A screen grab from a video of the Nov. 17 episode of Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert takes time out to "honor the troops." // colbertnation.com
Stephen Colbert has always taken time to cheer up and support the troops, even traveling to Baghdad, donning a universal camouflage pattern suit and declaring victory in the Iraq War in 2009.
And last week he did it again, only this time he had some very pointed criticism for those in Congress who have supported cutting Tricare benefits for veterans as a way of reducing America’s debt burden. During his regular segment “The Word,” Colbert called on the nation’s “1 percent” to sacrifice more for the good of the country.
“Everybody’s talking about it,” Colbert said. “There is a tiny minority of Americans who could be doing a lot more for our nation. A minority who live a lifestyle that the 99 percent could not imagine. You know who I’m talking about. I’m talking about military veterans.”
After lampooning the supercommittee for failing to agree on anything except creating savings by cutting Tricare, he turned his guns on the bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees for supporting the cuts.
“Congress is sending our troops a clear message. That message: that we can take for granted that service members are willing to give up more than the rest of us.”
Colbert offered thinly veiled criticism for those who pay lip service to “honoring the sacrifice” of service members while still asking veterans to give up benefits. “No one honors their sacrifice more than I, and I’ll prove it,” he said, turning with great ceremony toward the camera as if to address service members in TV Land. “I honor your sacrifice,” he said as he flashed “Honoring in progress” in red, white and blue on the screen.
You can see the whole video here.
