Ted Danson: George W. Bush a Drinker, Clark “Inspires Hope”

MRC ^ | 10/03/03

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Actor Ted Danson, who when last interviewed on a CBS show a couple of weeks ago admitted that though he is a founder of the American Oceans Campaign, he has “relieved” himself in the ocean, on Tuesday’s Early Show praised Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark as he denigrated President Bush: “Instead of, you know, hiring the guy you want to go out and have a beer with like we did last time, I think having somebody who genuinely looks like he could lead us in a, he inspires hope in a very fearful time."

Danson’s reference to George W. Bush as a guy people wanted to “have a beer with” befuddled CBS host Harry Smith, the MRC’s Brian Boyd noticed, since, as Smith pointed out, Bush “doesn't drink." Unswayed by the factual correction, Danson plowed forward: "Good point. But nevertheless, people wanted to go have a beer with him and so we hired him."

The exchange in the last half hour of the October 28 Early Show came during an appearance by Danson to plug his Wednesday night sit-com on CBS, Becker.

After Danson expressed support for Clark, who hails from the same state, Arkansas, as does his wife, Mary Steenburgen, Smith wondered: "We're not doing this so much in a political sense, but I'm just interested in you as you look at this group of nine people. Why him [Clark] as opposed to anybody else?"

Danson: "I think the politics are probably roughly the same on all of the Democratic candidates. He's a liberal, he has had incredible, you know, foreign policy opportunities being the head of NATO. And I think that you know instead of you know hiring the guy you want to go out and have a beer with like we did last time, I think having somebody who genuinely looks like he could lead us in a, he inspires hope in a very fearful time."

Smith: "Right. Now I'm trying to you know have-"

Danson: "What?"

Smith: "What. I just, you mean two guys ago or the last guy?"

Danson: "This, the guy we have right now."

Smith: "Oh-"

Danson: "Wasn't that the billing? He's somebody you want to go out and have a beer with."

Smith: "Right, except for he doesn't drink."

Danson: "Good point. But nevertheless, people wanted to go have a beer with him and so we hired him."

Smith: "There you have it."

Yes, there you have the shallowness of a Hollywood liberal exposed.

As revealed in the October 15 CyberAlert, Danson, a founder of the American Oceans Campaign, a group which since merged with Oceana, an advocacy organization on whose Board of Directors he sits and which has a campaign devoted to stopping cruise ships from discharging sewage into the ocean, admitted to Craig Kilborn that he has relieved himself in the ocean. For his admission to Kilborn and links to Danson’s ocean group: www.mediaresearch.org

For the Internet Movie Database page on Danson, with a picture and bio: us.imdb.com

[Sam Cree]

How can anyone actually be quite that stupid?
Come to think of it, the same guy used to date Whoopie.

[jmaroneps37]

"Ted Danson is a moron: Clark inspires laughter"
better headline!

[Phantom Lord]

Who is Ted Talking too? Didn't we all die 10 years ago as he proclaimed we would if we didn't clean the oceans up?

[sirshackleton]

"Or do I inspire hope? Umm...well, I would've inspired hope....no, no I DO inspire hope, but only if...wait, ummm...MARY!!! HELP!!!"

[ErnBatavia]

the same guy used to date Whoopie.

What's that old saying?..."There's just no accounting for bad taste".

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Did Ted make this profound observation while wearing black face?

[chiefqc]

Who's Ted Danson?

Sounds like a has been or a nerver was.

[xp38]

I doubt it but I'm sure his toupee was there.

[Semper Paratus]

Danson predicted the end of the world would happen by 1999.

[Naspino]

He's just another reason to boycott CBS.

[Eva]

He not only dated Whoopie, but showed up in Black face to honor her birthday or some such event. The guy is a total idiot.

[xp38]

It's also ironic that his rise to fame was playing an ex drinker in the guise of Sam Malone. All you ever saw the character drink was bottled water in that place where everybody knows your name.

[PeteFromMontana]

Why does CBS always come up in these stories?

*ducking*

[laredo44]

I think having somebody who genuinely looks like he could lead us ...

Hmmm, sounds like "actor's mentality". The most important thing is to "look" the part.

[jaime1959]

WADR to the MRC, this is pretty lame. Danson’s a jackass, but to imply he’s a hypocrite for wanting to prohibit sewage discharges from cruise ships because he peed in the ocean is just plain stupid. And FWIW, I would rather have a beer with W than with Algore, even if he doesn’t drink.

[Serb5150]

"Good point. But nevertheless, people wanted to go have a beer with him and so we hired him."

At last. A real intellectual heavyweight.

[halfdome]

When George Bush was running for president, many pundits and spinners said he's the type of guy you'd like to have a beer with. This was to show Bush in contrast to the "wooden" Al Gore. Even freepers touted Bush's likability as a plus, and many around here said he's the type of guy they'd like to have a beer with.

[Khurkris]

I confess....I have relieved myself in Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Also in the Mediterreanean Sea, The South China Sea and the Dead Sea. Also in numerous lakes and rivers around the world.

And it felt good.

And I wil do it again.

oh yeah...and all of the Great Lakes and the St. Laurence Seaway...

...and a neighbors pool when I was 8 years old...

[maplenut]

Because of W's past drinking days, good old Ted is implying that Clark would be a better and stronger leader. Considering the wonderful physical condition the President is currently in, W would take Clark in a nano second in the first round.