Courtesy of HuffPo:
"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert confronted GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz over the legacy of Ronald Reagan on Monday night, pointing out that the former president was less conservative than Cruz and others often suggest.
“Reagan raised taxes. Reagan actually had an amnesty program for illegal immigrants. Neither of those things would allow Reagan to be nominated today," Colbert said, drawing cheers from his audience. "So to what level can you truly emulate Ronald Reagan?"
When Cruz deflected, Colbert pressed him on the specifics.
"Raising taxes and amnesty for illegal immigrants," Colbert said. "Could you agree with Reagan on those two things?"
"No, of course not," the senator from Texas admitted, but added that Reagan signed the largest tax cut in history.
Did Rafael just dis the Republican's most sacred icon?
Yes, I think he did.
Later Colbert corrected Cruz about Reagan's tax policies and asked him if he would be willing to compromise with the other side. Cruz gave a typically evasive non-answer.
Cruz, like most conservatives, has no real understanding of who Ronald Reagan was, or what happened during his presidency.
Colbert also, on the subject of gay marriage, had to explain to Cruz that marriage is not mentioned in the Constitution.
Nice to see that moving to CBS has not dulled Colbert's edge when conducting interviews. He is still usually more well informed than his guests and ready to call them out on their BS.
Too bad Colbert didn't bring up that Reagan armed Iran and brought cocaine into the U.S. to raise money for civil war in Nicaragua.
ReplyDeleteThe cocaine was dumped in poor neighborhoods while simultaneously starting the war on drugs. So, as to institutional racism, Cruz and Reagan may be on the same page.
DeleteWant an introduction?
Deletewww.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/gary-webb-dark-alliance_n_5961748.html
Want some real dirt?
https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/general-reports-1/cocaine/contra-story/pilots.html
Pilots, Companies and Other Individuals Working for Companies Used to Support the Contra Program
What drug trafficking allegations was CIA aware of, and when, involving pilots and companies supporting the Contra program? How did CIA respond to this information, and how was this information shared with other U.S. Government entities?
Allegations Involving Companies Supporting the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Effort
Background. In early 1986, Senator John Kerry began an investigation of allegations that elements of the supply network supporting the Contras were linked to drug traffickers. In April 1986, Senator Kerry took the information he had developed to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), Richard Lugar, who agreed to conduct a staff inquiry into these allegations. In February 1987, the SFRC expanded the focus of the inquiry to include the impact of drug trafficking from the Caribbean and Central and South America on U.S. foreign policy interests. In April, the responsibility for this broader investigation was given to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations, chaired by Senator Kerry.
I just watched the movie Kill the Messenger about Gary Webb. It's a great movie but devastating and infuriating. I haven't researched it's accuracy.
DeleteGood gosh don't stop there. Prohibition on many things over the years. It is all about greed and power. Enslave your fellow man.
DeleteNancy Reagan "just say no." What a hoot. The drug trade will always be a lucrative trade that a blind eye is turned to. Look up George Herbert Walker Bush and heroin.
DeleteRaffi is a complete scumbag, lowlife,self centered arrogant prick who is only interested in his own advancement and Colbert should not have chastised his audience for booing him. Get with the fucking program Stephen.
DeleteHe handled him with class and was the better man.
DeleteTed Cruz is someone who IS evil. He IS diabolical. Period.
ReplyDeleteHe is a scheming, narcissistic sociopath. Sarah is his sister from another mister.
DeleteThe two of them are slimey slippery eals of evil. Disillusioned, and self-possesed, both of them.
DeleteThe best legacy of Ronald Reagan is that we should be testing each President for Alzheimer's on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteReagans best legacy is his son Ron Reagan, who has had the balls to stand up against all these corrupt jesters who try to use his father as some sort of litmus test for being a Republican. Ron Reagan is smart articulate and well versed, as is his sister, Patty. Reagan's adopted son Michael on the other hand, has pandered terribly to the right wing nut jobs. His only claim on anything is to be labeled Ronald Reagan's son. He's a lunatic who has tried to cash in on his fathers name. Ron and Patty haven't.
DeleteThis is so true 619. Also, I have a lot of respect for Ron Reagan for being openly atheist, as well.
DeleteI always take the time to see what Ron Reagan has to say. Always intelligent, and right on point.
DeleteIf Ronald Reagan ran for office today, he would be called a RINO. He raised taxes 11 times, he compromised (oh the horror) with Democrats to fix Social Security and Medicare. He gave amnesty to millions who were here in the U.S. Oh and let us not forget about Iran Contra when he essentially ran guns to Iran for cash and gave the cash to the Contra's in Nicaragua. How about when he cut and ran right out of Lebanon after the Marine barracks was blown up. He had a State Dinner for Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union at the time. Most of the R's today are against all these things.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans have gone so far to the right, they make Barry Goldwater (who was one of the Founders of Planned Parenthood in Arizona by the way), look like a liberal.
Reagan traded arms for hostages. But he had Alzheimers, so he forgot. All that he could remember was that "mistakes were made." ooops.
ReplyDeleteGlad our late night hosts/comedians can confront these people with facts, I can't figure out what our "journalists" even do anymore...
ReplyDeleteMe neither.
DeleteI didn't hear any booing but I wondered how many wingnut shows would be so polite to Hillary Clinton. Screw Cruz and his bullshit.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I love it when Stephen Colbert shows the world how intelligent and knowledgeable he really is. If it's a Ted Cruz on the receiving end, all the better.
I'm looking forward to Colbert and Trump tonight.
Me too! I'm counting on the donald to make a complete ass of himself.
DeleteToo bad actual news people are not as well informed and willing to call out BS.
ReplyDeleteReagan has been called "the most deeply shallow man" in politics.
ReplyDeleteBefore he started to get Alzehimers -- and why wasn't he forced to resign when he did? -- people who worked with him didn't know if he was an idiot or an idiot savant.
Like most GOP politicians, he was a puppet for special interests.
That's the thing about Alzheimer's. Reagan could have had it all along. The Republicans tried to put Sarah Palin in the #2 job, they would certainly put a mentally ill person in the White House. They've never had any shame.
Deleteand why wasn't he forced to resign when he did?
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Nancy was running the WH and she decided who had access to Ronnie Alzheimer's.
I believe now that he had begun showing symptoms of some sort of cognitive deficit even when he was running for his first term. I just thought he was an evil lying opportunistic manipulator back then.
DeleteIt was sometime in his second term that I remember people with medical backgrounds arguing whether he was having strokes or some other problem (drugs?) or even developing Alzheimers (which was a pretty new thing).
Now I wonder maybe it was two or all three.
James Garner basically called him a puppet: he said that he'd say whatever they put in front of him when he was President of the Actor's Guild (Garner was the VP.).
DeleteNancy consulted astrologers to set Ronnie's schedule.
DeleteHere's a link for the Reagan astrology. This crappola is unflippinbelievable!!
Deletewww.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/us/joan-quigley-astrologer-to-a-first-lady-is-dead-at-87.html
"In his 1988 memoir, Donald T. Regan, a former chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan, revealed what he called the administration’s “most closely guarded secret.”
He said an astrologer had set the time for summit meetings, presidential debates, Reagan’s 1985 cancer surgery, State of the Union addresses and much more. Without an O.K. from the astrologer, he said, Air Force One did not take off."
All of the above, and look where he took our national debt. Closed down mental health facilities and out people in so dire of need of help on the streets.
ReplyDeleteYet this, THIS, is who Palin champions. Yeah right.
Oh this is good. im loving it. and tonight? rump grillin. Oh much happiness hearing the voice of the people asking real questions and getting real results......Thank you Mr. Colbert and all inc.
ReplyDeleteSo Ted wants states to rule on gay marriage, but he is ok with the supreme court rulings on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Kelo v. City of New London, both of which limited personal "freedoms". He doesn't mind the Supreme Court when they ruled in alignment with his religious beliefs.......... typical hypocrite
ReplyDeleteWhat a gift. America witnessing the true and real Republican party. These folks are a disgrace to the constitution, bill of rights and declaration of Independence and The Magna Carta !!!!!!!.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in California, and my dad despised Ronald Reagan when he was governor. One time, my dad had to fix our toilet and ended up buying a new one. He hung the lid of the old one over a picture of Reagan and hung the whole thing in the garage! It was too funny. My cousin graduated from San Jose State, and when she was mailed her official diploma, she was pissed off because it was signed by Reagan! I'll never forget any of it.
ReplyDeleteI am going to give both men kudos, that at least was a respectful interview, and Colbert allowed Cruz to make some of the most intelligent comments I have heard from his mouth. Now Cruz need to be the next one to drop out.
ReplyDeleteCruz has a personal, religious billionaire, Dathan Voelter, funding him. I don't expect he'll quit the race until he's lost several primaries and becomes a lost cause.
Deletehttp://www.nationalreview.com/article/416643/meet-ted-cruzs-billionaire-donors-eliana-johnson
Ha ha ha. Cruz ain't quitting. He's a sociopath.
DeleteSounds like (I can't bear to watch) the touted, brilliant intellectual and debate king, Ted Cruz, got knocked down a few pegs.
ReplyDeleteEvery time you hear a Republican pissing and moaning about Benghazi remind them about the Marine barracks in Beirut.
ReplyDeleteFoolish US military intervention (including the US Navy shelling Syrians in Lebanon) cost hundreds of US Marines their lives.
Then a few months later Ronald Reagan ordered the troops withdrawn. The correct decision would today be called "cut and run" or worse by Little Napoleans like Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/02/07/when-reagan-cut-and-run/
O/T Donald Trump Declares Total War On Fox News, “Fair and Balanced My Ass”
ReplyDeleteThe on again/off again Donald Trump and Fox News feud is back on in a big way after the Republican frontrunner went a Twitter tirade against Fox and Bill O’Reilly....
Finally, Trump quoted his supporters calls for a Fox News boycott:
Trump is creating a major headache for Fox News by doing what many believed was impossible. He is turning Fox News’s own viewers against the network. Donald Trump is making viewers question the conservative cred of Fox. ....
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/22/donald-trump-declares-total-war-fox-news-fair-balanced-ass.html
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Oh boy, where are his supporters going to get their "news" from?
On the other hand, tonight's performance w/The Donald was less than satisfying. Colbert got off a bunch of good ones, but he is so subtle, nothing is noticed against the bombast of the major bombaster.
ReplyDeleteI think that Stephen was better at exposing Cruz than Trump. That meatball landed with a thud. Stephen should have said to Trump, "That's a swing and a miss. You gotta hit that ball out of the park to get on the scoreboard."
DeleteThat line about five unelected lawyers deciding things is over done. There are nine former lawyers who have been elevated to the positions of Supreme Court Justices. If we left important up to a popular vote, there never would have been desegregation or gay marriage allowed. Roe v. Wade was found constitutional because of the privacy granted in the 14th amendment. It never would have passed a popular vote, not in the states, not in the country. Al Gore did win the popular vote and 5 lawyers in Washington selected George W. Bush as the President. That's a decision that I don't agree with.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, if he wanted to continue doing a political commentary/satire show, he should have just stayed with the Colbert Report.
ReplyDeleteIf I turn on late night tv, which I really don't ever anyways... but if I did, I would want some cheap easy laughs. No politics.
There's plenty of mindless crap for you to watch. Some of us actually like a late show with some substance.
DeleteWell that makes you a fucking douchebag TC.
DeleteWhat does that stand for anyways. Total Cunt?
Ted Cruz is a militant, hard core Christian Taliban, who wants a complete theocratic form of government.
ReplyDeleteIf he was King, Cruz would force his brand of Bronze age evangelical Christianity on the entire USA by force.
Ronald Reagan damaged California so badly.
ReplyDeleteRonald Reagan raised the tuition of Junior colleges, and state universities. Making it hard for many to go to college, or continue to go to college.
He closed all of the state mental institutions and put the patients out on the streets to fend for themselves, many of them dying on the streets, because they were to mentally ill to care for themselves. he did lot of damage when he was governor of California.
California was in great shape until Ronald Reagan came into office and started his demolition, and destruction.
Reagan is the one who made it so hard for the average family to live in California.
Wasn't tuition free for colleges and universities before St. Ronnie showed up?
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