Too dumb to serve?

Democratic Rep. displays ... interesting historical insights.

Colbert was quizzing Clarke on the history of her borough.

"Some have called Brooklyn’s decision to become part of New York City 'The Great Mistake of 1898,' " Colbert said. "If you could get in a time machine and go back to 1898, what would you say to those Brooklynites?"

"I would say to them, 'Set me free,' " Clarke said.

Pressed by Colbert what she would be free from, the black congresswoman responded, "Slavery."

"Slavery. Really? I didn’t realize there was slavery in Brooklyn in 1898," Colbert responded, seemingly looking to give the lawmaker a chance to catch her error.

"I’m pretty sure there was," Clarke responded.

"It sounds like a horrible part of the United States that kept slavery going until 1898," the late-night comedian then quipped.

Colbert pressed on, asking, "Who would be enslaving you in 1898 in New York?"

At that point, Clarke responded, "The Dutch."

How much media attention might that clip generate if it were a Republican that said it, rather than a Democrat?

Just remember, the more power you give government, the more power you give to people who thought that slavery in the United States persisted under the Dutch as late as 1898.

- Glenn Reynolds