Appearing on Thursday’s "Colbert Report," former "60 Minutes" anchor Mike Wallace mostly discussed innocuous subjects such as the joys of smoking. However, after being prompted by host Stephen Colbert to share his "doubts about our system of government," Wallace segued into an odd digression about how a parliamentary system would give Americans an easier way to get rid of its leaders. In other words, don't wait for Bush to go back to Crawford, kick him out now:
Stephen Colbert: "Now, you say you, you have some doubts about our system of government. I agree with you. Should we get rid of the Congress or the judiciary first? What, what do you mean by that?"
Mike Wallace: " I'm not kidding."
Colbert: "Okay. I know you’re not."
Wallace: "Forget– Forget impeachment. What you– Forget impeachment? Good luck. The– The– A representative government in which you can vote no confidence in a president or the leader and get rid of him."
Colbert: "Well, that's Canada, sir. That's Canada!"
Story Continues Below Ad ↓[Cheers and applause]
Wallace: "The audience understands."
(The segment aired at 11:54pm on January 26) First off, there’s something funny about an 88-year-old journalist deriding the difficulty in getting someone to leave. Secondly, bashing American-style governance is nothing new to Wallace. As noted in the MRC’s Profiles in Bias, he dismissed the 1994 Republican Revolution as a "temper tantrum":
Wallace: "There was a temper tantrum that did take place in the American electorate last November. No doubt about it. They were mad at the Democrats, they were mad at the President. They were frustrated because, there's all kinds of reasons to be frustrated, and talk radio -- in my estimation, I think the President is right about that -- focuses on that."
Mike Wallace- interview with Arianna Huffington, CNBC's Talk Live, May 6, 1995.
And five years earlier, the "60 Minutes" anchor touted another, slightly more authoritarian style of government:
"Many Soviets viewing the current chaos and nationalist unrest under Gorbachev look back almost longingly to the era of brutal order under Stalin."
-- Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes, February 11, 1990.
Considering these examples, Wallace’s longing for parliamentary votes of no confidence seems down right mild. Go here for more MRC Profiles in Bias, a complete accounting of the spin flowing from America’s high profile journalists.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.















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Comments Policy
Don Meacham, are you ready fo
January 26, 2007 - 18:04 ET by ucDon Meacham, are you ready for a new book titled "Hillary and Hyde." I would write it but still cannot figure out whether it would be about green tea in the afternoon with Elenor at Hyde Park, NY or about the hard to separate personalities of Hillary Clinton from Jekyl(Hillary), and/or, Hyde.
Let's make it easier, Mike.
January 26, 2007 - 18:21 ET by mattmLet's make it easier, Mike. Let's just ask elitist members of the media what they want.
Let us learn from California
January 26, 2007 - 18:27 ET by ucLet us learn from California and encourage Hillary the traitor to just representing New York to be "RECALLED."
Wallace was and is a psychological mess...
January 26, 2007 - 18:27 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasMike Wallace was and is a psychological mess. What kind of moron other than someone who has exceeded even modest amounts of sociopathic narcissism speak sentimentally of a brutal regime through the eyes of those that onced suffered? What a clown. The man is a depressive maniac and obviously lives in a constantly antagonistic and anti-social mode to compensate for feelings of self-hate and depression. But it is hilarious to read this poor specimen of a man and journalist points to talk radio as the fault of the population's voting errors when their audience makes up a little percentage of the population, particularly in comparison to the dinosaur CBS and 60 Minute's audience.
If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal. Go Rudy!
To Hollywood: I am commenti
January 26, 2007 - 18:28 ET by ucTo Hollywood: I am commenting more on casting than script.
Oh, good grief! In another
January 26, 2007 - 18:29 ET by motherbeltOh, good grief! In another thread, involving Rosie O'Donnel's pushing for Bush to be impeached, I commented that maybe she should move to another country, where stuff like Mike Wallace is wishing for, happens. Unfortunately for Mike and Rosie, here, barring high crimes and misdemeanors (which apparently don't include perjuring oneself and character assassination), a President gets to serve out his term. That's how a republic (not a democracy) is governed...by laws, not by a crowd in a snit.
The system he proposes is poo
January 26, 2007 - 18:33 ET by AtheistRepublicanThe system he proposes is poorly thought out. Leaders have to do things that may not be popular immediatly, either because of secrecy or because the public just isn't being open minded. Such a system would stop presidents from making controversial decisions and weaken our country considerably. You know what, I take back the poorly thought out thing, its just plain stupid.
You know, it's interestin
January 26, 2007 - 19:44 ET by Troika37You know, it's interesting. During the civil rights movement, an overwhelming majority of the country was against it. The President took the steps he felt were correct and necessary even in the face of public opposition. Where would the left be now if they had forced Kennedy to capitulate on de-segregation because it's what the public wanted? I think we all agree that the correct action was taken. From that, it follows that the public must have been wrong. I'm always amazed at the complete lack of knowledge - or willful ignorance - of American history from the left.
"Oh no! The public doesn't support this. We'd better not do it, regardless of whether it's right or wrong!"
Thank God we have a President who can act presidential in the face of short-attention-span America.
Votes of no confidence?If we
January 26, 2007 - 19:35 ET by SMGalbraithVotes of no confidence?
If we could do this to journalists too, then I might go for it.
Let's see, Truman had something along the lines of a 20% approval rating in his second term. He would have been dismissed. Lincoln, in his first term, was deeply disliked. No polls back then, obviously, but my guess is that using the Wallace "standard", he'd be gone. FDR has approval ratings in the low 40s. Et cetera, et cetera.
Sorry, Mr. Wallace. We're a constitutionally-limited representative democracy. The Constitution forbids what you want to do (or more accurately, doesn't allow it). And while liberals like to read all sorts of things into the Constitution that aren't there, we're not going to let you read things out of the document that are there. To wit, presidents serve four year terms of office and may be removed only upon impeachment and conviction.
They're called elections. We had one and your side lost.
This dinosaur's as ignorant a
January 26, 2007 - 20:03 ET by TheDeuceThis dinosaur's as ignorant as the ones watching the comet fall on their collective heads millions of years ago.
"Man....that shore is purty.....'
WHAMMMM
Hey Mr. Wallace- your son nee
January 26, 2007 - 20:41 ET by NazarethHey Mr. Wallace- your son needs to speak with you- no really, I mean it. Seems the public is voting 'no confidence' against ya.
http://sacredscoop.com
Naz... I'm betting his son is
January 26, 2007 - 20:59 ET by Clear thinkerNaz... I'm betting his son is getting closer to having his dad put in a retirement home. And if he isn't, he should consider it.
This ain't Parliament, sorry
January 26, 2007 - 21:58 ET by UnsaneMaybe someone ought to hand Wallace a copy of the Constitution along with some drawings of how the U.S. government functions. Congress can have a vote of no confidence once an hour and win each time and President Bush is STILL President Bush until 20 January 2009.
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
Wallace...if we could have a
January 26, 2007 - 23:13 ET by bigtimerWallace...if we could have a no confidence vote on you leftist liars in the media...you would be begging in the streets.
Homeless.
Jack of no trades.
Got it, you worthless enemies within?
Good idea
January 26, 2007 - 23:29 ET by M J BIf the boot was on the other foot as in the huge ammount of money spent to put down Clinton in blowjob gate; would it not be easier to just have a vote of non convidence? The non convidence idea is a good one. Perhaps you just do not like who it is been applied to?
Give Me A Break
January 28, 2007 - 01:18 ET by emjem24Have you completely lost your mind, or are you just a troll? Oh, yes, in your mind, let's just save the money and not investigate anything. We'll just vote on it. Yeah, that's great...Bubba did something wrong and we wasted time on that but Pres. Bush would just get a no confidence vote? Your argument makes no sense. Come up with something more plausible and perhaps I'll entertain it.
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. Air Force Motto
emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.
Wallace: "Forget– Forg
January 26, 2007 - 23:37 ET by NeoConfirmedWallace: "Forget– Forget impeachment. What you– Forget impeachment? Good luck. The– The– A representative government in which you can vote no confidence in a president or the leader and get rid of him."
Colbert: "Well, that's Canada, sir. That's Canada!"
[Cheers and applause]
What in the hell kind of a country do I live in when this pathetic exchange is rewarded? Answers please....
What kind of country? A co
January 27, 2007 - 07:35 ET by motherbeltWhat kind of country? A country where it's "cool" to insult the President.
I am 58 years old, and I never thought I would see the day when so many of our elected representatives would publicly ridicule and insult a President of the United States. When a party leader in Congress would publicly call the President oblivious and dangerous. When members of Congress and the Senate would go off on their own to confer with foreign powers, even in countries like Syria, when specifically requested not to by the President, implying that those leaders also should ignore the President.
Disagreement is fine; but these people have gone way over the line, IMHO. They don't seem to care that they present a picture to the world that says the Congresss and Senate hate the President and think he is stupid.
It makes me sad....
motherbelt - you have hit it!
January 28, 2007 - 01:30 ET by misterbillmotherbelt - you have hit it!
"I am 58 years old, and I never thought I would see the day when so many of our elected representatives would publicly ridicule and insult a President of the United States."
I am a little older. I think it is fine on a blog site or a letter to a friend, etc for the man in the street to say, "Boy that Bush or Clinton is and a$$hole". It is not OK for the men and women I elected to serve me to say those same things in public. I don't care what they say after a few in a cocktail lounge in Foggy Bottom, BUT STOP MALIGNING THE PRESIDENT IN FRONT OF THE WORLD, YOU FOOLS!
I told my wife tonight that these fools in Washington (both parties) do not understand the spark they are putting to the tinder. We will have a flash fire with people all over the country in violent, physical disagreement over issues. I believe at this time that a great number of the public are wising up to the lies of the MSM and that is one of the big reasons they are losing business.
They are teaching the next generation to disrespect the highest offices of the grandest republic that has ver existed. I am ready to go hide deep in a forest before the eruption happens.
Come on up misterb...Great po
January 28, 2007 - 01:36 ET by bigtimerCome on up misterb...
Great points!
Seriously, this country is getting ready to explode within.
Got a light anyone is going to be easy soon if this keeps up...
It is so pathetically sad.
BT English lesson
January 28, 2007 - 01:41 ET by misterbillBT English lesson. Tonight's lesson is synonyms:
cut and run =RINO
not from the war, from their leader. Cowards!
misterb...Isn't that the trut
January 28, 2007 - 01:48 ET by bigtimermisterb...
Isn't that the truth!
Sadly!
Thank goodness for President Bush, I have been disappointed in some of his programs...but I admire him for his strength...we better hope and pray we get someone strong to lead us and keep us as safe as he has,
Polls be damned!
Polls be damned!
January 28, 2007 - 01:50 ET by misterbillPolls be damned! Pols be damned too!
I don't think so
January 28, 2007 - 01:56 ET by SportPoliticsI don't think so. I think 95% or more of the public hasn't a clue, even most of the voters, who as the press says don't really pay attention until a week or two before an election.
They might get the POTUS assassinated, though. I think that is a real possibility from their constant slamming and hatred. They might weaken allies and create new enemies overseas, I think they have already.
But thinking the public will erupt one against another - I don't really think so. Heck the demcorats went about slashing tires and shooting into republican HQ's and breaking in during '04, and stealing laptops and voter lists and strategies( which they no doubt used to advantage in the '06 election), but it seems even that was mostly forgotten already.
I suppose something bad could happen at rallies or "opposing protests", but I certainly cannot see the general public getting involved.
Sports
January 28, 2007 - 02:04 ET by misterbillSports- Boy, do I want to believe you are right. It may be that the country was fired up like this in the past and I didn't notice it as much as I do now. (More time to follow happenings , being retired.)
I still believe that the country is collapsing from within. Between, the war, illegal immigration and our pols fighting each other instead of tending the home fires, I think we are heading into deep doodoo!
Yep....Gonna need some marchi
January 28, 2007 - 02:11 ET by bigtimerYep....
Gonna need some marching boots...or else use those bootstraps to pull ourselves out of this pile of shite...
Either way.....Trudge on...We have no choice soon if we want to save what our forefathers fought for!
We will achieve VICTORY!
Yeah I never saw the nam protests
January 28, 2007 - 02:12 ET by SportPoliticsYeah I never saw the nam protests, it's obviously my less learned opinion, but I gave it anyway. Didn't the Alabama riots either.
Heck the younger gen hasn't seen much.
The media and the politcols l
January 28, 2007 - 02:22 ET by bigtimerThe media and the politcols like Lynn Woolsey and many others have been planning for a recreation of the demonstrations and riots they had here over Nam...it was past disgraceful, I was ashamed, I was all of fourteen or so....I will never forget it.
I also wasn't popular with my views as it wasn't the majority of the school, including s0me of our teachers...or my best friends...of course I didn't give a rats rear.
This is not the same now...people get different info now...the problem is you see the media go 24/7 against the surge especially since the President is not going to back down...we will achieve victory if he has his way...
But hey, you got the print and television going against you full bore now....
They are who we should get rid of, the enemy within and their propaganda machine...in ful tilt.
You know, Bill, I fear the sa
January 28, 2007 - 02:14 ET by Chicago RepublicanYou know, Bill, I fear the same thing. I went to bed on election night when the Democrats were about two seats away from winning the House back. I worried - could this be the beginning of the end of this country's greatness?
I don't want to be a doomsayer
January 28, 2007 - 02:29 ET by misterbillI don't want to be a doomsayer but--I read your Nov 8th forum item. I did not go to Natl Review as I ahve read them almost every day and subscribe to the mag. The rest of the world (mostly) hates us. Not because of the Iraq situation, because we are rich and successful. I'll digress and relate that I once worked for a major US IT company. When I went to customer environments, I would often meet resentment and hostility. This would usually go away after a few days of working with the customer. My probing disclosed , in almost every case, that we were disliked because we were BIG and successful. In later years , the role was reversed and darned if I didn't feel the same resentment toward the big companies. That's the way of the world. The US must do what is right. Those celebrities who go to foreign countries and sit with people and join in on bashing the US think that they understand the attitudes of those foreigners. "Look at me, I am a great guy/gal, these folks love me. America is ugly and I and only I can fix that." Actually, they will come to find that they are hated more because of their Judas-like behavior. I believe this strongly, if I wre a native of certain foreign countries, I would hunger for the destruction of America. After all, we are the Great Satan.
I hear what you are saying, B
January 28, 2007 - 02:54 ET by Chicago RepublicanI hear what you are saying, Bill. But there are two things to keep in mind. First, those nations living under Constitutional Government (i.e., free societies, namely Western Europe) can hate us, ok, fine. Their unemployment problems are out of control because of their statist domestic policies, the products they produce can't compete with ours, we set the trends in so many ways - so if those guys hate the US, who really cares?
There is a second group in the world that hates us as well. Sadly, though, this group doesn't live under Contstitutional Government. Most of them live in police states (many nations of the Middle East). These people from cradle to grave grow up being taught that they are poor, oppressed and suffer the misery they suffer because of the United States and the other First World nations. This becomes a marraige of convenience with Islamism. The Infidel then becomes the same person who oppresses me and there is no free press, no viable Left movement in the country to counter this brainwashing. If there was, eventually it would become obvious to the population that they live is poverty because they have crooked governments whose corruption and fascist policies are the very cause of their plight. Without the shackles of closed society brainwashing, these people can begin to realize that the key to escaping their misery is to pursue commerce and freedom, not strapping bombs on their children and sending them into Israeli pizza parlors.
Here's the thing, though - this takes PATIENCE and a long term vision. Iraq - if we stay the course and allow the LONG and grueling trip to stable democracy to germinate - 50 years from now can be a land of opportunity for its people. Problem is Bill, we don't have the patience to see this through to the end. I think Bush, again for his many domestic faults, does see the end. It may be beyond our lifetimes, but Americans many years from now can live in a world of relative peace (and still be hated - who cares) if we see this vision through.
So what if a free Europe hates us? If a stable and free Middle East hates us 100 years from now (as I describe above) who cares about that, either?
Food for thought.
You know, Bill, I fear the sa
January 28, 2007 - 02:14 ET by Chicago RepublicanCopy - sorry
I Agree Motherbelt
January 28, 2007 - 01:32 ET by emjem24I agree with everything you said, motherbelt. Also, think about the military and the doublespeak going on right now, which the American public have allowed. In one breath, politicians say "great job, troops" and in the next breath they say "the war's a quagmire." Nothing like a backhanded compliment or is that an insult? No, we're living in a country where many, many Americans do not independently think for themselves, aren't educated enough (there are tons of college grads out there who don't know basic American/civic history) to understand their responsibility as citizens of this country. Many Americans don't know what's going on in Iraq, only what they see in the MSM, and they don't even know someone in the military. So, when things go south, it's so easy to bail because that's what Americans (especially young Americans) have been taught to do by our culture and society. It's okay to give up and give in. It's no skin off our necks. They would rather have politicians do their thinking for them. Yeah, America, when you don't like something like a war, vote in the opposing party, and you can still say you support the troops just not the war. Is that like saying I like chocolate chip cookies as long as they don't have those darned chocolate chips in them? We're living in very moral relativist times. It's sad...and it will only get worse when the war is defunded and we leave. Then, the real carnage will begin.
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. Air Force Motto
emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.
You guys make me proud. Serio
January 28, 2007 - 01:47 ET by Eric TurnerYou guys make me proud. Seriously. I'm glad I'm a member of this website. The sanity that prevails in here is so nice to hear when you've been beaten about the ears daily by the inane ludicrous comments made by liberal secular progressives.
It's one of the reasons why I and so many others who are members here are (or were) members of the military. You give me hope to believe that America will last for another 230 years (counting from 1776).
And on a humorous note...if you all just weren't so deadgum old! l ;-)
AKA: armyvet
Eric - do me one favor, thoug
January 31, 2007 - 01:37 ET by Chicago RepublicanEric - do me one favor, though. Don't refer to the contemporary American Left as "progressive" or "liberal". If you'll notice (doubt you would, but....) I always use the term Leftists when talking about what most people refer to as "liberal". I know a "Leftist" is generally thought of in more radical terms, but ......
There is nothing Liberal/Progressive (the term progressive really annoys me) about:
I could go on.......
Mike Please just Die Already!
January 27, 2007 - 09:01 ET by ChasvsWhen is this windbag going to do his country a favor and just die? either that or move is a$$ to France where he would obviously love to be!
Mike Please just Die Alre
January 27, 2007 - 09:40 ET by Jack BauerMike Please just Die Already!
He already looks dead to me.
Mike Wallace--
January 28, 2007 - 02:33 ET by misterbillMike Wallace--is Jewish. Doesn't he understand the pogrom that will occur if enemy boots ever land on this soil?? The Arab and Muslim world has sworn to kill every Jew. What in the world is wrong with these MSM idiots.
This is rich. This dolt is
January 27, 2007 - 11:49 ET by Al CzervikThis is rich. This dolt is calling for a vote of no confidence from a branch of the government that has a lower approval rating than the President.
It must be a sad and dreary place in that man's world.
do we have the same rights as
January 27, 2007 - 13:12 ET by buddycdo we have the same rights as to wallace? i want him off the air! where are my rights?
Wallace Just Another Useless Hack
January 28, 2007 - 01:10 ET by emjem24Does this man know that we're not the UK? We're a representative republic...no confidence vote, my a$#! Vote of no confidence = impeachment. I just love how all the lovely liberals out there want impeachment but if that doesn't work, hey, let's just change our representative form of government to one that is parliamentarian. Yet another poser asking us dumb Americans to be more like those smarter Europeans. Yeah, I would love some more government involvement in my life, wouldn't you? Yeah, those Europeans know how to do it...they socialized their health care and look where that ended up. The only thing keeping it going is the government and not very well. Yes, let's also do our foreign policy like them....appease, appease, appease. Yes, let's do, Mikey Boy. Hey, and when it all goes to hell...we'll know who to blame. I guess I now know who to turn to for political advice.
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. Air Force Motto
emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.
I'll have to blow the dust of
January 28, 2007 - 03:23 ET by Chicago RepublicanI'll have to blow the dust off my Comparitive Politics textbook from college. But, if I remember correctly, in a true parliamentary system I think the Executive, upon receiving a no-confidence vote, has ten days to dissolve the Legislature and call for new elections. If I'm right, wouldn't that be sweet.......