Colbert On 'NYT' Controversy: Superman to the Rescue?
By E&P Staff
Published: June 28, 2006 12:05 AM ET

NEW YORK
It was only a matter of time, after so many other lesser pundits had spoken, that Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" would weigh in on the current controversy surrounding The New York Times publishing its scoop on the secret banking records surveillance.

On Wednesday night's show, Colbert suggested that the Times could learn a thing or two from Superman (now appearing in yet another movie sequel) about keeping a secret.

Superman, he said, went so far as to hide his identity "by disquising himself as the farthest thing from a hero -- a newspaper reporter." He could have broken the story of his own identity at any time, won headlines and maybe a Pulitzer, but no, he wanted to save his friends Jimmy and Lois from the terror of Lex Luthor.

So Superman, Colbert added, courageously continued to be "a pretend journalist"-- with a title card on the screen next to Colbert commenting "like Brit Hume."

Earlier, Colbert had said the Times was wrong in opposing the "temporary" restrictions on liberties in the "neverending" war on terror.