Bugsly Bugs Out

Perhaps they di'n't teach Lee "Bugsly" Siegel fact-checking at Dissent, The Nation and Radical History Review. Or maybe The New Republic has rehired Ruth Shalit under an assumed name.

Here's some "honest, non-fiction, fact-filled, truth-telling" from Bugs himself:

Another year, Don Imus was so insulting to Clinton that--this was before C-SPAN started broadcasting the dinners--the Clinton administration had to ask that the transcript not be released to the press.

Excuse me:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The head of a journalists' association has apologized to President and Mrs. Clinton for off-color remarks made about them at a "roasting" but rejected their request that a tape of the dinner not be shown on C-SPAN.

President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton were guests of honor Thursday's at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association annual banquet. At the dinner, radio talk show host Don Imus made remarks about the first couple that the White House deemed tasteless.

Among other things, Imus called Clinton a "pot smoking weasel," joked about his alleged extramarital affairs and tweaked Mrs. Clinton about her financial troubles.

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, who also sat at the head table with the Clintons, said, "a large part of the entertainment, if that's what you call it ... was fairly tasteless." McCurry told C-SPAN that Imus's remarks were "beyond the pale" and asked the network to cancel plans to rebroadcast the dinner program Saturday.

Terry Murphy, chairman of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association and vice president of C-SPAN, sent Clinton a letter saying, "We regret putting you and the first lady in a position of having to endure embarrassment."

C-SPAN, however, declined to change plans to replay the program Saturday at 9 p.m. and midnight.

The cable network issues a statement Friday which said: "C-SPAN stands by its long-announced schedule to re-air the dinner on Saturday night, so that the general public can see what this fuss is all about."

Dumbass.

Oh, and Bugsy, I don't want your job or any "MSM" job. I hear TNR pay sucks (and I won't take blow in lieu of cash), and Bitter Has-Been doesn't add that much to a resume.

p.s. to Bugsly -- Imus appeared at a Radio and Television Correspondents' Dinner, not a White House Correspondents' Dinner.

You could look it up.