Is Hill Leadership Sending Word that Colbert is "Must-Not-Do TV"?

We enjoy Stephen Colbert's recurring "Better Know a District" interviews with House members, but as a former Hill press secretary we find ourselves agreeing with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who tells the LA Times, "I watch it all the time, and I think, 'Why would anybody go on there?' " 

While Hill staffers' "speculating about who will appear next — and how foolish they'll look — has become nearly as popular as handicapping which party will control the House after November's election," we sense a change afoot.

Perhaps inspired by directives from the party leaders on high, no incumbent Republican has appeared on the show since June, while the last incumbent Democrat to appear was Rep. Xavier Becerra in August.  Since then, Colbert has had to interview mostly long-shot congressional challengers, who have nothing to lose.

Until August, a total of 30 Members had subjected themselves to such humiliation as:

• Colbert to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR): "Is it safe to say you're an America-hating terrorist lover hiding behind a stupid bow tie?
  
  
• Colbert to Rep. John Mica (R-FL): "Do you have to take your toupee off when you go through security?
• Colbert to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA): "Have you ever seen a naked woman?