October Surprise: CNN Gives Bush-Bashing Comic His Own Show

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Right before the election, CNN is giving a Bush-bashing comedian a weekend show where he can spout off about “politics, entertainment, sports and popular culture,” Variety reported last night.

Back in March 2006, as NewsBuster’s editor Brent Baker reported at the time, D.L. Hughley slammed President Bush during an appearance on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher: “If I hear one more person tell me how this man is a man of faith, I think I’ll lose my mother-f***ing mind.... When thousands and thousands of people were being, dying in New Orleans, this son of a bitch didn’t do sh*t, and that’s very un-Christlike to me.”

Explaining why CNN is now giving Hughley the 10pm slot on Saturdays (repeating on Sundays), CNN President Jon Klein told Variety: “D.L. is a very thoughtful, well-informed guy with unpredictable views, and I’ve always admired his comedy.” (Klein, you might remember, was the one who cancelled Crossfire in order to raise the level of discourse on CNN.)

The show debuts October 25, which gives Hughley two weekends to rant about Republicans before Election Day.

Here’s a short excerpt from the Variety article:

CNN is diving into the increasingly crowded arena of news-driven comedy, tapping comedian D.L. Hughley to host a show that will offer a skewering take on news and events.

The show, set to air on Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET beginning Oct. 25, will feature Hughley and guests riffing on politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture.

Move is a clear bid by CNN to tap into the younger auds who get more of their news from "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" than they do from mainstream news outlets.

Show will include one-on-one interviews with newsmakers and the reporters covering them.

"D.L. is a very thoughtful, well-informed guy with unpredictable views, and I’ve always admired his comedy," said CNN/U.S. prexy Jon Klein. "The basic premise of the show is, what if a guy like him was let loose in the CNN building for a weekend after the lights went off?"

Here’s a clip from Brent Baker’s March 4, 2006 blog about Hughley’s foul-mouthed rant against President Bush:

Actor/comedian D.L. Hughley, the star of the 1998-2002 ABC sit-com, The Hughleys, and the host of Comedy Central's Weekends at the DL, which is now on hiatus, launched some derisive tirades against President George W. Bush while a guest panelist Friday night on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher.

After Hughley charged that Bush “has spent, and the Republican Party have spent, the last five years making us ignorant and afraid,” he mockingly suggested that the “J.J." character, from the 1970s sit-com Good Times, “could run the country better than this guy!” When host Bill Maher remarked that “what scares me about a guy like George Bush” is the “certitude” he has because of his faith which means that “no matter how low his approval rating goes, he doesn't care because he sees himself as a messianic figure,” Hughley launched this rant:

"If I hear one more person tell me how this man [President Bush] is a man of faith, I think I’ll lose my mother-f***ing mind [audience applause]. Let me tell you why. I’ll tell you why. He left his ranch in Crawford to see about one woman, Terry Schiavo, he left his ranch early. But when thousands and thousands of people were being, dying in New Orleans, this son of a bitch didn’t do sh*t, and that’s very un-Christlike to me [applause]. To me, Christ certainly cared more about the poor than he did Halliburton."

To view video of Hughley’s HBO rant, which includes vulgarities, go to the bottom of this page.