More Famous Than the Beatles?

Stephen Colbert to Pope Francis: We can’t fix wealth inequality until we get money out of politics

BETHANIA PALMA MARKUS

Rawstory.com featured an interview with Stephen Colbert on the eve of Pope Francis' visit to the United States. I have a few comments on it.

interviewer Sebastian Gomes called Colbert “the most famous Catholic in America.” Colbert handled it well, replying, “Sure, I’ll tell Timothy Dolan you said so.” 

He probably is with the same demographic who considered John Stewart the most trusted newsman in America. Oy!

And again, for the Jon Stewart generation, they've learned that 'the personal is political, so of course the most important thing to as a public Catholic is about the US politics surrounding the pope's visit.

“Gomes asked Colbert what he thinks the message is that Congress most needs to hear when Pope Francis addresses a joint session.

“The corrupting influence of money in politics because it reinforces not looking out for the poorest or the least of my brothers,” Colbert responded. “I think that’s the one they need to hear the most because until you can control the money you won’t control the message of Congress, and so you won’t get action from Congress that looks out for average people.”

True enough. But overturning Citizens United or trying to create some sort of campaign financing scheme or a limit to what can be spent on politics in order to solve the influence problem is a fool’s errand. That sort of War on Money in Politics has as much chance of success as the War on Drugs has had. Let’s take a quick look at where the big money is in Washington:

From Opensecrets.org:

House

Financial activity for all House candidates, 2013-2014

Democrats: $450,776,626

Republicans: $585,606,851

Senate

Financial activity for all Senate candidates, 2013-2014

Democrats: $285,218,602

Republicans: $315,898,295

That adds up to: $1,637,500,374

In 2013-2014, the Congress spent about $7,000,000,000,000

Which is 4275 times as much as lobbyists spent on Congress.

Get Congress out of the big money and you will get the big money out of Congress.

He also discussed the need to prevent religion from being associated with a political party.

“It’s perceived of in the United States that the right is the more Christian party,” Colbert said. “But in any given election, if the right doesn’t do well, well did Christ not do well? You’ve poured that infection of competition into the eternal world of the Gospel.”

I’ve only watched to the 2:00 mark, but this is another opportunity to wonder if Stephen has a problem with the Episcopal Church or the Church of Christ who seem more concerned with supporting the most popular current cultural fads and Left wing politics than they are about God.