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Thursday, May 4, 2006 12:00 AM

Colbert: Not just a flop, but "rude" and "a bully" too

The Washington Post's Richard Cohen says that Colbert should have used his shot to tell Washington things it needed to hear.

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  • Thursday, May 4, 2006 10:09 AM

    Far be it from me to quote a crappy '80's movie...

    ...But my wife bought "With Honors" to fuel her "Gray's Anatomy"-inspired Patrick Dempsey crush. Utterly forgetable as a film -- until now, when I recall the pivotal scene in which the homeless man (played by Joe Pesci) adopted by a cadre of Harvard students is spotted in one of their constitutional law classes. The professor (played by Gore Vidal) calls on him to answer the questions that none of the students seems to be able to - why isn't the president a king? What makes the American constitutional system so much better than a monarchy?

    Long and short of Pesci's answer: "Because in this country, I can tell the president that he's a bum, just like me."

    Mr. Cohen, it's not insignificant that Colbert could speak truth to power, even in an insulting, "bullying" way. It is the very essence of our greatness as a country. If you don't understand that, please find a vocation more suited to your capabilities. Might I suggest anything that doesn't involve writing about politics.

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