The Colbert Report - Season 2 / Year 2006
Season 2 / Year 2006
Episodes
Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace talks about what's right and wrong with the legal system.
Carl Bernstein
Stephen speaks with Carl Bernstein about what Bush and Nixon have in common and points out that a strong president is better than an honest president.
John Stossel
John Stossel tells Stephen what's wrong with the education system and Stephen tells John what a freedom-tarian is.
Ken Miller
Kenneth Miller talks about evolution, what's so clever about God, the flu and what he likes to call the "Steve Martin Theory of Evolution."
George Stephanopoulos
George Stephanopoulos relates politics to wrestling at Stephen's insistence.
Andrew Sullivan
Stephen talks to Andrew Sullivan about blogging and the repercussions of some of his blog posts.
Frank McCourt
Training German Shepherds in Germany prepared Frank McCourt to teach high school.
Nina Totenberg
If you pledge $1,000 to The Colbert Report, Nina Totenberg will come to your shower in a plush terry cloth robe.
David Gregory
Stephen hits a nerve by comparing David Gregory to Major Garrett.
Robin Givhan
Stephen Colbert struts his stuff before Washington Post fashion columnist Robin Givhan.
Norah Vincent
Author Norah Vincent bulked up in order to pass as a man for her book, "Self-Made Man," but she didn't go on the juice.
Paul Begala
Paul Begala explains how Democrats can take the country back and Bill Clinton's effect on his life.
Annie Duke
Based on champion poker player Annie Duke's criteria for being a pro, Stephen thinks President Bush must be a really good gambler.
Dave Marash
David Marash explains his rationale for moving to Al Jazeera International from Nightline.
Emily Yoffe
Slate's Emily Yoffe tells Stephen about her time as a phone psychic, a nude model and a bleeding street performer.
Gov. Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman's concern about political discourse in this country prompts Stephen to cut off her mic.
Barbara Boxer
Senator Barbara Boxer rates President Bush and allows Stephen to read a passage from her novel, " A Time To Run."
R. James Woolsey
James Woolsey gives the president two and a half cheers for his State of the Union pledge to cut dependence on oil.
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz discusses the dangers of preemption and why invading Iran might not be a bad idea.
George Packer
Stephen finds a better way to look at the Iraq war than George Packer's critique of it.
Lama Surya Das
Stephen tries to get Lama Surya Das to sell him on the concept of nonviolence for America.
Michael Eric Dyson
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson discusses the nation's racial divide in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
David Brooks
The New York Times columnist David Brooks talks about being the conservative that liberals can like.
Tony Campolo
Reverend Tony Campolo believes putting religion and politics together is like mixing ice cream with horse manure.
Brett O'Donnell
Stephen asks what Brett O'Donnell thinks of the debate between Job and God.
Arianna Huffington
Stephen wants to know why Arianna Huffington hates black people.
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs explains that giving a little aid to impoverished countries is the least that Americans can do.
Bob Schieffer
Bob Schieffer has good ratings for his morning show because most of his elderly viewers died in the night and left the television on.
Norman Ornstean
Political scientist Norman Ornstein explains how the current Congress does less than nothing.
James Webb
James Webb discusses his opinions on the current state of American politics and the war in Iraq.
Lorraine Bracco
The only thing Lorraine Bracco is not looking forward to about "The Sopranos" is putting on pantyhose every time she has to go into that office.
Christopher Buckley
Christopher Buckley and Jack Abramoff may dress differently, but otherwise, they are very similar.
Keith Olbermann
Stephen thinks being a bully is just another way of getting your points across passionately.
Al Franken
Al Franken speculates on why Bill O'Reilly doesn't do USO tours.
Frank Vincent
Frank Vincent is so manly that he lives in a town called Nutley.
Connie Chung
Connie Chung went back to work because her husband, Maury Povich, was sick of her being around the house all the time.
Steve Kroft
Does Morley Safer makes Steve Kroft run and get him cigarettes on the set of "60 Minutes"?
Dan Senor
Former Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor is conservative on national security but liberal on neckties.
John Kasich
John Kasich, host of "The Heartland with John Kasich" on FOX News, lists honesty, integrity, personal responsibility and humility among the best of America's traditional values.
Gary Hart
Gary Hart shows Stephen how to make an attack dog out of duct tape.
Michael Brown
Let's see how Michael Brown handles the aftermath of Hurricane Colbert.
Bruce Bartlett
Stephen asks Bruce Bartlett where he gets off saying Bush isn't Reagan.
Robert Greenwald
Stephen questions filmmaker Robert Greenwald on why he's so convinced of Tom DeLay's guilt when DeLay isn't even in prison.
Michael Smerconish
If it gets him to his gate faster, Stephen will agree with anything Michael Smerconish says.
Jesse Jackson
Stephen asks Reverend Jesse Jackson what he thinks of his plan to repopulate New Orleans' abandoned Ninth Ward with illegal immigrants.
Harvey Mansfield
Harvey Mansfield and Stephen collide in a perfect storm of man musk.
Markos Moulitsas
Stephen asks blogger and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas how many shirts he goes through because of his bleeding heart.
Reza Aslan
Religious scholar Reza Aslan promises to say something inflammatory next time.
Anthony Romero
Even though America isn't a Christian nation, Stephen thinks ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero should acknowledge that we're almost all Christians.
Caitlin Flanagan
Stephen asks author and journalist Caitlin Flanagan, "What's the deal with chicks?"
Ralph Nader
Stephen and Ralph Nader discuss whether corporations are people too.
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt thinks the Republicans are aiming at an electoral iceberg and they need to turn the ship around quickly.
Sam Harris
Sam Harris reminds Stephen that we're all atheists with respect to Poseidon.
Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger is even more rugged in person than he appears on the back of his books.
Bill Kristol
Neocon Bill Kristol makes some friends on the Upper West Side with a prediction that the Democrats will take the House in the upcoming election.
Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham describes the care the founding fathers took to protect freedom of religious expression without creating a theocracy.
Governor Mike Huckabee
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee talks to Stephen about exercise, crystal meth and deep-fried Twinkies.
Paul Rieckhoff
The last time Stephen checked, you needed four stars and a condo in Pebble Beach to speak out against the war.
Rick Reilly
Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly talks with Stephen about golf, steroids and swimsuit models.
Shere Hite
Stephen talks to feminine sexuality expert Shere Hite about female orgasms, the clitoris and societal expectations of sex.
Frank Rich
New York Times columnist Frank Rich discuss Democrats, Republicans and the parties' respective theaters of choice.
Bill Bastone
Bill Bastone, editor of The Smoking Gun, explains why they don't bother covering the good news in celebrities' lives.
Madeleine Albright
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks about God, government and her new book, " The Mighty and the Almighty."
Kevin Phillips
Kevin Phillips talks to Stephen about his book, "American Theocracy," and explains how he really feels about God.
Tyson Slocum
Tyson Slocum talks about alternative energy sources, and Stephen gives him the debate of his career.
Jonathan Alter
Author Jonathan Alter calls Theodore Roosevelt the Bing Crosby of presidents; Stephen calls George W. Bush the FDR of today.
Ted Daeschler
Stephen asks paleontologists Ted Daeschler why he can't just leave fossils alone to ripen into oil.
Stone Phillips
After a montage of Stephen's greatest guests, Stone Phillips returns for a rematch of their previous gravitas-off.
Christiane Amanpour
Christiane Amanpour instructs Stephen on the correct way to pronounce Iraq and Iran.
Steve Squyres
Stephen asks Steve Squyres, the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, if they've found oil on Mars yet.
Steve Johnson
Author Steve Johnson talks about how kids today are recreating history in video games instead of stealing their dads' beer.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports his article in Rolling Stone Magazine claiming President Bush stole the 2004 presidential election.
Tim Flannery
Author and climatologist Tim Flannery attempts to convince Stephen that humans are causing a global climate change.
David Sirota
Author David Sirota thinks campaigns should be publicly financed. Stephen thinks author David Sirota is a Communist.
Michael Pollan
Author Michael Pollan explains how modern food choices will make future generations have shorter lives.
Gustavo Arellano
Stephen brings back Esteban from "Colberto Reporto Gigante" to interview Gustavo Arellano.
Bart Ehrman
Bart Ehrman discusses the history of the word of Jesus and Stephen offers him irrefutable logic.
Bay Buchanan
Bay Buchanan is dedicated to building a fence along the 2,000 mile border between the U.S. and Mexico.
Doug Brinkley
Author Douglas Brinkley addresses why the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina and what the future holds for New Orleans.
Mark Bowden
Mark Bowden describes the similarities between the West's first encounter with extremist Muslims and the current one.
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews shows Stephen who's got harder balls in a full-nelson breaking competition.
Robert Baer
Robert Baer tells Stephen we invaded the wrong country, which does not penetrate Stephen's armor of belief.
Christopher Noxon
Author Christopher Noxon defines the difference between adults who are childish and those who are childlike.
Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris discusses her new movie, "Strangers With Candy," before tumbling with Stephen and Tad.
Tony Hawk
Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and Stephen agree that it's better to continue hurting yourself than to give up.
Mort Zuckerman
Mort Zuckerman believes that George W. Bush is an awful president but feels that John Kerry would have been worse.
Ron Suskind
Stephen explains to author Ron Suskind that if we didn't invade someone, we would have tripped over our preparedness.
Lee Silver
Stephen makes sure Princeton professor Lee Silver knows that he doesn't know more than Stephen does about genetic engineering.
Dhani Jones
Dhani Jones has the ability to be a mindless crushing machine, and yet he chooses to read poetry and listen to classical music.
Joe Scarborough
Joe Scarborough took money from Jack Abramoff, and it felt good.
Tom Brokaw
Stephen has a problem taking Tom Brokaw seriously when he's not wearing a tie.
Howell Raines
Author and former editor of The New York Times, Howell Raines discusses the fishing adventure on which his book is based.
William Donohue
Executive director of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, William Donohue discusses Hollywood and anti-Catholicism.
Neal Katyal
Attorney Neal Katyal shows his love for this country by defending Guantanamo Bay detainees before the Supreme Court.
Joe Quesada
Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada discusses a new series of comics entitled Civil War, which combines superheroes with today's government.
Ned Lamont
Stephen asks Senate hopeful Ned Lamont if he thinks the president's going to kiss him.
Peter Beinart
Peter Beinart stops by to talk about his book, "The Good Fight," and why he changed his mind about the war.
Linda Hirshman
No matter what Linda Hirshman says, men can't stay home and raise children -- daytime TV is all geared towards women.
Paul Hackett
Paul Hackett came back from Iraq, began a bid for an Ohio Senate seat, then dropped out. Stephen asks him about running and cutting.
William C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden looks to free the admittedly wealthy black athlete from the institutionalization of wealthy white-run sports.
Alexandra Robbins
Stephen nails overachiever Alexandra Robbins for pulling up the ladder from the top of the tool shed.
Eli Pariser
Stephen asks MoveOn.org's Eli Pariser who he is, what he does and how he wants to destroy America.
Ramesh Ponnuru
Ramesh Ponnuru explains how activist judges and embryonic stem cell research contribute to the Democrats status as the party of death.
David Gergen
Stephen has heard that David Gergen is a moderate Republican, and he wants some answers about exactly how that makes any sense.
Morgan Spurlock
Stephen asks Morgan Spurlock why he'd want to know what other people's lives are like.
Neil Young
Stephen Colbert and Neil Young get out their guitars.
Geoffrey Nunberg
Stephen asks linguist Geoffrey Nunberg, author of "Talking Right," how he can discredit a group that calls themselves "right."
Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman is part of that fringe 60% of the population that thinks the war was a mistake.
Gideon Yago
Gideon Yago thinks it's partially the viewer's fault that music videos are contributing to the fragmentation of American culture. Stephen thinks he's blaming America first.
Janna Levin
Stephen stumps Janna Levin -- a theoretical physicist -- by asking her the hardest question in the world.
Martin Short
Stephen asks Martin Short what it's like to interview guests in character.
Toby Keith
American hero Toby Keith talks about his new movie and smoking weed with Willie Nelson.
Ken Jennings
"Brainiac" author and "Jeopardy" champ Ken Jennings tells Stephen what it's like knowing things no one else cares about.
Bill Simmons
EPSN's Bill Simmons obsesses over sports at the expense of every other part of his life, like most people.
Will Power
Stephen asks hip-hop performer Will Power the difference between rap and hip-hop.
Frank Rich
Frank Rich, author of "The Greatest Story Ever Sold," becomes the first New York Times op-ed columnist to return to The Report.
James Carville
Stephen asks James Carville how he ever made the transition from the backstabbing, egocentric world of Washington to Hollywood.
Daniel Ellsberg
Stephen has a beef with Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
Arianna Huffington
No matter what Arianna Huffington says, fear is a great motivator. It got Stephen through every term paper he ever had.
Ted Danson
Stephen asks Ted Danson why his new sitcom doesn't take place underwater.
Lowell Bergman
Why do more young people watch The Report than watch PBS?
Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak loves to cut his steak on airplanes with his business card.
Michael Lewis
Stephen and Michael Lewis talk about privilege in America.
Andy Stern
Stephen speaks with union leader Andy Stern about insurance and the growing gap between the rich and the poor, and suggests robots as a plan for America's future.
Byron Dorgan
When Stephen found out Senator Byron Dorgan was coming he thought he'd do a North Dakota-themed show, until he couldn't think of anything else from North Dakota.
Amy Goodman
Stephen has heard that liberal radio and TV host Amy Goodman is a real firebrand, so he wants her to bring it.
Randy Newman
Randy Newman wonders whether he's at the McCarthy hearings -- and rolls over on George Clooney.
Ariel Levy
Ariel Levy thinks women who imitate porn stars are far from any sort of authentic sexual liberation. Stephen thinks she sounds like a Muslim fundamentalist.
Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Sullivan is the only gay conservative Stephen knows, but Stephen thought that traditional conservatives were closeted homosexuals.
Brian Schweitzer
Stephen is disappointed to learn from Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer that the state has given into the Feds and adopted speed limits.
Barry Scheck
Barry Scheck does DNA testing trying to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. Stephen thinks he sounds soft on crime.
Richard Dawkins
Biologist Richard Dawkins explains that he does not believe in God, but also that the world was not created randomly.
David Kuo
Stephen and David Kuo talk about "compassionate conservatives" and the separation of church and state.
Peter Agre
Dr. Peter Agre argues that basic understanding of science needs to be more widespread among the citizens of this country.
Barry Manilow
Stephen presents Barry Manilow with a peace treaty, and they agree to joint custody of the infamous Emmy.
Tim Robbins
Tim Robbins talks about his movie "Catch a Fire," debates Stephen on the issue of torture and gets nailed.
Penn Jillette
Penn Jillette stops by to shatter all that little children believe and get Stephen with a card trick.
Ron Reagan
Ron Reagan stops by to explain why stem cell research is so important and to give Stephen the Full Gipper.
Mark Halperin
Mark Halperin believes not many reporters watch The Colbert Report, and that's a problem.
Election Night Live Show
Following the midterm election results, a flustered Stephen Colbert explains that he thought America would have lasted longer than 230 years.
Jeff Greenfield
Stephen and Jeff Greenfield discuss the aftermath of the midterm elections, and Stephen asks questions Jeff has never heard before.
Dean Kamen
Stephen asks Segway inventor Dean Kamen if wheelchairs that can climb stairs spell the end of handicapped parking.
Dan Rather
Dan Rather is honored to be on The Report with an icon of Stephen's stature. And so is Stephen.
Jeff Swartz
CEO of Timberland, Jeff Swartz, argues that you can run a corporation and have a positive impact on the environment at the same time.
Al Franken, Dr. Michael Novacek
American Museum of Natural History paleontologist Mike Novacek attempts to convince Stephen of evolution and the future of the human species.
Richard Linklater
Stephen asks Richard Linklater how fast food can be that bad - after all, they make happy meals.
Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer says it takes a lot of courage to be boring five nights a week.
Harry Shearer
Stephen nails Harry Shearer for his lack of political correctness in naming his new book "Not Enough Indians."
Nora Ephron
Stephen asks director Nora Ephron why so much of his performance in "Bewitched" hit the cutting room floor.
Mike Lupica
Would Mark McGwire's head even fit on a Hall of Fame plaque?
Will Wright
Stephen tells video game designer Will Wright that his viewers are his Sims.
Steven Levitt
Stephen tells Steven Levitt, author of "Freakonomics," that figures never lie, but liars figure.
John Sexton
NYU President John Sexton thinks Stephen is contributing to a disease.
Dr. Francis S. Collins
Dr. Francis Collins tries to convince Stephen that evolution is God's plan for giving upgrades.
Dr. Peter Singer
"The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter" author Dr. Peter Singer tells Stephen that human beings are speciesists.
Dan Savage
Stephen and sex columnist Dan Savage reveal their porn names.
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin tells Stephen that if Abraham Lincoln were alive today, he might be the host of The Colbert Report.
Daniel Pinchbeck
Daniel Pinchbeck believes the Mayan god Quetzalcoatl is making a comeback. Stephen wants to know who he is and why we should be excited about him.
Jack Welch
Stephen asks Jack Welch how he's making it on a fixed income and has him sign a copy of his book, "Winning," for his father-in-law.
Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra talks to Stephen about life after death, maintaining a youthful biology and his book, which costs 24 dollars.
Chris Funk
Henry Kissinger provides the "starting gun" of the competition by declaring that "it is time to rock," and then Chris Funk offers his shredding solo.
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