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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 597 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 597

Designating June 2008 as ```Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!' Recognition 
                                Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 20 (legislative day, June 19), 2008

    Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Hagel) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Designating June 2008 as ```Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!' Recognition 
                                Month''.

Whereas ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'', the National Public Radio news quiz 
        show, which uses current news stories for questions and comedy, is 
        celebrating the 10th anniversary of the show's premiere in 1998;
Whereas the programming and content created and distributed by National Public 
        Radio is based on 3 core values, qualities of mind, qualities of heart, 
        and qualities of craft (and despite those core values, National Public 
        Radio still airs shows like ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'' with a 
        straight corporate face);
Whereas, in 2008, ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'' was named a winner of the 
        George Foster Peabody Award, the oldest and most prestigious award in 
        broadcasting (probably due to George Foster Peabody's lifelong 
        commitment to self-aggrandizing entertainers, spectacularly dumb 
        criminals, and overly earnest scientists, who comprise the inspiration 
        for the show);
Whereas ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'' carries on the tradition of humor 
        that is part of our Second City by taping its show in the Chase 
        Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Illinois (which may be the only place in 
        the United States where people pay for tickets to watch a radio show 
        that is broadcast for free);
Whereas President John F. Kennedy once said, ``I look forward to an America 
        which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment and 
        which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our 
        citizens.'' (making it clear that President Kennedy never could have 
        imagined ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'');
Whereas notable Americans such as Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, actor 
        Tom Hanks, United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, New York Times 
        columnist William Safire, and White House Press Secretary Dana Perino 
        have appeared on the show (and luckily, few have suffered any 
        significant, long-term damage to their careers);
Whereas ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'' host Peter Sagal and veteran newsman 
        Carl Kassell have been described as ``the perfect team to liven up a 
        Saturday'' (rendering them entirely unsuitable for any gainful 
        employment);
Whereas ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'' finds expression through a 
        recognition that you don't have to be a professional comedian to be 
        humorous (a premise proven each week by a rotating panel of humorists, 
        journalists, and others, including Roy Blount, Jr., Tom Bodett, Amy 
        Dickinson, Adam Felber, Kyrie O'Connor, P.J. O'Rourke, Paula Poundstone, 
        Paul Provenza, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne Roberts, and Mo Rocca); and
Whereas ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'', produced by National Public Radio 
        and Chicago Public Radio, airs on nearly 450 National Public Radio 
        member stations, and its audience has grown in every ratings period 
        since its premiere in January 1998 (growth that is directly proportional 
        to the boundless egos of the show's creator and Executive Producer Doug 
        Berman, Senior Producer Rod Abid, producers Mike Danforth, Emily Ecton, 
        and Melody Kramer, technical directors Lorna White and Robert Neuhaus, 
        and limericist Philipp Goedicke): Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 2008 as ```Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell 
        Me!' Recognition Month''; and
            (2) celebrates the show for its contributions to the 
        Nation's enduring creative spirit and for always bringing 
        smiles to America's Saturday mornings.
                                 <all>
```