Anderson (Dem – SC) about mention on TCR: Who’s Colbert?

From the Columbia City Paper:

Sen. Anderson to Stephen Colbert: Who are you, anyway?

By Corey Hutchins

While Stephen Colbert last week made his native state of South Carolina the punch line to yet another joke on his Comedy Central TV show opining about a bill introduced by S.C. lawmakers to let state prisoners out early if they donated bone marrow and other organs, the chief sponsor of the bill, Sen. Ralph Anderson (D-Greenville) told City Paper that he didn’t even know who Stephen Colbert was.

Not only does the senator have no idea who Colbert is— and although he’s sure the show is funny— Anderson believes the bill he introduced is an excellent idea, no matter what Colbert says.

As it stands the bill would allow prisoners in South Carolina to lessen their sentences by donating organs such as kidneys (180 days off their sentence for that specific organ alone) and bone marrow in order to help with the shortage of organs and marrow in the state.

And while Colbert thinks it’s a silly idea worth joking about, Sen. Anderson said he couldn’t see anything wrong with it.

“We know that there are many people in prison who should not be there,” he said. Besides, they let prisoners out 180 days early just for snitching. They let them out early for good behavior. They let them out early for being informers. “We contract prison labor out and they get like 20 cents an hour,” Anderson said. “That’s slave labor.”

Letting prisoners donate their organs for a few extra days off their sentence would improve the quality of life for South Carolinians and save billions of dollars, he said.

Senator Anderson first became aware of the state’s bone marrow shortage during a Sunday church service when a woman spoke about how many people were dying because of it. He thought if there was anything he could do about it he would. Thus, the bill he introduced earlier this month.
Across the political aisle, Sen. John Hawkins (R-Spartanburg) said he wants to make the program work as well.

Colbert jokes aside, when City Paper told Anderson he might be able to catch the show’s nighttime airing on March 20, Anderson said he probably wouldn’t have time.

“If you’d have seen my desk this morning you’d know how much work I have,” he said. “Tonight I’m going to go home, eat, take a shower and see if I can watch basketball until I fall asleep.”

Anderson did say he would be receptive to an e-mail video of the show.

“And if you ever in the area stop by and holla,” the senator said.

And in case you’ve forgotten it, here’s the video in question:

NOTE: This video expires 4/20/2007