Posted on 01/03/2006 9:20:35 PM PST by PJ-Comix
Displaying a hostility to President Bush and the Iraq war similar to that expressed by Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart, on tonight’s Late Show David Letterman will go further than I’ve ever heard him in revealing his derision for President Bush’s decision to launch the Iraq war. I know this thanks to the “Big Show Highlight," a two-minute streaming-only RealPlayer preview of tonight’s program, which is now featured on the Late Show’s home page.
In the posted clip, Letterman mockingly tells guest Bill O’Reilly: "The President himself, less than a month ago said we are there because of a mistake made in intelligence. Well, whose intelligence? It was just somebody just get off a bus and handed it to him?" Letterman demands: “Why the Hell are we there to begin with?" When O’Reilly points out that the British, Russians and Egyptians also presumed Iraq had WMD, Letterman retorts: “Well then that makes it all right?" Turning unusually serious, Letterman soon lectures: “I'm very concerned about people like yourself who don't have nothing but endless sympathy for a woman like Cindy Sheehan. Honest to Christ. Honest to Christ." That prompts O’Reilly to contend: “No way a terrorist who blows up women and children is going to be called a ‘freedom fighter' on my program." To which Letterman fires back: “I have the feeling about 60 percent of what you say is crap.” After the show airs in an hour, I will update this item with more from the Letterman/O’Reilly exchange, including a video clip. (Transcript of RealPlayer excerpt follows.)
It took me a while, but I managed to take down this transcript from the two-minute streaming RealPlayer “Big Show Highlight” video clip on the Late Show home page:
David Letterman: “The President himself, less than a month ago said we are there because of a mistake made in intelligence. Well, whose intelligence? It was just somebody just get off a bus and handed it to him?”
Bill O’Reilly: “No.”
Letterman: “No, it was the intelligence gathered by his administration.”
O’Reilly: “By the CIA.”
Letterman: “Yeah, so why are we there in the first place? I agree to you, with you that we have to support the troops. They are there, they are the best and the brightest of this country. [audience applause] There’s no doubt about that. And I also agree that now we’re in it it’s going to take a long, long time. People who expect it’s going to be solved and wrapped up in a couple of years, unrealistic, it’s not going to happen. However, however, that does not eliminate the legitimate speculation and concern and questioning of ‘Why the Hell are we there to begin with?’”
O’Reilly: “If you want to question that, and then re-vamp an intelligence agency that’s obviously flawed, the CIA, okay. But remember, MI-6 in Britain said the same thing. Putin’s people in Russia said the same thing, and so did Mubarak’s intelligence agency in Egypt.”
Letterman: “Well then that makes it all right?”
O’Reilly: “No it doesn’t make it right.”
Letterman: “That intelligence agencies across the board makes it alright that we’re there?”
O’Reilly: “It doesn’t make it right.”
Letterman: “See, I’m very concerned about people like yourself who don’t have nothing but endless sympathy for a woman like Cindy Sheehan. Honest to Christ.” [audience applause]
O’Reilly: “No, I’m sorry.”
Letterman: “Honest to Christ.”
“O’Reilly: “No way. [waits for applause to die down] No way you’re going to get me, no way that a terrorist who blows up women and children.”
Letterman: “Do you have children?”
O’Reilly: “Yes I do. I have a son the same age as yours. No way a terrorist who blows up women and children is going to be called a ‘freedom fighter’ on my program.” [mild audience applause]
Letterman: “I’m not smart enough to debate you point to point on this, but I have the feeling, I have the feeling about 60 percent of what you say is crap. [audience laughter] But I don’t know that for a fact. [more audience applause]
"I agree. Jay Leno is so much more intelligent and so much funnier than Letterman is."
An article I've read quoted Leno as saying he's basically into the Mother Jones point of view. Here's a summary that I found:
http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1757
To be fair, he at least goes after politicians, in general, and isn't as much as partisan hack as Jon Stewart.
I'm surprised about this Letterman transcript. When he was off the air after his heart attack, there were some guest hosts for about a week. One of them was Kelsey Grammer, and he mentioned on the show that he and Lettermen were one of the few Republicans in their business. Make that a big fat RINO for Dave, then.
Top 10 things Letterman should have done tonight or so it sounds
10. STFU
9. STFU
8. STFU
7. STFU
6. STFU
5. STFU
4. STFU
3. STFU
2. STFU
1. STFU
Not related to South Carolina, but you may want to see this.
Letterboy is just another liberal punk who would shit all over himself if he ever had to lace up a pair of combat boots and jump off a chopper into a combat zone.
And a debate about war and combat between O'Reilly(another MIA during the Viet Nam war) and Letterboy is laughable.
I guess Letterboy and his fans would have preferred if my fellow Marines had found the WMD in their laps when they entered Baghdad! As far as I'm concerned, we FOUND THE WMD the day we captured Saddass Hussein!
Every FReeper knows that the Draft Dodger Clinton and the rest of the Lefties are on record for removing Saddass Hussein; so let's not try and rewrite history here...
Semper Fi,
Kelly
I miss Johnny Carson.
Heck, I miss Groucho. ;-)
Way to treat a GUEST Letterman - stick your pencil in their coffee before they come out, act rude, dismissive and call them a liar. What an A-Hole.
It is clear that Letterman has not take the trouble to read or listen to what Sheehan says in her speaches. If he had he would hear talking points and left wing bromides.
Someone should remind Letterman that his hero Johnny Carson was never politically biased on his show. I suspect he was a lib but he was pretty fair I thought.
Carson had class
Letterman will never be close to as good as Johnny.
Some CBS contact info- in addition to the feedback option at the bottom of their website:
212-975-4321
212-975-4114
http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/ls_show_info_pop_feedback.shtml
Milesrepublican:Co,bining your post with mine to get the contact info out there.
Please everybody, let them know!
He's still alive? Wow.
Johnny Carson was right all along. Johnny knew.
So much.
I never liked him or his wife/lover Paul, and
]I hope it does "finish" him.
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