Colbert destroys Harold Ford

Alex Koppelman, Salon.com

For the most part, despite a string of segments in which he's embarrassed elected officials, politicians tend to see an interview with Stephen Colbert as easy. As long as you can come off looking like you're in on the joke, it's not like he'll ask truly tough questions, so hey, no big deal, right?

Tell it to former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr.

Ford was on "The Colbert Report" Monday night to promote his burgeoning candidacy for Senate in New York. But the appearance probably won't do much for his poll numbers, as Colbert spent more than six minutes embarrassing the former Tennessee congressman.

It started with the host's introduction of his guest, when he joked, "Evidently, six minutes at my interview table counts as New York State residency." And things got worse from there, as Colbert made Ford look silly regarding his having changed his position on abortion and same-sex marriage, then derided him for having said he'd seen Staten Island because he'd landed there in a helicopter. "Are there other places in New York you designate as helicopter-only?" Colbert asked.

Ouch.

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Colbert Files for Presidential Primary

Thu Nov 1, 2:04 PM EDT

Stephen Colbert's fanciful White House bid took a real step Thursday. It's up to South Carolina Democrats to decide whether to take him seriously.

Colbert, who poses as a conservative talk-show host on the Comedy Central cable network, filed to get on the ballot as a Democratic candidate in his native South Carolina. His campaign paid a $2,500 filing fee just before the noon deadline, said state Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler.

Whether he'll appear on the ballot will be decided by party officials later Thursday.

The host of "The Colbert Report" doesn't appear to meet the party's viable candidate qualification. And it's unclear if he would meet the requirement that candidates actively campaign in the state.

Colbert did appear Sunday at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, telling several hundred fans he would, if elected, "crush the state of Georgia." He also received a key to the capital city and the mayor declared him South Carolina's "favorite son."

When Colbert announced his candidacy on his show last month, he said he would run only in this key primary state. He said then he planned to run as a Democrat and a Republican _ so he could lose twice.

The GOP filing fee is $35,000; the deadline was Thursday afternoon. (Democratic filing fee, $2500)