Akkam’s Razor

Every year, the White House Press Corps and the Washington establishment gather for some glad-handing and backslapping, as a way to rub shoulders, make good for prior slights in the media, and to show a human and humble side to both politicians and pundits.

This year's speaker was no other than Stephen Colbert, the Bill O'Reilly of Comedy Central, on at 11:30pm weeknights.  One of his running gags has been that of "truthiness" - that one can know something instinctively or emotionally regardless of evidence to the contrary.  Well, it appears that for the President, truthiness hurts. 

(Note: Colbert is on 60 Minutes tonight.)

Here's a trio of highlights via Editor and Publisher (Video here at Crooks and Liars, also, part-one and part-two at YouTube, transcript via Dkos):

Regarding the recent White House shakeup…

“This administration is soaring, not sinking,” he said. “If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.”

On Iraq…

"I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."

On the President's "steely resolve"…

"When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."

It's interesting (and sad) that "the press" has seemingly ignored the Colbert skit as though it never happened, and instead focused on the two Bushes segment.  Others online that discuss it seem to say that Colbert bombed - it's more like the audience was shocked by not hearing the usual gentle platitudes.  LBJ said that he knew Vietnam was done when he lost Cronkite - so what does it mean when your most vociferous supporter is a fictional conservative pundit?