After gushing on Wednesday over left-wing actress Ashley Judd possibly running for Senate [1] in Kentucky, on Friday's NBC Today, the cast applauded liberal comedian Stephen Colbert suggesting in jest [2] that he might replace outgoing South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, with co-host Willie Geist proclaiming: "I can tell you, having done a show with him [Colbert] in Charleston, he is an absolute rock star in that state."
Geist added: "It doesn't mean he will be a senator, but he could probably pull it off." Fill-in news reader Erica Hill remarked: "Doesn't mean he...won't be either." Fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie chimed in: "He's already run for president. I mean, this is really a downgrade." Weatherman Al Roker quipped: "Comedy concert with him and [Minnesota Senator] Al Franken, that would be fantastic."
Here is a full transcript of the December 7 segment:
7:52AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Meanwhile, have you guys heard? South Carolina
Senator Jim DeMint made headlines, surprised a lot of folks on Thursday
when announced he was resigning his Senate seat, he's going to go chair
the Heritage Foundation. So the question became who should replace him
and one late-night comic had a possible idea.
STEPHEN
COLBERT: 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.
[LAUGHTER]
WILLIE GEIST: Well, there's already a Twitter page, there's Facebook,
there's a Draft Colbert website. I can tell you, having done a show with
him in Charleston, he is an absolute rock star in that state. It
doesn't mean he will be a senator, but he could probably pull it off.
ERICA HILL: Doesn't mean he wasn't either – won't be either.
AL ROKER: That's right.
GUTHRIE: Exactly. He's already run for president. I mean, this is really a downgrade.
GEIST: Twice. Exactly.
ROKER: Comedy concert with him and Al Franken, that would be fantastic.
GUTHRIE: Oh, my God. We'll see.