Wanda Sykes on The Tonight show on the media's difficulty with figuring out how to cover Michelle Obama without appearing racist. She obviously wasn't talking about Fox News.
Comments from Left Field: The White House is set to release an IG torture report. Dem Congressional staffers tell me this report is the “holy grail,” because it is expected to detail torture in unprecedented detail and to cast doubt on the claim that torture works — and its release will almost certainly trigger howls of protest from conservatives.
TAPPED: Offensive remarks? Oh wait. Wanda Sykes didn't say these things, Rush Limbaugh said them about Obama and other Dems, and he wasn't kidding.
Legal Schnauzer: As Texas Governor, Bush did the same thing that landed Don Siegelman in prison
Where’s the Outrage? Say what? Health Care Industry pledging $2 trillion in cuts
Pharyngula: Elephant's Wings (h/t Vagabond Scholar)
ANNALS OF JOURNALISM: Just wondering...Hard Hitting journalism always provides a megaphone for frauds...Waiting for CNBC...A world without Newspapers...Clear Channel reaping the whirlwind...Newspaper Narcissism...Fire this assh*le...NYT finally prints the word 'torture'...Mustard...Play Misty for me...EFCA for very slow reporters....Kindle to the rescue... Interview with Greg Mitchell, editor of Editor & Publisher Magazine...How much was Fox paid to shill Bush's War Crimes?
TIME"s Joe Klein went after Rush Limbaugh and didn't hold back any punches. The topic was Wanda Sykes and her routine at the WH Correspondents Dinner. She hit Rushbo. and conservatives are so upset.
KLEIN: This is just comedy. And we're talking about a guy in Rush Limbaugh who is inappropriate half the time I hear him on the radio.
CARPENTER: Yes, but he doesn't go to the White House Correspondents' Dinner to... (CROSSTALK)
KLEIN: But he describes himself as an entertainer. Wanda Sykes, entertainer. This is entertainment.
CARPENTER: But would you hold up Rush Limbaugh at these dinners to tell those jokes?
KLEIN: So could Rush. He could be in a lot better taste on a daily basis in which he is delivering misinformation, lies to a large audience in America. That is far more serious than telling a couple of jokes at a banquet.KURTZ: Well, "lies" is a strong word, but we'll come back to that another time.
Klein was surprisingly candid in his assessment of Limbaugh and what he says on the air. Kurtz got stunned when Joe called Rush an outright liar. He also defends Sykes right to do what she will as a comedian.
(transcript below the fold via CNN)
Wanda Sykes slaps around the critics of the President at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. She takes on Sen. McCain, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney and critics of the President's choice of dog. I love the look on wingnut Glenn Beck's face at about the 2:40 mark. He's obviously not amused.
Sykes: But Mr. President you've had your fair share of critics. You know, even Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain gave you grief about the new helicopter that you didn't order. You know I think Mr. McCain is just a little bitter because he wanted to be in the new helicopter. Just tell Mr. McCain I'm sure if you asked nicely your wife will buy you a helicopter.
Rush Limbaugh, one of your big critics. Boy, Rush Limbaugh said he hopes this administration fails. Yeah. So you're saying I hope America fails. It's like I don't care about people losing their homes, losing their jobs, our soldiers in Iraq. He just wants the country to fail. To me that's treason. He's not saying anything differently than what Osama bin Laden is saying. You know, you might want to look into this sir but I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th highjacker but he was just so strung out on Oxycontin he missed his flight.
Rush Limbaugh, I hope the country fails. I hope his kidneys fail. How 'bout that? He needs a good waterboarding. That's what he needs.
Sean Hannity....Sean Hannity said he was going to get waterboarded for charity for our armed forces. He hasn't done it yet I see. You know talking about he can take a waterboarding. Please. Hey okay you might want to get waterboarded by someone you know or trust but let somebody from Pakistan waterboard him, or Keith Olbermann. Let Keith Olbermann waterboard him. He can't take a waterboarding.
I could break Sean Hannity just by giving him a middle seat in coach. Oh I need leg room!!
Dick Cheney...he's a scary man..scares me to death. I tell my kids, I say look if two cars pull up and one has a stranger and the other car has Dick Cheney...you get in the car with the stranger.
Wanda Sykes on Karma. Not safe for work.
Wanda Sykes to skewer Prez Barack Obama at Correspondents' Dinner
According to AP, Sykes will be the entertainer -- whose task will be to make jokes at Obama's expense -- at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Assn. dinner in Washington.
What was the first thing she did when she found out she had the gig?
"I made sure my taxes were paid," quipped Sykes.
Not as much fun as when Stephen Colbert roasted Bush perhaps, but the choice of Sykes should liven up this years event. As noted here Wanda came out this past November after Prop 8 passed for anyone that would like to watch the video of her rousing speech at the LGBT Center of Nevada.
Wanda Sykes on Prop 8: We Were Attacked! They Pissed Off the Wrong Group of People!
Wanda Sykes speaks out about Prop 8 at a rally hosted by the LGBT Center of Nevada in Las Vegas Nov. 15, 2008.
