Based on what we’ve seen in this election year I am going to hazard a guess that having Stephen Colbert make them look stupid is the least of Congress’ worries.

I’m reminded of the most dangerous question a man can hear: “Honey, do these pants make my ass look fat?” No, it’s the fat ass that makes your ass look fat just like it’s the stupid that makes Congress look stupid.

If I had a chance to do it again, I would only do it live.”

Better yet, Barney, do it without cameras or tape recorders.

Colbert came almost out of nowhere to speak truth directly to power on many occasions. I’m surprised it took them this long to put their guard up.

Our political system these days is a circus, it deserves ridicule. Damn near all of it. There are diamonds in the rough, but they’re buried beneath the growing avalanche of banality, money grubbing, cowardice, and obstructionism. And the sad thing is, is that the rare honest and altruistic politician usually find themselves voted out of office by a constituency voting against their own interests.

They mentioned it on Fox And Friends this morning saying the congressman who said, “I enjoy cocaine” was tricked. How about just admitting he made a stupid mistake.

I guess if you can’t take the heat. Colbert is very smart and quick so you have to be prepared to not get sucked in to looking like a fool. There are a couple of people who fence with him regular basis and do okay.

The segment is usually pretaped as a sit-down interview in a lawmaker’s D.C. office. Members who have gone through the process describe it as a two-hour interview that gets edited down to three minutes. Sometimes Colbert’s questions are paired with lawmakers’ answers, and sometimes the segment is selectively edited for humor, members say.

Former House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Chicago once warned his colleagues not to appear on the show. Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters, “I watch it all the time, and I think, ‘Why would anybody go on there?’” That advice is catching on.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42929_Page2.html#ixzz111W1n7sm

CosmosDan said:
They mentioned it on Fox And Friends this morning saying the congressman who said, “I enjoy cocaine” was tricked. How about just admitting he made a stupid mistake. I guess if you can’t take the heat. Colbert is very smart and quick so you have to be prepared to not get sucked in to looking like a fool. There are a couple of people who fence with him regular basis and do okay.

If I remember that bit about the cocaine properly, he even coaxed him into it on camera as a joke.

Also, I remember watching an out of character interview with him and the Daily Show gang where he said, “when you find someone who doesn’t know what the show is, you feel excited and gulity at the same time” or something to the same effect..

Is this the end of the Colbert Report? One can only hope.

I’m surprised it lasted this long. I mean, he routinely attempts to humiliate just about every guest he has on. How does he keep getting people on his show? Stewart has enough sense to be respectful of his guests, for the most part anyway. Then again, I don’t know how people still fall for The Daily Show segments in which they’re completely destroyed, like the one that covered the union that was hiring protesters to protest Wal Mart’s treatment of their employees and treating the protesters worse than Wal Mart treated their employees.

It is well known that clowns are always jealous of other clowns.

As I’ve said before, I’ve never seen a candidate, democrat or republican, best Colbert on his show or even during his speech.

felixw said:
It is well known that clowns are always jealous of other clowns.

Is that why all the conservatives here rag on RRK and setup fake accounts?

Haimerej said:
Is this the end of the Colbert Report? One can only hope. I’m surprised it lasted this long. I mean, he routinely attempts to humiliate just about every guest he has on. How does he keep getting people on his show? Stewart has enough sense to be respectful of his guests, for the most part anyway. Then again, I don’t know how people still fall for The Daily Show segments in which they’re completely destroyed, like the one that covered the union that was hiring protesters to protest Wal Mart’s treatment of their employees and treating the protesters worse than Wal Mart treated their employees.

This ties in with my previous post. Turns out it was their Q & A at the Paley Center, and they address this kind of thing. As for Colbert, his guests fall into two categories, 1 They know what he’s about and play along to get their message out, because he lets them talk. 2. They have no idea who he is and Colbert takes the time to line up his shot and pulls the trigger letting them jump straight into the bullet.

moriarty70 said:
If I remember that bit about the cocaine properly, he even coaxed him into it on camera as a joke.

Also, I remember watching an out of character interview with him and the Daily Show gang where he said, “when you find someone who doesn’t know what the show is, you feel excited and gulity at the same time” or something to the same effect..

Right. You’d think anyone in congress would know better than to say that in any interview, as a joke or not.

If Colbert is unfairly editing the interviews to make politicians look stupid then I agree that’s unfair and not likely to get you more interviews. Let the comedy be stupid questions and witty comebacks to the answers , but don’t cut and splice answers and questions to make them look stupid.

I think I remember one where he asked a candidate running on a conservative platform to name the ten commandments and the guy barely got 3 or 4. If that was how it happened it not Colbert’s fault.

Haimerej said:
Is this the end of the Colbert Report? One can only hope.

I’m surprised it lasted this long. I mean, he routinely attempts to humiliate just about every guest he has on. How does he keep getting people on his show? Stewart has enough sense to be respectful of his guests, for the most part anyway. Then again, I don’t know how people still fall for The Daily Show segments in which they’re completely destroyed, like the one that covered the union that was hiring protesters to protest Wal Mart’s treatment of their employees and treating the protesters worse than Wal Mart treated their employees.

I think he’s far too successful to be ending anytime soon. I think there’s a certain responsibility of any guest to know what show you’re going on. Especially in today’s media. Lot’s of people actually get to make their point even through the comedy and his pretense of being such a conservative.
He had the guy in charge of the bail out of the auto makers on last night and it was a pretty informative segment.

CosmosDan said:
Right. You’d think anyone in congress would know better than to say that in any interview, as a joke or not. If Colbert is unfairly editing the interviews to make politicians look stupid then I agree that’s unfair and not likely to get you more interviews. Let the comedy be stupid questions and witty comebacks to the answers , but don’t cut and splice answers and questions to make them look stupid. I think I remember one where he asked a candidate running on a conservative platform to name the ten commandments and the guy barely got 3 or 4. If that was how it happened it not Colbert’s fault.

Bazinga! I found the clip where he talks about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKAqby2dK7w&p=C889CCEBD1303E1D&playnext=11

“We don’t want Colbert to make us look like an idiot, we can do that by ourselves.”

hahaha! Colbert, YOU were the joke at that hearing!

felixw said:
It is well known that clowns are always jealous of other clowns.

I know that we don’t agree on policy and such, but I will commend you. That comment made me LOL. Very nice indeed! (There is no sarcasm meant, I really did think that was a funny comment).

OK everyone, time to go back to school. Do we remember the word “Satire”? Obviously our Congress does not remember “The Word” and therefore thought they were going to get a sheep to baa for them. SURPRISE! This is the man who told Bush that he was not re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic, instead he was arranging them on the Hindenburg. Hello, anyone still not understand? Gulliver’s Travels much?
As a libertarian, (at least that is a close to a label I can come) he does hack me off upon occasion. But I watch Colbert to make sure I have not bought my own press. That is the mark of a Master Satirist, and Colbert is getting pretty damned close to moving from Journeyman to Master. Pity that “Bitchin Barney” can’t take a joke.

Some_Dude said:
Based on what we’ve seen in this election year I am going to hazard a guess that having Stephen Colbert make them look stupid is the least of Congress’ worries.

Here I was, ready to give you your first “thumbs up”, and then you finish your comment with something well, kinda stupid.

You think we’re voting against our own interests? Aside from your insult to our intelligence, which I’ll ignore here, isn’t it JUST POSSIBLE that we’re voting against YOUR interests? You see Mel, not all of us want a big fat bulky uncaring government running our lives. You appear to be saying your interests are in getting the MOST from our government and giving the LEAST back in return, or at least getting your MOST from other people’s taxes.

This thing displayed the wrong quote. It should have been:

And the sad thing is, is that the rare honest and altruistic politician usually find themselves voted out of office by a constituency voting against their own interests.

A statement made by someone in the article:
[quote]Congress is serious work[/quote]
Now if only Congress realized that and did their jobs instead of trying to play partisan games and gimmicks to power grab…

CosmosDan said:
They mentioned it on Fox And Friends this morning saying the congressman who said, “I enjoy cocaine” was tricked. How about just admitting he made a stupid mistake.

I guess if you can’t take the heat. Colbert is very smart and quick so you have to be prepared to not get sucked in to looking like a fool. There are a couple of people who fence with him regular basis and do okay.

I watched the “I enjoy cocaine” bit. It was hilarious. While O’Keefe would edit out the part where he says “OK, now say cocaine gives you joy!” Colbert left his coaching in the broadcast interview. Dan Maffei wasn’t tricked. He knew the cameras were on and when Colbert told him to say he does cocaine and loves it, Maffei could have said “This interview is OVER!” but he didn’t. He played along and now has interviewee’s remorse. Wahhhh.

“I did not understand that his mission was to make every politician look ridiculous”

Ohhhhh! So it’s Stephen Colberts fault politicians look stupid. It all makes sense now. Well, it’s good to know not quite EVERYTHING is blamed on Bush and Obama.

notsofast said:
hahaha! Iam a joke on my parents!

moriarty70 said:
Bazinga! I found the clip where he talks about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKAqby2dK7w&p=C889CCEBD1303E1D&playnext=11

THat was awesome. I watched a bunch of those candid clips. great stuff

I only trust politicians who are willing to face a challenging crowd.
Letterman.
Leno.
Stewart.
Colbert.
SNL.