Stephen Colbert, Carolyn Maloney, And A Breast Pump

Democratic members of Congress have long been warned to avoid Stephen Colbert's "Better Know a District" segment on his Comedy Central Show, The Colbert Report, where the faux pundit usually has them answering inappropriate questions or talking about inappropriate things.

But that didn't stop Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney from appearing on the show this week to showcase her "fightin' " 14th District of New York and promote her new book, Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, which focuses on women's advancement in politics.

"I felt like having some fun," Maloney told our Nikki Schwab at her book party the day after her appearance aired. "The closing days of Congress are very tedious."

While Maloney was expecting to have to answer ridiculous questions, she wasn't prepared for when Colbert whipped out a breast pump during the interview.

"It was outrageous, it was outrageous, I was stunned, and I almost fell out of my seat!" she says. "He's sitting there and he starts unbuttoning his shirt and I'm thinking, 'What is happening?' " Colbert continued to ask questions while pretending to pump out some Gatorade.

Her book party at the Sewall-Belmont House in Washington was decidedly tamer. Sen. Hillary Clinton, who says she put 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling during her run for the White House, spoke at the party to a screaming and mostly female audience.

Clinton had only praise for Maloney's book. "Her book is so perfectly titled because, after all, rumors of our progress are exaggerated," Clinton said.

By Paul Bedard