Colbert Hammers GOP For Insane Euphemisms (VIDEO)

As part his week-long look at health care (and the Republican's fear that Dems are ramming the bill down their throat), last night Stephen Colbert broke down the word "reconciliation," mocking the media's adoption of "nuclear option" to replace it.

Colbert acknowledged that this is not the first time Republicans have twisted words around to follow their agenda, citing classics like "death panel" and "no." And like all the others, "nuclear option" is no less extreme.

To make his point, Colbert noted that any word could be twisted around to have a negative connotation, and conservatives may need to make the health care bill sound even more evil to sway the American people. "Doctors" could be called "rubber gloved ass-probers" who "keep you from going to heaven."


WATCH:

Comments

[notadumbblonde]

08:00 AM on 03/11/2010

Colbert provides the most sophisticated fun on TV.

[gschear]

01:22 PM on 03/11/2010

Unfortunately his audience is the small percentage of the American electorate that understands and appreciates irony and satire. I have found that, almost universally, conservatives find him unfunny and do not understand what we are laughing about. However there are those that watch him for the first time and truly believe he is a conservative. It doesn't last but all the flags and eagles confuse them at first.

[talilah33]

03:24 PM on 03/11/2010

I couldn't believe it at first, but some really think he's a conservative making mostly fun of liberals. I'd already known that they are bad at taking a joke or accept reality, but that bad...

[ThankGodhesgone]

04:13 AM on 03/11/2010

What was it called when the republicans used reconciliation during their tenure? Democracy at work?

[MAJK]

04:35 AM on 03/11/2010

Yep. Now they claim only "minor" bills were used under reconciliation. - Yeah like COBRA, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, etc - all republican "minor" bills.

[ThankGodhesgone]

04:47 AM on 03/11/2010

And I guess that they didn't have Frank Luntz traveling the country to 'poll' people whether they were good ideas, or not. They simply knew what was 'best' for our country. Or at least, for some people.

[JimmyBoi2]

11:01 PM on 03/10/2010

The whole death panel thing that the Palin person fomented-- she ought to be horsewhipped in public for misleading some of our old folks who don't know any better.

[ThankGodhesgone]

04:10 AM on 03/11/2010

Especially since she and her family receive government provided health care from Alaska.

[IrisMozenter]

07:08 AM on 03/11/2010

And Canada!

[KarateKid]

09:38 PM on 03/10/2010

Colbert nails it again.

But, there are still Republicans who think he's a conservative. Every time I see one, I'm in tears and with a knot in my stomach.........................

................from laughter.

[lornejl1]

08:41 PM on 03/10/2010

I should probably watch the clip before I comment.

brb...

[lornejl1]

08:46 PM on 03/10/2010

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!

that was funny ; )

[Leftwingbloggin]

06:55 PM on 03/10/2010

You know what on second thought, we might need healthcare cuz you people are sick ROTFL. i dont think he was expecting them to cheer at the last part

[dimplasm]

06:18 PM on 03/10/2010

I was sitting at the VA this morning waiting for lab work and some old guy stated that "they" aren't performing operations on old people any more. Then he said that he had three of the diseases/conditions that the death panels use to decide who gets healthcare. The saddest thing is that he was completely serious.

[jerryatthebeach]

06:01 PM on 03/10/2010

What were you saying about goofball David Letterman???

[Renee Libby]

05:52 PM on 03/10/2010

i love colbert. i'd let him use a rubber glove anytime. : )

[SkyCap]

08:42 PM on 03/10/2010

whoa

[lornejl1]

08:51 PM on 03/10/2010

lol

[Wide Stance]

08:48 PM on 03/10/2010

That works as a fantasy for me right up until Colbert enters the picture.

[SkyCap]

03:05 AM on 03/11/2010

You see Colbert as more of a 'narrow-stance' kind of guy, then?

[Marnie1]

05:50 PM on 03/10/2010

Great ending, even if it didn't quite work like he expected.

[JimmyBoi2]

05:42 PM on 03/10/2010

What the rightists seem to want is an ill, disenfranchised, lock-step population. Why are so many of them in the lower earning levels afraid of perhaps having to give up their junk food, cigarettes, and beer?

http://JimmyBoi2.wordpress.com

[Michael Thelen]

06:32 PM on 03/10/2010

When all you have and all you know is junk food, cigarettes, and beer, it's frightening to consider giving them up.

[Bloggerrogr]

09:48 PM on 03/10/2010

Word.

FWIW

[JimmyBoi2]

05:39 PM on 03/10/2010

Colbert always nails it. We don't realize it yet, but he is going to be lauded for his trailblazing commentary in these idiotically politically-correct times-- times when nobody says what's on his or her mind because of the fear of repercussions. It's a sad time in America, so I really appreciate people like Colbert.
Humor always paves the way...
http://JimmyBoi2.wordpress.com

[johnmorgan]

01:07 AM on 03/11/2010

Colbert is describing an opposite phenomenon from what you're talking about. Colbert's point is that Repubicans are very good at using language to propagate misinformation and mislead people.

[Dnietz]

01:16 AM on 03/11/2010

i just hope he can keep this up for a few more years

what he is doing can't be easy. it has to take its toll

[Design4you]

05:11 PM on 03/10/2010

The message kind of got lost when Colbert opened up his show with a 5 minute Pringles ad. I'm a huge fan of the show, but I am forced to watch the ads at their normal slotted time, now they're part of the show. It's disgusting.

[Renee Libby]

05:56 PM on 03/10/2010

He was commenting on a news story about the recall. I think he showed all the cans to illustrate how many ridiculous flavors they have. : )

[CrankyCurmudgeon]

06:42 PM on 03/10/2010

If you saw that bit as an ad, I would suggest you need to re-examine your relationship with your television and commercial marketing in general. The best part was when he contemptuously swept the tubes off his desk. Yeah. That was a definite endorsement of Pringles.

[Design4you]

12:09 AM on 03/11/2010

This was certainly NOT a bit. Just because he swept the cans to the ground after five minutes of promoting all the Pringles varieties doesn't mean it was a bit. If it was supposed to be a bit, it was a HUGE fail.

He brought out almost 20 different cans. Everyone knows that three is the magic number for funny.

[bertha112]

03:00 PM on 03/11/2010

Our friend probably missed how he worked Pringles into "The Word" segment as well. Cheesburger + Pringles

If that Pringles segment was an ad, then it didn't do anything to enhance the product. My teenager was rolling at the continuous list of ridiculous flavors of Pringles

[CaliRN]

04:52 PM on 03/10/2010

Frank Luntz - the Conservative's wordsmithee - is a dangerous guy.

[Dnietz]

01:22 AM on 03/11/2010

that's ok

liberals are no longer asleep at th wheel. we have colbert, stewart, maher, letterman and some others to rip them apart

too bad we lost carlin. he was heroic. who else would dare say what he said.

and new politicians are catching on. grayson is sharp witted. he can answer back on the fly

[breakingpoint]

04:51 PM on 03/10/2010

frank luntz traitor to the nation

[Bloggerrogr]

09:53 PM on 03/10/2010

Yes, to you and to CaliRN @4:52pm.

Frank Luntz has taught the ReTHUGLikans how to frame every statement in such a manner as it will always play to people's basest fears (Fear is BIG with the R's playbook). Also, how to take any statement from a Democrat and define it in such a manner as to be maximum distasteful.
"It's not what you say, it's what people hear" are words that should be taught to every Democrat/Liberal/Progressive so that we can fight fire with fire. It's the only way we stand a chance in the battle for the electorate's hearts and minds.

FWIW

[Dnietz]

01:25 AM on 03/11/2010

i partially disagree

lutz has done much for the righties

but we shouldn't fight fire with fire. the right wing in the usa is inherently dishonest and malicious. why would we want to turn into that?

we have truth and justice on our side. we have talented people too that can answer anything that comes our way.

and best of all, comedy always inherently favors the truth. the truth is funnier than any lie. we just need to find the right words to rip their propaganda apart

our new breed of liberal media people are sharp, funny, quick, and aggressive.