Stephen Colbert used to be a stand up guy. He used to fight for the rights of Americans. He used to be funny. But then he started taking money from anonymous donors through his SuperPac. Nancy Pelosi has just released a new ad that makes Stephen Colbert public enemy number 1.

“Stephen Colbert used to be my friend,” Pelosi says. “But since the day he started his SuperPac, taking secret money from special interest groups, he’s been out of control…. I hear he doesn’t even like kittens.”

Pelosi may be joking about a few things in the ad (her close relationship with Newt Gingrich) but the DISCLOSE ACT is a real piece of legislation. According to the Facebook.com/StopColbert page, DISCLOSE 2012 (HR 4010) was just introduced by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

The DISCLOSE ACT 2012 reads:

“To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, and other entities, and for other purposes.”

What do you think of Nancy Pelosi’s attack ad on Stephen Colbert? Do you think she’s bringing more attention to the bill by joining in on Colbert’s joke?

Here’s the attack ad.

Nancy Pelosi Attacks Stephen Colbert In New Ad [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

After a grueling few weeks on the GOP campaign trail funnyman Stephen Colbert has thrown in the towel, announcing on Monday that he was dropping out to focus on being funny.

In his message to supporters, namely his Comedy Central views and perhaps a few disgruntled GOP members given the choices left to them he announced:

“My fellow Americans of South Carolina: While your turnout on Saturday was historic, unfortunately–and no one could have predicted this–Herman Cain did not win the South Carolina primary.”

He then added:

“So it is with a heavy heart and a spastic colon, that I am re-suspending Herman Cain’s suspended campaign.”

You might recall that Stephen Colbert had failed to get his name on the South Carolina ballot after missing the November filing and a write-in is not allowed under state election laws. After realizing he couldn’t receive votes Colbert urged his supporters to vote for Tea Party member Herman Cain instead.

Colbert went so far as to have his Super PAC, which he handed over to Jon Stewart for legal reasons, run an ad that called Mitt Romney a serial killer, here’s the ad:

In the end he left his supporters with the following message:

“So now that my exploration has come to an end, who knows what I’m going to do. Maybe I’ll be like Herman Cain and hit the road in a bus with my face on it,” Colbert said. “Maybe I’ll hit the road in a bunch of tiny cars, each with a different part of my face on it.”

It looks like Stephen Colbert won’t be the President of the United States of South Carolina or any other state after all…sad day

Stephen Colbert Drops Out Of GOP Primary Race He Was Never Really Involved In is a post from: The Inquisitr

Say what you like about Stephen Colbert, when he steps away from the set of his show, he has a real knack for motivating the hell out of young, politically minded folk.

Whether it’s at the Rally to Restore Fear and/or Sanity on the National Mall in 2010, or the massive gathering that showed up to support him in his quest to create a Super PAC in 2011, Colbert and his ensuing bump should- if it does not already- inspire no small bit of envy and fear in the politicians he’s capable of provoking support or outcry for or against. Essentially, if Reddit was a person, it would totally be Stephen Colbert but maybe with less color from the sun and more chins.

Now that Colbert has his Super PAC- well, “Jon Stewart’s Super PAC” and most recently named the Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC- he’s been stumping for Herman Cain in today’s GOP battleground, South Carolina. Colbert happens to be from the state, hilariously referenced in a bit on his show where a Frank Luntz rally attendee calls in a “Charleston Dandy,” and it was there he hosted his “Rock Me Like a Herman Cain” rally.

At the event yesterday, Colbert mainly cracked wise to his presumably left leaning audience, saying:

“If corporations are people then I’m a people person. So it’s a civil rights issue. I don’t like it when people compare me to Martin Luther King. I like it when I do it myself… I’m the Martin Luther King of corporate civil rights. I’m the Lockheed Martin Luther Burger King, you might say.”

However, in typical Colbert fashion, the pointed satire was not entirely absent. He added:

“The pundits have asked, is this all some joke? If they are saying this is a joke, then they are saying the whole system of campaign financing is a joke.”

Do you think Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain’s rally could be effective in raising awareness about campaign finance reform?

Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain Have Conflicting Messages at Rally is a post from: The Inquisitr

Now that Herman Cain is out of the race, he seems to be having a bit more fun with the talk show circuit.

Appearing on Bill Maher’s show Friday, Cain openly joked with the somewhat liberal-leaning Libertarian talk show host about his campaign and the lead up to election 2012. And a new commercial featuring Stephen Colbert as Herman Cain has been airing in South Carolina, as part of Colbert’s The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC promotional push. (Oh, sorry, Jon Stewart’s The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC.)

Stewart and Colbert have been having a bit of laugh with the whole Super PAC thing, giggling on the air last night as they didn’t coordinate with one another on how to move forward with the Super PAC, and then confirming with their lawyer that any fines incurred for coordinating could be paid… by funds raised through the Super PAC. And while many who benefit from the broad legislation that allows these organizations to essentially buy elections might find the satire dangerous, Herman Cain- who Colbert purports to be in the ads and urges South Carolinians to vote for Cain- thinks the whole thing is pretty funny.

Cain told Fox News:

“On Stephen Colbert’s endorsement of himself as Herman Cain, I find it very clever and humorous, as it should be… Anyone who finds what Mr. Colbert is doing offensive, should simply lighten up. To be perfectly clear, I will not be assuming Stephen Colbert’s identity. We are very different when it comes to the color of our… hair.”

The ads aren’t the only place Colbert and Cain are straight up chillaxing together- the unlikely pair will meet up again Friday for a segment of the Colbert Report. A spokeswoman for Cain says:

“Colbert’s people got in touch with us late last week and Mr. Cain will be taping a segment with Mr. Colbert on Friday in South Carolina. The endorsement of course comes as a pleasant surprise.”

On his show, Colbert explained to young voters in South Carolina that a vote for Herman Cain is a vote for Stephen Colbert, as Herman Cain. He said:

“Because Cain and I are so similar, I think that if this Saturday Herman Cain were to get a significant number of votes, that would be a sign that voters are hungry for a Stephen Colbert campaign. Anyone who shares my values can show it by voting for Herman Cain. Independents, Democrats, college kids, viewers of my show, people who attended my rally, my Twitter followers, my good friends on Reddit. Young people of the Internet, stand up and shout! Because you are legally eligible to go down to the polls and tell the world how much you love Herman Cain.”

Below is one of the many ads The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC is airing in Colbert’s home state of South Carolina. Do you think Stewart and Colbert’s actions will illustrate how corrupt these laws are to a younger audience?

Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC Ad: Herman Cain Says He’s In on the Joke is a post from: The Inquisitr

It turns out Stephen Colbert was really serious about wanting to become the President of the United States of South Carolina. Announced during an airing of his show on Thursday the talk show host has officially handed the reins of his  ”Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC,” over to Jon Stewart and it has begun buying political ads in South Carolina.

According to reports the Super PAC has already purchased nearly $10,000 worth of airtime in Charleston with ads set to run from Jan. 15 through Jan. 19.

Another source says the PAC is already ”negotiating a substantial media buy in the Columbia market” to air at an undisclosed time.

Now before you go thinking Stephen Colbert actually has a chance to win the state it’s important to remember that South Carolina doesn’t allow write-ins and he missed the deadline to get on the ballot.

Sure it might all be fake but the entire point of Stephen Colbert entering the South Carolina race with his fake and what we’re sure will be funny ads is that he wants to show how ridiculous politics in America have truly become.

Would you be willing to write-in Stephen Colbert if South Carolina allowed you to voice your choice with a write-in?

Stephen Colbert Super PAC Buys Up Media Space In South Carolina is a post from: The Inquisitr

You heard it here, political show host Stephen Colbert has formed an exploratory committee to possibly run for the President of the United States of South Carolina.

To reach that goal Colbert has turned over control of his super PAC to none other than Jon Stewart to make his run “legal.”

In his best dead pan delivery Colbert will announce on Thursday’s show:

“I am proud to announce that I am forming an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for president of the United States of America of South Carolina.”

The idea of running for the President of South Carolina began on Wednesday’s show when he noted that he was actually polling above Jon Huntsman in the state.

If Colbert actually asks for votes he would need to be a write-in candidate since he has missed the legally allowed filing date.

When all is said and done the Colbert write-in is meant to expose the absurdities found in US election laws and the election process all together which takes years to complete and comes at the cost of millions of dollars in taxpayer money.

Do you think Stephen Colbert has the chance to actually beat any GOP candidates as a South Carolina write-in? He probably has more fans in the state then some of the candidates. If Colbert is able to rack up a bunch of write-in votes in the state it could signal to the GOP that their voters have become disillusions with their choices and it could provide President Obama with ammo during the Presidential election showdown.

Do you think Stephen Colbert should be the President of the United States of South Carolina? There’s just one problem…the State doesn’t allow write-ins. Darn.

Stephen Colbert To Run For President Of The United States Of America Of South Carolina is a post from: The Inquisitr

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

After an appearance on The Colbert Report, MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis and Stephen Colbert challenged fans to send Stephen Colbert’s head into space due to the host’s fascination with 3-D renderings of his likeness.

The DIY outfit Maker Industries sent one of the 3-D Colbert heads into space on a weather balloon with a Flipcam, and uploaded the footage from the ensuing trip- watch below:

Stephen Colbert… in Space? [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

In the clip below, Stephen Colbert breaks character to lose his shit thoroughly at around 2:45. Hilarity ensues.

[Watch] Stephen Colbert Breaks Character, Giggles Like a Little Girl is a post from: The Inquisitr

So, Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC was approved by the Federal Election Committee today.

The FEC put some limits on Colbert and Viacom’s abilities with the Colbert Super PAC, but it’s likely we will hear a lot about the project in weeks and months to come. Colbert made a victory speech outside the FEC offices today, clip below. In it he says:

“It has been said that freedom isn’t free. Today, we have placed a sizable down payment. Today, we put liberty on layaway.”

He adds:

“I don’t know about you, but I do not accept the status quo! I do accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Fifty dollars or less please, because then I don’t have to keep a record of who gave it to me. Also please remember that your gift is not tax deductible for you. It is tax-exempt for me. Now please form an orderly mob. My unpaid staff and I are ready to shake my little money maker.”

Directly after the 5-1 victory, Colbert filed to officially create Colbert Super PAC.

[Video] Colbert Super PAC is a Go! is a post from: The Inquisitr

Alas, I was not personally able to attend Jack White and Stephen Colbert’s Highline party today at Jack White’s ice cream truck even though it is only an hour from my house because I had to be an adult. And there are no Twitpics!

However, over on Colbert Nation, there is a brilliant “Catholic Throwdown” between White and Colbert where the two challenge one another on Catholic trivia. Out of all the interviews between the rock god and the late-night boss, the profanity laced outtake is the best- at least for us former Catholic schoolgirls.

Below is the video where they face off- who owns on being a Catholic, Jack or Stephen?

That’s pretty ambiguous because there are like, 65 Saint Marys, Stephen… You were wrong! Oooh!

[Video] Jack White vs. Stephen Colbert: Catholic Throwdown is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wednesday night was totally funnier than Tuesday night, but Jack White is on Colbert again tonight- did you watch the last two installments?

[Video] Jack White Vs. Stephen Colbert, Part Two is a post from: The Inquisitr

Stephen Colbert sits down with the the most epic musical genius of our generation- Jack White- at Third Man and makes him sing “Seven Nation Army” while Colbert eats yogurt. Pretty much the best Colbert segment of all time. White might be on again tonight but will definitely be back Thursday at which point I will be located in my bunk.

[Video] Jack White Versus Stephen Colbert, Part One is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said earlier this month that “well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does” is provide abortions, but later his spokesperson said that it was not “intended to be a factual statement”- on Twitter today, Stephen Colbert had a bit to say about Kyl’s retraction. Ten of the best, above and below.

[Pics] Stephen Colbert attacks Jon Kyl on Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rebecca Black’s song “Friday” is horrible regardless of how you remix it, however when you use the Roots crew, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks to remix the viral hit you end up with a song that at least sounds less auto-tuned.

Pay close attention to the video and you’ll even see an abominable snowman, what appears to be a bee keeper and a QR code for your Android Smartphone, all of course which have nothing to do with the video.

Here’s the clip:

The video is quickly becoming a viral hit, so what do you think? Is it better than the Rebecca Black version? Yeah that probably goes without saying.

Stephen Colbert Remixes “Friday” with Roots Crew on Jimmy Fallon is a post from: The Inquisitr

Stephen Colbert has managed to somehow make Rebecca Black’s “Friday” awesome, with a little help from Jimmy Fallon and Taylor Hicks, and a bunch of dancers and the Roots.

[Awesome video] Stephen Colbert does Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

When questioned about Reddit’s role in the inception of what would become the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” Jon Stewart may have understated the role of the internet a bit.

Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian questioned as to Stewart to what degree internet enthusiasm inspired the rally, to which Stewart answered that it “didn’t hurt.” (Ouch.) Colbert also downplayed the importance of Reddit (where it appears the idea originated) when asked, saying that the internet “didn’t affect” rally attendance one way or the other. (Of course, upwards of 10,000 New Yorkers were bussed to the National Mall on blog-sourced buses, but…)

Today, Drew Curtis of Fark posted an angry open letter ripping into The Daily Show not only for not giving credit where credit is due in regards to the rally, but also for mining Fark and Reddit for comedy topics without ever once mentioning either site on the show. Curtis begins:

Did you hear that Reddit? All that work you put into getting the word out, organizing meetups, and convincing people to go “didn’t hurt”. All that initial support in getting the ball rolling on this rally a few months back was great, but it wasn’t a factor. Thanks for your meaningless and futile support that Comedy Central really didn’t need at the end of the day to get a surprise crowd of 250,000 people to the rally. Did you hear that Internet? You had no role in this either, it was all Comedy Central all the way.

After accusing the network of not really admitting the idea for the rally belonged to the internet, Curtis goes on to accuse Comedy Central writers of snatching yo’ memes up:

Why am I so bent about this? First and foremost, because a friend of mine got smacked down on live TV by a guy he helped, and I can’t stand by and do nothing about it without at least saying something. But also because Daily Show writers have been doing essentially the same thing to me, every single day for the past 10 years. They use Fark every day to source material, and haven’t mentioned Fark on air even one single time. It’s the same attitude toward Reddit: “sure doesn’t hurt, but not a significant contribution.” Thanks to Fark, your writers don’t have to go far to fill your shows up with material for you to use. Every writer I’ve met thanks me vociferously for Fark and tells me how much easier it makes their jobs. Sure that’s not worth a daily mention, but I would think at least one in the last 10 years. It has yet to happen. I’ve learned to live with it, but Alexis is my friend and he does not deserve this kind of treatment. Especially considering the effort Reddit put into promoting the rally.

Curtis ends his letter by suggesting to Comedy Central that if they continue to leech off the internet, the unwashed blogging masses could turn against them for their next initiative. He also says flat out that Comedy Central did do the bulk of the work in promoting the rally, just that the internet also played an invaluable role in making it what it ultimately became. (Attendance is believed to have been in the hundreds of thousands.)

Do you think Stewart and Colbert’s comments were ungrateful and out of line? Does Reddit deserve more credit for the success of the rally?

/oblig

Drew Curtis smacks down ‘Daily Show’ for stealing from Fark, Reddit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Stephen Colbert was on The View today, and he poked a bit of fun at Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar by walking off the show when Bill O’Reilly came up in conversation.

[Video] Stephen Colbert teases ‘View’ ladies, walks off is a post from: The Inquisitr

Due to massive internet demand stemming from a post on Reddit, Jon Stewart announced a rally in Washington DC to counter the many Tea Party-centric rallies that have taken place across the country.

Stewart and Stephen Colbert have been hinting at the existence of an “announcement” and an “event,” and details have been released. The “Rally To Restore Sanity” is to take place on October 30th, and Colbert will ostensibly be confirming a “Keep Fear Alive” version to occur simultaneously in the same place. (At the time of posting, The Colbert Report hadn’t aired, but the “Rally To Restore Sanity” page links to Colbert’s “March To Keep Fear Alive” page.) The two rallies seem to have been set up to counter each other, with Colbert’s a bit more in line with the satirical vibe of the original suggestion.

From Stewart’s page:

Because we’re looking for those people. We’re looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard; and who believe that the only time it’s appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles.

Are you one of those people? Excellent. Then we’d like you to join us in Washington, DC on October 30 — a date of no significance whatsoever — at the Daily Show’s “Rally to Restore Sanity.” Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence… we couldn’t. That’s sort of the point.

From Colbert’s page:

America, the Greatest Country God ever gave Man, was built on three bedrock principles: Freedom. Liberty. And Fear — that someone might take our Freedom and Liberty. But now, there are dark, optimistic forces trying to take away our Fear — forces with salt and pepper hair and way more Emmys than they need. They want to replace our Fear with reason. But never forget — “Reason” is just one letter away from “Treason.” Coincidence? Reasonable people would say it is, but America can’t afford to take that chance.

So, internet, do you plan to help “restore truthiness” at either event?

Stewart and Colbert announce ‘Rally To Restore Sanity’ and ‘March To Keep Fear Alive’ is a post from: The Inquisitr