For candidates, this is 'must-not-do' TV

Comedy spot can do serious damage

WASHINGTON -- Most politicians are as likely to pass up free TV face time before an election as they would be to refuse a campaign check.

Then again, there's a price to be paid for looking stupid.

That's what members of Congress have learned about "Better Know a District," a sarcastic weekly skit that is part of "The Colbert Report," a nightly half-hour show on Comedy Central.

Hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert, the year-old program is a spinoff of the cable channel's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and one of an increasing number of political humor shows on cable that are drawing the young viewers advertisers covet.

Politicians covet them too for their votes. So many lawmakers initially played along with the segments in which Colbert interviews a member of the House of Representatives, with few checks and balances on his proclivity to make fools of them.

But after a couple of House members stumbled badly, some incumbents decided that the dumbest thing to do with Colbert's offer of free TV exposure was to take it.

"I watch it all the time," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "and I think, 'Why would anybody go on there?' "

With polls showing that the balance of power in Congress could shift to Democrats in November's election, few incumbents are in the mood to take chances.

One who did appear, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., discovered the pitfalls when Colbert asked him about a bill he co-sponsored requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

"What are the Ten Commandments?" Colbert asked.

"What are all of them?" Westmoreland said, taken aback. "You want me to name them all?"

The June segment showed Westmoreland struggling to name just three. Westmoreland actually named seven, said his press secretary, Brian Robinson. And the remaining ones, he added, were somewhat obscure.

Several clips of the segment are posted on YouTube.com, and Westmoreland's Democratic opponent, Mike McGraw, put the video on his campaign Web site.

"It's a great thing to do if all Americans had a sense of humor," Robinson said of a Colbert appearance. "Unfortunately, some don't get the joke."

Come on ... say it

What really got the attention of House members was the experience of Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla. Colbert told him he was free to make even the most outrageous statements because he was running for re-election unopposed. Then Colbert coaxed Wexler into a spoof declaration that he enjoyed cocaine and prostitutes because "it's a fun thing to do."

Several media outlets trumpeted Wexler's comments without making it clear that he was only answering Colbert's fill-in-the-blank questions.

"I'm going to try to keep my day job and not go into comedy," Wexler said, although he noted that reaction from his constituents was overwhelmingly positive.

Wexler's gaffe, following Westmoreland's trouble, has made some legislators gun-shy about facing Colbert with elections approaching. Colbert and the show's staff have declined media interviews about the segments since the Wexler episode.

But ignoring Colbert has its own perils.

When Rep. Sue W. Kelly, R-N.Y., declined to appear, Colbert invited her Democratic opponent, John Hall.

"I oppose everything that you stand for," Colbert said, "but you were willing to talk to me. So let's move your numbers right here. Let's smear your opponent."

Hall picked from a deck of "smear cards" fanned by Colbert.

"My opponent smokes marijuana," Hall said blankly.

"That's a bold accusation," the host responded. "It's out there now that Sue Kelly smokes pot."