Cant wait to watch it DD, and you are absolutely correct about Colbert and Stewart. Since Bill Moyer’s retirement from PBS, these two “clowns” on Comedy Central provide the best news analysis to be found on television. Corporate control of the broadcast media has made it pointless to watch anything but local coverage on TV. The majority of news I consume comes from blogs like FDL and the hard work that you and others do – it is deeply appreciated.

Colbert is the reporter. Those bobbleheads on the tv have never sweated in a field and certainly never had to use a lettuce leaf to wipe their arses!

I wonder if they would take the camera crew out for a day and even ASK why there are no portajohns!!!!

I watched the reply to Chu, he was choked up. Rep. King from Iowa was a sancitomnius a**hole as usual.

When I first saw this video, I couldn’t believe that they were having a comedian testify before Congress. Unfortunately, it does make sense for the reasons you mention. It’s sad that this is what has to happen for issues like this to get attention, but it is.

Colbert really does deserve credit for finding out what the lives of migrant workers are really like. Despite his joke about making the ground come up to waist height, I think most folks ought to be able to see that what farm workers often do is work that is physically demanding. I did a little of it in my youth, and I can assure you that it’s a tough way to make a living, and I know that at my age now I couldn’t do it for very long, if I could manage at all. The migrant worker who died on the job whom Rep. Chu talked about was my age.

Why does it seem that all comedians are left leaning? The right wing is supposedly the guardian of the Crown Jewels, yet it seems to have no joy, only anger.

Kudos to Colbert for standing up for the little guy. Let’s hope he inspires more to do the same.

I thought Colbert put in a great piece of protest theatre. worthy of Abbie Hoffman.

and fuck John Conyers
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/68772

I think there are a significant number of right-wing comedians, but they’re mostly the ones who think you’re being funny if you’re swearing.

Having grown up as a farm worker, Colbert is to be highly commended and not disparaged, and yet those in the room,as well as the talk radio personalities outside the room, were quietly disparaging him for ‘bringing it’ to Congress.

Regardless, we ask and even demand a low cost for both fruits and vegetables, and we get’em, and then proceed to disparage any one engaged in this overall effort by denying the factual evidence that farmers, when refusing to pay the migrant, proceeds to call ICE on the farm worker.

Indeed, Congress heard from both farm workers and Colbert simultaneously, but Colbert is the only person willing in the public arena that is willing to subject himself to the verbal abuse from those who disagree with him, in this instance.

Jaango

you can see a host of flabby, puffed-up commentators and their very serious concerns about a comedian

These same overstuffed buffoons said the same thing about Al Franken. What they’re too stupid to understand is that the jester is very often one of the smartest guys in the room. Mock a comedian at your own peril.

Colbert has big balls. He proved that in spades at the WHCD a few years back. He’s doing it again with this issue.

Let’s hope the October gig with Colbert and Stewart receives a fraction of the press coverage that Glenn Beck’s Nuremberg “Restore Honor” rally received.

Because they slog through the anus of society (comedy clubs), and work shit jobs in pursuit of a faint and unforgiving dream?

The Islamicists who adhere to strict usury laws have changed one word in this quote, – it used to read:
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

and fuck John Conyers

Sideways. With a rusty rake.

Iceland recently elected a comedian from a spanking new party ‘The Best Party’ their President.

Think about how much intellectual heft and dexterity it takes to stay in character, be funny, and still do a credible job of conveying very serious information.

And he also managed to be sensitive–after the line about least of my brothers, he added in a piece about how in this economy there are planty of “elast” to go around and that he did no seek to diminish the pain of anyone out of work.

No script writers, no teleprompters, just raw naked intelligence and compassion.

more of this please

So, which of these translations is “Islamicist?” What the hell are you talking about?

There was quite a bit of meta flying around on this. ‘Is he appearing in character?’ is the issue.

No more than any CEO or someone who is part of any institution public or private. Those who we know with absolute certainty speak not their minds but rather speak with an internal editor so as to advance their institutions, companies or parties agenda.

Colbert of course turns this totally on it’s head because he is speaking for nobody, or nobodies to be specific.

I wish that someone could ask some blovator bitching about this if they think the tobacco CEO’s were ‘in character’ at the famous hearing.

I don’t think there are many real Christians on the Republican side so quoting the love of Jesus for the poor at them won’t make much difference.

Excellent points!
or if Obama is ‘in character’ for that matter…

I was ragging on Colbert last night, probably because I was just so fucking pissed at everything.

Anyway, I officially change my view: good on him for this.

John conyers also proved himself to be a flabby simpering old man. Like Harry Reid . . .

Don’t kid yourself, Conyers’ intial suggestion/request and the later withdrawal of that request were both purposeful parts of the congressional script. However guarded smiles from some of the stiff Republican lawmakers were unscripted. Truth telling (as opposed to truthiness) can be entertaining even when you don’t want to understand.

Neither, the justification for the ‘value’ voter defenders, when confronted with the quote, could well be met with some such idiotic assertion, no?

Chuck Todd, who I guarantee has never spent ONE PRECIOUS SECOND of his life contemplating this issue is Twit-raged!.

I just thank God Colbert wasn’t accompanied by a weather event or his goatee may have fallen off.

F*ck Todd and the horse he rode in on.

RE: The comment from Marion @ 7 was repulsive and shameful. Think before you use epithets that derive from despicable crimes against gay Americans. We are continuously fighting for civil rights for all Humans and you use the vocabulary of our criminal enemies.

Or do I misread you and you are on the other side?

“Harvest of Shame” was 50 years ago? God I’m old. And the shame has been with us the entire time, too.

IMHO, Colbert does us all a disservice by puffing up the Military. By puffing up the soldiers, he puffs up the Wars, the Warmongers in Congress and in the Executive Branch, the killing of innocents and the theft of resources on behalf of Big Oil and Multinational Corporations.

This Colbert farm migrant worker effort is another thing entirely. Colbert was eloquent, intelligent and sincere. I fully support his efforts to call attention to human rights issues.

IMHO, Colbert was not in character in the video segment above.

Wow. Quoting from the New Testament. Don’t hear a lot of that from “Christians” do ya? They like that the Old Testament with the wrath and stuff.

Indeed.

He’s the guy who singlehandedly saved the US Speed Skating Team. Doesn’t surprise me one bit to see him advocate on behalf of the people who pick our produce.

At one point, it was priceless watching King’s blink rate go through the roof as he had to take sitting through Colbert berating them.

I was very disappointed in Conyers calling him out for his unprepared remarks — how else will someone break though to these political debutantes.

And also Dana Bash sitting stone face then taking a picture of Colbert with her camera phone — I bet she becomes sanctimonious on CNN later.

Colbert has ruffled the Royal Press Court!

When clowns run all three branches of the government, it takes a comedian to report what is going on.

I did not know that. I just looked it up. Very clever.

I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. The comment at #7 was not by me, nor did I respond to it.

Pretty sure that would be shitty local theater troupes in the case of Colbert, he came up through Second City, not stand-up.

But yes, I hung it up from standup several years ago, when I figured out that we ranked just below “mime” on the entertainment org chart.

Colbert gives the Faux press and politicians and punditry exactly what they deserve. The Golden Calf crowd has taken over the capital and what they call Christianity. A pox on them all.

Vive Stephan012

“REALLY not sure this is funny,” wrote ABC News’ Rick Klein.

“Colbert is making a mockery of this hearing,” said Mother Jones’ David Corn.

“Colbert’s testimony made a mockery of Congress,” said the Washington Post’s Aaron Blake.

The Hill’s Mike O’Brien said, “This might be the most amazing public stunt before Congress.”

National Review’s Kathryn Lopez wrote that “a congressional chairman made a joke of her committee today.”

Sorry- Your comment was at #12 and in response to Soledero at #6
In response to solerso @ 6:
I thought Colbert put in a great piece of protest theatre. worthy of Abbie Hoffman.

and fuck John Conyers
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/68772

then you repeated at #12
and fuck John Conyers

Sideways. With a rusty rake.

Did I misunderstand you? if so, then the words were indeed mis-understandable and more than a poor choice of words. You don’t want to know the story your word image conjures. Believe me. Enough said.

Kudos to Colbert for telling it like it is. And I appreciate his quoting Matt 25:40. It won’t make any difference to hypocrits, but it’s a valid commentary to make when a very vocal portion of our populace – underwritten by the Oligarchs and promoted heavily on corporate-owned rightwing media – wish to force the USA to be a “Christian nation”… whatever THAT means. So: practice what you preach is a perfect comment, imo.

Unsurprising coming mostly from the corporate-owned rightwing media, who must now “talk it down” in order to manipulate the conservatives into not practicing what they so love to preach.

Speaking of Abbie and the meltdown of the international fraud system, this is rich:

The Stock Is Rising! Join the crusade and help us levitate the Old Frankfurt Stock Exchange to drive out evil spirits. On September 21st between 15:00 and 17:35 (3 PM and 5.35 PM), you can take part in the live event in front of the building at Börsenplatz in downtown Frankfurt. Or you can contribute in front of your computer through our communal online-meditation – starting now.

- The Stock is Rising

And, my personal favorite, “Stink Bugs Swarm Washington, DC,” Sept. 24, 2010

OT– Consider drop-kicking T-Mobile who proves yet again that they are not your friend, “T-Mobile Claims the Right to Censor Your Text Messages, Sept. 24, 2010

Love your comment! I’m going to put it to good use. Many thnx!

yeah apparently you completely misunderstand how the “reply” feature works. I didnt “repeat myself” someone quoted me. Someone who agrees with me, i am assuming, but i suppose it could be read the other way LOL

I’ll watch the whole thing again, i think your saying Conyers was in sympathy with Colberts statements? I didnt see that but i would rather belive it

Thanks Marion any clarification yet? I dont even know what an “Islamacist” is. Is it like a “Christologist”? but no, they dont use it that way, they use it in place of “Muslim” which seems just wrong and dumb to me. There are enough jargon words with hidden meanings and half meanings, that inventing 10 more a week is just not helping.

You summed it up beautifully.

Colbert being Colbert has proved himself a lot smarter than these flunkies. Maybe one day he’ll and do what Al Franken did and represent my home state of NJ. I look forward to it.

Thanks, solero and Marion, on another site this would be a disasterous confrontation. I hope I can explain myself without offense.

To explain what I first said @21: I believe that Conyers, Lofgren and Colbert orchestrated this introduction as a ploy to deflate the objections from the Republicans about Colbert’s appropriateness as a witness. Notice the actor Colbert’s face as Conyer speaks and how he begins to get up, then the polish of his response after Lofgren’s announcement. Conyers withdrew his request after he heard the opening state from another witness woman, one of the three other witnesses. By the way, she later earned several pointed comments/questions from democratic Rep. Chu and others.

On the other reply issue: recently I have been noticing the epithets of sexual aggression more than I care and this one regarding Rep. Conyers hurt. With gay issues at the forefront of civil rights at this moment such words carry terrible facts. I don’t think the meaning of these phrases is actually understood.

The only old Testament book I like is Ecclesiastes. It has an almost Zen like quality about it.

Listening to Todd what’s his face saying Colbert “had contributed to the insanity”…my, my, sounds like he is insulted because a Colbert got to the crux of the farm workers (undocumented or documented) injustice and the Todd’s media didn’t even want to get there. Talking about being poor and oppressed just ain’t dignified enough to talk about.

Never mind.

Reading the text I am impressed with the weight of the writing: even the off-color colonoscopy joke brought the message of healthcare.

If he made a “mockery of Congress”, perhaps it’s because Congress deserves to be mocked–on this and many other issues.

Comedy really works best when it’s subversive. Think jesters being the only person allowed to make fun (and tell the truth) about the foibles of the king. On top of that, when hardcore right-wingers make fun of the powerless, helpless, sick or injured (think Rush Limbaugh channeling his inner Michael J. Fox) it just feels wrong…like piling on someone who’s already down. Remember all the “retard and handicapped” jokes you heard in middle school – not so funny now that you’ve grown up. The problem with most right wing comedians is they’re still in middle school and they think that’s funny.

good for you sharkbabe…it takes real character to be open-minded and open to change that mind when the occasion calls for it.

Think about how much intellectual heft and dexterity it takes to stay in character, be funny, and still do a credible job of conveying very serious information.

Bingo!

It’s kind of funny that the word mocking comes into the conversation. Because, by extension, if indeed he was mocking congress or he made a mockery of the hearing then in effect he also mocked the electorate who put these people into office. The issue is an opportunity for us as a nation to take a serious look at how far we have drifted away from what used to be our core value system. I think it is fair to say that we all know how hypocritical most politicians are and how gullible many of our fellow citizens are who continue to elect these people into office. There is no misunderstanding of what is really going on when a politician appeals to people’s religious sensitivities and frivolously tosses out phrases like unamerican to win support from one group or another. These people work hard under very difficult conditions and they deserve better compensation and consideration. That’s what our value system tells us is right. Yet they become the targets of scorn and acrimony from fear mongers who label them a threat to our system of fairness that ironically says that hard work deserves to be rewarded. The good thing about a comedian like Mr. Colbert is that they have an ability to make us see things from a different perspective. Most often from a fair and honest one. Sadly though, our attention will soon be distracted to some other curiousity. Probably a football players bad behaviour or Bristol Palin’s outfit on dancing with the stars. Because that’s how we roll. So, if congress deserves to be mocked then, by extension, so do we.

This was an amazing sequence.
At 2:56 Colbert shapeshifts from idiot conservative pundit to an eloquent advocate for the farmworkers. This ranks up there in speaking truth to power as his performance in front of the White House Press dinner.
It gave me chills to see Stephan seize that moment to make a profound appeal for the humanity of the migrant workers.