Unserious

A lede you never EVER thought you'd see:

The carefully-crafted attempt by Democrat Zoe Lofgren to make her fellow Democrats look hip and with it crashed into a debacle earlier this morning when the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration held its much-publicized hearing with Comedy Central comedian Stephen Colbert on hand to offer testimony.

You know the line that's coming next, don't you?  "What could go wrong?"

Colbert said he was there at the invitation of Lofgren and would do whatever she asked. Seeking a moment to think, Lofgren asked Republican Representative Dan Lungren to speak for a few moments while she decided what to do.

Colbert stayed in place as the other witnesses made opening statements. When Colbert’s turn came, Conyers briefly interrupted to say that he was withdrawing his request for Colbert to leave.

Then Colbert began his testimony, which was an in-character schtick based on a one-day visit to an upstate New York farm. “This is America,” Colbert said. “I don’t want a tomato picked by a Mexican.” It was a strange and awkward moment, and one that could come back to some of the Democrats on the panel in the campaign ahead. 

Megyn Kelly was not amused, but I'm including her vid to get more of Colbert's direct schtick:

What can I say?  Did Colbert make a mockery of the immigration issue, or did Lofgren make a mockery of the entire Congress by inviting Colbert to testify IN CHARACTER?  And can we not infer the answer from the fact that, to my historical knowledge, W.C. Fields was never asked to testify, in character or out, on the repeal of Prohibition?

And if he had been, would Henry Rainey have said THIS about it afterward?:

Leaving her weekly press conference, Pelosi told reporters she thought it was appropriate for Colbert to appear as a witness, “He’s an American. He comes before the committee. He has a point of view.”

Pelosi added, “It can bring attention to an important issue like immigration. I think it’s great.” 

By offering comedic "testimony" about "cornpackers" and not wanting any tomato "picked by a Mexican"?  And remember, Colbert opened by promising to comply with whatever the committee wanted him to do, including leaving.  It's almost like he couldn't believe they were really asking him to do this and was giving them every chance to come to their senses.

The punchline?  Steny Hoyer accusing Colbert of "going off script":

And who REALLY reaps the PR bonanza from this "single biggest pointless blunder in American political history"?  Guess:

Democrats found time to bring a comedian to Capitol Hill, but refuse to have a vote on preventing tax increases at the end of the year, House Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday, lamenting Congress' plan to skip a vote on extending Bush-era tax cuts before adjourning for campaign season.

Thirty-seven days until they get the hook.