Steny Hoyer: Stephen Colbert's Testimony To Congress Was 'An Embarrassment For Mr. Colbert'

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) was neither humored nor pleased with Stephen Colbert's recent testimony before the House Judiciary committee's subcommittee on immigration, calling it an embarrassment for the Comedy Central host.

"I think his testimony was not appropriate," said Hoyer, during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." "I think it was an embarrassment for Mr. Colbert more than the House."

"You asked me, Chris [Wallace] whether the testimony was appropriate," he added. "I think it was not appropriate."

Colbert appeared before the committee on Friday in his trademark unaware, archconservative character to discuss his 10-hour volunteer work as a migrant farm worker. Almost immediately, lawmakers were piqued by the performance, with some cheering him on and others shaking their head in disbelief.

Committee chair John Conyers (D-Mich) asked Colbert to leave the room. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), meanwhile, said she thought the performance was "great" and "appropriate."

"He's an American, right?" said Pelosi. "He came before the committee. He has a point of view. He can bring attention to an important issue like immigration. I think it's great."

The matter seemed settled there. But preceding Hoyer on "Fox News Sunday," House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) twice attacked Democrats for calling a comedian to Congress at a time when they should be passing jobs bills. Perhaps spooked by the charge or merely reflecting his own viewpoint, Hoyer largely agreed.

"What he had to say was not the way it should have been said. If he had a position on the issues he should have given those [positions]," he said.

Comments

[CaliGrown78]

01:42 PM on 10/21/2010

Congress has a lotta nerve calling anyone an embarassment, they should all look in the mirror

[HooYoo2say]

05:33 AM on 10/10/2010

I think calling a comedian to Congress as Republicans are attempting to block any and all jobs bills is quite befitting. Their obstruction has been one big well orchestrated effort at attempting to demean and debunk everything on the agenda of the Obama administration since day one. At this point why not bring in a comedian who is smarter than every Republican in Congress combined to prove a point. Treat the process of governing as a joke and refuse to participate and allow comedian to point out how ridiculously outlandish the behavior of the GOP has been over the last 2 years especially and beyond.

[janet444]

04:08 PM on 09/30/2010

I learned something I did not know watching the episodes in which he dealt with this issue. Americans can take these jobs if they choose. Some Republicans seemed angry that Colbert would "imply" that Americans were not willing to work hard. Yet this was not an implication. American-born citizens are not taking these jobs. They may have very good reasons for this. Perhaps the pay is too low to sustain a family, or the work is exceptionally difficult (I wouldn't be capable of the work, I"m sorry to admit).

I don't know why he had to testify in character. But his show, with its satire, brings points home with far more power than any news report. Still, as testimony, I think facts would have been more appropriate (how hard the work was, how hard his fellow workers worked, etc.).

I hope congresspeople will really hear what his testimony is saying rather than ridiculing it because of the humor or denying it because it's not what they want to hear.

[Trueheart]

11:43 AM on 09/29/2010

I like Steve Colbert's schtick very much, but don't think he should have used this opportunity to roll out a new routine. There was probably some other person whose life has been directly affected by this issue who would have jumped at the chance to speak to this committee for five minutes.

[Boogerwolf]

08:27 AM on 09/29/2010

Let's break this down. "This is America. I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, then sliced by a Guatemalan, then served by a Venezuelan, in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian." To me this says, he wants these migrant workers that are a backbone to our agriculture to be considered American citizens. He also wants to see more of us Americans pitching a hand in agriculture instead of complaining about who picked our vegetables while we take it easy trying to avoid hard labor such as found in agriculture or atleast be more appreciative for what goes into bringing these foods to our table. Another one, "Maybe the easier answer is just to have scientists develop vegetables that pick themselves. The genetic engineers over at Fruit of the Loom have made great strides in human-fruit hybrids." I take this as instead of sitting back waiting for science to fix our food problems, how about we get out there and start growing and picking our own fruits and vegetables instead of allowing our tax dollars to be wasted on research and development for things that we can do for ourselves. Those are just my thoughts. We must remember that satire sends different messages so I'm sure others took something different from his statements.

[castleb]

04:53 PM on 09/29/2010

Boogerworlf, your comment gets to the heart of the issue. Well said.

[jimf1673]

07:35 AM on 09/29/2010

Has Mr. Hoyer ever considered that he might possibly be an embarrassment to the nation too?

[friendlier]

05:29 AM on 09/29/2010

Hey, the Republicans can have one of their brilliant comics come down and testify too. Can't wait to see Victoria Jackson in front of the mic.

[Anita Harrison]

03:29 AM on 09/29/2010

Colbert did what he set out to do, bring attention to the cause. I didn't even know there was a "take our jobs" campaign until I heard it on Colbert and read the reports that he was going before congress. I am sure that I am not the only one who was in the dark about this before Colbert brought it to light.

This whole idea that his commentary was an embarrassment is far reaching. Colbert himself said he was going to appear in character and when I read the online post promoting the event, they all mentioned that he would be in character, which is precisely why it got the attention that it did.
As for Hoyer's comment, he is part of the problem, so worried about being politically correct that he forgot the purpose of government, which is to get things done. I will say again, that is what Colbert did, give attention to a cause that was being ignored.

As for the Boehner’s comments, who cares?. Republican’s as a whole haven't taken their jobs seriously for the past 20 months. They talk about how the Obama administration isn't listening to the people. Well I thought the people voted for Obama and his policies, so if Republican’s cared about what the people wanted then why did they just say no?

Thumbs up to Colbert for taking a stand, instead of just sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it!

[castleb]

04:53 PM on 09/29/2010

Well expressed, Anita. Thank you.

[Tara Dass]

03:24 AM on 09/29/2010

Colbert's appearance brought tons of attention to a great moral issue of our time that is never brought to light, is was brilliant and powerful.

[castleb]

04:54 PM on 09/29/2010

Right on! Tara Dass.

[chet208]

02:44 AM on 09/29/2010

Hoyer is right, Colbert thought he was all the wiser, using his comedy as a means of satire, reflecting a mirror back on Congress
he's a snooze and a narcissist, I used to be a fan of this guy but he seems to care more about himself than the issues of the country.
two thumbs way down

[castleb]

05:48 PM on 09/29/2010

Colbert testified to the plight/problem of migrant workers using "show and tell," a time-tested teaching tool The video of his actual experience, however brief, of toiling alongside "the least of these" (cf.Matt 25:31-40) dramatized the issue with empathy for its victims and respect for the rest of us. He was there precisely because he cares about "the least of these" and the country's immigrant worker issue. He deserves our respect and our admiration, not insulting derogatory name-calling.

You do not have to be a fan of someone to show civility and respect. If you did not understand his presentation, at least suspend judgment.

[castleb]

01:05 AM on 09/29/2010

Satire has been the vehicle for political commentary from Aristophanes, whose plays certainly offended the delicate sensibilities of contemporarieswho were the targets of his lampoons, including Socrates ("The Clouds").
Colbert's concern was the migrant workers as the "least of these" as he said unequivocally at the end of his "testimony." The video of his few hours of back-breaking labor in the fields under a fierce sun among migrant workers was the "show-and-tell" of his message. The context of his allusion to the "least of these" can be found in Luke's gospel (q.v.).
Colbert, who unabashedly calls himself a devout Catholic (he also teaches religion classes), gave a masterly lesson on humility, compassion, and Christian charity.
The occasional levity was the sugar to make the "medicine go down."
I have read expressions of outrage over this alleged waste of money and time from commenters, one claiming that his appearance at the congressional hearing will cost each taxpayer $20,000; another had an even higher figure. In fact Colbert's migrant worker experience and his trip to/from Washington were at his own expense. The question remains, how Americans would take this work in the fields under existing conditions to replace the million or so illegals sent away? Who, indeed, will harvest the tomato to be cut by a Guatemalan . . . .

Mr. Hoyer is an embarrassment, but not for Colbert.

[RockyMissouri]

06:01 PM on 10/10/2010

Thank you...!

[timremple]

11:49 PM on 09/28/2010

It says something about the state of America, and American politics, when comedians tell the truth, and politicians of both parties do nothing but lie, and cover for their corporate masters, and try to further their own personal greed!

Hoyer should be ashamed of himself, but then he, like the Repukes, literally have no shame WHATSOEVER!

He also has no spine, no guts, not ability to lead, no agenda, no ... In that way, he is just like WObama!

He is a hollow shell of a person, concerned ONLY with his own benefit.

As Steve Jobs more wisely, than just about any of the Congressman, asked what is the point of being the richest man in the graveyard?

They -- almost ALL of them -- screw the American People, while they line their own pockets!
(Grayson and Feingold and Saunders seeming to be the few, rare exceptions.)

Five minutes after any one of them is dead, what will all their quest for power and fame and money have brought them?

Do they think they will taste any different to the worms than the paupers do?

If that is the case, then why not, while they still draw breath use it for some good, or at least better, end, and actually do something to help somebody besides themselves?

[RockyMissouri]

06:00 PM on 10/10/2010

Thank you for being a wonderful American...you make me proud...

[mkbatt]

09:49 PM on 09/28/2010

....so a COMEDIAN testifying on the hill IN HIS MADE-UP TV CHARACTER satirically telling more of THE TRUTH than many of you "professionals" seem to be capable of....and his performance is an embarrassment Rep. Hoyer?????............Riiiiiiight, whatever you say sir:o|

[Payned]

09:32 PM on 09/28/2010

Colbert was, as usual, awesome. He paid his own hotel and airfare, by the way, so the waste of money hubbub is hilarious. He's really trying to do his part to call attention to the many, many, MANY things wrong with immigration in this country. He is fearless, and I doubt he's at all embarassed about having made the attempt. He's spoken more truth with satire than anybody's dared to outside the Daily/Colbert family, and he should be proud of that.

That man is mighty. At the correspondent's dinner he called out a sitting president, he was unflinching in a largely hostile room, and he shook the man's hand and looked him straight in the eye. His ideas carry a lot more weight with me than any of the people criticizing him right now because he, unlike they, conducts himself with dignity. He's professionally ridiculous, and yet he was the least ridiculous in that room.

[LesserFool2]

09:31 PM on 09/28/2010

Colbert wasn't able to find the appropriate balance between humor and seriousness ... and the issue for which he was fighting lost in the process.

[castleb]

05:03 PM on 09/29/2010

The message of what "he was fighting for" was not "lost" on me or on others, judging from the comments posted. Let's hope its impact will help solve this problem; so far all the "serious" discourse has been as ineffective as it is unmemorable.