Colbert Announces Presidential Pursuit

From The New York Times:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stephen Colbert has announced his candidacy for president on ''The Colbert Report,'' tossing his satirical hat into the ring of an already crowded race.

''I shall seek the office of the president of the United States,'' Colbert said Tuesday on his Comedy Central show as red, white and blue balloons fell around him.

Colbert, 43, had recently satirized the coyness of would-be presidential candidates by refusing to disclose whether he would seek the country's highest office -- a refusal that often came without any prompting.

***
His recent best-seller, ''I Am America (And So Can You!),'' allowed him to mock the now-standard approach to a White House run, complete with a high-profile book tour.

Colbert said he planned to run in South Carolina, ''and South Carolina alone.'' The state, one of the key early primaries, is also Colbert's native state. Earlier this week, South Carolina public television station ETV invited Colbert to announce his candidacy on its air.

Exactly how far the mock conservative pundit planned to stretch his impression of a presidential candidate wasn't clear. Colbert rarely breaks character on camera, including at his memorable speech at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner last year.

***
Colbert said he would run as both a Democrat and Republican. He earlier explained the strategy: ''I can lose twice.'' He claimed three running mate possibilities: Colbert-Huckabee, Colbert-Putin or Colbert-Colbert.

***
In a guest column for Maureen Dowd in Sunday's New York Times, Colbert wrote: ''I am not ready to announce yet -- even though it's clear that the voters are desperate for a white, male, middle-aged, Jesus-trumpeting alternative.''

My Comments:
I'm not a fan of Colbert, but I have to admit that last paragraph is pretty funny.


UPDATE
Here's Colbert's guest column in Sunday's New York Times, referred to in the story above.