Colbert

Political humorist and satirist Stephen Colbert has testified before the House of Representatives on the subject of migrant farm workers at the request of Zoe Lofgren, head of the Congressional Subcommittee on Immigration. His testimony was both in and out of character. He delivered his prepared testimony in his pseudo right wing manner saying that he didn’t want to eat a tomato picked by a Mexican. In the question and answer session that followed he responded seriously and directly to all questions, referring occasionally to his recent day working as a farm laborer. 

Unlike the Democrats caught on camera managing at least polite smiles at the funnier parts of his opening statement, the Republicans shown remained stone faced. Their subsequent comments, amplified by the Fox talking heads, complained in effect that the dignity of Congress had been compromised by taking testimony from a comedian, particularly one appearing in character. 

Evidently they don’t know of the testimony of “Elmo” from Sesame Street in a 2002 appearance at Republican request. These two instances aside, I believe that most people of all political stripes would agree that compromising the dignity of Congress doesn’t require outside help. Of course there would be disagreement over who has been doing the compromising.

I have a recording of Will Rogers speaking on this subject. Some Congressman had objected to another member quoting the remarks of a “comedian,” Rogers, which were then put in the august Congressional Record. His classic response was that as a comedian he was an amateur compared to the group’s members, and that “every time they make a joke it’s a law and every time they make a law it’s a joke.” 

In the Q and A session Colbert was asked why he was interested in this cause. This was his answer. “I like talking about people who don’t have any power. It seems like some of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work but don’t have any rights as a result and yet we still invite them to come here and at the same time ask them to leave.” In response to this kind of talk, it’s understandable that only Democrats allowed themselves to laugh.

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The poignancy of Colbert’s answer was emphasized by Lawrence O’Donnell on the premier of his show last night. The quotation involved had already become an indelible part of this letter by then.