Stephen Colbert to testify at House immigration hearing: report

Source: RawStory (and The Daily Caller)

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert is slated to testify in front of a House immigration subcommittee, and it's "not a TV stunt," reports the Daily Caller.

According to an exclusive report from Jonathan Strong, the host of the nightly Colbert Report will appear "in character" in front of the committee on Friday to talk about the Union of Farm Workers' "Take Our Jobs" initiative.

A spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee told the Caller that Colbert's appearance is "a serious issue ... this is not a TV stunt."

<snip>

The Daily Caller reports that it all began in July, when Colbert interviewed UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, who unveiled his union's "Take Our Jobs" initiative -- a campaign asking Americans to take over the jobs being performed by undocumented workers. It is meant to highlight the argument that illegal immigrants aren't taking Americans' jobs because Americans don't want the sorts of jobs illegal immigrants perform.

Colbert signed on to "take" one of the farm jobs being performed by an undocumented worker, and reportedly appeared at a "Take Our Jobs" event with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). His testimony in front of the subcommittee on immigration will reportedly deal with his appearance at the event.


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/colbert-testify-house-immigration-hearing-report/

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See also:

TheDC exclusive: Stephen Colbert to testify before House immigration subcommittee Friday
http://dailycaller.com/2010/09/22/thedc-exclusive-stephen-colbert-to-testify-before-house-immigration-subcommittee-friday/#ixzz10IHhokKT

Also:
Mr. Fred Rogers
U.S. Senate Communications Subcommittee Statement on PBS Funding
delivered 1 May 1969
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fredrogerssenatetestimonypbs.htm


Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/LiberalFeeds/status/25244139266

I approve of this wholeheartedly and think it's a great way to get positive PR on this issue.

I like Stephen Colbert, but this is a mockery.

It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.

issue."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/22/stephen-colbert-testify-congress-immigration_n_735464.html

"According to The Daily Caller, Colbert will be appearing "in character," and some Republicans are upset that he will be at the hearing because it may "make light of a serious issue.""

The repubs still haven't decided whether it is a travesty, a mockery or a sham. The vote is expected to be close. :)

so what do they have to complain about?

Let our side do some mocking for a change. Can't wait to hear what Colbert has to say.

Woody Allen would be proud. Colbert's appearance has all the elements of a great "Bananas" scene.

LOL

Besides, it's not like most of our reps aren't "in character" most of the time anyway. Also, as Alan Watts said, it's possible to be sincere w/o being serious.

Regardless of his views this is a bad idea and makes congress look like amateur hour.

He won't...at least I hope he won't. It would be a nasty thing to do if he did.

Believe it or not, comedians do understand when not to joke. Granted, in Dane Cooks case, it's tough to actually tell when he is trying to joke.

Then again...our media is already a joke, as is our justice system, educational system, etc...

:spray:

An uninformed populace is a docile one.

I think this is wonderful!!!!

position on immigration and are more likely to look at it as a sham, mockery or travesty if they don't.

If he was there to poke fun at poke fun at repubs for their position on tax cuts for the rich or for being the party of NO, more of us might look at it as a chance to attract viewers and educate them.

As I mentioned up-thread, it doesn't matter if support/agree with his position. Pulling a character that exists only to be a mockery and can hardly be regarded as an expert on the subject sullies the institution.

This will look like a complete mockery ... it'll be a gift to the Republicans.

"Gift to Republicans" - who cares what those morons think. They think Obama started the wars and created the deficit. They're not very bright people. Colbert spent the day with the immigrants for his show - he's a very intelligent man - he will do just fine.

Do you believe that Stephen Colbert loves his country?

Many of the members of the hallowed body that is our congress show up and speak in the character of the largest bidder. While I would love for the process to not have been bastardized so much that Colbert's mockery offended me, it has been. I welcome this mainly because the truth in the comedy may be some of the most genuine commentary on the issue.

"Power, Money, Persuasion, Supplication, Persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug,—push it a little—crowd it a little—weaken it a little, century by century: but only Laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of Laughter nothing can stand."

Mark Twain

Love the guy but this seems lame.

Source: Talking Points Memo

Stephen Colbert is scheduled to testify Friday morning at a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Protecting America's Harvest."

A press release from the United Farm Workers describes how Colbert will appear before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International law to testify on the group's "Take Our Jobs" campaign, which encourages "U.S. citizens and legal residents to replace hundreds of thousands of immigrant field laborers, most of whom are undocumented."

Colbert will reportedly appear in character, following up on a segment that shows him spending "a day in August working at a corn and vegetable farm in New York state." The segment will air tonight.

The hearing is in support of the UFW's AgJOBS bill that gives illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship by continuing to work on farms.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/the-whole-truthiness-stephen-colbert-to-testify-at-house-subcommittee-hearing-on-friday.php?ref=fpb

I enjoy Colbert's humor. I can see how he can be in character at the Washington press dinner making fun of president bush to his face We all loved that. But, this is congress and it's a serious issue.

I am also question this act (pun intended) of appearing in character at a Congressional hearing.

Congressional hearings are already more show than substance. And the 24 hour news channels have already blurred the line between news and entertainment to the point where it is difficult to tell the difference. We have folks like Beck and Limbaugh functioning as political characters. I'm not sure it's a good idea for congress to actually invite people to play characters in a hearing.

they know he is playing a character?

I can't tell ya the numbers of folks that I meet that just "love Colbert" and actually, truly agree with much of what his character says.

It was #1 on iTunes for quite some time, and he was in character then.

He's about to let them have it, and he's going to make it stick. Imagine the sheer numbers of people who will be watching or downloading the result.

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart were the only two men in America during that time who dared to stand up and speak truth to power. He's about to do it again.

will draw more attention to the bullshit surrounding the GOP position on this issue than a hundred "serious" witnesses would. I'll be surprised if his testimony doesn't go viral.

Beats me.

should entail providing what researchers call "primary source" material.

I am not sure that Mr Colbert would qualify as such.

and will no doubt be funnier tonight when he is out in the field. Make no mistake, Colbert is a very intelligent man and knows his stuff. He will do just fine.

On some level I have mixed feelings about this, but my overriding reaction is HELL YEAH. Why do we pretend most of our congressional hearings and committees and commissions and whatnot aren't just theater of the absurd anyway? Why don't we make a mockery of it? God knows most of the pols make a mockery of their constituents every day, anyway...


Shit.

and he's so wrong it's not funny at all. It's great when he uses satire to show injustices, but when he uses it to promote prejudices and bad labor practices in what comes across as a very naive viewpoint from a rich person, it just stinks.

I saw the first part of his show last night. He is trying to say that illegal labor is no big deal because Americans aren't tough enough to want to do the jobs. So what's the harm? If the illegal labor didn't do them, no one would. Or that is his argument. It pissed me off.

He leaves out the idea that maybe no Americans want to do them because those jobs pay shit and have no regard for working conditions. And instead of raising prices to pay workers more, they keep prices dirt cheap and pay their migrant workers dirt as well. Why doesn't he ask why Americans DO do other very dirty, even more dangerous jobs, like mining, that illegal labor does not. Could it be because those industries are more heavily regulated and pay better? HMMMMM.

Since he leaves out that whole part of the debate, it just comes across as wanting to address the xenophobia out there, which does need to be. But attacking good labor practices is not the way to do it. I don't think I will be able to watch much more of this part of his "series".

"in character"

1) How would a 'Republican source' know that
2) I doubt it is legal
3) I seem to recall that Stephen Colbert talked on one of his shows about how his father was a very active in the Civil Rights movement in South Carolina. Social justice is an issue he is passionate about and I don't think he would do something to jeopardize it.

You could see the staffers and other in the audience enjoying it.

Video here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/24/stephen-colbert-hearing-v_n_737813.html

Not sure how well it did. I found it funny.