Party of the Damned
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
As the Bush presidency staggers to an end, it's hard to say who has less to brag about: the president or the journalists who cover him. So it's fitting that the last White House Correspondents' Association dinner of the Bush era -- the ultimate celebration of chumminess between the most powerful people in the world and those who are supposed to hold them accountable -- was a dispiriting, mostly humorless affair.
President Bush phoned in his appearance, uttering a few topical one-liners but leaning primarily on greatest-hits footage from previous performances -- and wrapping up with a cartoonish but crowd-pleasing "conducting" of the Marine band.
Comedian Craig Ferguson essentially apologized in advance for his understated headlining performance -- a far cry from the withering diatribe delivered by Stephen Colbert two years ago.
"I spoke to a lot of journalists, about how I should speak up here," Ferguson said near the outset. "And everyone -- all the journalists said: 'Craig, your duty is speak truth to power. That's what you do: You hold the truth up for everyone to see. . . . And I am sorry, I don't see it that way. That is your job. I am a late night television show guy."
(Continued here.)
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
As the Bush presidency staggers to an end, it's hard to say who has less to brag about: the president or the journalists who cover him. So it's fitting that the last White House Correspondents' Association dinner of the Bush era -- the ultimate celebration of chumminess between the most powerful people in the world and those who are supposed to hold them accountable -- was a dispiriting, mostly humorless affair.
President Bush phoned in his appearance, uttering a few topical one-liners but leaning primarily on greatest-hits footage from previous performances -- and wrapping up with a cartoonish but crowd-pleasing "conducting" of the Marine band.
Comedian Craig Ferguson essentially apologized in advance for his understated headlining performance -- a far cry from the withering diatribe delivered by Stephen Colbert two years ago.
"I spoke to a lot of journalists, about how I should speak up here," Ferguson said near the outset. "And everyone -- all the journalists said: 'Craig, your duty is speak truth to power. That's what you do: You hold the truth up for everyone to see. . . . And I am sorry, I don't see it that way. That is your job. I am a late night television show guy."
(Continued here.)
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