Colbert drops presidential bid after S.C. primary ballot refusal

NEW YORK (AP) — Comedian Stephen Colbert has dropped his bid for the White House.

Today’s announcement came after the South Carolina Democratic Executive Council voted 13-3 last week to keep the host of “The Colbert Report” off the state’s primary ballot.

Colbert poses as a conservative talk-show host on the Comedy Central show.

He said today in a news release that “it is time for this nation to heal.”

Colbert had said he would run only in his native South Carolina, a key primary state. He said he planned to run as a Democrat and a Republican – so he could lose twice.

But Colbert later declined to file with the GOP, which has a $35,000 filing fee – much higher than the Democrats’ $2,500.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)