American Dream

Comedy Central's "news anchor" Stephen Colbert grills Portland U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer about his stand on livable communities and cycling (warning: requires Windows Media Player, high-speed connection). To be fair, Colbert pretends to be a conservative Republican and in doing so makes fun of conservative Republicans, but we can still laugh. Blumenauer looks as though he doesn't understand this is supposed to be comedy.

Among the best lines:

Colbert: "What to you is a livable community?"

Blumenauer: "A livable community has a wide range of opportunities for people, single family, apartments, condominia"

C: "Where does my Hummer fit into that?"

B: "In many livable communities, a Hummer would be illegal and they are denied access to some neighborhoods."

C: "So you are for ghettoizing certain people because of their cars?"

B: "Play it by the rules."

C: "Rosa Parks did not fight for my Hummer to go to the back of the bus! Right?"

B: (looking confused) "Yes. I won't debate that."

Somehow, I doubt that a real reporter could get Blumenauer to say things like that!