Stephen Colbert Losing Fans in Congress

Congress seems to be getting tired of Stephen Colbert, and not just because of his in-character testimony on Capitol Hill, reports Politico. More and more lawmakers are turning down requests to be on his show—especially for the "Better Know a District" segment, which initially attracted lawmakers as an easy way to get national exposure. The segment, however, is a 2-hour interview edited into 3 usually embarrassing minutes, and it's petering out as lawmakers catch on to the joke.

Congressional cooling on Colbert seems to be bipartisan: “I did not understand that his mission was to make every politician look ridiculous," said Barney Frank after participating in a segment. Nancy Pelosi: “I watch it all the time, and I think, ‘Why would anybody go on there?’” A Republican House aide: “I had to tell my boss, ‘no.’ He kept pushing back. He thinks he’s funny enough. But I said, ‘No, you don’t understand. They will edit it to make you look stupid.’”
(More Stephen Colbert stories.)