Unanswered: Why Do People Go to the 39th District to Die?

Talk about an interviewer moving in for the kill.

Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Lakewood), whose 39th District includes the spacious Rose Hills cemetery, was asked by cable TV host Stephen Colbert: “Why do people go to the 39th District to die?” A bizarre question. But then again Colbert is not your usual questioner.

He parodies a combative Bill O’Reilly-esque personality on his Comedy Central show, “The Colbert Report.” The Sanchez spot, which aired the other day, was part of Colbert’s “Better Know a District” congressional series. Stephanie Valencia, Sanchez’s spokeswoman, said her boss enjoyed the mock grilling and even had some one-liners of her own.

For instance, at the end of the interview, Colbert pretended to mix up Sanchez with her sister and colleague, Loretta Sanchez, a Garden Grove Democrat.

“Thanks, Loretta,” Colbert told Linda Sanchez.

She replied, “Thank you, Mr. Stewart,” referring to another Comedy Central host and Oscars emcee, Jon Stewart.

Alas, Sanchez’s closing line was edited out, leaving Colbert with the last laugh. At least he also killed the Rose Hills exchange.

To live and drive in L.A.: Paul Parmentier spotted a truck that would seem to do a large business around Halloween (see photo).

There’s a Dick Cheney joke in here somewhere: An anonymous soul sent along an unreal estate ad that admitted it had a dangerous laundry facility (see accompanying).

Food for thought: Colleen Tilney of Riverside found some morsels that you could eat or wear in your hat (see accompanying).

L.A. Insult of the Month: Producer John Calley, dismissing speculation that hometown Oscar voters helped “Crash” win best picture honors because it was set in L.A., told the New York Times: “Nobody likes to think of themselves as being from Los Angeles. I don’t know anybody that wants to be buried here.”

Well, I would say that the former Anaheim Angels like to think of themselves as being from Los Angeles.

Best Tri-City Insult: Reint Reinders, retiring head of the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, was asked by San Diego Magazine if he was getting any job offers from other cities. His reply: “Sure -- somebody called me about Pasadena the other day. They said, ‘I understand you’re leaving San Diego. How about Pasadena?’ And I said, ‘And what’s next, San Bernardino? Bakersfield?’ I don’t think so.”

Don’t even ask him about L.A.

miscelLAny: I was on jury duty the other day, and one of the questions asked each juror candidate was whether he or she had friends who are attorneys. When one woman hesitated, Superior Court Judge James Pierce assured her that there was nothing wrong with having a lawyer as a friend. “They need as many as they can find,” he said.

Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012, and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.