The Unexpected Guest, the Truth

Saturday night at the white house correspondents’ dinner, Stephen Colbert pointed out that the emperor was naked. It was as if he pulled away the curtain and exposed every inch of bush’s naked body for the entire world to see. Then he pointed out that the press had been holding the curtain over bush’s nakedness for five years. Hardly anyone in the audience could laugh. They shouldn’t have, because the reality of the moment wasn’t funny. To hear an American speak the cold truth in public was stunning and difficult for many to hear. This wasn’t some Democrats’ hearing in the basement of Washington. This was out loud and out front. This was the, up until now, secret reality wide open.

Was it a personal attack on george bush? No! This was an exposure of the failures of the administration of george bush.

According to much of the media today, it didn’t happen. They aren’t even mentioning that Colbert was in attendance, let alone that he spoke. Instead they report on the side by side jokes that bush and an impersonator performed. That skit portrayed bush as someone who admitted his weaknesses and verbal shortcomings. Just a jokey old Texas guy who shows little value in appearing knowledgeable. A guy who makes others who are knowledge impaired feel right at home. A plain old let’s have a beer together kind of guy. The kind of guy who, if you aren’t smart, won’t make you feel stupid.

After that little down home, see, I know I’m an idiot at times show, along comes Colbert. Just when everyone is still petting the president on the head, tweaking his cheek and telling him how cute he is, Colbert stands up and points out that bush, in all his hee haw attitude, is dangerous as hell. He looked at bush and stated his case. He pointed out all of bush’s failures and the resulting disasters he has caused. He showed that the good old Texas boy has been the ruination of our country and that the press has failed to report on that story. Now everyone who was in on the bush head petting and cheek tweaking looked pretty damned stupid. They didn’t laugh at Colbert, because they were embarrassed and shocked. They too had been exposed. They looked foolish because he was doing their long overdue and much neglected job.

Some may say that was the wrong venue for Colbert to state his case. To them I would ask,, when would be the right place and time? When would be the right time to tell the world the truth? Deadly failure never is a pleasant thing to acknowledge, but it must be done. Saturday night, Stephen Colbert exposed reality. He exposed bush for who he really is, and it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t kind, but it was true. When you look at all the things that bush has done, from committing our country to an unnecessary war to breaking laws, there’s no way to make it funny.

After Colbert’s performance the bushs sprinted for the door. It was apparent that they were displeased with what they had just heard. The last thing anyone expected in the president’s presence was the truth.