Of course, Colbert was joking last night when his character defended Braveheart in the wake of Gibson's anti-Semitic bender. "I want to say that is what alcohol does. It makes you say things you don't believe are true," said the Comedy Central host.
But according to today's Los Angeles Daily News, the sheriff's deputy who made the Pacific Highway arrest of Gibson--who had nearly doubled the speed limit with an open bottle of tequila in the car--dismissed the hate speech the same way: "That stuff is booze talking."
Maybe the deputy was simply trying to be nice (i.e. professional), but that kind of talk just makes the Sheriff's Department look even more star struck than it already is. And speaking of, why does the deputy, according to the newspaper, express "regret" for the damage the arrest has had on Gibson's career? The incident was Gibson's making and nobody else's.
Finally, check out the pro-Mel quotes in the article from the disgraceful, right-wing Catholic League, which jumped into bed with Gibson during the "Passion of Christ" debate and is now sticking by its hateful hero.
