I hope you no question Elmo credentials!
Wouldn’t that be a reason why we should care about the quality of information put before the Congress?
I mean, okay, examples have been given–Congress has been a variety show for an audience of, sometimes, ignoramuses. Are we not a little embarrassed about it, though?
If we use the standard that dzero seems to be advocating, then most members of Congress are unfit to appear at Congressional hearings. Is this something we should be embarrassed about? Hardly. In many countries it’s barely necessary for the members of the legislature to put on a show for their constituents because the system is set up to ensure that there’s no real competition in the elections. The legislators just sit around being corrupt and funneling money to their family and friends and never even bothering to pretend that it has something to do with good governance. In the United States, the system makes it necessary for the members of Congress to go in front of the cameras and insist that federal funding for bicycle trials is a good investment or that the military really needs whatever pork barrel project is being built in their home state. These things are utterly false, of course, but it’s better to have Congress saying utterly false things than to let them say nothing at all.
Yes, it’s embarassing. Not the Stephen Colbert part though.
Did you mean bicycle trials or cycling infrastructure? Because one of those is good fun to watch and the other is a good investment.
And he’s done it. He did in fact stay in character.
I only watched briefly. Congressman King was going on and on, and I was like “Is there a question somewhere in our future?”.
I meant trails. I have nothing against governments building bike trails but the idea of having it decided and controlled from the federal government is absurd; it should be a local thing. The general point I was trying to make, though, is just that whenever our Congresscritters create a new project for the purpose of shuttling federal money to their home district, they release a study showing that it’s going to create this many jobs or bring in this much revenue, and those studies are invariably bilge.
He stayed in character, but he did make a reasonable point there toward the end- one I think he truly does believe (out of character).
What the hell was with that congresswoman TEXTING? Look, I get it, he’s a comedian speaking before Congress, but lady- it’s your job to pay attention and get the fuck off your Blackberry. If my high school debaters can stop texting for their debate rounds, you can, too!
That was great! This was almost as good as his speech to the White House press corps.
As a Brit, I haven’t seen much C-SPAN before, but I watched about 40 minutes today. I understand that C-SPAN’s ratings are pretty low, which must be why they have apparently implemented a policy of wherever possible having an attractive young woman in the background when people are speaking. We need something like that on BBC Parliament.
I know Christie Brinkley and Elmo. I’m friends with Christie Brinkley and Elmo. And ladies and gentlemen, Stephen Colbert is no Christie Brinkley nor Elmo.
By the way, how much of that sweet, sweet government-supplied water did he drink?
Here’s some of his testimony, from the New York Times:
Yeah, I know. It would be more apt to have her to speak on diplomatic relations with Japan.
I thought his testimony was hilarious, and pertinent.
“I’m not a fan of the government doing anything. But I’ve got to ask, why isn’t the government doing anything?”
“My great grandfather didn’t travel 4000 miles across the Atlantic ocean to see this country overrun by immigrants!”
Most hilarious are the stiffs who don’t understand the purpose and value of satire.
On the contrary- he looked rather foolish, and he embarrassed the hell out of many DEMOCRATS on the panel.
I’m more and more convinced that Steven cole-BURT is a genuine smug moron who thinks he’s just PLAYING a smug moron.
That’s the most fun I’ve had at any kind of US Congressional get-together since Frank Zappa died…
“I found out (and I did not know this), that most soil is at ground level.”
If it helps you sleep at night.
“I would like to submit a video copy of my colonoscopy into the Congressional record.”
Brilliant!