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Robert Gibbs Looks To Jon Stewart To Help Get 9/11 First Responders Bill Through

by Jon Bershad | 1:14 pm, December 21st, 2010

» 31 comments

There’s been a lot of talk about comedians being too involved in politics recently and it’s all seemed rather silly. Comedians and satirists have been an essential part of running a government since the first king decided he wanted a guy in a goofy hat to hang out in his throne room. However this story, about Robert Gibbs praising Jon Stewart is sure to get a lot of tongues wagging. And it should. Just not in the way it surely will.

Today in a press briefing, Robert Gibbs praised Stewart on his recent fight to get the bill passed. Politico has the rundown:

“Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s press secretary, told reporters on Tuesday that he hopes the Comedy Central host can persuade enough Republican senators to vote for a 9/11 health bill so it can head to the president’s desk.

‘If there’s the ability for that to sort of break through in our political environment, there’s a good chance that he can help do that,’ Gibbs said in his briefing. ‘I think he has put the awareness around this legislation. He’s put that awareness into what you guys cover each day, and I think that’s good. I hope he can convince two Republicans to support taking care of those that took care of so many on that awful day in our history.’”

Look, my guess is that this isn’t nearly as ridiculous as the phrasing in the Politico article suggests. They say Gibbs “hopes” Stewart can “persuade” Republicans. However, from the text of Gibbs’ response, it seems to me that it’s most likely that he was responding to a question along the lines of “Did you see that Daily Show episode and do you think it helped?” and that he was just giving Stewart the praise that he (and Shep Smith) deserve. Still, that’s not how this story is going to be taken. It’s already not being taken that way.

And, you know what? I’m fine with that. Hopefully, once this story gets twisted into one about Congress needing a comedian to get them to do their jobs, they’ll be further shamed into passing a bill they should have passed a long time ago. So, whether it’s “factually accurate” or not, let me be the first to say, ladies and gentlemen, your government is apparently incapable of passing a bill to help 9/11 first responders without the aid of a host on a network named Comedy Central.

Of course, that probably won’t even work and the story will just become “Obama Administration is being secretly run by the Daily Show” or something like that and we can all just cry ourselves to sleep while true, American heroes die.

(h/t Soup)

9/11 First Responders, First R, Jon Stewart, Robert Gibbs, shepard smith, The Daily Show

Atticus Draco

‘
Robert Gibbs Looks To Jon Stewart To Help Get 9/11 First Responders Bill Through

OMG!
how pathetic!
Atticus Draco

‘
Cant wait for Obama to give up the podium to Jon Stewart
GOOD TV!!!
The Real Royal King

I don’t know, Atticus. Stewart is a New Yorker. He has been active with 9/11 events.
timzank

All they (the democrats) have to do is send up a bill that is paid for (by using existing funds like Obama promised pay as you go remember?) and NOT attach anything else to it (like internet gambling Harry?) and everybody will vote yes. How hard is that?
ROCKSTEADY

Of course, that probably won’t even work and the story will just become “Obama Administration is being secretly run by the Daily Show” or something like that and we can all just cry ourselves to sleep while true, American heroes die.

Atticus Draco said:
‘Robert Gibbs Looks To Jon Stewart To Help Get 9/11 First Responders Bill Through OMG!how pathetic!

Didn’t take that long did it Jon.
Atticus Draco

The Real Royal King said:
I don’t know, Atticus. Stewart is a New Yorker. He has been active with 9/11 events.

GO AHEAD,, see how well that works
LET’S LET JON CARRY THE NARRATIVE ON THIS!!

LIKE I SAID,, LET JON TAKE THE FRICKIN’ PODIUM!

I AGREE,, this white house NEEDS somebody else to sell their chit!
Totally AGREE!
The Real Royal King

Atticus Draco said:
AGREE,, this white house NEEDS somebody else to sell their chit!

They have been doing awfully, awfully well of late, of course.
Atticus Draco

The Real Royal King said:
They have been doing awfully, awfully well of late, of course.

how ya figure?
The Real Royal King

DADT. Judicial appointments sailing through. New stimulus. Progress on START. Coupled with HCR and nutrition bill, looks like we’re heading for a more productive first half of a first term than we’ve had in many years.
Atticus Draco

The Real Royal King said:
DADT. Judicial appointments sailing through. New stimulus. Progress on START. Coupled with HCR and nutrition bill, looks like we’re heading for a more productive first half of a first term than we’ve had in many years.

lol
half of that chit,, YOU HOPE
Atticus Draco

‘
Here’s a novel idea White House,,
RENAME THE BILL
the Stewart/Shepard bill

That ought to sway some Republicans
Just4thefax

Fact: Nothing new with this thread since all democrats in office has a future with comedy central. This was the number one news outlet that caused the posters here at Mediaite to fall all over themselves with the bogus U of M study. RRK , Rocksteady and other dumbshits posted this crap for days with their pants on the ground looking like a fool attitudes that shows how much Kool Aid that they really do pull out that jug out their butt swig on without shame. They are pitiful just pitiful!
http://thingsthatarefuckingstupid.wordpress.com/ Keane

Atticus Draco said:
‘
Robert Gibbs Looks To Jon Stewart To Help Get 9/11 First Responders Bill Through

OMG!
how pathetic!

Do you even know how to read? Did you even bother to get past the headline on this page before commenting? You’re embarrassing yourself.
Atticus Draco

Keane said:
Do you even know how to read? Did you even bother to get past the headline on this page before commenting? You’re embarrassing yourself.

NO!
I did NOT read past the headline
I’M NOT HIDING THAT FACT!
I DONT CARE TO HEAR GIBBS OR STEWART!
OR ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE TWO

STEWART SHOULDN’T EVEN BE MENTIONED WHILE DISCUSSING THIS STUPID BILL!!
Atticus Draco

Atticus Draco said:
STEWART SHOULDN’T EVEN BE MENTIONED WHILE DISCUSSING THIS STUPID BILL!!

AND I GOT NEWS FOR YA,,
I DIDNT WATCH STEWARTS STUPID PLEA FOR US TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND JUST PASS IT!

HE’S LIMOUSINE LIBERAL,, I CAN TELL YA WHAT HE SAID WITHOUT WATCHING HIM PERFORM IT!!
hanniballa

We already settled with the first responders for 9 billion, why do they need tax dollars?
notsofast

Hey Bobby- get Sean Penn to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan!
Atticus Draco

notsofast said:
Hey Bobby- get Sean Penn to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan!

LOL,,, yeah,,, yeah,, let’s do this too,, lol
Atticus Draco

‘
HONESTLY,,,
IF you put in the TITLE the words
GOVERNMENT, ,,,,, HEALTH CARE ,, COMPENSATION,,
HOW OBJECTIVE IS THAT FRICKIN; LIMOUSINE LIBERAL JON STEWART GONNA BE TO THAT?!?!?

YOU ADD IN THE WORDS NEW YORK,,, OH MY GAWD,,,
HE WONT HAFTA READ ANOTHER WORD OF THE DAMN THING TO BE AUTOMATICALLY FOR IT!!!!
HELL HE’LL PROBABLY BE ASKING FOR MORE MONEY!!!

“Is that all we get?”
Pablo

Maybe Yakov Smirnoff can get the START treaty ratified. America! What a country!
moriarty70

timzank said:
All they (the democrats) have to do is send up a bill that is paid for (by using existing funds like Obama promised pay as you go remember?) and NOT attach anything else to it (like internet gambling Harry?) and everybody will vote yes. How hard is that?

You mean, for example, by closing a corporate tax loophole that was never supposed to be there in the first place? If that’s what you mean then, yeah, it’s paid for in the bill itself.
moriarty70

Pablo said:
Maybe Yakov Smirnoff can get the START treaty ratified. America! What a country!

I doubt it, because in America, treaty ratifies you!
CosmosDan

Pablo said:
Maybe Yakov Smirnoff can get the START treaty ratified. America! What a country!

okay, that’s funny

I think the pity is that congress and our media has ignored this issue and a NYC comic was pissed off enough to point it out.
As Jon said, an insane disconnect between DC and real world consequences , and a failure by the media to prioritize.
The Real Royal King

moriarty70 said:
I doubt it, because in America, treaty ratifies you!

It looks as if START is a done deal. Republicans are crossing the aisle look salmon spawning at the moment. And, good for them. The big change since the elections may well be those good and decent Republicans re-emerging to claim their party from the likes of Kyl, McCain and McConnell. Brown, Bennett, Corker and Isakson have joined with other Republicans who believe a safer America is more important than simply saying “no”.
timzank

moriarty70 said:
You mean, for example, by closing a corporate tax loophole that was never supposed to be there in the first place? If that’s what you mean then, yeah, it’s paid for in the bill itself.

no cuz tax loopholes are not actual funds. Future tax receipts are just that, FUTURE. Obama PROMISED PAY AS YOU GO OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
The Real Royal King

No START filibuster! 67-28!
Atticus Draco

The Real Royal King said:
It looks as if START is a done deal. Republicans are crossing the aisle look salmon spawning at the moment. And, good for them. The big change since the elections may well be those good and decent Republicans re-emerging to claim their party from the likes of Kyl, McCain and McConnell. Brown, Bennett, Corker and Isakson have joined with other Republicans who believe a safer America is more important than simply saying “no”.

LOL,, I JUST READ THIS HEADLINE AND BELIEVE IT’S APPLICABLE:
Specter farewell speech slams GOP ‘cannibalism’
LOL

We dont threaten,, WE PROMISE!!
http://crazyconservative.wordpress.com/ jamesalfred

It’s all about the messaging with this administration. Hey, let’s get a comedian, maybe he can help us. I swear, everytime Gibbs opens his mouth he gets dumber.

http://crazyconservative.wordpress.com/
Nacho

Atticus Draco said:
NO!
I did NOT read past the headline
I’M NOT HIDING THAT FACT!
I DONT CARE TO HEAR GIBBS OR STEWART!
OR ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE TWO

STEWART SHOULDN’T EVEN BE MENTIONED WHILE DISCUSSING THIS STUPID BILL!!

Do you know how these press conferences go? The press asks questions and Gibbs responds. Gibbs didn’t bring up Stewart, he was answering a question a reporter asked him.

You know, how Tommy Christopher asks about Sarah Palin? Gibbs and the administration aren’t dwelling on that and just throwing it out there. They are doing their job and answering the questions that these reporters feel the American people care about.

Note to Mediaite: Notice the effect of responsibility of your choice of headlines for your articles.
zzjjj50

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http://www.facebook.com/people/Elaine-Jesmer/614756658 Elaine Jesmer

Where’s Gibbs’ boss, on this issue! Forget Stewart, it’s Obama’s job to push this through, and he’s not doing it. Make it happen, Mr. Obama!!!