CBS This Morning on Friday boosted left-wing comedian John Oliver's smear on Rick Santorum, and conservatism in general, where he equated the GOP presidential candidate with a hardcore drug like crack cocaine: "America likes its conservatism cut with plenty of baking powder, because one hit of the pure stuff, and you'll wake up with Eric Stoltz...having just plunged an adrenaline needle into your heart" [audio available here [1]].
Anchor Charlie Rose praised the offensive crack, which aired on Thursday's Daily Show: "Don't you love John Oliver?" Erica Hill agreed with her co-anchor, and added, "Always gives us a good laugh. We like that." Later that morning, a post on the far left website Daily Kos praised Oliver's entire rant [2] as "brilliant," as it supposedly "tells the truth about what the GOP really wants to do."
The morning newscast played a clip from the Comedy Central regular's act, which began with Oliver stating that "Rick Santorum might be feeling good about his rise in the polls, but he's about the only Republican who is." After he played two clips from former George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson and from former Chris Christie advisor Boris Epshteyn, who both criticized Santorum, host Jon Stewart replied, "Wow. Now, what is it about Santorum that has Republicans so alarmed?"
The left-leaning Brit then launched his attack, which prompted many laughs from the audience:
OLIVER: Because Republicans aren't idiots, Jon. (audience laughs) They know that America likes its conservatism cut with plenty of baking powder- (audience laughs) because one hit of the pure stuff, and you'll wake up with Eric Stoltz straddling you, having just plunged an adrenaline needle into your heart. (Audience laughs)
Oliver likes attacking conservatives and Christians. Back in November 2010, he revealed his particular hatred [3] for star NFL quarterback Tim Tebow: "I hate Tim Tebow. If I was in a room with Tim Tebow and Bin Laden and I had a gun with one bullet in it, I'd shoot Bin Laden. I'm not a monster. But if I had two bullets, I'd shoot Tim Tebow first." Eight months later, NPR brought on Oliver and the Washington Post's Dana Milbank to mock the GOP presidential field [4] in general.
The comedian actually botched the movie reference during the offending line. Actor Eric Stoltz played the drug dealer for John Travolta's character in the 1994 cult classic "Pulp Fiction." When Travolta rushed Uma Thurman's character to the dealer's house, after she overdosed, Stoltz suggested and provided the adrenaline, but it was Travolta who gave the injection into the heart.
On Friday, the MRC's Geoff Dickens listed the ten worst anti-Santorum quotes [5] from the media over the 15 years. Oliver's slur might make the cut the next time someone revisits the category.
The transcript of the segment from Friday's CBS This Morning, which began 24 minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour:
JOHN OLIVER (from Comedy Central's "The Daily Show"): Rick Santorum might be feeling good about his rise in the polls, but he's about the only Republican who is.
MICHAEL GERSON (from February 17, 2012 "NewsHour" on PBS): Santorum is not an ideal candidate. He seems to enjoy those debates- cultural war debates- a little too much. It scares people.
BORIS EPSHTEYN, STRATEGY INTERNATIONAL (from February 15, 2012 interview on MSNBC): He should not and will not be our nominee for president.
JON STEWART (on-camera): Wow. Now, what is it about Santorum that has Republicans so alarmed?
OLIVER: Because, Republicans aren't idiots, Jon. (audience laughs) They know that America likes its conservatism cut with plenty of baking powder- (audience laughs) because one hit of the pure stuff, and you'll wake up with Eric Stoltz straddling you, having just plunged an adrenaline needle into your heart. (Audience laughs)
CHARLIE ROSE (on-camera): Don't you love John Oliver?
ERICA HILL: I do, I do, and that went on for a while.
ROSE: It was a long routine, in which he compared how the red meat that Rick Santorum would use, versus, a sort of, different kind of answer that Mitt Romney would use to answer essentially the same question.
HILL: Yeah- gives us- always gives us a good laugh. We like that.