tip of the hat to Stephen Colbert

 

Jesters and fools are necessary for the good of society. They are free to speak the truth.
http://catholicdemocratfromohio.blogspot.com/2007/08/of-jesters-and-fools.html

David Letterman will be succeeded by Stephen Colbert.

On someone's collection of quotes site, they collected from Colbert. Colbert went in front of those who wield power and made them uncomfortable by telling the truth. He did so in front of national reporters, and the then sitting president; later he went to Congress. And this from the man, who mocks Fox Corp propaganda, and mouthfoamers.

• ''And that brings us to tonight's word: Truthiness. Now I'm sure some of the word-police, the 'wordanistas' over at Websters, are gonna say, 'Hey, that's not a word!' Well, anybody who knows me knows that I am no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They're elitist. Constantly telling us what is or isn't true, what did or didn't happen...'' —Stephen Colbert

while staring down the powers that be:

• ''To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush...I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You now what, I'm a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough...Somebody shoot me in the face.'' —Stephen Colbert, roasting President Bush at the 2006 White House Correspondents' dinner
• ''I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in 'reality.' And reality has a well-known liberal bias.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto
• ''I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message that no matter what happens to America she will always rebound with the most powerfully staged photo-ops in the world.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto
• ''I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto
• ''I trust that following my testimony, both sides will work together on this issue in the best interest of the American people. As you always do.'' —Stephen Colbert, testifying before Congress on behalf of the United Farm Workers Union, which was pushing an agriculture jobs bill to give illegal immigrant farm workers a path to citizenship
• ''I'm not a fan of the government doing anything. But I've got to ask: Why isn't the government doing anything? Maybe this ag jobs bill will help. I don't know. Like most members of Congress, I haven't read it.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto

Stephen Colbert is a practicing, teaching Catholic. He knows fully well that Jesus did not suffer lightly hypocrites; and mostly Colbert as an humorist is a political commentator.

• ''Mentioning Jesus in your speech: Small government. Doing what Jesus asked: Big government.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.'' —Stephen Colbert

He pretends to be a "conservative" super patriot, but his comments betray that guise:

• ''Winning the Nobel Prize does not automatically qualify you to be commander in chief. I think George Bush has proved definitively that to be president, you don't need to care about science, literature or peace.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''Paul Ryan stretching the truth to make his speech more effective is just another form of doping. In that if you believe him, you are a dope.'' —Stephen Colbert on Paul Ryan's speech at the Republican National Convention
• ''Of course! Jeb Bush! America is hungry for another leader from that talented family!'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''I have tender feelings for Nixon, because everybody has warm feelings about their childhood. Actually, I didn't like the Watergate trials 'cause they interrupted The Munsters... Nixon was the last liberal president. He supported women's rights, the environment, ending the draft, youth involvement, and now he's the boogeyman? Kerry couldn't even run on that today.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''Sorry to disappoint the liberals who tuned in tonight to gloat about Obama's lead in every poll, but I am not worried. McCain may be behind, but the man is a fighter. He doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit.' He used to, but it was stored in the same part of his brain that remembered to vet his running mate.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''I know you think Sarah Palin is at best a self-promoting ignoramus and at worst a shameless media troll who will abuse any platform to deliver dog whistle encouragement to a far-right base that may include possible insurrectionists. I know you think Sarah Palin's reality show was pathetically unstatesmanlike and at the same time, I know you think it also represents the pinnacle of her potential.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''The entire future of marriage rests with Justice Anthony Kennedy, the man who declared in Citizens United that corporations are people with constitutional rights. I just hope he doesn't do anything rash, like declare that homosexuals are people with constitutional rights.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''I love its message of 'F**k them, I got mine.''' —Stephen Colbert on ''Atlas Shrugged'' by Ayn Rand

But i think the final word is not truthiness, but reality:

• ''Contrary to what people may say, there's no upper limit to stupidity.'' —Stephen Colbert