Mock Republican Comedian Stephen Colbert is offering his home state of South Carolina $500,000 to fund the Republican primary.  The Republican Party of South Carolina informed the Election Commission that they will not be funding any more of the primary than the $180,000 they collected in filing fees from the candidates.  Colbert wrote an Op-Ed in The State newspaper last week that he was willing to fund the deficit needed to run the primary through his Political Action Committee Colbert Super PAC.

It is going to cost about $1.5 million dollars to fund the primary in South Carolina and the Election Commission has informed the State Legislature that they only have about $1 million dollars on hand. Spokesman Chris Whitmire says the Commission has told legislators South Carolina may need to use deficit spending in order to fund the Primary, which would require special permission.

According to CBS Money Watch, Colbert originally offered $400,000 to the State Party in order to name the Republican primary after him. Party officials have confirmed they met with the comedian in order to discuss calling the primary “The Colbert Super PAC South Carolina Republican Primary”.

State GOP executive director Matt Moore said party officials were inclined not to allow Colbert the opportunity in the first place but heard him out none the less before turning him down.

“Despite our repeatedly saying ‘no,’ Stephen Colbert, the comedian, seems intent on being involved,” Moore said. “It’s exactly why we were wary in the first place.”

In the end the Party does not even get to make the decision, it is up to the State to decide on the legality of letting an outside interest “sponsor” a primary election.

Colbert maintains that he is just trying to help

“The counties need the money, and Colbert Super PAC wants to give it to you; call it a Christmas Miracle,” he wrote in his Op-Ed. “I’m going to be home in South Carolina over the holidays, so just give me a call. Both state parties have my contact info.”

Should outside interests like Stephen Colbert be able to sponsor elections?

Stephen Colbert Offers to Pay for Cash Strapped South Carolina Republican Primary is a post from: The Inquisitr

In an interview on yesterday’s Colbert Report, NBC News veteran Tom Brokaw recalled his experiences on 9/11, a day that, as he puts it in the interview, forever changed America.

His day started off, oddly enough, in a Yoga class, in which he was coaxed into by his wife. He remarked that he didn’t want to be there, but he never imagined he’d be able to get out of it as a result of a major, life-changing tragedy.

Most of us have difficulties recalling the events from that day, but Brokaw considers revisiting the events as “instructive”. Recalling the day from his perspective allows him to reflect on everything from that tragic day.

After hearing the news and rushing to the NBC studios in New York, he called up his wife, who was in Montana at the time, and said: “We’re at war and I don’t know when we’re gonna be able to talk, you better get up and start watching this.”

He recalled, “”When I play the tape back in my mind, there was a real surreal quality about it. It seemed to unfold in a kind of slow-mo way because we didn’t know what was gonna happen next. When you go to war or when Hurricane Irene is coming ashore, you have a little warning. In this case, it completely stunned all of us.”

“It took me everything I knew not just as a journalist but as a husband and as a father and as a citizen to get through that day.”

via Huffington Post

Tom Brokaw recounts events of 9/11 on Colbert Report is a post from: The Inquisitr

Admitting he “knows when he’s been bested,” Colbert says of Cooper, “he didn’t just scoop me… he spooned me. All night long.”

In the clip below, watch Colbert’s take on Anderson Cooper’s report on the whereabouts of Michael Jackson’s former chimp, Bubbles. He calls it Cooper’s biggest exclusive since his “2006 sit down with Saddam Hussein’s beloved pet, Khalid Sheik Mu-hamster.”

In Colbert’s words, “crank up the AC!”

(Video) Colbert on Anderson Cooper’s “chimpsclusive” is a post from: The Inquisitr

Stephen Colbert has shaved his head to show his support for U.S. troops in Iraq.

Colbert has declared a victory in Iraq and had his head shaved with the word ‘Iraq’ on the side. In front of about 300 U.S. troops gathered for the taping of the Colbert Report on Sunday, Colbert declared:

“By the power vested in me by basic cable, I officially declare we have won the Iraq war!”

Stephen Colbert Shaves Head For Iraq Video

The Colbert Report shows taped in Iraq will be aired on Comedy Central Monday through Thursday of next week @ 11:30 PM EDT

[Source: Popcrunch]

Stephen Colbert Shaves Head in support of Iraq Troops [VIDEO] is a post from: The Inquisitr