Why Colbert Matters

good piece in the new republic on why stephen colbert's performance at the white house correspondents dinner was both funny and appropriate.

interestingly, both C and i had a similar reaction on first seeing colbert's act: mild discomfort. the reason? as much as i loathe bush, it was very uncomfortable to have to resort, in the final instance, to a comedic satirist to hit at some very real truths about this president and the manner in which he has degraded this country over the last six years. the very people who should be revealing how dangerous a president bush has been -- the whitehouse correspondents -- are complicit in our nation's decline.

colbert's smackdown was harsh, brutal, and dead funny. it was disrespectful and mean. but it was well-deserved and it's important that it happened. the white house correspondents should have been, all along, as probing and incredulous and skeptical of bush and his ilk. they weren't, and so we have to skewer them too.

there is nothing sadder than that. but man does it make for some good comedy.