POLITICO Arena: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has released an ad attacking political comedian Stephen Colbert and his super PAC,in which she accuses “The Colbert Report” host of taking money from special interest groups.
The Pelosi ad pushes for the passage of the DISCLOSE Act –reintroduced by House Democrats yesterday –which would make campaign funding more transparent.
BENJAMIN: Political humor is best left to the professionals. But Pelosi acquit herself well. I fear that the ad further blurs the line between media and politics.
I don’t get Colbert’s humor. I didn’t get Pat Paulsen when I was a kid, either. So, the question becomes, “is the DISCLOSE Act real or a joke?”
I don’t know if Americans want their comedians taking political sides. Or want politicians using humorists as their foils.
If cable TV talk shows continue to take the path of talk radio, our national political cleavage will grow. I hope the Pelosi ad, as clever as it, remains a “one-off.”
If it doesn’t, then the joke really will be on America.
Michael Benjamin
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