Tonight, Stephen Colbert saluted the troops that were so hospitable to him last June by inviting them to a military-only taping of The Colbert Report. But that’s not all: to offer them something they couldn’t get while they were deployed, he offered them all free beers and hotdogs — hot dogs delivered by Vice President Joe Biden.

Marcus Stanley, senior economic adviser to Senator Barbara Boxer, found himself on the wrong side of the law and the Senator after he tried to enter the Hart building with “a green, leafy substance which tested positive for marijuana,’’ according to Capitol Hill police.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist rolled out a new, playful TV ad, designed to show he’s a true independent. In it, he takes the words “Democrats” and “Republicans”, spelled out in large foam letters and lets us know who he is working for. What could those letters be rearranged to spell? Particleboards? Brainteasers? (F)lorid(i)ans?

The Amazing Race doesn’t premiere until September 26th, but if this preview clip is at all indicative of this season, consider it season-pass’d. What other show can boast having footage of a contestant getting a watermelon slingshotted at her face?

There’s a media storm brewing over a Florida church’s plan to hold a “Burn a Quran Day” event this Saturday, on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Tonight on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the host took aim at the event, but not from the religious-freedom perspective some viewers would expect.

This morning, the Fox & Friends gang invited journalism veteran Geraldo Rivera to talk about his impressive 40th anniversary in journalism and famous love of hurricane coverage.

What they didn’t expect, was Rivera presenting what is the weirdest counter-terrorism proposal ever made: Hurricanes.

This morning the comedy world woke up to the news that there’s a a potential deal for Virginia comedian Jay Pharoah to become the fourth new cast member for the 2010-2011 season of Saturday Night Live.

Pharoah has made a small splash online with dead-on impressions of Denzel Washington and Will Smith and dozens of others – including our Presidnet. The big question for fans of political comedy is: Does SNL have a new Barack Obama?

Last night, Glenn Beck had a textbook Glenn Beck-style address in which he hyperbolically dug into both progressive universities and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius within the same 30 seconds.

Last night Chris Matthews invited Joe Solomonese of the Human Rights Campaign and R. Clarke Cooper of the Log Cabin Republicans to discuss what Matthews is describing as a movement by the Conservative Elite to make the “Republican Case for Gay Marriage.”

Using a soundtrack and announcer that seem straight out of the trailer for “Armaggedon“, Representatives Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy debuted a theatrical ad for their tri-authored book, “Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders”.

Ronald Reagan‘s eldest son, talk show host Michael Reagan, unveiled a brand new website this week: “The Reagan Report.”

The Reagan Report has a handful of articles on healthcare or border protection, but the crux of the site (worthy of a flashing button on the masthead) seems to be getting you to sign up for your very own “conservative email address.”

Meghan McCain is making the rounds this week talking about her new book “Dirty Sexy Politics,” so naturally she chose to make an appearance on The O’Reilly Factor, to talk dirty, talk sexy and talk politics (though not in that order).

Everybody has to start somewhere! That includes Bill O’Reilly

Back in 1974 while he was earning his M.A. at Boston University, O’Reilly found himself writing for The Boston Phoenix on occasion. The first occasion was when Deep Throat director Gerard Damiano came to BU to show one of his “porno-flic” films to an auditorium of curious students and one future cable news pundit.

Heads up, Sarah Palin: Crossbowing-Whales-From-An-Inflatable-Raft is the new Shooting-Wolves-From-A-Helicopter.

Just yesterday, Russian President Vladmir Putin “took part in a wildlife experiment” (Read: tough guy photo op) where he fired a crossbow dart into an endangered grey whale to gather a skin sample.

Jerry Springer‘s made a career out of making people around him look off balance and that’s just where FOX News’s Sean Hannity found himself when he brought the twenty-year TV veteran to Hannity. Though Springer was there to plug his new dating show on the Game Show Network, Hannity went straight for the ambush and targetted Springer’s continued support for President Obama. When Springer emerged from that unscathed, Hannity switched the subject to health care, to which Springer was weirdly prepared — having said he regularly reads articles on the subject.

Everyone’s heard of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf — he’s the face of the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque.” But Fox News says they have the true mastermind developer behind “the most controversial mosque in the world”: Sharif el-Gamal. Host Megyn Kelly calls the profile piece a “must-see.

Comedian Wanda Sykes was on Larry King Live last night after being nominated for two Emmy awards for her HBO special “I’ma Be Me.” When the discussion turned towards the role of hypocrisy as a comedic tool, Larry King was able to get Sykes to talk about former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman‘s recent revelation that he is gay.

…And that’s why he’s the best. Last night, before Rick Sanchez went into his normal end-of-show plug for Larry King Live, he ‘casually’ mentioned his new book, Conventional Idiocy. Who would blame him; you’ve got the air time, use it.

Being the cordial gentleman (free-book-wanter?) that he is, Larry King asked Sanchez to send him a copy of the book, since he loved the title.

Sanchez obliged and said that he looked forward to discussing the book with King, presumably to get his thoughts. But before King could answer, Sanchez suggested, hey, why not do it on your show? And boom, that’s how Rick Sanchez booked himself a spot across from those legendary suspenders.

We look forward to that interview as well as King’s formal book report on Conventional Idiocy.

Just today, National Geographic magazine busted the myth of the oft-rumored “Firecane” that was said to threaten the Gulf region after the oil spill. A firecane is the theoretical event where a hurricane lifts oil out of the gulf as it feeds itself, and then rains flaming oil droplets once it strikes land. It’s a nightmare scenario and it’s a good thing nothing like it can ever happen.

Topping the internet’s most popular news aggregators today is the no-strings-attached offer by grassroots, web-based organization ColorOfChange.org to provide anyone who wants one a “Turn Off FOX” sticker, free of charge (yes, even shipping).

“Ooh! That was rough…” lamented Laura Ingraham after her ultra-tense exchange with FOX News’s own Alan Colmes. That’s probably the only opinion she stated they can both agree on. During Ingraham’s guest-hosting spot on The O’Reilly Factor, the sparks began to fly when Ingraham accused Colmes of misquoting her exchange with wife of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Daisy Khan, where she said she liked “what she said about bringing Muslims into the American experience,” and certainly NOT that she supported the Park51 Mosque.

Making the rounds this week is another video to add to the Local Reporter Gaffe Hall of Fame. But is it fake? Mediaite has the truth straight from the sculptor’s mouth.