enough to see that taxes are one of the ways we get those things. They are the price we pay for civilization.
Joe Biden. Michele Bachmann. Tim Pawlenty. Donald Trump.
Many of President Obama’s friends and foes alike got shellacked — as expected — on Saturday night when Mr. Obama took to the stage at the gussied-up White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. But none so much as Mr. Trump, reality television star, birther and Republican presidential aspirant.
As a hair-gelled, grimly unsmiling Mr. Trump sat at a nearby table — a guest of the Washington Post — Mr. Obama ripped one punch after another at the real estate tycoon.
“Donald Trump is here tonight,” the comedian in chief said, grinning. “Now, I know that he’s taken some flak lately, but no one is prouder to put this birth certificate to rest than The Donald. Now he can get to focusing on the issues that matter. Like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened at Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”
It was almost painful to watch, the juxtaposition of the president, flexing his new post-birther comedy chops, and the real estate mogul-cum-politician, grimacing at his table as Mr. Obama basked in his post-long-form-birth-certificate glow.
“All kidding aside, we all know about your credentials and experience,” Mr. Obama said, as people in the room either chortled or grimaced nervously, all depending on their proximity to Mr. Trump.
In “Celebrity Apprentice,” Mr. Obama told Mr. Trump, teeth flashing, “the men’s cooking team did not impress the judges from Omaha steaks, but you recognized that this was a lack of leadership, so you fired Gary Busey.”
“These,” Mr. Obama said, “are the kinds of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well-handled, sir. Well-handled.”
The birther issue gave Mr. Obama lots of fodder for the evening, including a video of his birth, which he mentioned before cutting to a clip from “The Lion King.”
But in the end, it was Mr. Trump who served as the punching bag for the evening. As it turned out, Mr. Obama’s swipes were just the warm-up act for Seth Meyers, the headliner for the evening, who spent most of his routine going after Mr. Trump, who sat at the Washington Post table, grimacing.
“Good luck trying to get through that crowd to the stage.”
Those were the first words I heard within 15 minutes of joining the large crowd that flocked to the National Mall Saturday for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear hosted by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
To say that you couldn’t see the stage, or even hear it, wouldn’t be an exaggeration— many had to climb a tree (literally) to even catch a glimpse of the one jumbo TV screen.
“We did the march-of-the-penguins walk in the crowd for about an hour,” Georgetown University student Anam Raheem told me. “But it was too crowded; we had to turn back.”
Thousands of rally goers brought signs and costumes in support of politically hot-button issues.
“I came to meet some people,” said Mark Feeney, a resident of Buffalo, New York who sported a green outfit with a sign that displayed the benefits of marijuana. “But we have to be smart, not stupid. If we legalize pot, we’ll create more revenue and jobs.”
Although Proposition 19, which would legalize recreational marijuana in California, was one of the more common issues seen on signs, other topics were equally supported, such as abortion, equality for gays, space travel, and most vehemently, backlash against the Tea Party movement.
“I came to have fun,” Pennsylvania resident Eric Hafner said, “But we need to also show people that extremism is really overblown.”
Tea Party candidate Christine O’Donnell was most widely targeted, with many rally goers dressed as witches or giant tea bags, holding signs that read, “Tea Party rallies need more tea.”
Despite both Stewart and Colbert’s appeal to a younger generation, there was an eclectic age range of rally goers, including marijuana-supporting seniors.
“We love both the ‘Daily Show’ and ‘The Colbert Report,'” said Diane Gatley who is 61. “Back to sanity for us. They’re truthy.”
Although the stage and entertainment was unseeable for at least half the rally goers there, there was a sense of community support that’s hard to find on a daily basis.
As one rally goer attempted to scale a tree for a better view of the stage, the crowd chanted, “Yes, you can!"
Assisted by a colorful cast of characters, Comedy Central funnymen Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a raucous rally on the National Mall Saturday in typical fashion before a cheering throng of supporters.
Amidst all the hilarity, however, the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" carried a message about Americans turning their backs on hate and working together to make the world a better place.
Stewart and Colbert staged a mock battle, with Stewart supporting peace and sanity and Colbert promoting fear before a crowd that stretched nearly the length of the mall, most of the distance between the Capitol and the Washington Monument.
During the rally's opening, Colbert appeared on a video screen, saying he was trapped in his "fear bunker" and worried no one had shown up. Drawn by cheers, however, Colbert ascended to the stage in a device like that used to bring up the trapped Chilean miners earlier this month, wearing a superhero costume.
Former "Saturday Night Live" character Father Guido Sarducci -- played by comedian Don Novello -- provided a benediction, thanking God for "making it so easy to find parking spaces." And actor Sam Waterston of "Law and Order" fame read a poem entitled "Are You Sure?" about fears including "funnel clouds and hail/Anthrax in the mail ... someone's robbing your house/I can see through your blouse/Your mother was right, you chose the wrong spouse."
Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, sang his song "Peace Train" as part of a duel with Ozzy Osbourne singing "Crazy Train." Stewart stopped Osbourne, rooting for Islam, as Colbert urged Osbourne on. The two compromised on the O'Jays, who showed up to sing their hit "Love Train."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and "Star Wars" robot R2-D2 showed up to provide a lesson in tolerance and against stereotyping. "We're all on the same team," said Abdul-Jabbar, referencing Colbert and Stewart's discussion about Muslims.
There were some serious notes struck during the event, however. Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow performed a musical number about changing the world, including the lyrics, "The least that I can do is care."
And as the rally drew to a close, Stewart spoke about resisting fearmongering and working together, saying most Americans don't live their lives solely as Republicans or Democrats, but as "people who are just a little bit late for something they have to do, often something they do not want to do. But they do it."
Some may paint the nation as fragile and torn by hate, he said, "but the truth is ... we work together to get things done every damn day."
"There will always be darkness, and sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the promised land," Stewart said. "Sometimes it's just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together."
Stewart awarded his "Medals of Reasonableness" to recipients including Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga, who lost a perfect game in June when an umpire mistakenly called what would have been the last batter safe at first base despite the fact replays showed he was clearly out. Galarraga, who lives in Venezuela, accepted via videotape, telling the audience the umpire is "a good man."
Another recipient was Velma Hart, chief financial officer for AMVETS, who challenged President Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in September; and comedian and wrestler Mick Foley; and Jacob Isom. A video of Isom telling how he swiped a kerosene-soaked Quran from would-be burners, telling them, "Dude, you have no Quran," went viral, and was set to a dance mix.
Colbert's "Medals of Fear" went to recipients including a 7-year-old girl who he said had more courage than the media organizations who did not send representatives to cover the rally out of fear they would appear biased, as well as to "Anderson Cooper's tight black T-shirt." Colbert said that when CNN's Cooper "shows up on your front yard, you know something terrible has happened in your community." A small black T-shirt was brought on stage on a hanger, and the medal hung on it.
Stewart and Colbert announced the rally in September, less than three weeks after conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck hosted a much-publicized "Restoring Honor" rally on the National Mall, urging large crowds to "turn back to God" and return America to the values on which it was founded.
Assisted by a colorful cast of characters, Comedy Central funnymen Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a raucous rally on the National Mall Saturday in typical fashion before a cheering throng of supporters.
Amidst all the hilarity, however, the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" carried a message about Americans turning their backs on hate and working together to make the world a better place.
Stewart and Colbert staged a mock battle, with Stewart supporting peace and sanity and Colbert promoting fear before a crowd that stretched nearly the length of the mall, most of the distance between the Capitol and the Washington Monument.
During the rally's opening, Colbert appeared on a video screen, saying he was trapped in his "fear bunker" and worried no one had shown up. Drawn by cheers, however, Colbert ascended to the stage in a device like that used to bring up the trapped Chilean miners earlier this month, wearing a superhero costume.
Former "Saturday Night Live" character Father Guido Sarducci -- played by comedian Don Novello -- provided a benediction, thanking God for "making it so easy to find parking spaces." And actor Sam Waterston of "Law and Order" fame read a poem entitled "Are You Sure?" about fears including "funnel clouds and hail/Anthrax in the mail ... someone's robbing your house/I can see through your blouse/Your mother was right, you chose the wrong spouse."
Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, sang his song "Peace Train" as part of a duel with Ozzy Osbourne singing "Crazy Train." Stewart stopped Osbourne, rooting for Islam, as Colbert urged Osbourne on. The two compromised on the O'Jays, who showed up to sing their hit "Love Train."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and "Star Wars" robot R2-D2 showed up to provide a lesson in tolerance and against stereotyping. "We're all on the same team," said Abdul-Jabbar, referencing Colbert and Stewart's discussion about Muslims.
There were some serious notes struck during the event, however. Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow performed a musical number about changing the world, including the lyrics, "The least that I can do is care."
And as the rally drew to a close, Stewart spoke about resisting fearmongering and working together, saying most Americans don't live their lives solely as Republicans or Democrats, but as "people who are just a little bit late for something they have to do, often something they do not want to do. But they do it."
Some may paint the nation as fragile and torn by hate, he said, "but the truth is ... we work together to get things done every damn day."
"There will always be darkness, and sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the promised land," Stewart said. "Sometimes it's just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together."
Stewart awarded his "Medals of Reasonableness" to recipients including Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga, who lost a perfect game in June when an umpire mistakenly called what would have been the last batter safe at first base despite the fact replays showed he was clearly out. Galarraga, who lives in Venezuela, accepted via videotape, telling the audience the umpire is "a good man."
Another recipient was Velma Hart, chief financial officer for AMVETS, who challenged President Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in September; and comedian and wrestler Mick Foley; and Jacob Isom. A video of Isom telling how he swiped a kerosene-soaked Quran from would-be burners, telling them, "Dude, you have no Quran," went viral, and was set to a dance mix.
Colbert's "Medals of Fear" went to recipients including a 7-year-old girl who he said had more courage than the media organizations who did not send representatives to cover the rally out of fear they would appear biased, as well as to "Anderson Cooper's tight black T-shirt." Colbert said that when CNN's Cooper "shows up on your front yard, you know something terrible has happened in your community." A small black T-shirt was brought on stage on a hanger, and the medal hung on it.
Stewart and Colbert announced the rally in September, less than three weeks after conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck hosted a much-publicized "Restoring Honor" rally on the National Mall, urging large crowds to "turn back to God" and return America to the values on which it was founded.
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NOTE TO ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS & PUBLIC FIGURES:
Per the Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case: 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan………
The Public has a Right to Criticize the People who Govern them, so the least Protection from Defamation is given to Public Officials. When officials are accused of something that involves their behavior in office, they have to prove all of the above elements of defamation and they must also prove that the defendant acted with “actual malice.” (For a definition of actual malice, see the “History of Defamation and the First Amendment, below.”)
People who aren’t Elected but who are Still Public Figures because they are influential or famous — like Actors, Actresses, Movie Stars, Singers & Entertainers, Journalists, TV Hosts, Bloggers, etc., — also have to Prove that Defamatory statements were made with Actual Malice, in most cases.
To the Associated Press and other Media Organizations:
When I use your Content Links., I’m also citing the Fair Use Doctrine (Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107) for further Copyright permission.
Posts and Links published on Black Political Buzz are not endorsed by Black Political Buzz Blog Author Laurel’s Employer, nor the Employers of other Black Political Buzz employees.
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Comments, Links and Opinions of site visitors are Independently-Owned and not endorsed by Black Political Buzz employees, Blog Author Laurel or Laurel’s Employer.)
(No Personal Offense intended) Please know that Black Political Buzz is not responsible for nor do I endorse Requests for Donations from Third Parties on this Blog.
I will Only Endorse Requests for Donations made on behalf of BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog for Business Purposes & Operating Expenses.
I will also Only Endorse Requests for Donations on behalf of Legitimate Politicians and Legitimate Political Candidates. PERIOD!!
If anyone else or another Organization wishes to post a link to Request Donations, I am NOT endorsing ANY of those Requests!
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God Bless
Laurel @BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ
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