Stephen Colbert has his opening. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), the tea party icon, announced Thursday that he will retire from the US Senate in January, leaving Republican Gov. Nikki Haley the task of handpicking DeMint's immediate successor. A Colbert for Senate Twitter account, @ColbertforSC, sprung up almost immediately, and fans have called for Colbert, the author of such classics as I Am America (And So Can You!) and America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't, to replace DeMint in the hallowed halls of Congress.
Brace yourselves, Colbert Report fans: Colbert, who has made no secret of his desire to hold higher office, says through his publicist that he's ready and willing to step up for his home state. "Stephen is honored by the groundswell of support from the Palmetto State and looks forward to Governor Haley's call," his personal publicist, Carrie Byalick, writes in an email to Mother Jones.
Colbert asked his viewers this Thursday evening to tweet @nikkihaley with the hashtag #SenatorColbert and let her know why she should appoint him to replace wingnut Sen. Jim DeMint. It sure would be nice if he were serious, but I can't imagine Colbert wanting to actually subject himself to the putting up with the idiocy he mocks on a daily basis.
And if anyone wasn't sure what was up with the foot, it's "Hobbit Week" on the Colbert Report.