The reason Colbert was called to congress was his character.  So you are right, why is anyone surprised that he came in character and stayed in character?

I think the nimrods in congress were hoping they would get something to use in their campaigns against the republicans.  But at the rate they are imitating the keystone kops, they do not need any help in that department.

Uh - when you have a 2nd rate comedian running the senate - that is not a joke?  Colbert did not make congress a joke or any less respected.  he merely accentuated the fact it is.

The cost upsets me too. Enough waste, with nothing to show for it.

Have you noticed a change in tone lately of his speeches?

many have compared Obama to the second coming of Carter.  I am one of them.  The only thing missing was his Malaise speech.  But then this week , Obama's latest speech (the Buck up one) came damn close to it.  The only difference was that Carter was speaking the nation.  Obama was just speaking to the democrats.

What I find funny about Obama is that when he does his speeches he still seems to be in campaign mode. Considering he was portrayed as the winner because everyone loved him and believed in him, it's very funny how he consistently does his speeches as if he has to continue to convince the people he is right. Although I am not sure why he does this since, apart from not needing Republican support to pass anything (at least until the end of the year if Democrats lose a lot of seats), he does what he wants regardless of what the people actually want anyways.

Kinda like how when I was little, my mom use to ask me if I wanted to go to the store with her and when I said no she would say "well you are going anyways". then i would wonder "why give me an option then?"

He;s a one trick pony. Campaigning is the only thing he's done that was unquestionably successful. It makes me laugh when he starts sounding like a preacher, an attempt to sound like MLK I suppose. It just never quite works for him, he sounds weak.

In keeping with the hilarity in government theme, did anyone catch Rahm Emanuel's pathetic platitudes to his boss? Can one say "brown noser". The strongest president ever? Come on how stupid does he thing the American people are? Good luck Chicago, you'll need it if this is the best you have.

the problem with such "jokes" is that it is REALLY hard to laugh when you are the victim...

I am sure it would be easier to laugh if it was someone else's money / government / president / etc.

I like the comedy central idea... take the president's speech, add canned laughter at the appropriate spots, air it on comedy central.

true, although it is a sign of near-sightedness... people who don't realize that america IS the shining house on the hill... the shining house with artillery. With obama controlling our foreign relationships we see a backstabbing of israel, europe, and liberated ex soviet satellites; appeasement of tyrants, supporting a nuclear Iran, etc. This is harmful for everyone. Most of the things blamed on obama are actually the fault of his party, congress is the one who controls the spending, although the democrat congress decided to implement the failed policies of obama... so that they can blame him for it if/when they fail and keep their own position. (its only "if" for the clueless democrats who believe communism works). But the president is the one with power when it comes to dictating foreign policy, and he mishandles to an extreme degree.