Last night, Jon Stewart tore into the GOP for denying climate change and attacking Obama hypocritically over getting POW Bowe Bergdahl back.
OLIVER NORTH (6/3/2014): Was a ransom paid to the Haqqanis? ... If a ransom was paid, either at our behest or with American tax dollars, it means this government is causing to be funded a criminal enterprise that kills Americans — the Haqqanis.
So you're saying it now like it's a bad thing. Does it make you mad because it's gone mainstream? "I was into using American taxpayer money to arm terrorist groups way before it was cool!"
But is as always, Col. North makes the argument that the real tragedy here is the transparency.
OLIVER NORTH (6/3/2014): It's a disaster the way this has all come out. ... The reality is, they never talk about it. Ronald Reagan didn't, and this guy shouldn't have done it.
Finally, some practical advice from an informed voice on the right. You can overstep your authority, just lie the shit out of it afterwards. (audience laughter) And that's the more you don't actually know.
Video and full transcript below the fold.
You know, with the 2014 midterms on the horizon — feel the excitement in the room — the Republicans are more certain than ever in their doctrines.
Cutting taxes creates jobs.
Helping the environment kills jobs.
Marriage is between a man and a woman.
Money is speech.
And guns are a go-to accessory with any outfit.
They make a lovely couple.
It's a strategy that has difficulties when trying to appeal to moderate voters, though, who might value things like... evidence. As opposed to maybe the base, who believe Angels in the Outfield was a documentary. (audience laughter)
Not every candidate can bridge that gap. Like Michele Bachmann, who came out forcefully against the HPV vaccine because, as she stated, it causes brain damage.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MN (9/15/2011): I am not a doctor, I'm not a scientist, I'm not a physician. All I was doing was reporting what this woman told me last night at the debate.
And if we can't make laws based on what some lady tells you at a debate, well, I guess, the Nazis have won. (audience laughter and applause) Out of context, the audience applauding "the Nazis have won" is gonna seem a little weird.
Or perhaps when Illinois representative John Shimkus argued with certainty that a great place for our nation's nuclear waste would not be near Illinois.
REP. JOHN SHIMKUS, R-IL (8/2/2012): A mountain in a desert is a suitable place to put high-level nuclear waste. I believe it is, but I am not a scientist.
(shocked audience laughter)
But there I go! I'm not a theme park expert either, I also think it would be a great place for a toxic waste family fun zone.
But there's one thing — one thing — the GOP is super-super-super sure about. And it's that climate change is not real. It's not real. And, even if it was real, we shouldn't do anything. In fact, stalling and blocking climate change legislation at every turn is what they do. Like this week, when the Environmental Protection Agency released long-awaited guidelines aiming to reduce carbon pollution by 30%. Cue the Republicans' top climatologist.
SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER, R-OH (5/30/2014): Every proposal that has come out of this administration to deal with climate change involves hurting our economy and killing American jobs. That can't be the prescription for dealing with changes in our climate.
AL-JAZEERA (6/2/2014): House Speaker John Boehner said, "the President's plan is nuts".
Bonkers! President's plan is batshit knuckleheaded! The President's plan is blalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala!!
And he should know, this man has a very impressive set of scientific credentials, such as:
SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER, R-OH (5/30/2014): I'm not qualified to debate the science over climate change.
(audience laughter)
OK, then why do you? Even though he's only got a B.A. in gut feelings, it's not like that lack of qualification has stopped him from having that debate.
4/19/2009:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: What is the Republican plan to deal with carbon emissions, which every major scientific organization has said is contributing to climate change?
SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER, R-OH: George, the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide.
Yes, you can never have enough carbon dioxide. It's why I kept my pet hamster in a box with no holes in it. He's doing great. He's been asleep for three years.
If only there was some current story where Republicans had some actual expertise, like on the Bergdahl/Taliban prison swap.
6/3/2014:
SEAN HANNITY: Earlier today, President Obama defended the prisoner swap. ... Here to respond, Fox News military analyst and War Stories host, our friend Col. Oliver North.
OLIVER NORTH: I know a lot about hostage negotiations.
You're not fucking kidding! (audience laughter)
That's former National Security Council member Oliver "Iran-Contra" North, engaging in what we in the business call "understatement".
A man who back in the Reagan administration gained a great deal of hands-on terrorist negotiating experience, when he helped trade 2,000 missiles to the country of Iran for help in trying to free seven Americans being held in Lebanon. And then used the money from that missile sale to fund Nicaraguan contras, or as they were sometimes referred to, coke-fueled jungle death squads.
What would this individual think of the Bergdahl deal?
OLIVER NORTH (6/3/2014): Was a ransom paid to the Haqqanis? ... If a ransom was paid, either at our behest or with American tax dollars, it means this government is causing to be funded a criminal enterprise that kills Americans — the Haqqanis.
So you're saying it now like it's a bad thing. Does it make you mad because it's gone mainstream? "I was into using American taxpayer money to arm terrorist groups way before it was cool!"
But is as always, Col. North makes the argument that the real tragedy here is the transparency.
OLIVER NORTH (6/3/2014): It's a disaster the way this has all come out. ... The reality is, they never talk about it. Ronald Reagan didn't, and this guy shouldn't have done it.
Finally, some practical advice from an informed voice on the right. You can overstep your authority, just lie the shit out of it afterwards. (audience laughter) And that's the more you don't actually know.
We'll be right back.
Jon also covered the situation in
Egypt and
Syria, introducing new correspondent Michael Che in the process.
Meanwhile, Stephen talked about the (flawed) study that showed hurricanes with female names were deadlier than those with male names.
He then looked at how Amazon.com is screwing his publishers over in order to get a monopoly, talking with author Sherman Alexie.
Stephen then noted the news coverage that he was actually the best news source to understand campaign finance reform in the wake of Citizens United.
Stephen talked with actor Jonah Hill, and Jon talked with Egyptian activist Gigi Ibrahim, which went long. Here's the unedited interview in three parts.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3