By: Kate Nocera

 

LEESBURG, Va. — Nancy Pelosi turned the tables on Stephen Colbert on Friday, quizzing the Comedy Central host at the House Democratic retreat.

 

Colbert told the room of Democratic lawmakers that he and the former House speaker are “best frenemies.”

 

“We may have disagreed in the past and today we will disagree in the future,” Colbert said, according to a Democratic aide who supplied a readout of his visit. The room was closed to reporters.

Pelosi tried to encourage Colbert , who portrays a conservative pundit on his Comedy Central show, to become a Democrat.

 

“Our colleague, Mike Quigley [D-Ill.], not wanting to embarrass his district, refused to sing on your show. But if you were a Democrat, Stephen, you could have [New York Rep.] Joe Crowley on every night,” she said.

 

“[South Carolina] Governor Nikki Haley rejected you; we will welcome you with open arms.”

 

Colbert made several cracks at Republicans, saying their loss in November “has them soul searching… whether or not they have souls.”

 

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) tweeted that Colbert said “Republicans must embrace Hispanics unless science finds a way for Hispanic women to give birth to old white men.”

 

Cohen wasn’t the only one tweeting; Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) sent out several pictures of Colbert.

 

Colbert wouldn’t make predictions on whether the Democrats would be able to regain control of the House.

 

“Not sure if American people care either way, Congress less popular than colonoscopies…but just edging our meth labs and gonorrhea,” he said. “Ironically, the last things we make in the United States.”

 

Colbert’s sister, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, is running for Congress as a Democrat in South Carolina, and he did predict that she would win the seat. He asked Congressman Jim Clyburn, also from South Carolina, if Clyburn would endorse Busch.

 

“I’m working on that,” Clyburn said.

 

During a question and answer session, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) asked Colbert where his character stood on the “war on women.”

 

“Some of my best friends are women. I spent nine months in one,” he cracked.

 

The program ended with Crowley and Colbert singing the Star Spangled Banner together.

 

 

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