Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

On April 29, 2006, American comedian Stephen Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington hotel. Colbert's performance consisted of a 16-minute podium speech and a 7-minute video presentation, which were broadcast live across the United States on cable television networks C-SPAN and MSNBC. Standing a few feet from U.S. Presiden... more

On April 29, 2006, American comedian Stephen Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington hotel. Colbert's performance consisted of a 16-minute podium speech and a 7-minute video presentation, which were broadcast live across the United States on cable television networks C-SPAN and MSNBC. Standing a few feet from U.S. President George W. Bush—in front of an audience of celebrities, politicians, and members of the White House Press Corps—Colbert delivered a controversial, searing routine targeting the president and the media. Cable television personality Colbert spoke in the persona of the character he plays on Comedy Central's popular The Colbert Report, a parody of a conservative pundit in the fashion of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. Colbert's performance quickly became an Internet and media sensation. Subsequent coverage has seen commentators debate the stand... less