Indecision Presents the Best Moments of 2011

What a year 2011 has been. It was the year of the 9-9-9 tax plan, the year of gays serving openly in the military. The year of Anthony Weiner's resignation, and of the 9-9-9 tax plan's swift dismissal as a generally bad idea. The point is, it's been an interesting time. That's why we'd like to share our favorite moments of 2011 with you. (And yes, the one about deep-fried butter is very real.)

DADT Repeal Killed All Those Birds, Obviously

Indiana Will Not Respect Harry Baals

Sarah Palin vs. Charlie Sheen

Liveblogging Anthony Weiner's Resignation

A Quick Point About Deep-Fried Butter

Meet Rich Lowrie, Herman Cain's Mystery Economic Adviser

EXCLUSIVE! Undercision 2012: Fred Karger

Barack Obama Does Not "Take" "Money" from "Lobbyists"

Ron Paul Releases 2012 Cookbook

Michele Bachmann Wants to Close Imaginary Embassy in Iran

Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Animals, Anthony Weiner, Barack Obama, Charlie Sheen, DADT, Food, Fred Karger, Herman Cain, Indiana, Iowa, Iran, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Sarah Palin

Stephen Colbert on Rick Perry's Pro-Christmas Ad

At this point, I just feel sorry for Rick Perry. He never hit that sweet spot between crazy, gun-toting cowboy and crazy, gun-toting warm father figure. And now he's going after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and complaining about the War on Christmas? Talk about old news. Hey, Perry, while you're at it, why don't you advocate a pre-1970s approach to the environment where the federal government is powerless to protect Earth from the excesses of mass industrialization? Ha ha ha, could you imagine?

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30/10:30c.

Tags: Christmas, DADT, LGBT, Military, Rick Perry, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, Video, War on Christmas

Rick Perry Declares War on Barack Obama's War on Religion

It's nice to see that there's at least one — or, possibly, a dozen-ish — Republican presidential candidates who's not afraid to come out and admit to holding the same beliefs as the vast majority of his voter base. What you're about to see takes some real courage…

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school."

Finally! A genuine crusade!

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm not a Christian, but that's probably because, as an atheist, I lack the sense of moral right and wrong that Jesus imbued in our Holy Constitution. I have no sense of shame. I have no sense of anything that could be construed as a human emotion. Still, even I am aware of the deplorable conditions in which the faithful have been forced to live in this country since Barack Obama took over.

Can you even imagine how awful it must be to have to sit idly by and watch as other people — "people" who do not share your somewhat narrow beliefs concerning sexuality and humanity — get to do things and live lives? Openly! As though they were not teetering on the precipice of eternal hellfire! Or having to pray to your god under your own volition instead of as a public mandate? It makes me cringe to even think about it. And yet it's the secular liberals who are all "It's morally wrong to torture other human beings."

And they don't even see the irony in that.

Tags: Barack Obama, Christianity, Christmas, DADT, LGBT, Military, Primaries, Religion, Republicans, Rick Perry, War on Christmas

Republicans Reaffirm Commitment to Supporting Troops Who Aren't Gay

Sheesh, the gays. You give them an inch, they take a mile. You tell them they get to be honest about their identities while serving their nation overseas, they try to get the same basic civil rights at home as straight soldiers. Talk about uppity.

But these gay troops are still going for it, challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and its ban on federally recognized gay marriage…

"What Shannon and Casey [the lead plaintiffs] are seeking is the same treatment that their straight counterparts, who are legally married, receive every day without question and take for granted," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which helped organize the suit and once represented troops discharged for violating "don't ask, don't tell."

Will you just listen to this? "The same treatment." Come on, it's not like these troops are missing out on things like equal health care benefits or the right to be buried alongside their loved ones when they die, right?

Oh.

Well, that hardly matters. What's important is that the Republicans are willing to defend these conditions even if the President won't. Which is why Speaker of the House John Boehner has hired a private law firm to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, costing Americans $1.5 million. Because saving the taxpayers money is something we need to start getting serious about.

Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: DADT, DOMA, John Boehner, LGBT, Military, Republicans

Stephen Colbert on the Rise of Herman Cain

It's really something to witness someone's ascendency in the Republican Party in real time. Just a few short months ago, this Herman Cain was a joke, a person beneath the consideration of any thoughtful political observer. And just look at him today! He's pretty much just a serious a figure as Sarah Palin, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann.

Coverage continues after the jump.

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30/10:30c.

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Tags: Books, Chris Christie, DADT, Herman Cain, LGBT, Martin Luther King, Mitt Romney, Primaries, Republicans, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Science & Technology, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, The View, Video