>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY WHO THAT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE COHOSTS
OF "CNN THIS MORNING." DONALD LEMON.
NOW, OUR BUDDY CRIST LICHT,s WHO USED TO STAND RIGHT OVER
THERE-- >> WHO?
>> Stephen: HE'S THE C.E.O. OF CNN.
HE'S YOUR BOSS NOW. HE WOULD STAND RIGHT OVER THERE
AND HIT THE APPLAUSE SIGN BEFORE WE WENT TO COMMERCIAL--
BASICALLY ALL HIS JOB WAS. NOW HE HAS A REALLY HARD JOB,
RUNNING CNN. THE WORD ON THE STREET IS YOU
GUYS AREN'T ALLOWED TO BE LIBERAL ANYMORE?
IS THAT THE CASE? >> I DON'T THINK WE EVER WERE
LIBERAL. >> Stephen: WHAT.
>> I DON'T THINK WE EVER WERE LIBERAL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NOT ME SAYING THAT.
IT'S THE PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING HE WON'T LET YOU BE LIBERAL
ANYMORE. >> I THINK WHAT CHRIS IS SAYING
IS HE WANTS REPUBLICANS, SENSIBLE REPUBLICANS, HE WANTS
US TO HOLD PEOPLE TO ACCOUNT, BUT HE WANTS PEOPLE TO COME ON
AND FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING ON AND TALKING ON CNN, APPEARING ON
CNN. IF YOU INVITE SOMEONE IN YOUR
HOUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE.
BUT, ALSO, BY THE NATURE OF WHAT WE DO, WE HAVE TO HOLD PEOPLE TO
ACCOUNT. THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN
WE'RE GOING LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE OR WHATEVER.
IT JUST MEANS WE ARE DOING WHAT WE DO, AND THAT'S GOOD
JOURNALISM. >> Stephen: ACCOUNTABLE, NOT
CONFRONTATIONAL. >> UHM, I THINK SOMETIMES ONE
MUST BE CONFRONTATIONAL. I DON'T THINK A CONVERSATION ON
TELEVISION SHOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN A CONVERSATION IN
PERSON. LISTEN, I HAVE CONFRONTATIONAL
CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE I LOVE.
AND I HAVE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE I
LOVE. AND I THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO NECESSARY TO DO THAT ON TELEVISION, ON
CNN. AND THEN-- BUT YOU CAN DO THAT
WITHOUT BEING VITRIOLIC. I THINK NOT BEING VITRIOLIC IS A
MAYBE A BETTER WAY OF PUTTING IT.
YOU CAN DO THAT AND NOT HAVE VITRIOL.
AS PEOPLE SAY, YOU CAN DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE.
THAT'S WHAT OUR MISSION IS. >> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT
THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR WHEN THE BALL
DROPS IN TIMES SQUARE. OKAY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, THE NEWS NETWORKS COVER NEW YEAR'S EVE
BECAUSE PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT TIME HAD STOPPED.
>> RIGHT.
AND ANDY ARE OUT THERE SAYING, "IT'S MIDNIGHT," WE GO,s OH,
TIME CONTINUES. ENTROPY EXISTS.
I'M SO GLAD CNN COULD HAVE HAD THIS.
BUT THIS YEAR, YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE MANY YEARS--
>> I'VE BEEN OUT THERE EVERY YEAR.
>> Stephen: YOU AND GARY TUCKMAN AND VARIOUS PEOPLE OUT
IN VEGAS-- THE GREAT THING ABOUT CNN THEY START COVERING NEW
YEAR'S EVE IN SYDNEY. THIS YEAR YOU GUYS AREN'T
ALLOWED TO DRINK. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS?
LEGALLY YOU HAVE TO DRINK IN NEW ORLEANS.
YOU COULD BE ARRESTED FOR NOT DRINKING IN NEW ORLEANS.
>> I AM IN-- I AM FROM LOUISIANA.
AND SO WHEN I-- AS SOON AS I STEP FOOT OFF THE PLANE IN
LOUISIANA, IN NEW ORLEANS, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE HOME!
LET ME BUY YOU A DRINJ! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M
GOING TO DO THIS YEAR. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S YOUR GO-TO? WHAT'S YOUR COCKTAIL?
>> TEQUILA. >> Stephen: WOULD YOU LIKE
SOME? >> SURE.
BOSS, THIS IS-- YOU KNOW HIM. YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME IN
TROUBLE. >> Stephen: HE DOESN'T WORK
HERE ANYMORE. HE CAN'T STOP ME FROM DOING
( BLEEP ). >> WE HAD A LITTLE SIDE BET, IF
I'M GOING TO WIN OR YOU'RE GOING TO WIN.
>> Stephen: ABOUT WHAT? >> OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A LITTLE
CONVERSATION. >> Stephen: YOU AND CHRIS.
BEFORE YOU CAME CAME OVER? >> HE SAID, "IF YOU TALK ABOUT
ME IT WILL NEVER MAKE AIR BECAUSE WHO CARES WHO I AM?"
I SAID, "YOU ARE A DIFFERENT CHRIS LICTH.
>> Stephen: NOBODY CARED WHEN HE WORKED HERE.
BUT NOW HE'S A MEDIA MOGUL, A TITAN OF THE INDUSTRY.
>> YES, SO THIS IS-- WE'LL PRETEND THIS IS NEW YEAR'S EVE.
>> Stephen: HAPPY NEW YEAR, DON!
>> HAPPY NEW YEAR!
STEPHEN COLBERT? >> Stephen: I HOPE SO.
YOU KNOW WHO REALLY LIKES TO DRINK?
CHRIS LICHT. >> YOU'RE MAKING THIS-- YOU'RE
MAKING THIS REALLY EASY FOR ME. >> Stephen: YOU'RE LOVING
THIS, CHRIS, AREN'T YOU? >> I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL I TALK TO
HIM. >> Stephen: THEY'RE TELLING ME
TO RAP OVER THERE. >> NO, CAN WE CONTINUE TO TALK
ABOUT CHRIS. >> Stephen: LET'S TALK SMACK,
BABY. >> WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT
CHRIS? GIVE ME SOME ADVICE.
I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE I CAME OUT.
>> Stephen: WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE WAS A RADIO D.J.
>> RIGHT. >> Stephen: ON A CLASSIC ROCK
STATION AND WENT BY THE NAME "THE LICHT MAN."
( LAUGHTER )
ABOUT. >> I KNOW.
>> Stephen: BUT WE'VE GOT TO GO.
>> NURT BEST, STEPHEN. >> Stephen: "CNN THIS MORNING"
AIRS WEEKDAYS ON CNN. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK