ABC Radio News Break: Sykes Slams Oba... Oh, I Mean Cheney

May 9th, 2009 11:41 PM

As Tim Graham reported earlier, comedian Wanda Sykes was given the spotlight for the White House Correspondents' Dinner tonight. We wondered if she'd throw a barb or two Obama's way as is customary. All past hosts have spared no opportunity to skewer the current commander in chief and his administration. That is what the thing is for, after all.

Well, even if comedian Sykes did give a lighthearted whack or two to The One, we wouldn't know about it by listening to the ABC Radio news break at the top of the 10PM hour (central). During the radio news break a report was aired on the dinner that featured one of Sykes' jokes.

Was it about Barack? Michelle? Even an Obama staffer? Nope. ABC couldn't find its way clear to air any of those jokes. No, what ABC aired was Sykes' joke about... Dick Cheney. Isn't he out of office?

The joke went as follows:

Dick Cheney. He's a scary man. He scares me to death. I tell my children that if there are two cars driving down our street, one has a stranger in it and one has Dick Cheney... get in the car with the stranger in it!

The joke is OK, I guess. But what is funnier is that ABC radio news used that joke instead of any of the jokes about Obama for its news break. What happened to the "new" era? Why is ABC Radio still looking backward?

Why else but that ABC doesn't see anything funny about Barack Obama. Not even his jug ears are ripe for poking, I guess.

But, har, har, them thar Bush guys are a scream!