Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert Campaigns To Replace Jim DeMint In Senate

South Carolina's Jim DeMint made quite a splash Thursday when he announced he was leaving the Senate to run the Heritage Foundation.

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, also a South Carolina native, tossed his hat into the ring hours later asking viewers to tweet Governor Nikki Haley and tell her why she should name him to be DeMint's replacement (video follows with transcript and commentary):

STEPHEN COLBERT: That's right, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint is de-quitting. Now the decision on who will replace DeMint falls to South Carolina governor and friend of the show Nikki Haley. But who will she pick? Let's see, you want somebody young, somebody conservative, somebody from South Carolina, maybe somebody who had a Super PAC. Wait a second, wait a second. Watch where you point that thing, it's powerful. Okay.

Now folks, I'm not going to sit here and say I should be South Carolina’s next senator - not when so many other people are saying it for me. USA Today: “Is Stephen Colbert running for the U.S. Senate.” Huffington Post: “Stephen Colbert For Senate.” Roll Call: South Carolina for Stephen Colbert?” New York Post: “Are we ready for Sen. Colbert?”

(Cheers and applause)

Are we ready? Well, I get it, I get it, I know when I look at the U.S. Senate, I say to myself, “You know what they could use? Another white guy.” So I want you to take to the Twitters, okay, take to the Twitters. I want you to tweet @nikkihaley why she should appoint me to the U.S. Senate with the hashtag #Senator Colbert. (Cheers and applause) I got to say, that feels right.

Although it's a metaphysical certitude Haley is not going to appoint Colbert, the idea that he could be senator one day is not that far-fetched.

I give you Senator Al Franken: