»» Columnists

Stephen Colbert Enters Politics Officially Starts ‘Colbert-PAC’

video

by Tommy Christopher | 1:41 am, March 31st, 2011

» 11 comments

Despite already having an ill-fated run for president under his belt, an event which I doggedly covered in 2007, right-wing fundit™ and host of his eponymous Report Stephen Colbert had never formed a Political Action Committee, or PAC. In a bid to join fellow conservative PAC-men and PAC-women like Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin, Colbert announced the formation of ColbertPAC on Wednesday night’s Report, and even gave his audience a brief lesson in federal election law…and the Klingon language.

Colbert opened by explaining the dangers of a Tim Pawlenty not-so-happy ending (it’s better if you watch than if I explain), and extolled the virtues of SarahPAC and HuckPAC, which Colbert says is Klingon for “Out after Iowa.”* Joined by former FEC Chairman Trevor Potter, Colbert then gave a sort of non-musical, not-catchy Schoolhouse Rock on the ins and outs of campaign committees, after which he decided to, yes, launch his own PAC attack! Here’s the clip, from Comedy Central:

*Technically true, but Colbert’s translation relies on arcane Klingon slang that hasn’t been spoken in decades, the fool.

ColbertPAC, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Schoolhouse Rock, stephen colbert, Trevor Potter

Ardiva

Hey, I signed up! Go COLBERT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barack Must Go

Jackass personified.
Yoda002

Colbert your the man!!
CosmosDan

So, it’s sounding like a PAC can run satire ads that pretend to support a candidate but actually demonstrate how awful they are, say, by choosing the worst quotes to play in the ads.

Oh oh that’s pretty funny
http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Hogan/179500970 Stephen Hogan

CosmosDan said:
So, it’s sounding like a PAC can run satire ads that pretend to support a candidate but actually demonstrate how awful they are, say, by choosing the worst quotes to play in the ads.

Oh oh that’s pretty funny

I was thinking he would try the same thing. A popular satire movement… Swift and Voltaire would be proud.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

@CosmosDan & @Stephen Hogan: Though he was probably briefed beforehand, as Potter explained PACs, you could see Colbert’s mischievous comedic wheels turning.
tatboy

So Colbert is an official spokesman for the DNC and liberal causes?
CosmosDan

Stephen Hogan said:
I was thinking he would try the same thing. A popular satire movement… Swift and Voltaire would be proud.

I chuckle at the thought of it. Imagine a pretend pro Bachman ad or anyone, that includes and highlights their worst statements as Jon did in his bit about GOP candidates.
Garth

Barack Must Go said:
Jackass personified.

You are a liberal plant. Job well done!!
http://TheDividedStatesBlog.com Publius219

Barack Must Go said:
Jackass personified.

Indeed you are.
The Tea Weasel®

tatboy said:
So Colbert is an official spokesman for the DNC and liberal causes?

No more than SarahPAC is an official spokesman for GOP and conservative causes.