Stephen Colbert’s Congressional Candidate Sister
One of the ongoing gags of Stephen Colbert’s television show is the Comedy Central star’s constant willingness to float runs for public office.
Colbert has started a SuperPAC, run for President and, most recently, campaigned for an appointment to the US Senate seat vacated by Jim DeMint’s retirement. These have all been in good fun. No one ever expected to see the comedian leaving his late night show for elected office. It was all a gag. But now Colbert’s sister is running for Congress and she’s dead serious about it.
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, the comedian’s older sister, is running as a Democrat in the special election to succeed Congressman Tim Scott, who was appointed to the Senate, in South Carolina’s First District. Colbert-Busch has led an interesting life. Her first husband was on America’s Most Wanted, was blocks from Ground Zero on 9/11 and currently works in Clemson University’s Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility. Colbert-Busch will have a contested primary and even she makes it through, she’ll be running in a Republican-leaning district against potential GOP nominees including disgraced former governor Mark Sanford and Ted Turner’s son, Teddy.
This presents a dilemma for Colbert. After all, while his sister’s candidacy represents a potential comedy gold mine, it’s also filled with perils. The late-night host has become famous due to the pompous persona he presents on air. It’s hard to reconcile that with the need for detachment when there’s such an obvious conflict of interest. Although Colbert isn’t a journalist, he’ll still be scrutinized closely, especially if his sister wins the Democratic nomination. After all, real ethics are needed even when the news is fake.
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