Posted on 03/15/2008 6:00:36 PM PDT by RedRover
Jon Stewart: One of the downsides of having an all-volunteer military is that you need people to volunteer. Its not usually a huge problem, you just have to ask nicely. But some people dont want to hear the question. Rob Riggle has more.
Rob Riggle (VO): The United States Marine Corps has fought in countless battles over the years. From Iowa Jima to Khe Sanh to the Battle of Fallujah. But today the Corps faces its toughest fight yet.
Tape, Berkeley City Council meeting (woman): The Marines ought to have better sense than to come here.
Rob Riggle (VO): Yes, the Marines dared to rent office space and open a recruiting center in Berkeley, California. I headed to the front lines to get the story. Not only as a reporter but as a veteran of the Marines.
Man on the street interviewee: Berkeley is a bastion of liberal thought and the Marines are just the opposite.
Man on the street interviewee # 2: I kind of felt probably like the Iraqis felt, like we were being occupied here in Berkeley.
Rob Riggle (VO): Hes right. The two are practically indistinguishable.
Thats Berkeley. Thats Iraq.
Berkeley. Iraq.
Not sure.
Berkeley.
The city fought back and hit the Marines hard with a resolution telling them to leave.
To earn the trust of the locals, I had to blend in.
Bob Meola, Berkeley Peace and Justice Commissioner (studio interview): I dont know a good use of the Marines in my lifetime. And what is offensive about Marine recruiters in Berkeley is the fact that they are recruiting people for mass murder. They are here to out-front recruit people into their killing machine thats perpetrating educational institutions
Rob Riggle: Excuse me, Bob. (Leaves set.) Whooooo-aaargh!!! Hippies! Boards! Hi-yaaaaaaaa! (Karate kicks boards and calms down. Returns to interview.) Sorry, I had to go cool out for a minute.
Bob: Oh, what happened?
Rob Riggle: My buzz. It was getting a little wrecked, know what I mean?
Bob: Right on. So that Marine train people to kill people. The Marines are not a moral influence and
Rob Riggle: Excuse me, Bob, I hate to do this again. Ive got to excuse myself [Crashing through wall] Hippies! Hippies! Aoooorgh!
Rob Riggle (VO): With this amoral force refusing to live their stripmall desk, Berkeley enlisted its own fighting force.
[Protesters outside recruiting center, singing:] We are hugging, we are hugging for a peaceful world!
Rob Riggle (VO): Code Pink! You may remember them from Operation Annoy Senator Feinstein.
[Voice:] Waterboarding is torture!
Rob Riggle (VO): Or Operation Yell At George Bush Doll.
Rob Riggle (VO): And who can forget Operation Senate Interrupt?
But their tactics in Berkeley may be their most innovative yet. They called it, Dont Enlist, Stay and Kiss. I called it, Shock and Awe.
Code Pinker # 1: It is our responsibility as the public to shut this station down, to shut this recruiting station down.
Code Pinker # 2: Code Pink stands for free speech.
Code Pinker # 1: It is very important to protect free speech and so we clearly have the right to be here.
Rob Riggle: If only there was an organization that was sworn to defend that free speech.
Code Pinker # 1: That would be great.
Rob Riggle: That would be outstanding, right?
Rob Riggle (VO): Why cant these Marines see that they have no right to be recruiting troops on US soil?
Code Pinker # 3: The Marines we dont need to be worrying about their rights. Its not an equal relationship.
Rob Riggle (VO): Thats obvious. Any giant-handed Constitutional scholar will tell you that.
Code Pinker # 1: Wars in general would stop if we didnt have weapons just like violence on our streets would stop if we didnt have weapons.
Rob Riggle: So if we got rid of police we wouldnt have crime?
Code Pinker # 1:Potentially.
Rob Riggle (VO): It just makes sense. If they can shut down this recruiting center, it will become yet another of Berkeleys famous Crepes A Go Go. And world peace will be at hand.
Bob Meola: Well, just think if we had a Department of Peace, it could reach down into every community talking about peace studies and conflict resolution
Rob Riggle: Sounds like a magical place, man.
Bob: Um...
Rob Riggle: Oh, Im sorry, you think that could be a real place?
Bob: Yeah!
Rob Riggle: Oh, Im sorry, I thought you were totally kidding.
Bob: No.
Rob Riggle: Oh, Im embarrassed.
Rob Riggle (VO): With the Marines refusing to leave, giving Code Pink the last word was the least I could do.
Code Pinker # 3: This is Berkeley, the most peace-loving city
Code Pinker # 4: US out of Iraq!
Rob Riggle (VO): Really, youre interrupting your own interview?
Semper Fi, Code Pink. Semper Fi.
Rob Riggle is a Marine and a very funny guy.
Good job on the transcript, Red, Thanks! The video is a scream.
I never watch the show, but if they make this Riggle guy a regular, I will start.
I saw this live and LOL’d. A good change of pace from what they usually show...
Thanks for the great laugh. I am forwarding this gem to everyone!
What the heck is a Peace & Justice Commissioner? An appointed or elected position? City official? Paid? Benefits? Lifetime pension?
Thanks Red.
Oooh, someone's gonna have his raisins freeze dried over this!
Code Pinker # 1:Potentially.
LMAO, they should "like" stay out of politics.
Btw, I am friends and fraternity brothers with Rob Riggle, comediana and marine on the right.
See my post #14. Riggle is the funniest guy I have ever known.
BTW, if you talk to him, I'd love to him write something for my site, Defend Our Marines, if he'd be interested. There's a blog section as well as documents and news.
Oh, my gosh, that stuff is hilarious. Was that a fake “Peace and Justice” commissioner interview? Surely this Bob Meola wouldn’t sit through Rob Riggle’s little act with the hippie get-up and all, would he? I like all the crazy buttons on Bob’s vest - nice hippie touch.
Real people do put up with shenanigans from Daily Show interviewers. Guess they think it proves they are good sports (and they probably hope their message will still get out).
I also suspect that some of the stuff from Rob Riggle was edited in rather then done live during the actual interview. During the outdoors interviews, it's pretty obvious Rob's reactions were done later and edited in. The same UPS truck passes by as he's talking at different points.
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