Stephen Colbert’s ‘Better Know a District’ rolls on, hilariously

As regular viewers know, “Better Know a District” is one of the most reliably hilarious recurring segments on “The Colbert Report” -- that is, the few times a year Stephen Colbert manages to get a member of the House of Representatives to sit for an interview that’s virtually guaranteed to make him or her look a tiny bit ridiculous.

The 71st and latest sacrificial lamb is Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, a freshman from Wisconsin’s 2nd District, whose “Better Know a District” segment aired Monday on “The Colbert Report.” Unlike other participants who probably rue the day they got a phone call from Colbert’s producers, Pocan performed quite well, saying nothing that should cause embarrassment or offense.

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He also took Colbert’s increasingly ludicrous questions in stride. No, the Affordable Care Act would not result in “Hunger Games”-style death panels; no, the fact that Pocan is married to another man would not threaten Colbert’s “God-sanctioned marriage”; and no, Wisconsin’s famed cheese curds didn’t seem “gay” because they squeak when you bite them.

For those of you keeping track, this is the second “Better Know a District” in recent weeks, following an interview with another Wisconsin Democrat, Rep. Gwen Moore. A few years back, the bit was on the verge of extinction, thanks to a ban instituted by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Thankfully for viewers, our elected officials in Washington appear to have rediscovered their sense of humor.

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