Summary: Apparently forgetting that freedom never sleeps, Stephen Colbert decided to take off this week.  So I won't be getting to hear his take on the US being ranked the 16th happiest country in the world.

What follows is my attempt to show how he'd cover the story.

So this is my first of two Daily Show/Colbert Report Open Threads. TiaRachel’s original diary on tonight’s episodes are here and here. The guests tonight are David Iglesias on The Daily Show and Junot Diaz and Dr. Uma Mysorekar on The Colbert Report. I’m not sure what else to write, so I’m including a few random things.

Wexler going back to Colbert, despite previous controversy

copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert.  BeThink.org

Trend-setter and teacher Congressman Robert Wexler may have mentored many a freshmen class of Representatives.  Well into the future, the newest Congressmen and women will study the mistakes that might define an earlier Wexler performance.  Certainly, Robert Wexler did.  Upon reflection, his trials helped him to acquire great knowledge.  The Democrat from Boca Raton, Florida learned his lessons well.  He illustrates why, as retired Major League Pitcher Vernon Law attests, "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward."  

Dear Friends,

Last night, while in NY, I had a whirlwind tour of a number of studios - not least of which my good friend Stephen Colbert.

Suffice to say, this time, I declined his invitation to "repeat after me."  I had a great time though, and if you haven't seen the interview, I'm sure it's available online.

However, I thought you'd be most interested in the fact that I took my argument for Impeachment Hearings straight into the heart of conservative media: Fox News.

Yes... they actually let me in the building.  Twice.

On both Hannity and Colmes as well as this morning on Fox and Friends, I explained my belief that Congress has no choice but to address these's obvious and deliberate abuses of power.

I argued that we can protect our nation - and still adhere to the Constitution.

Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain has been rapidly establishing a rampant pattern of inconsistency and outright contradictions, yet has essentially been receiving a free ride on it.  I wrote about this Sunday.  

Two days later, the Washinton Post's allegedly liberal columnist, Richard Cohen, wrote an editorial that provided an implicit -- and quite extraordinary -- rationale for this lopsided media focus. (Which Cohen then exhibits imself therein,  in spades).  And, as is shown below, this follows a pattern by Cohen of getting things blatantly, egregiously, wrong -- with respect to presidential candidates whom as a liberal, he ostensibly supports -- and then afterwards pretending as if it was "others" who did this.

Tonight, I attended a live taping of the Daily Show. Before the show, Jon Stewart answered questions. Among a bunch of trivial stuff, I got to ask a more serious one: "Are you at all bummed that Viacom is not letting people share videos of you on YouTube?"

His reaction (approximately): "The YouTube thing? You know, people were only putting up 3 or 4 minute bits, but Viacom said take them down. I never understood what the big deal was. And now they have some new video service anyway - Hulu?" ("Hulu," a confident colleague of mine asserted from the audience.)

Good for Jon Stewart - not towing the corporate line! Techies can be proud. Answers to more trivial questions below...

Today's diary isn't something deep, meaningful or serious; it's merely a bit of video fun for the weekend.

Last night on The Daily Show the show did a segment called "Still President Bush" chronicling his trip to Europe. The President says he doesn't regret his decision to invade Iraq but regrets the mis perception he gave off that he wanted war through his rhetoric and insists he does not like war. Jon points out that his rhetoric toward Iran at that very same conference, mirrors his Iraq rhetoric. No sense of irony.... none at all...

Also, Jon interviews Richard Engel about the Iraq war and Stephen Colbert interviews Dickson Despommier about vertical farming. Weigh in with thoughts and opinions below:

For anyone who watched Colbert last night, he started a new green screen challenge.  It is Project Make McCain Exciting.  It is taking McCain speech last week and using the green (the colour Jesus made magical) background to basically make fun of McCain.  If you want to take up the challenge visit The Colbert Nation.  It also has some of the videos posted, but I will post some here too.