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Late Night Political Humor

[Believe it or not, this is the 1000th posting of Late Night Political Humor! – iron knee]

“Obama decided we’re going to arm the rebels in Syria. Yes! This is why I voted for Obama in the first place, so he could carry out McCain’s bad ideas.” – Bill Maher

“The great news about getting into another war in the Middle East is that the next one’s free.” – Bill Maher

“Syrian President Assad crossed a red line. He used chemical weapons. Using harmful chemicals to hurt your own people – who does he think he is, Monsanto?” – Bill Maher

“The Taliban is now recruiting women to become suicide bombers. And it’s not easy to qualify. The women must be able to push a car loaded with explosives because, as you know, they’re not allowed to drive over there.” – Jay Leno

“The NSA whistleblower revealed himself – Edward Snowden, a 29-yer-old high school dropout computer nerd with a pole-dancing girlfriend, who says he can wiretap anyone in the world, including the president. I find this shocking. A computer nerd with a girlfriend?” – Bill Maher

“Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old guy behind this NSA spy scandal, said in an interview that he is not in hiding. Which would have carried a lot more weight if he hadn’t made the announcement from an undisclosed secret location.” – Jay Leno

“This is the same surveillance that was happening under Bush, but under Obama it’s somehow a huge outrage on the right. Republicans didn’t care about Big Brother until we elected a big brotha.” – Bill Maher

“The politics on this are all scrambled up. You talk about strange bedfellows. Dianne Feinstein and John Boehner are together on this. They say (Snowden) is a traitor. Michael Moore and Glenn Beck are together on this. They say he’s a hero. This is the Republicans’ worst nightmare. They don’t know who to hate. They hate Obama but they love spying. It’s like hearing an illegal immigrant had an abortion.” – Bill Maher

“Ever since the government’s spying scandal was exposed, sales of the novel ‘1984’ have jumped 6,000 percent on Amazon. Yeah, ‘1984’ shows how scary it would be if society tracked everything you do. And if you want to read it, just buy it on a website that tracks everything you do.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Yesterday President Obama spoke at the LGBT pride month celebration at the White House. He promised that as long as he is president, all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation, will be spied on equally.” – Jay Leno

“Bill Clinton has been acting weird lately. I don’t know why, but it started the day Michael Douglas said you can get cancer from cunnilingus.” – Bill Maher

“Superman is played by Henry Cavil, who is British. I’m not sure why all our iconic American figures are being played by foreigners. We’ve got a Superman from Britain, a Batman from Britain, a Spider-Man from Britain, and a president from Kenya.” – Craig Ferguson

“President Obama is traveling to Africa later this month, and it’s got some people upset because the trip is expected to cost taxpayers more than 60 million dollars. It’s mostly for security, hotel accommodations – plus Biden wants a giraffe.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Last night the Democrats beat Republicans 22-0 in the Congressional Baseball Game. Yeah, the Republicans were so bad at baseball, that today they’re starting to rethink immigration.” – Jimmy Fallon

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Why We Don’t Believe Science

There is a fascinating article by Chris Mooney “The Science of Why We Don’t Believe Science“, which examines the conflict between inside beliefs and outside truths in the brain.

Before anyone jumps to conclusions, disbelief of science isn’t restricted to right-wing conservatives. Liberals do it too (e.g., the supposed vaccine-autism link).

The article discusses why we tend to reject facts that disagree with our beliefs, and how this is not always a bad thing. After all, we built up our belief systems over a lifetime; changing them willy-nilly every time a new fact comes along would be far worse.

But don’t despair, even the most hardened ideologue is capable of changing their mind, and the article discusses the situations under which this is more likely:

If you want someone to accept new evidence, make sure to present it to them in a context that doesn’t trigger a defensive, emotional reaction. … In other words, you don’t lead with the facts in order to convince, you lead with the values – so as to give the facts a fighting chance.

For example, present the facts using an alternative narrative that appeals to their existing world view, or have it presented to them via someone who shares their values.

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US Accuses Snowden of Spying

[From The Borowitz Report]

The United States government charged former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden with spying on Friday, apparently unaware that in doing so it had created a situation dripping with irony.

At a press conference to discuss the accusations, an N.S.A. spokesman surprised observers by announcing the spying charges against Mr. Snowden with a totally straight face.

“These charges send a clear message,” the spokesman said. “In the United States, you can’t spy on people.”

Seemingly not kidding, the spokesman went on to discuss another charge against Mr. Snowden—the theft of government documents: “The American people have the right to assume that their private documents will remain private and won’t be collected by someone in the government for his own purposes.”

“Only by bringing Mr. Snowden to justice can we safeguard the most precious of American rights: privacy,” added the spokesman, apparently serious.

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Late Night Political Humor

“This week a man was arrested for jumping over the White House fence and trying to spray paint a political message. If that guy really wanted to get a message to the president, he could have just written it in an email to literally anyone.” – Jimmy Fallon

“I’m excited that this Sunday is Father’s Day because I’m a dad. Yeah, I don’t know what I’m getting yet but I have a feeling the government knows.” – Conan O’Brien

“The big story continues to be 29-year-old Edward Snowden, the man behind the leaking of the NSA spy scandal. Speculation is that Snowden is hiding in Hong Kong and could be working for China. Hey, let’s get real. Aren’t we all pretty much working for China?” – Jay Leno

“Edward Snowden shows up in a hotel in Hong Kong and announces to the world that he’s leaked confidential National Security Agency memos and documents. He’s now gone. Where is this guy? Gosh, if only there was a way to keep track of people.” – David Letterman

“Some experts believe the privacy scandal will hurt the NSA. Are they crazy? Do you know how many people want to join now that they’ve heard the guy who blew the whistle is a high school dropout, making almost $200,000 a year, with a pole dancer girlfriend, and he’s living in Hawaii? People are lining up to get this job.” – Jay Leno

“According to a Gallup poll, President Obama’s approval rating has dropped to 45 percent. Luckily for Obama, he has ‘impeachment insurance.’ It’s called ‘Joe Biden’.” – Jay Leno

“A recent report finds that by the year 2043 white people will no longer be the majority in America. And by 2050 people will be saying, ‘I’m not racist. One of my best friends is white.'” – Conan O’Brien

“It’s not like we’re the Whig party on the verge of extinction.” – Republican consultant and pollster Mike McKenna, being unintentionally funny

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The Limits of Surveillance

Brian McFadden
© Brian McFadden

But remember, if WMDs are outlawed, only outlaws will have WMDs. How will we defend ourselves?

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The Exodus from Homophobia

Exodus International, which billed itself as the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with homosexuality, has closed its doors and has apologized to homosexuals, acknowledging its mission had been hurtful and ignorant.

In a statement on their website, the president of the organization said he was part of a “system of ignorance” and in a statement on their website, said:

I am sorry for the pain and hurt that many of you have experienced. I am sorry some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt when your attractions didn’t change. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents.

I guess Christians are right — miracles do happen.

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Secret Trade Deal

I know everyone is upset at Obama over the NSA spying on our phone calls and emails, but personally, I’m much more upset about this. Widespread outrage was able to block SOPA, but now the Obama administration is negotiating a trade treaty called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that looks to be far worse. How are they avoiding internet outrage this time? By making the entire treaty classified. The treaty is so secret that the fact that it is secret is itself secret!

In fact, it is so secret that Senator Ron Wyden, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on international trade, doesn’t know everything that is in it (Wyden is also on the Senate Intelligence committee, so he has a very high security clearance).

But now, Congressman Alan Grayson has been allowed to read the entire treaty, and it looks bad. According to Grayson:

1) There is no national security purpose in keeping this text secret.

2) This agreement hands the sovereignty of our country over to corporate interests.

3) What they can’t afford to tell the American public is that [the rest of this sentence is classified].

I’d like to be able to tell you why this trade agreement is so bad, but I can’t because it is secret. All I can do is trust people like Grayson who have seen it and say that we need to fight it.

Is this really what a democracy is supposed to look like? Where corporate interests become national security interests? Isn’t that the definition of fascism?

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Can We Talk?

Lee Judge
© Lee Judge

The US is moving ahead with plans to have talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, relations with the “American Taliban” have never been worse, with Republicans repealing Obamacare over and over, blocking immigration reform, and filibustering everything Obama attempts to do (even if they originally supported it).

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Late Night Political Humor

“Due to the government spy scandal, sales of the classic George Orwell book ‘1984’ have skyrocketed. So the fallout is worse than we thought. It’s making Americans read.” – Conan O’Brien

“Evil Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his wife, Connie, have been married a long time, and everybody thought they were happily married. Well, last week Putin announced he was divorcing Connie. And when Chris Humphries heard that, he said, ‘You can do that, really?'” – David Letterman

“So far, it’s a very amicable divorce. So far, Connie is still alive.” – David Letterman

“There are reports that female terrorists are being fitted with exploding breast implants. How many guys are going to use this as an excuse? ‘Honey, I’m not looking at her breasts. I’m working for Homeland Security’.” – Jay Leno

“Hispanic Senator Ted Cruz, who is fighting the immigration bill, described himself as Obama-phobic. You know you have Obama phobia if you’ll deport immigrants even though your last name is Cruz.” – Conan O’Brien

“Conservative commentator Glenn Beck is suffering from paralyzed vocal cords that have made him unable to speak. But not to worry – doctors are working around the clock to make sure this condition continues.” – Conan O’Brien

“We have New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and chef Mario Batali on the show tonight. It’s great to have a guest who’s so passionate about food. And it’s an honor to have Mario Batali here as well.” – Jimmy Fallon

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Late Night Political Humor

“According to a poll, the majority of Americans are OK with the Obama administration listening in on our phone calls. Guys approve because they feel it increases security. And women approve of Obama’s policy because finally a man is listening to them.” – Conan O’Brien

“Do you mind that the NSA is opening your mail and listening to your phone calls? I don’t care. It’s like the lady that tells you the directions in your car. At first I thought it was annoying, and then I realized it’s just like being married.” – David Letterman

“The guy who blew the whistle on the NSA scandal is a former security worker named Edward Snowden. He is a high school dropout. He was making $122,000 a year. He lived in Hawaii. He was engaged to a beautiful former ballerina. And he gave it all up. So not only is he a whistleblower. He’s also a moron.” – Jay Leno

“House Speaker John Boehner called NSA’s Edward Snowden a traitor. But only because he leaked the name of his tanning bed.” – Conan O’Brien

“I don’t know if you saw it last night but let me just apologize. We had a bad show last night. I will tell you how bad the show was last night. Halfway through, the White House stopped listening in.” – David Letterman

“President Obama said he welcomes a national debate over our surveillance policies. He said that’s a debate we wouldn’t have had five years ago. Five years ago? It’s a debate we wouldn’t have had two weeks ago if they all hadn’t gotten caught.” – Jay Leno

“Quarterback Tim Tebow has signed with the New England Patriots. So the good news is that Tebow got a job. The bad news: Now he’s associated with the word ‘patriot’, and he’s being audited by the IRS.” – Jay Leno

“Nobody knew about this. It was a top-secret deal. The only people who knew were Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Tim Tebow, and of course, the NSA. They were listening in.” – Jay Leno

“Hillary Clinton finally joined Twitter yesterday and racked up more than 200,000 followers in only five hours. Yeah, they were like, ‘Hillary in 2016!’ and ‘Washington needs Hillary!’ and ‘Hillary for the White House!’ That’s not her followers. Those were her tweets.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on Twitter. A politician on Twitter — what could possibly go wrong?” – David Letterman

“Hillary Clinton sent her first tweet yesterday. Or as one guy put it, ‘How do you block people on this thing?'” – Jimmy Fallon

“Marco Rubio announced a new bill that would require immigrants to learn English to become citizens. Many Americans already say it’s the goodest news they have heard all year.” – Conan O’Brien

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The Two Faces of Obama

Matt Wuerker
© Matt Wuerker

What’s ironic about this is that I don’t think Republicans care if their accusations against Obama are contradictory. They just keep throwing shit until something sticks.

Also ironic is that even though some of the recent scandals have stuck a bit (and the NSA scandal is even getting strong support from the left), none of this seems to be affecting Obama’s favorability ratings.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to downplay the NSA issue. I don’t agree with everything that Obama does and I’m deeply troubled by the NSA spying on US citizens, with seemingly no oversight at all. I really wish Obama would keep his promises about transparency. But it is clear that the GOP is not bringing up scandal after scandal in order to fix any problems with our government, they are doing it merely for political gain. It is hard to imagine that they would be any better if they were in charge, well except that anybody who objected to NSA spying would be labelled a traitor and soft on terrorism.

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Late Night Political Humor

“The NSA has been listening in on phone calls. It’s people with cellphones — you hear these people walking down the street screaming into their cellphones. They’re the ones who are upset about people listening to their phone calls.” – David Letterman

“This weekend, President Obama held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It went well, although it got awkward when Obama asked China to stop spying on America and Jinping said, ‘You first’.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Last week it was revealed that the National Security Agency has spied on Americans’ phone records and Internet history for years. Yesterday, the source of the leak said he’s hiding out in Hong Kong, marking the first time anyone has ever said, ‘I don’t want to be punished by the government – so I guess I’ll go to China’.” – Jimmy Fallon

“This whistleblower is all over TV. His name is Edward Snowden, and he’s very pleased with himself. He says he doesn’t want to live in a society where the society monitors its people. And then he fled to China.” – David Letterman

“He went to China to avoid government persecution. That’s like going to Ireland to avoid getting drunk.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Mr. President, no one is saying you broke any laws, we’re just saying it’s a little bit weird you didn’t have to.” – John Oliver

“A former technical assistant for the CIA named Edward Snowden leaked the story that the federal government was collecting phone records from Verizon customers. Snowden said, ‘You’re being watched’. To which NBC executives said, ‘Finally! We would love to be watched’.” – Jay Leno

“People are asking how this Snowden guy could download all this classified information and give it to a British newspaper without the NSA knowing about it. I think I know the answer. If you don’t want the NSA spying on you, get a job working at the NSA. That’s how it works.” – Jay Leno

“Snowden said today he was going to disclose all this information earlier, but he wanted to wait until after the election. To which Mitt Romney said, ‘Hey, thanks a lot. Appreciate it’.” – Jay Leno

“You know your phone is being tapped when you’re having a conversation and you hear the attorney general breathing.” – David Letterman

“The new Superman movie opens on Friday. It’s a great story: When Superman’s dad realizes his son is gifted with X-ray vision and super hearing, he puts him in a rocket and sends him toward earth, because he knows with those powers he can get a job in the Obama administration.” – Jay Leno

“Happy birthday to the president’s daughter Sasha, who is 12 years old. For her birthday, her father gave her Justin Bieber’s phone records.” – David Letterman

“Pope Francis said it is a sin for people to waste food. He made that proclamation and then he made Chris Christie a saint.” – Conan O’Brien

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Late Night Political Humor

“Big breaking news about something we’ve known for like seven years, which is that your phone calls are being tracked and your emails are being accessed by the government. And married men all over are saying, ‘The government? Thank God. I thought you were going to say my wife’.” – Bill Maher

“The White House today closed the gift shop and opened a Verizon store after it was revealed that the National Security Agency seized millions of Verizon phone records. How ironic is that? We wanted a president who listens to all Americans. Now we have one.” – Jay Leno

“The same conservatives who were all for the Patriot Act are now freaked out about this. They’re like, ‘When we said the president could do whatever the fuck he wanted, we didn’t mean a black guy’.” – Bill Maher

“President Obama was visiting a middle school yesterday, and while he was there he said that every school in the U.S. should have high-speed Internet. Then it got awkward when one kid said, ‘Why, so you can read our emails faster?'” – Jimmy Fallon

“The White House is looking through our phone records, checking our computers, monitoring our emails. When did the government suddenly become our psycho ex-girlfriend? When did that happen?” – Jay Leno

“Trusting the government to monitor your calls without listening – it’s kind of like trusting Chris Christie to pick up the McDonalds and not eat the fries on the way home.” – Bill Maher

“President Obama clarified the situation today. He said no one is listening to your phone calls. He said it’s not what the program is all about. You know, like the IRS targeting certain political groups. That’s not what it’s about.” – Jay Leno

“Michelle Obama was heckled this week. Did you see that? Wow, she’s tough. Obama always stays cool when he gets heckled, but Michelle was like all Game of Thrones on this woman. She said, ‘If I wanted to hear your opinion, my husband will tap your phone’.” – Bill Maher

“The IRS has taken some heat for reportedly spending $4 million on a conference in Anaheim last year, where employees took dancing lessons. One of the dances they learned? Tap dancing around the issues.” – Jay Leno

“If Obama wants to put this snooping thing to good use, how about spying on the IRS the next time they throw a $4 million party? Why don’t you do that?” –Jay Leno

“Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife announced that they are getting a divorce after almost 30 years of marriage. When asked why, Putin said, ‘We tried to make it work, but you know what they say: Men are from Malgobek, women are from Kadnikov.'” – Jimmy Fallon

“Actually, Putin and his wife made their announcement after they attended the ballet. That’s weird because most guys would want to break up with you before they had to go to a ballet.” – Jimmy Fallon

“As part of a senior prank, students at a high school in Washington spray-painted all over their school, but they actually misspelled the word ‘senior’ twice. That probably explains why they didn’t get into ‘collage’.” – Jimmy Fallon

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The Two Faces of Sean Hannity and Fox News

Democratic Underground

The video is far worse. Hannity actively promoting NSA surveillance then, over and over again, versus decrying it as unconstitutional now:

What a two-faced tool.

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Late Night Political Humor

“Another scandal hit the White House today. A report found that the government has been secretly collecting the phone records of Verizon customers. I knew something was up when I said, ‘You hang up first’. Then my wife said, ‘No, YOU hang up first!’ Then Obama said, ‘Uh, how about you just hang up at the same time?'” – Jimmy Fallon

“It’s come out that the government has been secretly collecting telephone records of millions of Verizon customers. Yeah, or as Verizon is calling it, ‘The friends and family and Obama plan’.” – Conan O’Brien

“The National Security Agency has been collecting the phone records of Verizon customers since April. That explains Verizon’s new ad campaign: ‘They can hear you now’.” – Jimmy Fallon

“When I was growing up, we were afraid of Big Brother watching us. Now with Obama, we actually HAVE a brother watching us.” – Jay Leno

“The government has been secretly gathering data from your mobile phone. It’s a huge scandal and it comes on the heels of President Obama’s IRS scandal and Benghazi scandal. Even the crackhead mayor of Toronto is saying, ‘rough week, huh?'” – Craig Ferguson

“A new report shows that the Obama administration has been collecting the telephone records of millions of customers of Verizon under a top-secret court order. Here’s the sad part. It turns out that 90 percent of the phone calls Americans make are to order a pizza.” – Jay Leno

“Attorney General Eric Holder said that despite all the controversies, he has no intention of stepping down. Hey Eric, I didn’t either. Sometimes it just happens.” – Jay Leno

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