RevMercutio: WideStance: Colbert just owned Laura Ingraham, this thread is invalid.

Ingraham seems to believe Banshees are indian as well.

I really wish that Colbert had let her run with the Indian thing; especially if he got her to clarify "dot or feather?"

Anyway, as far as this story, I treat it about the same as the Chris Dodd stuff a couple years ago where he openly stated his position as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee when getting loans from Countrywide to get good deals, and then when the system was melting down was quick to try to protect Countrywide in particular from crashing. He was doing what anyone would probably try in his situation, attempting to use what influence he had to protect his own interests with the mental justification that it would help others as well, but at the same time we shouldn't just accept this behavior and abuse of power should be identified and called out. In fact, the most offensive part of the Dodd affair was that he tried to plead ignorance that the CEO putting him on the VIP program would suggest that he was getting any preferential treatment.

In defense of Waters, it sounds like she at least did all her stuff out in the open; these meetings weren't held in secret, and she disclosed her husband's relationship to these entities from the beginning. That said, she still needs to be criticized for using the power of her office in a way that would benefit her personally, and I would like to see the committee do just that.