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Stephen Colbert was the entertainment at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner over the weekend, and he took the opportunity to speak truth to power in a most breathtaking way. George W. Bush was sitting just a few feet away, and he heard some things that if he’s intelligent enough to understand them should give him pause. But they won’t of course – that dangerously shallow man seems incapable of recognizing the damage he’s done to the countrym the human race, and the planet. Colbert also took aim at the lapdog press, many of whom must also have done some squirming. And rightly so. There’s a web site called “Thank You, Stephen Colbert” where you’ll find links to video of the event, plus some news coverage (although most of the mainstream media reports didn’t even mention Colbert!), and a place to sign in and thank Colbert for that he did. By all means, watch the presentation. Update: “Colbert Rips the President a New One.” An excerpt:

As he walked from the podium the president and First Lady gave Colbert quick nods, unsmiling, and left. E&P’s Joe Strupp, in the crowd, observed that quite a few felt the material was, perhaps, uncomfortably biting.

Wasn’t it last year at the White House Correspondent’s dinner where the President did a HI-LARIOUS bit with some fake home movies showing him looking for those darned elusive WMD’s? And they weren’t there! It was a laff riot! I was laughing all the way to the 2300 odd military funerals!! Giggling as I donted money to help pay for over 10,000 wounded Americans!! Stop me before I piss myself with glee. But Colbert’s bit, that was OUT OF LINE, mister!!

[…]

The President was upset? Good. I hope the President was sleepless with rage. At least then he’d know how most of us have been spending every night for the last three years.

Update: Salon has an analysis that’s worth reading. An excerpt:

Then he turned to the president of the United States, who sat tight-lipped just a few feet away. “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.”

It was Colbert’s crowning moment. His imitation of the quintessential GOP talking head — Bill O’Reilly meets Scott McClellan — uncovered the inner workings of the ever-cheapening discourse that passes for political debate. He reversed and flattened the meaning of the words he spoke. It’s a tactic that the cultural critic Greil Marcus once called the “critical negation that would make it self-evident to everyone that the world is not as it seems.” Colbert’s jokes attacked not just Bush’s policies, but the whole drama and language of American politics, the phony demonstration of strength, unity and vision….”

Media Matters has more.

There’s a new book, titled Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly, based on the web site of the same name. These paragraphs cribbed from amazon:

From Booklist
The title says it all. There’s definitely no love lost between O’Reilly, host of the FOX Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor, and Amann and Breuer, founders of a Web site for which this book was named. Fashioned as an intervention to prevent O’Reilly from being any more outraged and outrageous than he already is, Amann and Breuer explore the myriad ways that O’Reilly attacks liberals but denies his conservatism, and disregards civil liberties and the simple truth. O’Reilly’s claim of “no-spin” objectivity is the primary target, as the authors cite numerous excerpts from transcripts of O’Reilly’s show to demonstrate his constant spin, contradiction, and misstatement. “The problem with simply calling Bill a liar is that one has to be aware of one’s lies for them to really be considered lies. We’re not sure Bill qualifies.” The charity ends there as the authors take O’Reilly to task for his sexual appetite (he settled a lawsuit by an associate producer who charged him with sexual harassment), his egomania (he makes constant references to his earnings, his ratings, his book sales versus those of his favorite targets, Al Franken and Hillary Clinton), and his outrageous statements (the nation’s poor should take a lesson from Hurricane Katrina and avoid poverty). Fans of O’Reilly will not be amused, but all other readers will find the book hilarious, though some may find the language occasionally offensive. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Bill O’Reilly is a man who believes he is a voice of reason. He calls for boycotting Canada, says Adolf Hitler would have been a card-carrying member of the ACLU, and thinks Hurricane Katrina victims seen carrying televisions should be shot on sight.
Amann and Breuer – the creators of the hugely popular website www.sweetjesusihatebilloreilly.com — take a close look at O’Reilly’s own assertions and arguments — taken from his TV and radio shows, books and columns — to expose him for what he is: a self-righteous boob and a sham newsman. The ongoing themes explored in Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly are that O’Reilly is a bit crazy, not all that sharp and, as the authors put it, about “as self-aware as a legume.” The result is a hilariously funny book, a great read for anyone who enjoys seeing a puffed-up blowhard taken down a notch or two — whether they’re an O’Reilly hater, fan, or something in between.