Dan Froomkin, consistently one of the very best commentators on the White House — a must read, really — sums up the reaction to Stephen Colbert, including this:
“Here they were, holding a swanky party for themselves, and Colbert was essentially telling them that they’ve completely screwed up their number one job these past six years. Is it any surprise they were defensive?”
And, quoting Time TV critic James Poniewozik: “To the audience that would watch Colbert on Comedy Central, the pained, uncomfortable, perhaps-a-little-scared-to-laugh reaction shots were not signs of failure. They were the money shots. They were the whole point.”
And Joan Walsh at Salon: “For those who think the media shamed itself by rolling over for this administration, especially in the run-up to the Iraq war, Colbert’s skit is the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you, Stephen Colbert!”