Friday night on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Dan Rather praised left-wing comedians with television shows, namely Bill Maher and Jon Stewart, for “speaking truth to power” at a time when journalists have “lost our guts.” Then, though last July Rather declared he "absolutely" believes "the truth" of his discredited Bush National Guard story based on forged memos, actor Jason Alexander hailed Rather: "I am really honored to be sitting next to a man that I think was one of the beacons of integrity in news journalism." Alexander, who is best-known for playing "George Costanza" on Seinfeld, proceeded to lean across fellow guest Martha Raddatz of ABC News to shake hands with Rather.
Rather declared to Maher that “comedians, such as yourself, Jon Stewart and others, are a valuable supplement” to the mainstream news media since “good journalism...speaks truth to power,” but “we've lost our guts. We need a spine transplant. What's happened is comedians, in their own way, speak truth to power and fill that vacuum that we in journalism have too often left, particularly post 9/11.”
The Internet Movie Database's page for Alexander, which notes that his real name is Jason Greenspan
A brief transcript from the end of the panel session on the March 16 Real Time with Bill Maher aired live at 11pm EDT, from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, on HBO East:
Dan Rather: “Comedians, such as yourself, Jon Stewart and others, are a valuable supplement -- and here's why: Good journalism at its best frequently speaks truth to power. What's happened with journalists, again I don't except myself from this criticism, in some ways we've lost our guts. We need a spine transplant. What's happened is comedians, in their own way, speak truth to power and fill that vacuum that we in journalism have too often left, particularly post 9/11.”[Applause]
Bill Maher: “As Bill O'Reilly would say, I will give you the final word, Jason.”
Jason Alexander: “I have to go back one step, because you're absolutely right about comics. But I think we would be remiss, and I'm sure this applies to both of you, but I don't know your work [Martha Raddatz] as well as I do Mr. Rather's-”
Martha Raddatz: “It's okay.”
Alexander: “-to say you are very selfless in including yourself in the group of journalists you described and their foils, but I have to say I am really honored to be sitting next to a man that I think was one of the beacons of integrity in news journalism.” [leans over to shake hand with Rather]
Maher: “I second that emotion.”
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
And Hollywood wonders why t
March 17, 2007 - 01:53 ET by ApacheIPAnd Hollywood wonders why they are suffering at the box office? Too funny.
Maher: “I second that emotion.”
It is all about emotions with liberals. Logical and rational thought is not only unnecessary, but entirely unwelcome.
How do you debate such people?
Costanza
March 17, 2007 - 02:13 ET by gfrrmanWell I guess Jason Alexander is as stupid as his character on Seinfeld. I expected better from him, but it's Hollyweird. "..beacons of integrity..."???("fake but accurate") "Pardon me, my name is George. I'm bald, unemployed and live with my parents."...seems to fit and I might add..stupid!!! God help us!!!
gfrrman
March 17, 2007 - 08:11 ET by SportPoliticsJust earlier I was going to post that we are in real trouble when so many people watch Stewart and Colbert and believe what they say is true...but thought it was better not to post that. Now Dan Rather has come out as a true believer.
roflmao - Oh man how far the dems have fallen.
Alexander: “-to say you are
March 17, 2007 - 03:32 ET by old croAlexander: “-to say you are very selfless in including yourself in the group of journalists you described and their foils, but I have to say I am really honored to be sitting next to a man that I think was one of the beacons of integrity in news journalism.” [leans over to shake hand with Rather]
He must mean the hats that the lib journalists wear.
"If you've got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow."
John Wayne
"....one of the beacon
March 17, 2007 - 09:49 ET by motherbelt"....one of the beacons of integrity in news journalism.”
ROFLMAO!
I'm afraid to ask who he thinks the other ones are....
I am reminded of the time o
March 17, 2007 - 05:04 ET by motherbeltI am reminded of the time on Seinfeld when George tells Elaine he had always hoped she and Jerry would get back together and she says, "Well, that's because you're an idiot!"
Or what George's old gym teac
March 17, 2007 - 07:16 ET by Gat New YorkOr what George's old gym teacher called him: "Can't-stand-zya."
We have the Seinfeld DVDs and
March 17, 2007 - 07:38 ET by msh1973We have the Seinfeld DVDs and during the interviews my husband commented about Jason Alexander, "I'll bet he is a real jerk", he was correct. Don't forget that Julia (Elaine) is a big lib as well. Anyone who thinks Dan Rather is a beacon of truth must be a little touched in the head. Unreal!
"Beacon of truth" -
March 17, 2007 - 07:49 ET by Gat New York"Beacon of truth" - - - wasn't he fired for NOT being a beacon of truth?!
As I recall, his own (soon to
March 17, 2007 - 11:46 ET by Del DolemonteAs I recall, his own (soon to be deceased) fiancee also called him an idiot.
This really is 'funny.' Pardo
March 17, 2007 - 05:13 ET byThis really is 'funny.' Pardon the... well.. you know.
Just this morning it went through my mind how so many people are listening to comedians these days for their news.
I thought how Rosie and Joy on The View are comedians, and how Bill Maher thinks he is a comedian.
It used to be that people knew that comedians would simply say anything for a laugh and that they may not even believe in what they themselves say. But today, people are actually listening to these people for the daily news.
Hey, I am all for some humor in the light of current events, I have been known to say a lil funny myself, in my writings and conversation about the day’s news, but this is ludicrous! Turning to out-out-out comedians for the news? Where’s the sense in that?
Well.. hmm... I suppose all the liberals can get to represent them are main-stream media puppets and jesters.
Let's be better than them and dump Ann Coulter. :o)
Debra...
www.InformingChristians.com
As Angie would say, "Debbie, how do you REALLY feel?"
I saw that suck-fest last nig
March 17, 2007 - 05:44 ET by NortonalecI saw that suck-fest last night. Thoses idots really know how to fall all over each other. What are they going to do when GW moves on?
Nortonalec
Good Morning, Nortonalec, It
March 17, 2007 - 05:53 ET byGood Morning, Nortonalec,
It must have been nauseating to actually watch that.
Yesterday, I caught some of The View and they were talking about a 'Toasting,' where comedians are insulted by other comedians. Joy was saying that she had been asked to be the subject at one. Get this. She won't do it, because she can dish out the insulting, but she cannot take it done to her. Someone asked Rosie if she would ever do it, and she quickly said, "No!"
What will they do after Bush moves on? Heck, they are still trashing Reagan and he is not even here any more.
Debra...
Debra, the actual comedy-te
March 17, 2007 - 06:05 ET by sarcasmoDebra, the actual comedy-term is "Roasting."
JMR
::: laughing ::: I am alway
March 17, 2007 - 06:35 ET by::: laughing ::: I am always messing up with words. Thanks, sarcasmo.. :o)
You'll probably hear about
March 17, 2007 - 07:52 ET by sarcasmoYou'll probably hear about that, if we ever decide to roast you... ;)
JMR
Can they do that to born-agai
March 17, 2007 - 09:07 ET byCan they do that to born-again Christian home school moms, sarcasmo? hehe...
I'm not familiar with Bill
March 17, 2007 - 06:25 ET by WhichWingI'm not familiar with Bill Maher and his show, but I personally think the Daily Show is great. In a lot of ways the Daily Show does the same thing NewsBusters does. They are constantly pointing out the absurdness of the media. And if you haven't noticed, they are not afraid to pick on either party. But keep this in mind, the only true way to appreciate the Daily Show is to be up on your current events before you watch, don't go there to get the news.
"They are not afraid to
March 17, 2007 - 07:58 ET by Gat New York"They are not afraid to pick on either party." Yeh right. Stewart gives a infrequent wrist slap to Democrats and mercilessly pummelts Republicans. Yeh, that's real balanced.
For me the best one's Colbert
March 17, 2007 - 08:06 ET by sarcasmoFor me the best one's Colbert. And Rahm Emmanuel just confirmed a sarcasmo-suspicion by advising freshman Democrats to stay the hell off his show (IOW, Rahm's not stupid). I consider that a hilarious comedy-explosion, akin to a mortar falling on the center an ammo-dump in warfare. :) Of course, anyone who makes a living mocking O'Reilly is a good guy in my book!
JMR
I Catch Colbert every once in
March 17, 2007 - 09:24 ET by Roger the ShrubberI Catch Colbert every once in a while. He has one gimmick, and has pretty much run it to the ground, don't you think?
As for Jon Stewart, his show's Repub/Dem hit ratio is about 80% Repub, 20% Dem. The people who think it's a 50/50 split need to take off those blue-colored lenses and perhaps think about how similar they are to the Fox-News worshippers they hate.
Agreed on the Stewart-ratio,
March 17, 2007 - 10:01 ET by sarcasmoAgreed on the Stewart-ratio, but I think Steven's hilarious. Here's the comedy equation for next week: Funny porn titles like 'Filthy Things 6,' 'Gag Factor 15,' ' American Bukake 13' (50 copies!) and 'Gag Factor 18' + big government holier-than-thou hypocrites = a high probability of A FUNNY AS HELL Colbert Report. At least, to me and apparently a large & growing audience.
JMR
And another thing...For tho
March 17, 2007 - 10:14 ET by sarcasmoAnd another thing...For those few free-market fans left out there who might be willing to leave peaceable people the hell alone and spend just a bit less of my very high taxes on stupid crapola like prosecuting porn, I ask the following question: Does the now-obvious-to-you fact that there IS a "Gag Factor 18" -- implying Factors one through seventeen, I think it's safe to assume -- tell you that there might just be market demand for this product? LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE!!!
JMR
What's with the Urban Legend that Rather has 'integrity'?
March 17, 2007 - 08:26 ET by acaiguanaWhat's with the Urban Legend that Rather has 'integrity'?
ACA
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Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
Constanza/Rather
March 17, 2007 - 08:57 ET by seejaySo George Costanza is changing his name.
Again!
Just how does that work?
When you seek a job in American TV, you let everyone in town know that you're Jewish.
But you pick a non-Jewish name like Alexander.
But, now that it's been determined that there's no more demand for you as an actor, and taking a real job is .......unthinkable, you can still work as a MSM "pundit." No credentials required! Just be willing to bash our Commander In Chief on national TV.
"Oh yeah, one more thing........could you come up with a more Jewish sounding name this time? Maybe one with........gravitas?
inteligence
March 17, 2007 - 09:38 ET by iveseenitallThe people in Hollywood with intelligence and integrity are Dennis Miller, Gary Sinice(SP?), and Ben Stein. Most of the others are fools, lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Witness Alexander and Richards. And isn't it interesting that the only place guys like Rather and Algore can go for praise is Hollywood. Others see them for what they are.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Alexander is a has been actor
March 17, 2007 - 09:43 ET by FOXFANAlexander is a has been actor. At one time he was working for KFC doing commercials. Then he decided to speak up for PETA(he thought he was important), it's the chickens or me. KFC dumped him big time.
When he was young Jack Bauer's parents threw him a surprise birthday party. ONCE.
Speaking truth to chickens?
March 17, 2007 - 10:05 ET by acaiguanaSpeaking truth to chickens?
I love breakfast. It's a day's work for a hen, a lifetime commitment for a pig.
ACA
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Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
He also did an ad for McDonal
March 17, 2007 - 11:41 ET by Del DolemonteHe also did an ad for McDonalds' MacDLT sandwich. Not to mention his wonderful post-Seinfeld series, "Bob Patterson", which was cancelled after only 5 episodes.
BTW, he says that the KFC thing was mis-reported. He told Adweek in August 2006, and I quote:
"I loved working for KFC. I was targeted by PETA to broker something between them. I think KFC really stepped up to the plate; unfortunately PETA did not."
".... beacons of integri
March 17, 2007 - 09:32 ET by Stickfarm".... beacons of integrity in news journalism"
Pardon me, but using the words Rather and integrity in the same sentence is a great example of an oxymoron.
Stickfarm
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
Hey, credit where credit is
March 17, 2007 - 10:22 ET by Jack BauerHey, credit where credit is due to Jason Alexander.
It takes a lot of guts to go on TV in today's climate of fear engendered by the Bush junta and speak truth the power. Tim Robbins, for one, has been silenced.
(Historical note: Herr Hitler was elected too. Just like Herr Bush. So there.)
What you don't know is that just after the show aired, the brave Jason was picked up by Bush's Stormtroopers, and was disappeared....
++CORRECTION++
It was not Jason Alexander himself who was "disappeared" -- only his career!!
This is what happens when you oppose Bush. Permanent exile to the Gulag Catskills.
I feel the need to remind e
March 17, 2007 - 11:05 ET by SlyrrI feel the need to remind everyone that Dan Rather was forced to resign in disgrace for using FORGED documents in an attempt to destroy a sitting Republican president. All part of his confessed desire to do "whatever it takes" to get his political enemies, and part of Mary Mape's admission that it was "not the standard" to prove that their crazy lies were true - she thought it was up to everyone else to prove that they weren't.
I don't doubt that liberals, Democrats and idealogues like Maher, Alexander, et. al would LOVE it if the legal profession were changed so that it was exactly like "mainstream" news. In the news, you can say any crazy lie you want now, and it's not up to them to prove that it's true - it's up to you to prove that it's false. Guilty until proven innocent.
And it seems they're getting their wish. They're criminalizing their political enemies with manufactured scandals, and the Republicans are letting them get away with it. Liberals keep saying that Republicans are trying to destroy civil liberties - but they seem oblivioius to the freedom and liberty they're destroying in the process of trying to destroy their enemies. The entire legal profession is teetering on the brink of being just like the news profession - a kangaroo court where anyone can accuse anyone of anything without proof, and send them to jail or destory their careers.
Will they come to the realization only once they start eating their own? When one of 'them' accuses another one of 'them' and uses the news/legal system to destroy themselves and see the horrors they've created?
At the moment, they're slapping Dan Rather on the back and saying he's a 'beacon of integrity'. Dan Rather - a proven fraud - is their 'beacon of integrity'. Jason Blair. Dan Rather. Mary Maples. Mike Issikoff. How long now is the list of 'mainstream journalists' who have been caught red-handed just making it up? They say they've gone places they've never been. They say they've interviewed people they've never met. They say they've done things they never did.
Ah, brave new world that has such putzes in it.
Ah yup.
March 17, 2007 - 11:28 ET by acaiguanaAh yup.
ACA
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Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
"Speaking truth to pow
March 17, 2007 - 13:27 ET by PSOS"Speaking truth to power" is really just a euphemism for telling lies about conservatives in power.
Neat trick
March 17, 2007 - 12:03 ET by nkviking75That's a neat trick, speaking truth to power without telling the truth.
Here's truth to power Rather
March 17, 2007 - 12:21 ET by bigtimerHere's truth to power Rather and all your defeatist ilk that have the freedom to speak it...said best by President Bush.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-17-president-address_N.htm?POE=NEWISVA
Naw, Bigtimer, here's 'truth to power' consequences. :-) ACA
March 17, 2007 - 13:32 ET by acaiguanaNaw, Bigtimer, here's 'truth to power' consequences. (unintended, I'm sure)
:-)
ACA
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Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
Guess one more lib that wont
March 18, 2007 - 02:56 ET by Dan The Man 2Guess one more lib that wont cause any problems.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
there's no truth allowed on the Left
March 17, 2007 - 13:44 ET by tumbler_2007If hypocrity has a perfect specimen, Rather is the one. Ass whoool.
Peter Pace isn't allowed to speak truth to power, is he? They can't allow it. When I was a kid nobody cared about political correctness. You could put your finger on the truth, proclaim it, and no power on earth could get tough with you.
Now the PC Gestapo can shut up the U.S. Armed Forces with a simple rebuke. Aided faithfully by the maim stream media. They want to maim Peter Pace for speaking truth to power. Homosexual activity (an act of perversion) is immoral, Dan Rather ! Let's see YOU shout it from the housetops, Tex.
Rather
March 17, 2007 - 15:26 ET by pocomocoI was just about to get through the first paragraph, when I had to yell at my wife to bring a bucket fast, because I was about to hurl.
I am leaving for the night so-----
March 24, 2007 - 18:35 ET by misterbillI am leaving for the night so-----Jason Alexander only said that and shook Dan's hand so he could rub up against Martha. Check her facial expression above.