Colbert Sought S.C. Primary Naming Rights, GOP Debate

Charleston native Stephen Colbert is back to playfully meddle in South Carolina's political primaries — this time offering big bucks for the naming rights of the GOP Primary and to get a question on the ballot poking fun at GOP primary candidate Mitt Romney.

The State is reporting that Colbert met with Republican Party leaders in South Carolina.

The state GOP, trying to raise money to pay for the primary, eventually declined to name the primary “The Colbert Nation Super PAC Presidential Primary.”

The host of a satirical news program on Comedy Central, Colbert's faux conservative character made a splash in the 2008 primary with his failed attempt to get his name on the South Carolina primary ballot.

He's not just stopping with an attempt to rename the 2012 primary, though. Another Colbert request is sending South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian back to the SC Supreme Court.

In a press release from his "Colbert Super PAC," the comedian claimed he is fighting to get a question on the GOP primary ballot. Meant to poke fun at former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney over a comment the primary candidate made in August that "corporations are people," the ballot question would ask South Carolina Republicans if corporations are people or "only people are people."

The State report notes that the S.C. GOP had discussions with Colbert about including the question on the ballot and it even appeared along with others on early sample ballots.

But in a ruling that forced South Carolina counties to conduct the primaries, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled against any additional questions other than a voter's primary candidate preference. 

But Harpootlian filed for a rehearing Tuesday, asking the Court to reconsider and allow all of the supplementary questions returned to the ballot, according to SCDP spokeswoman Amanda Loveday.

Loveday said the Democratic Party was initially unaware of the supplemental questions, but once they saw how interesting they were, they thought it would be beneficial to include them.

Harpootlian is in New York to appear on The Colbert Report at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Loveday said. She said she expected an entertaining conversation and a lot of South Carolina based humor on the show and during Harpootlian's interview.

Charleston County Election Commission Executive Director Joseph Debney said the ballot being sent to overseas military and other absentee voters does not include any additional questions and neither does the current sample ballot availble for Charleston County voters.

According to The State, Colbert also asked GOP leaders to allow him to co-host a Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach next month. Fox has exclusive rights to the debate, so Colbert was refused.

On Tuesday night, Colbert told his audience that he would host his own debate. And The Huffington Post writes that he may be serious.

An email sent to Colbert's Super PAC mailing list on Tuesday seemed to confirm that the debate is no joke.

"It's going to be a classy affair. Shrimp cocktail, the works," according to the press release.