Mouthpiece Theater: Men in Tights

[tekno2600]

Two really dumb rightwing tools:  Partisanship on stupid-steroids.

[954creapin]

lmao  guys r fuckin awesome..world needs more people like you guys with a sense of humor...

[downstairshudson]

The real joke is that we are supposed to take them seriously as journalists. Now that's funny!

[downstairshudson]

what a couple of F A G S!

[thefiftyfootwoman]

Hey WaPo, a really good way to keep this rebranding effort rolling would be to have Dana and Chris send us a friend request on Facebook.

[boltz2000]

Next time it would be a lot funnier if you simply made a video of you pissing on a stack of Washington Posts. For real, not metaphorically like on this video.

[F33bs]

Hey Milbank, hear that? That's WaPo's stock going down in fucking flames.

Maybe instead of putting out this unwatchable shlock, you could stop faking your journalist credentials and break some real news, eh?

Stop huff-huffing over Nico Pitney and the real innovators.

In closing, does it strike anyone else as ironic that the newspaper which unabashedly offered the healthcare lobby access to key politicians has a shitty online feature called "Mouthpiece Theater"?

[0hellflames0]

wow, can you say doucebags?

[forkemdevils1]

I want my 4 minutes back. And my subscription cost. Instead next time run 10 seconds of that bad ass Eugene Robinson laughing in his cool ass pimp glasses and killer suit. It would save time, money and instantly become one of the top videos on line. And snap, the Washington Post would be both credible and cool again.

[jthgink]

wow, total douchebags

[JustanOlfrend]

excellent...i love it...LOL

[bathalax]

not funny. waste of money & time.

[wkurth]

Pitiful. Long live Dan Froomkin and Nico Pitney. Note to Dana Milbank: There is zero chance you will grow up to be David Broder.

[MelchezidikFisher]

Everyone check out the newest blogspot that scares Bush and Cheney.

[MelchezidikFisher]

Everyone check out the newest blogspot that scares Bush and Cheney.

The links in it are very powerful

JesusChristForeverAmen

Its a blogspot

[tarobomb]

I'll just note that the Post's circulation continues to slide while journalists like Nico Pitney are attracting ever-larger audiences. But don't lose too much sleep about it, Milbank, you dick whisperer, 'kay?

[georgep922]

I have no sympathy to that paper, they PAY, I repeat PAY Millbank, the biggest joke in DC and they do their corrupt pay for play which could have embarrassed our party into a terrible scandal.

[mistergarth]

Was this supposed to be funny? Was it supposed to be insightful? Did it have some purpose other than to waste viewers' time and make the filmmakers look like idiots?

[RobotBacon]

Wait... are there jokes in here somewhere?

[lekumkee]

The joke is Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza ; )

[Jackstowne]

Thank God, the WaPo fired Froomkin. For a second, I thought they might be doing actual journalism!

/s

[jfrigg]

journalism: FAIL

satire: FAIL

douchebaggery: EPIC WIN

[bvicarious]

My first thought upon watching this was "Hey, heres two people I hope die in a fire!"

[publicgood]

E P I C F A I L

[sivapith]

This is actually worse than I thought it would be after reading the comments first.

[sverigregrabb]

Re: these comments:

Whoa! Such vitriol! And such incredibly rude language! Are you (collectively) unaware of the state of politics in the US today?

Aside from the issues, which are covered in The Fix, what can one do but view the lesser aspects of politics as a tragi-comedy? I--apparently for one--find Mouthpiece Theatre highly diverting. I do miss my daily video fix--easy laugh here--informing me of what to watch for, but one can't have everything.

[Eddisan]

lame, lame, and lame. you guys should stick to your "journalism."

[andycpj007]

How on Earth does the WaPo have money to make this but not enough for Dan Froomkin? Do they honestly expect us to think that firing Froomkin was a budget decision? C'mon - we're a lot smarter than they give us credit for.

[choffm4]

WaPo supposedly doesn't have the money for Froomkin, but it has the money to make this tripe?

[popworld7]

You don't have to read Glenn Greenwald to know how terribly funny it is as bad comedy only. What was the name of that Fox Show that was going to rival the Daily Show? The 1/2 Comedy Hour? This is just as bad as the few clips I saw from that. There is nothing more pathetic than people who have no sense of humor thinking that what they are doing is funny. This is extremely revealing of the inside the beltway talking heads and press. Remember what they have been like since the 90s?

[eubanksd]

If this was supposed to be funny, that makes it even more dreadful.

You guys incited more laughs when you were attempting to be legitimate journalists.

So I would say stick with what works... but...

[marshfinch]

Are you fucking kidding me?

[bunk995]

currently, top two douche bags inside the beltway and in top 10 WORLDWIDE.

[patsagainstrats]

What a hackneyed premise for a video. Been watching re-runs of SNL from the 1970's, have we?

Go fuck yourselves. :D

[Marker773]

Is it possible to give this -5 stars?? Ugh.

[iburl]

Glenn Greenwald is the best: "there is still something about it -- the oozing smugness, the view of politics as a juvenile game, the desperation to be above it all and too sophisticated to care, the total lack of self-awareness in failing to realize how embarrassingly unfunny it is -- that makes it a tour de force in illustrating what and who so much of the Washington media really are"

[cthulufunk]

Dana Milbank, your faggotry is unparalleled.

Just think...this was the paper that blew the lid off Watergate.

[Marker773]

Dear Douchebag: "Faggotry" is not to be used as a slam. Asshole.

[daweshill]

Washington Post gone to crap. How can we take these self-important, mediocre, and not funny defenders of the center/extreme right seriously. Who will miss the newspaper, when the Washington Post goes. No sentimentality for toilet paper.

[growingdaisies1]

I see that YouTube videos of drunk squirrels are getting significantly better ratings than this Washington Post effort. What does that say?

[iburl]

@ growingdaisies1 - The squirrels at the post are not drinking enough?

[GregoryPurcell]

There you have it folks; Milbank and the Post in all it's Corporate media excellence.

[Larlar001]

What the hell are these two douches gassing on about?

[SmeagolAlwaysHelps]

That was truly pathetic, about what I'd expect from The Washington Post these days. It sucked on so many different levels I hardly know where to puke. You FIRE Dan Froomkin to save money so that you can make crap like this?

[whatisbestinlife]

This is pathetic.

After having failed to provide quality journalism, the answer isn't to turn around and fail at providing quality satire.

Seriously, what fool pays these guys? Oh, WaPo...  never mind. Answered my own question.

[gregdrocketmailcom]

leave comedy to the professionals. perhaps, you millbank/cillizza should also leave journalism to the professionals, as well.

[1chedworth]

sorry, i have to come back a second time and say: WHAT. THE. FUCK. WERE. YOU. THINKING?

if reporters can't even gauge how what they are saying is going to be received, then screw them. they deserve all that is coming to them.

[LongBeachDave]

The Washington Post claims that budget cuts were the reason for the recent firing of Dan Froomkin, one journalist who actually did his job and told the truth...and then we get this from the Post? That company has to be the most inane and ridiculous company in the field of journalism today. Fortunately for them, I am not a subscriber, so they can't

lose my subscription, only what little respect I had for them before firing Froomkin.

[GiorgioNicorette]

WHAT A COUPLE OF DOUCHEBAGS.

[lomag91]

This is the worst thing I've ever seen and every single thing that is wrong with journalism.

[ClintonFein]

Who's advising these guys?Whoever told ttem this was a good career move should be fired.

[deuxhardboiledeggs]

Jesus H. Christ, Dana you're one unfunny fucker. And you look like you rape children for breakfast.

[whirlized]

Very nice. You guys will be right in the middle of all the action if Pee Wee Herman ever runs for President.

[amiserable]

Dana is just sad, but no sadder than the post has become:

i.e.: a laughing stock and a pathetic neo-con haven.

Remember why you got into journalism, Dana? Not the cash or the chicks -- the ideal of pursuing the TRUTH.

sad to see how far you have fallen. :(

[jerkpatrol]

What fool payed for this?

[timdonahey]

WashPost: Really?

[youboob83]

Jesus. I can't begin to describe how embarrassed I am for subscribing (yes, actual newspaper subscription) to the Washington Post. I will not be renewing this year.

If you make a habit out of making decisions this bad, you deserve to fail.

[filchyboy]

Truly pathetic.

[cjk002]

I'm beginning to understand why the Republicans call them "elite media scumbags"....

[tae1720]

And remember...Milbank, the douche on the left...actually bitched because Nico Pitney, from HuffPo was called on by Obama at his press conf yesterday, because you know REAL REPORTERS put on little skits like this...they don't ask tough questions of the President.

Die, Washington Post, die.

[1chedworth]

glad to see you're concentrating on the really important stuff while tehran burns... douchbags

[tuvent08]

This is painfully unfunny.

[IanBusher]

I'm just shocked by how horrid this is.  This must be very painful, embarrassing period for their children, I wish them luck.

[bootpdx]

OMFG THIS SUCKS

[spatey]

This is amazingly well packaged for such menial content. Props to the production team. Hopefully you'll get to work with someone else of your caliber someday.

To the fellow writing the script: it may behoove you to follow The Daily Show and SNL's Weekend Update to see how political humor is done. Hint: it involves saying something of substance about the people you're discussing.

[ralphbarcode]

Hideous. I felt like I was being "enhanced interrogated." I wish I subscribed to the WaPo so I could cancel my subscription, but then, maybe that's why they're going out of business...

[fredfrog]

Another trite and contrived example of desperate yet disciplined establishment media.

[huckleberryplus]

are they like the Daily Show casting call rejects? my local news is funnier. this probably ranks up there with fox's "30 minute news hour" in least laughs per attempted joke.

[jercu99]

Wow. This is a train wreck.

[brukins]

LOL win...nice coming out party Dana and Lizzie!

[forkemdevils1]

Dana Millbank is a joke.

Join Fox News already so reasonable people will be able to dismiss you without having to waste 4 minutes of their life figuring out how useless you are.

[billymeltdown]

Painful.

[mummbleswers]

Motherfuck Dana Milbank!  This guy is a hack!!

[gyforget]

Absolutely pathetic. Thank god the Huffington Post has real--and relevant--reporters.

[lushlife747]

Oh, and Cilizza - you have a face made for radio and a voice made for newsprint. So painful to listen to - you really should seek professional help.

[CynAnne65]

Goodness, what a lot of lemon-sours some of these commenters are..well done, Chris & Dana (ignore the jealous, for they only belittle themselves).. ;) ...

[vodoqc]

You must work with them. I can't even begin to describe how painful this was to watch -- I actually felt embarrassed for them. You know those people who show up for American Idol with no discernible ability to sing? This was worse. And it went on FOREVER.

[SidBrazen]

No, I'll bet even their co-workers are cringing too. CynAnne's his mom. ("lemon-sour" is the giveaway. only a dried-up old lady would come up with that)

[lushlife747]

The trite made flesh. Really. It's just amazingly bad - I would rather see David Hasselhoff read the news after a three-day bender than watch this again.

We won't miss you when you're gone.

[tae1720]

Is there any chance you two douchebags could actually report the news?

Or have you totally surrendered your medium to bloggers and have now decided to be the JOKE personified that cable and network news is today?

Get a job in your local circus, and make room for real reporters.

[gffcnnn]

What the fuck is this garbage?

Newspapers are hemorrhaging money, but still have the resources to put together shit like this? 4:04 completely devoid of insight or laughs.

Your ideological and business models might be in terminal decline, but do try to keep a little dignity while it happens, please.

[ahermit]

Fail.

I'd say stick to journalism, but I haven't seen much of that from the Wapo Broderites lately either...

[GalenLW]

On Ensign/Reid, logic = fail...

Oh wait, this is supposed to funny?

[growingdaisies1]

Oh my God. The unfunny. It burns.

Things that are funnier than this video: Injured puppies. Rampaging wildfires that destroy all your Earthly possessions. Rwanda.

These may be the two least self-aware people on the planet. I feel like I'm watching some kind of journalistic mid-life crisis unfold before my very eyes, and it's so embarrassing.

[Diodotus521]

Disastrous.

[funkinacan]

When I need recycled inside-the-beltway conventional wisdom, I go to Milbank and Cillizza. When I want comedy, however, I look to ANYONE ELSE.

[fausto412]

so noooooot funny

[Scientific1]

And Milbank has the nerve to get all tight-assed about Nico Pitney being called on by the President yesterday. Hey, Dana - if you didn't spend all your time dressing up in your pajamas and not being funny, perhaps you too could do some real journalism, like Pitney's done on Iran for the Huffington Post. (Also, when you misquote Obama's speech in Berlin and then get into a huff about it - the reason why you left MSNBC before they could fire your ass - I wouldn't expect him to call on you often.)

[hidaddy77]

I'm not sure what's worse; the fact that these journalists think they're on the Daily Show, or the fact that all of these "comments" have been cut and pasted from Glenn Greenwald's blog.

[GalenLW]

How about the fact that they think they ARE journalists?

[Scientific1]

Keep in mind, people - the WaPo claimed that it was budgetary restrictions that kept them from being able to retain Dan Froomkin. Yet they have the money to produce a segment like this.

While the cost of this segment wasn't nearly what Froomkin should have been paid, you can't claim poverty when you're putting out smug bullshit like this...smug bullshit that costs money. It only makes you wonder what else they're wasting money on (cough, Cohen, ahem, Krauthammer, hack).

[GalenLW]

replace that with (gag) and we're agreed

[bloggerinterrupted]

this is by far the most vapid piece of frippery i have ever seen. Deep Throat is shitting himself in his grave.

[Hephaestion123]

Aren't these two idiots and the washington Post slightly aware of how ridiculous they are in this video? And the Washington Post fires Dan Froomkin!!!

Meanwhile, Nico Pitney has been live-blogging the events in Iran around the clock, to let the world know how the Iranian protesters are being massacred.

You deserve to go out of business.....

[IMC200]

I think Greenwald said it best about this video:

"There is still something about it -- the oozing smugness, the view of politics as a juvenile game, the desperation to be above it all and too sophisticated to care, the total lack of self-awareness in failing to realize how embarrassingly unfunny it is -- that makes it a tour de force in illustrating what and who so much of the Washington media really are."

[johnqgoldstone]

These are the jokers who like to believe they formulate public opinion. They're vacuous; vain; self-important; and.... dull.

[villa72]

What a WaPoing FAIL.

[etherealjeb]

WaPo FAIL. So we're supposed to believe that Dan Froomkin was fired for economic reasons, while the paper has plenty of time and money to produce this mindless rubbish? Unspeakably stupid.

[Scientific1]

Another thing - watching this, I sure don't miss having to see Milbank on MSNBC anymore. What a douche.

[Scientific1]

Epic fail. You fired Dan Froomkin, and you have shit like this up?

[shabadoosa]

You should be in prison for being so lame.

[oscilloscope500]

Yes, this is exactly what the Washington Post should be doing. Getting rid of talent like Dan Froomkin and investing their time and assets into "comedy" bits like this one. It can't fail!

[SidBrazen]

just wow. to paraphrase Thora Birch in Ghost World "it's so far beyond bad, it goes all the way to good and then back to bad again."

Not only are you guys dorks, you're shitty journalists.

[bishyalergmail]

Please fire whomever thought this up.

Absolute garbage.

[RighteousBubba]

If your quest is to outdo Julia Gorin you need a new quest.

[wagonlil]

i can imagine the meeting... we GOTTA do something like colbert and stewart! misserable amounts of fail.

[milowent]

dana and chris . the video would have been better if SMOSH guest starred in it. and that's not a good thing. hope you survive the froomquake.

[jskaroff]

Putting aside the politics, this simply isn't funny.

[mrepuyrbotdgd]

You clueless f*cks at WaPo have absolutely no idea how ridiculous and pathetic your newspaper has become over the last decade.

Why don't you just admit that you are nothing more than cheerleading whores for whoever is in power at the moment and quit trying to b*llshit the world into believing that you really matter?

At least then I could respect your honesty, if nothing else.

[carpenterale]

Not funny.

One can tell hack comedy by the thin patina of protective sarcasm and rushed lines. This is the intellectual equivalent of being photographed shirtless.

What a waste of time and WaPo money.

[RationalLiberty]

saaaaad....

[dropcloth]

What a great way to lure more eyes and build credibility:

Remove all quality and content. Then costume the least telegenic corporate hacks imaginable to distract viewers from noticing how devoid of information the W.P. truly is.

Also noteworthy is how the 2 actors/reporters have seemingly been able to convince themselves that what their doing is funny.

[joeblowmha]

lame

[psowen2002]

They seem to enjoy dressing up and spending 'quality' time together... so I wonder which one of these clowns is the 'mouthpiece'? One more stumble in Chait's and the WAPO's descent into Fox News territory.

[savebury]

Can these two idiots ever expect to be taken seriously as journalists again after this? They are jokes. They should go work for fox or the onion. Ooh! I know they can get their own version of the view.

[tha1k0w]

Just sad. And this clown Milbank today termed Obama's press conference the 'Obama show', notwithstanding the fact that Obama was informative and entertaining, unlike this piece of hackery.

[louziegler]

you keep this fools and let froomkin go?

[meowingmyrtle]

This is truly embarrassing. These people are "serious" journalists?

Not funny, nor clever, nor in any way interesting. The Washington Post has become a complete joke.

[birdm]

WTF? Is this supposed to be funny? Anybody at WaPo involved with this or the Froomkin firing (or, god forbid, BOTH) ought to resign immediately out of shame and apply for a job at McDonald's because that's pretty much all you're qualified for.

[fukutabe]

WaPo tries to be hip: I'm in ur utubez, makin funny vidz.

[ChrisM70]

Does anyone do JOURNALISM anymore? I get the feeling that these Washington insiders would be better suited working for TMZ.

[MidnightChimes]

This was much better in the planning stages.

[metalandganja]

wait, so the post continues to fund this but "had" to let froomkin go? holy crap, this publication has totally gone to shit.

[psowen2002]

This would be funny if it was not so sad. Hacks in print, hacks online and now hacks on youtube....or in this case you boobs. Actually this video sums up both men's typical way of doing business...and does a better job of displaying their pathetic brand of "news". And in order to keep and pay for this drivel they let Froomkin go?!?

[ashkha73]

What is wrong with the Post. How can the allow two political reporters to do such mindless drivel. And I can't believe they don't think this would dilute WP brand. But then again, maybe Milbank and CIlizza will get a couple more invites to DC soirees. That's all that matter's, being in with the in crowd, right. Not actual journalism.

[SourceCode2006]

Try journalism not shitty comedy.

[whaleshaman]

Pathetic. And Dan Froomkin lost his job while these two clowns kept theirs?

[etagloh]

A suggestion: don't try the funny any more.

[digeridoo99]

That was the worst "skit" I've seen since 3rd grade summer camp. At least if this were 3rd grade summer camp, we could aim dodge balls at Milbank's and Cillizza's smirking fat heads.

Remember today's date: Today the bell has tolled for mainstream journalism.

[JimboUSofA]

The Post ain't nuthin' but shit and neither are any of its remaining urinalists.

[paleodan]

This was very... interesting. Not good, but not terrible either. Could have used more "punch" or "zing" or whatever. I miss seeing Dana on Countdown.

[LongBeachDave]

yeah, paleodan, I miss Milbank on Countdown like I miss a root canal.

[downwarddog1967]

absolutely pathetic .. the Post fired their best reporter in Dan Froomkin and then puts out this drivel? lame.

[InTheAtticLights1]

The journalism at the Washington Post is a joke.

[jeremyvillano]

So, who will do the news now that most of the reporting establishment, especially the Beltway establishment, thinks they are clever pundits?

[WadeBlazingame34]

How about you guys leave the comedy to Stewart & Colbert, and you just focus on actual reporting? Okay? Deal?

[sverigregrabb]

You blokes just get better and better! This installment is hilarious. Chris, I still with you'd take up The Morning Fix (or FixCam, or What To Look For, or whatever you want to call its latest incarnation) again, though.

[SidBrazen]

Mr. Cilizza, you have your own forum at WP. Leave this comment thread for us regular folks, n'kay?

[arequipa1]

can somebody tell me what the opening music is??

[wildwilly1111]

Rondeau by Jean-Joseph Mouret; also commonly referred to as the theme to Masterpiece Theater.

[wildwilly1111]

Arguably the best part of this video.

[arequipa1]

yay! thanks i always used to listen to this song when i was a kid.

[deuxhardboiledeggs]

Rondeau from "Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper" by Jean-Joseph Mouret