Who the Hell Is Zoe Lofgren?

Last Thursday, proving that Washington, and Congress in particular, really is a clown show that can't be taken seriously, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA, so what do you expect) invited comedian Stephen Colbert to testify as an "expert witness" before the subcommittee she chairs, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. The hearing was titled "Protecting America's Harvest." Someone needs to think about protecting our government from idiots like Lofgren.

Quoting from the Washington Examiner: Colbert began his testimony, which was an in-character schtick based on a one-day visit to an upstate New York farm. "This is America," Colbert said. "I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican." As the hearing went on, Colbert said things like, "I was a cornpacker…cornpacker is a derogatory term for a gay Iowan."

Not all of the subcommittee members were happy with having Colbert testify. Said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), "I think using an actor in character to give testimony makes a mockery of the committee process."

The Examiner reports that at the end, Lofgren proclaimed the hearing "helpful." Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Who the hell is this woman and WHY is she chair of ANYTHING in Congress? Lofgren, 63 years old, has represented the 16th district of California (San Jose) since 1995. She is only the second person to represent the district since its creation in 1963, and has been reelected six times with no substantive opposition.

So what I want to know now is this: who is running against this woman who makes a mockery of Congressional hearings and our American government? Ed Gonzalez, a Marine Iraq vet, is Lofgren's principal challenger in the 2010 elections. Says Libertarian/Republican Gonzalez, "Zoe Lofgren has been in Congress for 15 years and our immigration problems have become worse each year. I think it is time for her to admit failure and retire." Find out where Gonzalez stands on the issues and support his candidacy here.

Drain the swamp, baby. If you feel so inclined, and would like to contact anyone on the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, the website with information about the committee and their contact information is here.