Think Progress

Desperate for Supporters, DeLay Turns to Stephen Colbert

By Nico on May 24th, 2006 at 3:51 pm

Desperate for Supporters, DeLay Turns to Stephen Colbert»

A good sign that Tom DeLay doesn’t have the facts on his side: the top source for his latest defense against his critics is Stephen Colbert.

This morning, DeLay’s legal defense fund sent out a mass email criticizing the movie “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress,” by “Outfoxed” creator Robert Greenwald.

The email features a “one-pager on the truth behind Liberal Hollywood’s the Big Buy,” and the lead item is Colbert’s interview with Greenwald on Comedy Central (where Colbert plays a faux-conservative, O’Reilly-esque character). The headline of the “fact sheet”:

DeLay thinks Colbert is so persuasive, he’s now featuring the full video of the interview at the top of the legal fund’s website. And why not? According to the email, Greenwald “crashed and burned” under the pressure of Colbert’s hard-hitting questions, like “Who hates America more, you or Michael Moore?”

Apparently the people at DeLay’s legal fund think that Colbert is actually a conservative. Or maybe they’re just that desperate for supporters.

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376 Responses to “Desperate for Supporters, DeLay Turns to Stephen Colbert”


  1. bumblebums Says:

    Oh man, that’s just priceless.

    What idiots! Ha ha.


  2. SL Aronovitz Says:

    After Colbert’s performance at the press dinner, one would think that the conservatives would know better than to invite him anywhere or quote him on the issues. I am beginning to think that satire simply doesn’t register with the Neocons.

    They don’t get it. Talk about obtuse!


  3. dlet Says:

    Insane. That kind of irony can not be written. It takes a “special” kind of idiot to do that. Thanks Mr. Delay.


  4. Krazny Says:

    ROFL

    I guess they either don’t get satire, or think that colbert is right on. Either way too funny.


  5. venusloon Says:

    Is this a priceless moment of stupidity or a desperate straw grab? The sadist in me hopes its both.

    Question is, if a Colbert falls in the DeLay forest, does the media now hear it?


  6. Jason Says:

    Shhh…. we need them to keep thinking Colbert is who they think he is.


  7. Badmoodman Says:

    Can’t…….breathe……gasping…….for……air…….laughing…….
    TOOOO…………hard!!!!


  8. unbelievable Says:

    Can’t wait to see how Stephen will play this up on Monday’s show…


  9. Gryn Says:

    Just an FYI, naricissists don’t understand when they are being satirized. It’s a part of their cognitive defect (lack of empathy).

    It’s fun to play with once you figure it out.


  10. Badmoodman Says:

    Delay being clued in about Colbert: “He ain’t one of us? Sheeee-iiit, now that’s an inconvenient truth!”


  11. bumblebums Says:

    Forget sending email to BPerry@defenddelay.com.

    Brent Perry, “Trust Administrator” at the Defend Delay site must have a different email address, because this one bounced my derisive little message.


  12. Gerald Gibson Says:

    They believe he is a conservative. Since Colberts little show infront of Bush I have talked to people about him… I think lots of conservatives think he is serious about his outlandish remarks because they hear that same stuff on fox and Rush radio…


  13. Badmoodman Says:

    #10: Can’t wait to see how Stephen will play this up on Monday’s show… Colbert’s on hiatus for two weeks. Although if you’re so inclined, you can catch up to him at tiny Knox College in Galesburg, IL on June 3. He’s giving the commencement speech.


  14. Rob Says:

    Are you sure this isn’t a mock site, put up by the “Yes Men” or some similar group?

    If it is real, it’s hilarious how stupid they are.


  15. DieNowForPeace Says:

    Ironic that the best reporting of REAL news accuracy is on Comedy Central?


  16. Hardy Haberman Says:

    Remember conservatives are literalists, they don’t get irony. You have to be direct. Instead of saying “Who hates America more, you or Michael Moore?” they would have understood it if Colbert had just said, “so you really are going to nail Delay to a tree aren’t you?”

    That they might have understood, exceot for the nail thing, that’s too obscure.


  17. dlet Says:

    The only one that will defend Delay is a fake newsanchor. that is why they have this up on their site. They have no other choice.


  18. David Says:

    Wow; are folks really this stupid?


  19. hadenough Says:

    That’s how dumb delay thinks his followers are. I’d bet he is right.


  20. jurassicpork Says:

    OMFG, is Colbert gonna have a field day with this. Are the GOP really that out of touch with irony and satire?

    Anyway, Mo Do’s latest, “Enter Ozone Woman”, is up, in case you missed the morning link.


  21. Tug Says:

    Now, don’t the Tom deLay people realize that the Colbert people will be all over this story.

    Stephen (aka Ted Hitler) - if you are reading this, please mock the hell out of these idiots for such flattery of your interview.

    And when you speak of us, speak well.


  22. Arne Langsetmo Says:

    They’re clever, those DeLay people. They figure they have two weeks free ride on this one before Colbert comes back from vacation, and gives DeLay the same smackdown he gave Dubya at the WHPC dinner….

    Cheers,


  23. Joe Pratt Says:

    Unbelievable!!! These must be the same people who invited him to speak at the WH Press Corp dinner. It is a real shame when people don’t get satire ’cause they miss out on so much hilarity that the thnikers among us really enjoy.


  24. Matt Carlson Says:

    Let us now weep over the slow-rotting corpse of satire in the 21st century…

    It’s not just about Delay here. It’s this really insane loop of cognitive disconnect between Colbert, Delay, and Delay’s followers. Because Delay is figuring his followers don’t understand satire either… My mind is reeling.


  25. W. Kiernan Says:

    Perhaps they should nominate Colbert as the Republican Presidential candidate in 2008! He’s got great name-recognition with the public, and evidently he says the kind of things Republicans like to hear.


  26. Spudge_Boy Says:

    This fits right in. Think about how great Bush thought the guy making fun of him was.


  27. Krazny Says:

    More to the point, I think that Delay’s people are thinking that those who still support delay, probably don’t watch the Daily Show, or The Colbert Report.


  28. Albert Says:

    The sad thing is that traditional media news organizations don’t get that it’s satire either.


  29. Paige Says:

    I completely LAUGHED OUT LOUD when I read this. How embarrassing that Tom doesn’t know that Colbert is being outrageously sarcastic while doing his O’Reilly-type obnoxious character on his show.

    VERY, VERY FUNNY! Thanks for the laugh Hot-Tub Tom!!


  30. The Gvlshornbook :: Joke of hte Day :: May :: 2006 Says:

    […] Joke of hte Day Filed under: See Listers, Rumour’s Gin Mill Think Progress » Desperate for Supporters, DeLay Turns to Stephen Colbert A good sign that Tom DeLay doesn’t have the facts on his side: the top source for his latest defense against his critics is Stephen Colbert. This morning, DeLay’s legal defense fund sent out a mass email criticizing the movie “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress,” by “Outfoxed” creator Robert Greenwald. […]


  31. Almost Boiled Frog Says:

    Has anyone else noticed the way Colbert coopts the applause for the guest after introducing him/her? The man is a very professional comedian, to be sure.

    I find it difficult to accept, however, that the people responsible for placing the link on the Defense Fund’s website could be so obtuse as to think Colbert is doing anything but mocking the conservative movement in general and DeLay in particular. They must be either totally humorless or grossly incompetent. Come to think of it, though, the two are not mutually exclusive.

    Is it possible the site was hacked?


  32. jimblog Says:

    I can’t believe it. This is the funniest thing I’ve heard of in a long time. Clue-less! HAHAHA! LMAO


  33. For Truth Says:

    WTF?


  34. For Truth Says:

    I bet the video will be off the site shortly, thus admitting how stupid they are.


  35. pudge Says:

    This isn’t really that funny. The fact is, there are some holes in what Greenwald says, and Colbert exposed a few of them. Yes, the interview was a joke, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn from it. Example: Greenwald’s analysis of the redistricting is extremely tortured: calling something that is perfectly legal — though I myself find it distasteful — “illegitimate”?

    And worse is that Greenwald asserts DeLay broke the law, but doesn’t actually provide any evidence (here, or in the movie).

    I think DeLay very possibly did break the law. It’s not as likely that he did as it is that Ken Lay did, or that Barry Bonds used steroids, but the likelihood is up there. But Greenwald is, by overstating his case, a poor spokesman for the case against DeLay. But then again, so is Ronnie Earl, who actually got an indictment against DeLay for something that was not a crime until *after* DeLay did it (an indictment which was thrown out).

    With enemies like these, who needs friends?


  36. Scarybug Says:

    Ummm. It could be possible that http://www.defenddelay.com is not actually affiliated with Tom Delay? It could be like gwbush.org or gatt.org. A parody website.

    Not that I’d be surprised. The anti-harry-potter crowd forwarded an onion article as proof that Harry Potter was evil a few years ago.


  37. Dan Says:

    DELAY….Dumb or dumbest?

    I will mark you down for dumbest


  38. Tom Betz Says:

    I’m suspicious of this e-mail, that it may have been forged by a prankster.

    My suspicion is bolstered by the fact that the Colbert video is not to be found on the DefendDelay web site.

    Does anyone have the full plaintext headers of an example of it? I’d like to see the details that point to its source, especially to compare its headers with a prior e-mail from DefendDelay.


  39. moerex Says:

    If I recall correctly, that was the interview that put my wife off Colbert. Because, satire or not, sometimes you just cannot tell the difference between him and any other Faux News attack dog, who–let’s be frank here–often seemed to be gruesome parodies long before Colbert came along (witness all the goofball things that ol’ “papa bear” O’Reilly is always saying, for example). Anyone with half a brain should be able to see through Colbert–but then again, they should be able to see through Hannity, O’Reilly, Limbaugh, and countless other hacks as well. And they don’t. So maybe De Lay is getting the last laugh here.


  40. Scarybug Says:

    Tom- the interview IS on http://www.defenddelay.com. What do you mean?



  41. BlueIsland Says:

    It’s true, it’s true, it’s true…
    If you search the freepers’ blogs, you will find comments about how cool Colbert is, and some dumber response comments voicing slight suspicion that he may be riffing…they are sooooooo stupid!


  42. Jim Says:

    On the other hand, this means that Delay probably would have agreed to be interviewed by Colbert (before all of this was explained to him). Rats. I would have paid to see that.


  43. Vaughn D. Taylor Says:

    “My suspicion is bolstered by the fact that the Colbert video is not to be found on the DefendDelay web site.”

    Tom: Yes it is you idiot. I just watched it. Then I sent a message to the email address listed on the contact page (BPerry@defenddelay.com) but it was kicked back with a permanent error.


  44. Thom Says:

    Holy crap. I hate you for making me feel sorry for them. Goodlordajesus, what the hell happened to these people?


  45. /eritas Says:

    True, this is an indication that they are desparate for supporters, but not because they actually count Colbert among them. They are scraping of the bottom of the barrel here, appealing to knee-jerk right-wingers who can’t tell when their blind allegiance has gone so over the top that their views are being mocked. You know, the kind who hear someone say “Republicans won the elections so they can do whatever they want” and thinks “exactly!” Sure, this is (hopefully) a small group, but Delay isn’t trying to win elections, he just needs a few suckers to pay his legal bills for him.


  46. unbelievable Says:

    If you search the freepers’ blogs, you will find comments about how cool Colbert is,
    Comment by BlueIsland — May 24, 2006 @ 5:02 pm

    Seriously? Then I gave them too much credit earlier thinking the White House Press Speech was even transparent enough for them.

    Dare we burst their little bubble of delusion? You know - to make a point about all tehir other little bubbles of delusion? Maybe kick start some brain cells and perhaps save our country?


  47. e p o n y m o u s Says:

    […] h/t: Think Progress. No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> […]


  48. Nineteen Kilo Says:

    Breathing their own farts for too long.

    This is proof that they are not conspiring to muddy the public discourse. They truly believe all the BS their noise machine spews.


  49. Bushit Says:

    stomach…..hurts…..laughing……too……..hard…….gotta…….resist!!!!


  50. philip witak Says:

    delay is a dolt.


  51. NewNameAcquired Says:

    What Republicans usually believe, are all jokes. What Colbert does on his show, are all jokes. Thus, Republicans believe in what Colbert is saying.

    I completely agree with #45, Blue Island. Colbert says the same things the Fox News anchors say, a lot of the times Colbert just plays clips from Fox News and furthers the message with sarcasam. But Republicans don’t see it as sarcastic. Because the sarcasam he says is something the Republicans want to beleive, or already believe.

    What does it matter if the show comes off as funny or not? What does it matter if Cobert the actor, beleives what his character is saying? It DOESN’T matter if he beleives what his character says. As long as what he is saying is being broadcast, the Republican talking points and views are getting out there.

    So it gives Liberals something to laugh at. And Republicans something to cheer. The only reason Liberals can not tune to Fox news and laugh, is because they know that the Fox News anchors are taking it SERIOUSLY - and that is frightening. But as soon as we tune into something which doesn’t really beleive what it’s saying… then we can relax, and laugh.

    But either way, the Republicans are getting to hear what they want to hear.


  52. Soonerthought Says:

    Oh that is rich. Too hilarious. Idiots.


  53. Azheat Says:

    These supporters of DeLouse are stupid. Why else would they be still supporting a crook. I mean come on. The Kool Aid drinkers can not discern what is comedy and what is reality. You must admit, Comedy Central certainly has better (and more accruate) news than Fox, if not CNN and of course MSNBC. Now there is a scary thought. Oh that we would be so lucky to have Colbert interview Tom “the Crook” Delouse. The man is an insult to one’s intelligence when you just listen to him. I think the bug poison got to him and permanetly made his hair brown and raised his IQ to 29.


  54. John Says:

    I’ve been saying this for quite a while,that many on the right think Colbert is equal time from Comedy Central in response to The Daily Show. They just can not fathom anything that is not black and white.
    I think this proves that when you are so hellbent and tied in knots focusing on getting your way, much of reality,and all shades of grey, just slip by. A wacky bunch of mother F’ers they are.


  55. Copernicus Says:

    #38. Republicans live in an echo chamber. Progressives should not. If Greenwald can’t answer Colbert’s questions, he shouldn’t put himself forward as a spokesman, or he should work harder to have the answers.


  56. philip witak Says:

    20. Wow; are folks really this stupid?
    Comment by David — May 24, 2006 @ 4:15 pm

    folks? no. the brain-dead backwash? absolutely.


  57. j swift Says:

    The Right, while aware of satire, and having only an autistic understanding of it, do not comprehend it even when used on them. Thus it appears to them to be gibberish but gibberish that soothes them and helps them to maintain their feelings of superiority. I suspect some truly understand satire but play the ignoramus to spare their fellows embarassment.

    Please note that, taken as a whole, the Right is not evil and fortunately they do not throw their own excrement.


  58. zonk Says:

    More than any idiocy in the Delay camp —

    I think this sort of shows exactly how nutso the wurlitzer crowd is.

    Not to take anything away from Colbert - but there are honest-to-God times I could just read Limbaugh/Savage/whomever transcripts and get the same sort of guffaws…. well - I mean, I could if I could make it through an entire transcript without laughing myself.


  59. Thom Says:

    http://www.dailykos.com/ comments/ 2006/ 1/ 5/ 135743/ 5394/ 36#c36

    That’s a link to a January diary on DKos that links to the web site. So is it fake? I doubt it.


  60. Bill Says:

    One would think that by now somebody would have alearted them. Could they all really be so dumb ?
    Next I would like to see Ali-G interview Delay.


  61. blogenfreude Says:

    What part of “clueless” don’t you understand?


  62. grokgov Says:

    Now, more than ever.

    Thank you Stephen.

    http://thankyoustephencolbert.org


  63. m Says:

    None of the above matters. The goal of political fund raisers is making money. Period. They don’t care about who thinks what. And Delay will achieve the goal of making money from this, no matter what the viewers/readers/supporters/non-supporters think is going on. So laugh all we like, he is not stupid, and he will make money.


  64. JillK. Says:

    David #20,

    Yes. Yes they are.


  65. sa rose Says:

    Stephen Colbert supposedly told his kids that he’s “professionally ridiculous.” Ridiculous like a fox!

    Colbert in ‘08


  66. Bill Says:

    Maybe they are gearing up for not guilty by mental deficiency defense. They really have no clue as to what is real. It’s not just a simple case of not having a sense of humor. How does one get through life being so stupid ?


  67. dogmasponge Says:

    They know steve is out for two weeks so they can pretent to have support. They will just do what they always do rpeat lies until it is TRUTH.


  68. ironranger Says:

    Truly bizarre. I can only think that they consider delay’s supporters to be that gullible. It just shows the true contempt they have for 29 percenters and for the rest of us too.


  69. beavercleaver Says:

    “I know Stephen Colbert…senator, you’re no Stephen Colbert.”



  70. trueblue Says:

    Colbert in ‘08
    Comment by sa rose

    Now wouldn’t THAT be something… Colbert runs on the Republican ticket!
    The maroons’ (think bugs bunny) would vote for him, and we’d vote for him!

    Now that would be sweet justice!


  71. Lynne Says:

    Sounds to me like Delay is betting that his followers don’t watch Comedy Central or know who Steven Colbert is or what his show is all about. They are hoping that they will take his words at face value.


  72. Bring it On! » Blog Archive » Delay Hacked? Says:

    […] Over at Think Progress they posted a link to Tom Delay’s defense fund, and they are laughing at the fact that someone posted a video of a Stephen Colbert interview of Movie creator Robert Greenwald promoting his latest movie. The deal is that his latest movie is called: “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress.” My guess is that someone hacked Tom Delay’s web page, and the interview will soon be gone. So, for those interested I uploaded the audio so everyone can listen. And, if by chance Tom Delay or his crew actually meant for this to be up there… well lets not go there. […]


  73. For Truth Says:

    The “Wurlitzer Crowd”, thats funny.


  74. Jules Says:

    Didn’t these idiots they are trying to reach watch the WH correspondents dinner? They way they trolled around think progress the following monday I assuned they did. That’s what I get for assuming a republican would speak about a subject matter they know nothing about!!!


  75. powkat Says:

    Did they not notice the Comedy Central logo in the corner?


  76. Shell5960v Says:

    OMG! Too funny! A blast from the past. I am old. I remember All in the Family (with Archie Bunker). At that time, right-wingers thought Archie was GREAT because he represented them. They simply did not see he was being made fun of. It seems right-wingers have gotten no smarter in the ensuing years.


  77. Σπιτάκι » Blog Archive » Defend DeLay Says:

    […] To ÎºÎ¿Ï Ï†ÏŒ, λοιπόν, είναι πως η σελίδα Ï„Î¿Ï DeLay τώρα έχει το βίντεο Ï„Î¿Ï interview Ï„Î¿Ï Greenwald από τον Colbert ως πρώτο θέμα! Είτε ο Colbert παραέκανε καλά την ηθοποιία Ï„Î¿Ï , είτε οι Î±Î½Î±Î»Ï Ï„Î­Ï‚ Ï„Î¿Ï DeLay είναι ηλίθιοι, είτε Î½Î¿Î¼Î¯Î¶Î¿Ï Î½ ότι οι Ï Ï€Î¿ÏƒÏ„Î·ÏÎ¹ÎºÏ„Î­Ï‚ Ï„Î¿Ï Ï‚ είναι ηλίθιοι και δε θα ÎºÎ±Ï„Î±Î»Î¬Î²Î¿Ï Î½ την ειρωνία Ï„Î¿Ï , είτε… δεν ξέρω τι να πω, πάντως είναι ολίγον τι ÎºÎ¿Ï Ï†ÏŒ. […]


  78. Marie Says:

    Just shows you how un-hip those dunderheads are. They don’t know when they are being mocked. They don’t understand satire.


  79. Stephen Parry Says:

    DeLay obviously never got all the termites and roaches before entering politics, aparently quite a few found refuge in his head.


  80. Marie Says:

    Aarrgh! I just remembered that Colbert said he’s going on a two week hiatus! He won’t even be back this Monday!


  81. Big John Says:

    Just goes to show how pathetically out of touch with reality the neocons really are. After Colbert skewered Dubya at the press dinner, how could they imagine that he’s on their side? Are neocons really *that* stupid?


  82. Jane Says:

    Pudge said;

    But then again, so is Ronnie Earl, who actually got an indictment against DeLay for something that was not a crime until *after* DeLay did it (an indictment which was thrown out).

    You’re kidding, right? You do know that the law was refined only to get the language better, and did not change the intent or meaning of the previous law, which was in effect befor DeLay laundered the money. He was charged under the reworded law because that’s the one in effect now, but there certainly was a law in place that outlawed what DeLay did, when he did it.

    If the court rules otherwise, it’s just to throw a sop to DeLay and his extremely powerful attorney so too many rulings don’t go against them.

    I have to hand it to you, though. You did quote the right wing radio talking point perfectly.


  83. Adam Says:

    You mean Colbert isn’t really a conservative?


  84. Bunny Says:

    I agree with 76. There are just too many voters who don’t think. And, publicity, even bad publicity, gets the neocons another imprint on the masses who refer their information spoon-fed.


  85. The Fifth Estate » Blog Archive » The gift that keeps on giving Says:

    […] Desperate for Supporters, DeLay Turns to Stephen Colbert This morning, DeLay’s legal defense fund sent out a mass email criticizing the movie “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress,” by “Outfoxed” creator Robert Greenwald. The email features a “one-pager on the truth behind Liberal Hollywood’s the Big Buy,” and the lead item is Colbert’s interview with Greenwald on Comedy Central (where Colbert plays a faux-conservative, O’Reilly-esque character). The headline of the “fact sheet”: “Hollywood Pulls Michael Moore Antics on Tom Delay; Colbert Cracks the Story on Real Motivations Behind the Movie.” […]


  86. Zenobia Says:

    Colbert went on “60 Minutes” immediately following the Press Corps dinner and described the “character” he plays on his show as a “well-meaning, backward thinking idiot” or words to that effect.

    I think the video is gone from the DefendDelay site; I couldn’t find it. I guess somebody gave the Neocons two hands and flashlight.


  87. Nez Master Says:

    This is why I’m not a huge Colbert fan, contraty to almost everyone I know. Because I watch O’reilly and I can’t tell the diffrence. He’s funny, but in the same way O’Reilly is funny, except O’Reilly’s funnier, becuase he’s not just making it up, he’s really that insane.

    Turst me, given time I could come with tons of quotes from O’Reilly or Hannity that would outdo anything Colbert Would come up with. the reason he’s invited to the press dinner, is because they think he’s conservative. You think the white house press thing outed him, watch it again, the entire thing..

    Bush makes fun of HIMSELF! It’s a roast folks, they expect their supporters to hit them. And Colber did not hit that hard, not in obviousl ways. Watch the audience. 80% of them don’t get it. One or two were offended. Three or four were laughing hysterically. The rest were BORED. They had no idea that any thing he was saying was off kilter. They are so brainwashed they think it’s prefercly reasonable.

    Colbert is to subtle for 90% of the populas, and that scares me. He could be O’Reilly. For the satire to work, it has to be more extreme than the others. It’s not. If anything, it’s less.

    Watch one of those shows say four times. Take some quotes from them. Then watch colbert and take some quotes from him. See if your friends can pick out which is which. (hint, if you picked well, they won’t be able to..)

    So, yes, the conservative movement is that clueless. I am reasonablly sure a survey of viewers would find that what you consider your opinion of colbert to be depends on which side your on. If he would break character once, to say “You guys who think I’m really conservative are on crack” he could really make a diffrence right now. But he won’t. That would cut into his ratings.


  88. meowmissy Says:

    LMAO! Why oh why do Stewart and Colbert have to be on hiatus right now? This is great!


  89. DS Says:

    #55, Colbert has made clear (see his 60 Minutes interview) that he’s playing a character on The Colbert Report and those are not his opinions but instead are satire.


  90. meowmissy Says:

    91 - the Colbert clip is right on the DefendDelay.com homepage - you new the Macromedia Flash Player to see it.


  91. steve talbert Says:

    They didn’t think Colbert’s performance was funny, because THEY THOUGHT HE WAS SERIOUS!!!!


  92. n69n Says:

    WHAT WILL RICHARD COHEN SAY??!?!?!?!?


  93. Gerald Gibson Says:

    Colbert in ‘08
    Comment by sa rose

    Now wouldn’t THAT be something… Colbert runs on the Republican ticket!
    The maroons’ (think bugs bunny) would vote for him, and we’d vote for him!

    Now that would be sweet justice!

    Comment by trueblue

    Now that is a freakin plan!

    Think Progress can go “red” and we can all puff up their egos about how SMART they are picking such a good republican this time we cant help but tuck our tails between our legs and vote for Colbert the republican also…. >-) heheheheheheh


  94. Gerald Gibson Says:

    And if any of them try to explain the satire we just call them commi democrat loving wussies and ban them from the site.


  95. NYCO Says:

    “And Colber did not hit that hard, not in obviousl ways. Watch the audience. 80% of them don’t get it. ”

    I don’t think YOU get it… the point of Colbert’s routine is not to convert Republicans or Washington media elites. He was playing to the back of the room. But, contrary to what you suggest, many people in the room WERE laughing — cautiously, tentatively. There was one woman (a blonde if I recall) who opened her eyes wide and seemed to gasp before she permitted herself to laugh.

    THOSE are the people whose laughter he got in that room — the people on the fringes of power who already KNOW all this stuff he was implying, but never before dared to openly agree.

    Every time Colbert does his thing, he peels off one or two more THINKING people who KNOW this administration is full of shit. Satire undercuts a stupid regime — it never “takes it down.”


  96. joewilson Says:

    Wingnuts are a humorless bunch.


  97. Naz Nomad Says:

    This is, purely and simply, a victory for truthiness!


  98. leevilgenius Says:

    Is it possible that the DeLay camp is betting that the left — of which I am part — live in an intellectual bubble? Honestly, if his supporters believe” DeLay is “innocent of the unfounded charges against him by a politically oriented prosecutor”, isn’t it also possible that those same supporters don’t know and/or care that Colbert is playing a right wing bloviator?

    Even if the left thinks this is hilarious that DeLay and his camp are using the Colbert clip, the sad reality is this won’t be any more embarassing for DeLay than his real crimes against the people. Bottom line is he would wear a clown suit if guaranteed him defense fund donations.

    So, I’m putting away my leftist elitist intellectualism and not underestimating Delay’s proven ability to survive.


  99. For Truth Says:

    Where’s all the freakin’ trolls?


  100. ExHack Says:

    Hasn’t DeLay gone away yet? Why, Sir, are you still here?


  101. Ian Says:

    Ssssh! Nobody should tell them the jokes on them.


  102. bushllit Says:

    the way i see it, if only one person is saying what delay wants to hear, he has no choice but to quote him, regardless of who is, i bet he is sitting in his backasswards texas home thankful it wasn’t gallagher putting out a transcript attacking his enemies


  103. RBB Says:

    The WHOIS lookup shows the site listed late Setpember 2005 with contact at networksolutionsprivateregistration.com, etc.

    Contact info:
    Defend Tom DeLay
    … [
    ATTN: DEFENDDELAY.COM
    c/o Network Solutions
    P.O. Box 447
    Herndon, VA 20172-0447
    Phone: 570-708-8780

    suggesting that the site is legitimate — based on date, location, secreted info, ’security’


  104. Farakon Says:

    I would love to comment, but my head just exploded.


  105. ccobb Says:

    Aha! Now we know why they didn’t think Colbert was funny.

    The Washington Elites thought Colbert delivered a sober speech about the reality of the situation, a little straight talk like the National Review will dish out to it’s allies once every blue moon so as to appear even slightly sane. But all done in the name of love.

    Tell me again — how did these guys get in control of the world’s only superpower? Because it obviously wasn’t through smarts.


  106. James O. Says:

    If he would break character once, to say “You guys who think I’m really conservative are on crack” he could really make a diffrence right now. But he won’t. That would cut into his ratings.

    Every interview he gives, on 60 Minutes, on Letterman, in Time magazine, is out of character. If fact, in his Time interview (I believe it was) he described his political views by saying “I’m not a TOTAL Commie.” (paraphrase) He has repeatedly referred to his Report counterpart as “a well-intentioned, high-class idiot.” He’s not trying to trick anyone.


  107. Jesse Says:

    This is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages.. I almost can’t believe it’s true. I can’t WAIT to see what Colbert does with this one.


  108. obsessed Says:

    Colbert’s not really a conservative?????


  109. Mike Says:

    How Precious!!!


  110. Jim Says:

    Yep,

    They’re in touch with the rest of the world!


  111. Everdred Says:

    You folks are absolutely amazing. The video is on that site not because DeLay and his team in any way think Colbert is serious, but rather simply for the content. Though Colbert is playing a character, his guests aren’t. Greenwald spoke about his movie, and in the opinion of some, made a fool of himself. Thus the video was used. If you actually read the email sent — though one can expect liberals to never check sources — you’ll note it’s entirely focused on Greenwald and the movie (and the related issues), and mentions the Colbert Report only as the context in which Greenwald’s statements were made. And indeed, as the video itself shows, the context here has little weight on the interview.


  112. mina Says:

    I absolutely do not believe that this is real.


  113. Citizen80203 Says:

    America 2006; Frat boy presidents, wars of leisure, life giving CO2, satire turned into defense fund. Where is the comatose pregnant latino lesbian when you really need help?


  114. jon Says:

    Republicans ARE this stupid.

    They HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR. I’m not joking here.

    True story: I was watching Colbert Report, and was surprised when my highly (very very) conservative roomate came in to watch with me. He mentioned that Colbert was a conservative, and I said what???? He really didn’t understand the satire, because it really is that close to what the Faux news station is spewing out!!!


  115. jon Says:

    This explains why they think that Terrorism is the biggest threat to national security–they are stupid!

    Their views on the world are so one-sided and narrow, they just don’t understand what global warming, socialism, welfare, the economy, etc are actually all about.


  116. foxbot Says:

    Everdred, you mean the email where DeLay refers to “a nutty, partisan DA with limited knowledge of facts and the law” and a “Hollywood liberal and Michael Moore wannabe” who admitted his motiviation for making the movie was to prevent Republicans from legally gaining seats in the House?

    I think we’re all missing the point. DeLay has left politics and gone into satire himself.


  117. crazymonk.org » Tom Delay: What’s Satire? | not the great american blog Says:

    […] Tom Delay obviously doesn’t understand satire. Next thing you know he’ll be eating Irish babies. […]


  118. crazymonk.org » Tom Delay: What’s Satire? | not the great american blog Says:

    […] Tom Delay obviously doesn’t understand satire. Next thing you know he’ll be eating Irish babies. (thx, flea) […]



  119. tom baker Says:

    let’s start a short-buses-and-helmets-fund for the gop - help them get their base the assistance it needs to participate in “mainstream” society


  120. Andy Says:

    You know something…the thought of DeLay’s people actually buying into Colbert
    being a staunch conservative, is unbelievable enough, to be believeable. Jesus,
    what a bunch of yahoo’s.


  121. jeff Says:

    #116, if that is the case, then why does the email say Greenwald “crashed and burned”????
    One can’t “crash and burn” on Colbert. The fact that they think he crashed and burned means they believe it was a real interview with hard questions. But, I give them the benefit of the doubt: I believe that they are counting on their supporters not being familiar with Colbert’s character. And that’s a pretty good assumption on their part, as anyone who would fork over money in defense of Tom Delay is probably not tuned into what is really going on in the world.


  122. Some Says:

    There are only three possible reason why they would do this:
    1) They are too stupid and can’t understand irony
    2) They think their supporters are too stupid and can’t understand irony
    3) They think it will enrage their supporters and invoke fear - the threat of liberals wooooo!

    But the wonderful thing is that with any of these scenarios, it can only be good for progressives, because people like Colbert and Jon Stewart that can break down the BS from these politicians (whether dem or rep), need more viewers. People need to learn the ridiculousness and production that goes into their TV news, so that when they see the same silliness being displayed on the “real” news, it will make them be able to identify it and expect more.


  123. aleks Says:

    The arrogance and vanity of these lunatics causes them to regard any praise as sincere and intelligent and any criticism as stupid envy. That’s how Bush’s strings are pulled.


  124. gimmeabreak Says:

    Here’s an email that I just sent to info@defenddelay.com:

    Gentlemen:

    You do, of course, realize that Stephen Colbert’s nightly show The Colbert Report is satire. Colbert’s “grilling” of Robert Greenwald was a practiced comedy piece with the total awareness and cooperation of Mr. Greenwald as are the “interviews” presented on all of his shows.

    I am afraid sirs that your lack of understanding of popular culture and especially the satire of the very liberal Stephen Colbert has made you quite the laughing stock all over the blogosphere.

    Take my advice and in the future run any references to popular programming past a liberal acquaintance or one of your teenage children prior to hitting “send”.


  125. Chasm Says:

    Actually, in the interview Colbert is a perfect spokesman for Delay, parroting nearly every line that Delay offers in his defense. Taken out of context, that is, the enture melieu of the show, it IS an almost perfect recitaion of Delay’s talking points.

    One of the brilliant facets of The Colbert Report is that, taken out of context, you could almost convince ME that Colbert is a Republican.

    He isn’t, right?


  126. CBB Says:

    I read it, but I don’t believe it. Its like I’ve entered a parallel universe of crazy.



  127. mme Says:

    Now it’s clear why they didn’t think Colbert was funny — they don’t even know he’s making fun of them!


  128. Everdred Says:

    “#116, if that is the case, then why does the email say Greenwald “crashed and burned”????”

    Just as an airplane need not be shot to crash, so too does an interviewee need not encounter any obstacle from the interviwer, for one can fail simply on the basis of their own stupid arguments, much as an airplane might fail of its own malfunction.


  129. Jonathon Says:

    If I wasn’t already madly in love with Stephen Colbert, then I am now….. Just how stupid can one guy from Texas be? Oh, wait…. I know the answer to that one. ;)


  130. jimbo Says:

    I am repeating comment #1- That is funny!


  131. Compassionate Moderate Says:

    And people say the Conservatives are out of touch…

    “Word of the day, Oblivious(ness).


  132. Maezeppa Says:

    That is the funniest goddamn thing I have read in a long time. That is truly hilarous. Thank you, Steven. Thank you, thank you.


  133. foxbot Says:

    Everdred, identify in the transcript where the director said he wants to be Michael Moore. Where did he say he made the movie because he doesn’t want Republicans to win more seats? The letter says he admits to this. Anyone who draws those conclusions from the interview is far gone from reality. Truly desperate. Almost like DeLay is accustomed to people believing his lies for so long he doesn’t understand people who want the truth. Everything is partisan, he really does look at his political enemies in a Stalinist style. He is a disgusting excuse for a human being and needs to answer for his crimes.


  134. Lee McLane Says:

    re #28, #69, et al. ” Perhaps they should nominate Colbert as the Republican Presidential candidate in 2008! He’s got great name-recognition with the public, and evidently he says the kind of things Republicans like to hear,” and

    “Colbert in ‘08″

    Probably you say this in jest, but I’ve been thinking for several days now that Colbert actually should declare and file. Not as a serious candidate3, but as a seerious campaigner so as to keep the absurdities of the wingnut right out in front of the public in all its ridiculous glory throughout the campaign. I would bet he could get some serious backing for this, not to mention a lot of playful individual small donations.

    Does no one remember Pat Paulsen and his run against Nixon? I don’t remember if he was able to get on the official preprinted ballot in any of the states, but he did file and actively campaign, maintaining his treadmark deadpan, sadsack demeanor while delivering his monotonic but outrageous satire.

    so yeah, I think Colbert should run.


  135. liz Says:

    It’s official: inhaling bug-killing chemicals destroys your brain!


  136. the Lone Voice of Reason Says:

    It isn’t just Delay that thinks Colbert is a real conservative , Bushs PR people thought so too , atleast until he actually spoke in front of them . Also when Dealays PR people use a song like ” if I had a hammer ” for his theme song should tell you the are truly clueless .


  137. ewastud Says:

    It is true that conservatives are unusually obtuse when it comes to people poking fun at them. I logged onto Free Republic once for several days posing as one of them and urging all “my fellow conservatives” to enlist and go fight in Iraq. I got several excuses why they were physically unable to the task. I was treated seriously for some time before one of them caught on to the joke, and he was NOT amused.


  138. LC Liberal Says:

    #142: Yeah - the bug chems. That’s got to be it. Either that or a mental hospital in Texas has been missing a patient for over 20 years:

    http://www.sunstateactivist.org
    The very latest on the Hastert scandal. Give us your opinion: Right now on SSA

    http://www.lcoliberal.blogspot.com
    Catch up on the Hastert scandal on LCL


  139. gimmeabreak Says:

    Olbermann just refererenced the defend delay email. Go Keith!


  140. Mr Blifil Says:

    Wow. They really are just congenitally incapable of grasping irony. How sorrowful that makes me feel, the poor clods.


  141. Rose Says:

    What a day! The Wash Post column about Frist - funny stuff, then poor Denny under investigation and will now need a defense fund - but perhaps Colbert could help him as well. I’m sure Tom will advise his good friend, Denny - “Hey, contact Colbert, does a tough interview with your enemies.”

    Oh, I hope someone does a book on all these goofs.


  142. the Lone Voice of Reason Says:

    Hey ewastud , here is another way to get under their skin , call all local country music radio stations and request the Dixie Chicks


  143. joshdestardi Says:

    You have got to be kidding…Colbert rocks.

    See him in this summer’s “Strangers With Candy”

    hahaha


  144. the machine Says:

    people like colbert, but he minimizes the message. there is nothing humorous in what he presents. we laugh because we have no choice. how many people that watch him actually vote? how many people that watch him volunteer their time to make the world a better place? he makes it easy to be an armchair critic. chickety check yourself before you wreck yourself. apathy is why george bush is president. peace.


  145. the Lone Voice of Reason Says:

    Machine the same was said about the Daily Show when O’Realy called his audience “stoned slackers” but when the truth came out it was the Comedy Centrals shows audience that was more educated and had a better grasp of national and international news than the Faux show .


  146. Zookeeper Says:

    This is the cutest thing I’ve read all day.

    Given the number of comments here, I thought I’d be wading through a bunch of troll comments. Hmmmm…interesting.



  147. Everdred Says:

    I think it may be useful to include what the email actually said:

    Hollywood pulls Michael Moore antics on Tom DeLay
    Colbert Cracks the Story on Real Motivations Behind the Movie

    Hollywood liberal and Michael Moore wannabe Robert Greenwald (known for his attacks on Wal-Mart and Fox News) crashed and burned on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report (watch it at http://www.defenddelay.com ) when promoting his new attack on Tom DeLay. He even admits their reason for producing the movie (and clearly Ronnie Earle’s reason for participating) - to keep Republicans from gaining power in Congressional seats across the country. Tom DeLay was successful in bringing legal and constitutional redistricting to Texas, and since Democrats couldn’t win in the legislature or at the ballot box, they used the only resources they had left - liberal Hollywood and a nutty, partisan DA with limited knowledge of the facts and the law. The producers of this political mockumentary claim they were trying to put together a fair and balanced piece, yet what they put out is a piece of leftist propaganda with the cooperation of District Attorney Ronnie Earle.

    Thus is the email. Note what it actually says. It’s never once alleges Colbert to be a support, nor does it mention Colbert at all outside the headline. Rather it attacks what Greenwald says on the show.

    If you feel DeLay is a criminal, you’d do best not to make fools of yourselves by running around making fun of everything he does, especially when you’ve not the care to even understand it. To get DeLay punished for a crime you need only proffer evidence of such a crime. Folks who go around the justice system and appeal to the people at large via film are certainly no more credible than archaeologists like Graham Hancock who eschew publishing in peer-reviewed journals to publishing sensationalist books.


  148. Brian Says:

    There is a “contact” on the page. Let the fun begin!


  149. carol Says:

    Remember what Delay did for a living before being elected? He was an exterminator. He is essentially a stupid, provencial man…representing the stupid and provencial people who elected and continue supporting him. Thinking about exceptional national leaders and wise statesmen from our history…. what kind of role model is this creep? He’s an embarrassment. Yes. His gang must know that Colbert is a satirist but, then, maybe they don’t. They’re pretty damned dumb.


  150. Hank Brown Says:

    So who gets all the money that defenddelay.com brings in— duh, a bunch of attorneys or maybe just a few little left overs for Tiny Tom and his family. Ronnie Earle is retiring this year. This is his last hurrah. If Earle didn’t feel that he had a strong case on DeLay, I doubt that he would have every sought an indictment. Tiny Tom has had his fifteen minutes, now it’s time to go to jail.


  151. LookWest Says:

    This Is for Real: It’s the Real DeLay Website
    OK. The final word is in, according to the Inspector General for all things DeLay, Juanita, over at



  152. prue Says:

    Americans have never even understood irony, never mind satire.


  153. KNH Says:

    “Thus is the email. Note what it actually says. It’s never once alleges Colbert to be a support, nor does it mention Colbert at all outside the headline.”

    Dude, mentioning Colbert in the headline is enough. The headline CLEARLY implies that “Colbert Cracks the Story.” I’d say that means they think Colbert is a crusader.


  154. Blue Patriot Woman Says:

    Robert Greenwald is one of the most intelligent and creative documentarians working today. He has turned film distribution on its ear with his direct-to-the-viewer giveaways and houseparties. His commitment to “truth, justice and the American way” is palpable in everything that he does. It’s been my privilege to attend two separate events at which he spoke — one as the executive producer at the premiere of “The Corporation” and a recent one at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where he was in a panel of documentarians that included Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), the woman who directed “Control Room” and Michael Moore’s producer, Kathleen Glynn. The event was moderated by Kenneth Turan. Robert was hands down the most articulate, the most passionate and the funniest of them all. I can’t wait to see “The Big Buy” because I know that it will be informative and entertaining.

    I agree with the poster who said that the reason that this is on the Delay web site is because they think that Robert Greenwald was flayed open and that it will discredit the message in his film.

    That said — WHAT A HOOT! I haven’t had this much Scheudenfraude-laced fun since early Fitzmas.


  155. Timetheos Says:

    This is the ultimate in humor. DeLay and his people are too stupid to realize they are being made fun of by Colbert.


  156. Timetheos Says:

    This is the ultimate in humor. DeLay and his people are too stupid to realize they are being made fun of by Colbert.


  157. LawsonE Says:

    Do recall that this is the same crew of folks who named a cabinet level position in the US government after an organization in a satire about totalitarian governments: Animal Farm’s Office of Barnyard Security. They KNOW that their followers are too stupid to get the reference, so they can spin things any way they want.


  158. roger rainey Says:

    I love the way liberals so strenuously claim Colbert for themselves. These statements are all so infused with doubt. He is what he is, and he says what he says. Its funny, but it doesn’t matter what “side” he’s on.


  159. fingerbo Says:

    Further empirical evidence that Neocons are devoid of irony and the ability to perceive it.


  160. BlueIsland Says:

    “It’s Rainey in Baltimore!”
    Yes, yes, yes it does matter roger. You need to watch the 60 Minutes interview with Colbert. He’s OURS!!!!


  161. Tom Betz Says:

    Ah, so it is there. The web site’s lousy design contributed to my missing it.

    Firefox’s “NoScript” extension was blocking all Javascript, and there is no text reference to the video anywhere on the page. Now that I’ve un-blocked the Javascript, there it is, plain as day.

    My apologies for the confusion.


  162. Katie Says:

    I will always remember this as the day that Tom DeLay made Christmas come early!


  163. Ullern Says:

    I watched Stephen Colbert/Roger Greenwald call DeLay a “crook” on DeLay’s “Defend DeLay”-page!

    - If that’s DeLay’s defense, his prosecutor could seemingly ask to skip trial, send straight to jail.

    I can’t believe my eyes and ears here. But I do. So DeLay is so self-deluded he gets reality upside-down. Pityful man. He’s going down, for sure.


  164. Joefriday Says:

    I love the way liberals so strenuously claim Colbert for themselves. These statements are all so infused with doubt. He is what he is, and he says what he says. Its funny, but it doesn’t matter what “side” he’s on.

    Comment by roger rainey — May 24, 2006 @ 10:20 pm

    Hey,oatmeal for brains-If you watched Colber take down the “Preznit” and MSM even a retard like you would see there is no doubt. Hell , what do you have for brains? Mush? What in the name of “OZ” are you clinging too? the game is up. We now have so few rethug retards it is almost a pleasure to have knuckel dragger like you to crawl out from under your rock. We lost all the “best” of the Bushcos.. even those retards have giving up. My hat is off to a complete moron that still supports an even bigger moron.


  165. Katie Says:

    #58 “I’ve been saying this for quite a while,that many on the right think Colbert is equal time from Comedy Central in response to The Daily Show. They just can not fathom anything that is not black and white.”

    These people DO realize that Stewart is Colbert’s producer, right?


  166. BlueIsland Says:

    #174 Maybe they do not realize the producer angle, but if they watched Jon Stewart do the usual end-of-segment Daily Show brief interview with Colbert, you’d think they might figure it out!


  167. katy Says:

    i take it, roger rainy, that you did not watch the 60 minute interview that i linked to in 163 - too bad, it was very enlightening in many respects… you are probably a “hit and run” kind of poster, but do yourself a favor and check it out…

    and joefriday - your beligerence is embarrassing… we really don’t need it…
    i think you intentions are well placed but the method is not helpful at all…


  168. Progressive Cafe » Delay looks to Stephen Colbert for support Says:

    […] This is hilarious. Delay’s team is using a Colbert video clip to defend him - obviously they don’t have a firm grasp of satire. […]


  169. Vax Says:

    They probably know their audience (”the base”) has probably never heard of Steven Colbert, or if they have, they won’t put 2 and 2 together because they’ve been watching FOX too long…


  170. Peter Says:

    There is no difference between FOX commentators and Stephen Colbert other than the channel they are on and the audience they draw. O’Reilley is as much a black comedy as Colbert. The idiots calling for censure of Jimmy Carter– I’m sure Colbert kicked himself for not thinking of that first. To stupid people there is no difference, so now we know who Delay is appealing to.


  171. Kate Says:

    For the record, Colbert -is- a conservative, by his own words. He’s just not a mindless one. Maybe you ought to reword that bit.


  172. Ex Cathedra » Blog Archive » Media Bias! Says:

    […] That’s what conservatism has become, kids, a self-parody. Want more evidence? Tom DeLay thought Stephen Colbert’s ultraconservative persona was for real. Ya know, when you arrive on the scene and the patient is drumming his heels on the ground like this, he’s probably not gonna need sirens and lights on his trip to the hospital. So long, conservatism. […]


  173. FDRliberal Says:

    Perhaps Delay is employing double-secret irony?


  174. KNH Says:

    When did Colbert ever say he was a conservative? What’s your source?


  175. Yizmo Gizmo Says:

    Maybe Colbert really is a conservtive.
    His shtick is so ironic we can’t even be sure.
    If he calls Bush on his shit–refuting the idea that the Iraq mess
    is somehow conservative–then he’s acting as a de facto
    “true” conservative, regardless of what he’s really thinking,