Stephen Colbert Ends Presidential Bid
Stephen Colbert has dropped his bid for the White House.
His announcement came after the South Carolina Democratic Executive Council voted last week to keep the host of "The Colbert Report" off the state's primary ballot. The vote was 13-3.
Colbert poses as a conservative talk-show host on the Comedy Central show.
"Although I lost by the slimmest margin in presidentialPhoto Essay: TV's Sexiest News Anchors
election history - only 10 votes - I have chosen not to put the
country through another agonizing Supreme Court battle," Colbert
said Monday in a statement. "It is time for this nation to heal."
Colbert had said he would run only in his native South Carolina,
a key primary state. He said he planned to run as a Democrat and a
Republican - so he could lose twice. Colbert, 43, later declined to
file with the GOP, which has a much higher filing fee ($35,000)
than the Democrats ($2,500).
"I want to say to my supporters, this is not over," Colbert
said. "While I may accept the decision of the Council, the fight
goes on! The dream endures! ... And I am going off the air until I
can talk about this without weeping."
In reality, "The Colbert Report" was going off the air because
of a strike by Hollywood writers that began Monday. Many talk shows
were expected to air repeats during the strike.