Friday, May 05, 2006

Colbert Has Stones

There's been some internet-meme buzz around Stephen Colbert's speech at the White House Press Corps Dinner. I watched some of it last night and I got to say..meh. And I think I'm more disturbed that this was considered pointed criticism. Maybe he got more blatant as he went on (I got bored so I didn't finish it), but seriously if his speech is the high bar for questioning power in this country we are in big trouble. Maybe I was in the wrong headspace for Colbert's speech. I had just recieved a raft of photos from New Orleans from some co-workers who are there on vacation. The city is still devastated. Miles and miles of devastation, boats (big ones) still lying in the middle of streets, garbage, and falling down houses, and broken infrastructure everywhere. And it's been what, 9 months? And hurricane season starts in a few weeks? Man.

I know there's been a lot of gnashing of teeth over who has responsibility over NOLA, and that the Feds can't solve all the problems, etc etc..But I have to wonder. When a major city gets destroyed, who should be responsible for fixing it? What happens when there's a massive earthquake in California and LA or the Bay Area gets seriously damaged? I always assumed (wrongly perhaps) that massive tragedies, and the rebuilding were one of justifications for hte Federal Gov'ts existence.

So I guess that Colbert's snarky remarks just seems like a weak jab at a President who should be getting pummeled daily by the press and public alike.