Still with the racial quotas.

I fully expect Stephen Colbert to return to work in 2013 in high dudgeon: the most qualified applicant was, yet again, passed over because they had to give the job to a “minority.” Not much has changed in the Carolinas since Jesse Helms’ day, I guess.

Scott is an African-American, which makes his appointment a big deal, if you’re the shade of either John C. Calhoun or Strom Thurmond. He is also wingnuttier than DeMint ever thought of being, and DeMint thought of being pretty damned wingnutty.

Tim Scott thinks it’s an impeachable offense for the president to use any number of legal ways to discount the unconstitutional ‘debt ceiling.’ Even if he only lasts until the 2014 primary — dueling Sanfords, anyone? — he’ll be fun to watch. Alvin Greene should be so lucky!

More than any other media outlet, I believe The Colbert Report has explained and illustrated the SuperPAC phenomenon to the mass audience of the American public. Because of Stephen Colbert’s satirical take on — and full implementation of — his own SuperPAC, including the faux non-coordination transfer of ‘authority’ to Executive Producer Jon Stewart, more Legacy Media outlets are able to simply refer to ‘SuperPACs’ with confidence Americans understand the concept.

And now, Colbert’s media leadership has been recognized.

Comedy show “The Colbert Report” won a prestigious Peabody Award on Wednesday for its segments on SuperPACs, in which host Stephen Colbert launched his own SuperPAC as a satirical protest against political spending.

The Peabodys, the oldest in broadcasting, recognize excellence in television and radio broadcasting, as well as by webcasters, producing organizations and individuals.

As sad as it is that a comedy program that airs near the ‘South Park’ and ‘Ugly Americans’ cartoons has now become a primary source about politics and civics for Americans of a certain age, at least the effort has earned the recognition Stephen Colbert deserves.

“Launching his own SuperPAC as a satirical protest against megabucks politics, Colbert mixed cerebral comedy with inspired sight gags, interviews and preposterously funny monologues,” the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which administers the awards, said in a statement.

The series on SuperPACs is essentially a 21st-century version of classroom show-and-tell: the host doesn’t only tell the audience how this odd committee-designed-by-SCOTUS works in a post-Citizens-United world, he illustrates it by implementing the process himself, with the assistance of straight man and former Federal Elections Commission chairman Trevor Potter.

Stephen Colbert is this century’s Mark Twain, H.L.Mencken and Dorothy Parker, all rolled in to one. Modern movement leaders would do well to attend, either by emulating him or by pitching him on their own efforts. Best of all, Colbert’s award presentation will be hosted by Patrick Stewart. Make it so, indeed.

Denver's crowded airport before body scanners, July 2010. (photo: quinn.anya via Flickr)

Recent polling of American adults has been cited by TSA and its proto-authoritarian defenders as an indication that the swap of privacy for alleged security is peachy-keen. Ignoring Ben Franklin’s dictum, those polled seemed to be A-OK with scans and patdowns, in initial polls by huge margins although that’s fallen off as word’s gotten out.

Not so fast: the USA Today (pace Colbert) has a new poll of the actual traveling public. They’re not happy.

Most air travelers are bothered or angry about thorough pat-downs at airport security checkpoints and many dislike the alternative at many airports, a full-body scan, a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.

The thorough pat-downs, akin to what police give suspects and which were in place at all airports Nov. 1, bother or anger 57% of adult fliers, according to the poll conducted Nov. 19-21 of Americans who have flown at least twice in the past year and released Tuesday.

This is who I have wanted to see polled, and congratulations to the USA Today for actually asking people who fly — and who presumably have been or will soon be subject to the new invasions of privacy — what they think. Many are also unhappy with the porno-scans:

Passenger rights advocate Kate Hanni of FlyersRights.org says the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll sends an obvious message to TSA.

“The poll shows the nation is against these intrusive pat-downs, and nearly half of Americans are against the body scanners,” Hanni says. “Most Americans haven’t yet experienced either screening method but may do so over the holidays, and support for these measures will further erode.”

Hanni says that more travelers would oppose the scanning machines if pat-downs were not the only alternative.

As we’ve learned from our elites like the Bidens, Janet Napolitano and even the President, it’s very easy to enthusiastically support these new invasions of privacy when you’re not subject to them. This also now appears to be true among those who support the procedures for the very simple reason that they do not fly.

House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer took to FOX on Sunday to criticize Stephen Colbert’s appearance before a Congressional committee as ‘inappropriate’ two days after Speaker Nancy Pelosi used directly opposite language to describe Colbert’s testimony, calling it "appropriate…. I think it’s great."

Comedian Stephen Colbert’s satirical testimony before a House subcommittee last week was "an embarrassment" that should not have happened, the second-ranking House Democrat said Sunday.

"I think his testimony was not appropriate," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on " Fox News Sunday." "What he had to say was not the way it should have been said.

On Friday, Nancy Pelosi endorsed Colbert’s appearance.

"Of course I think it’s appropriate," Pelosi told reporters on Friday "He’s an American, right? He comes before the committee, has a point of view, he can bring attention to an important issue like immigration."

"I think it’s great," Pelosi added.

So — what’s the benefit Steny Hoyer sees for himself in directly contradicting the Speaker’s statement only two days ago?

And will Leader Hoyer appear on The Colbert Report to discuss the appearance with Stephen Colbert? Will he bell the lion in his own den? Does Steny Hoyer have the balls to criticize Stephen Colbert in his own house, or will he confine his criticism of Colbert — and Pelosi — to a friendly venue like FOX ‘News’ Sunday?