Colbert Nation

Late night television is the only way to announce a campaign and be taken seriously; it worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger on Letterman. On many news and talk shows, Colbert brought up the topic of a presidential campaign, but stayed as mum as Al Gore about a potential run for the White House.

On his former late night home, The Daily Show, Colbert cut to the chase and clearly answered the question on everyone's mind.

"Tonight, I, Stephen Colbert, am officially announcing that I have decided to officially consider whether or not I will announce that I am running for the President of the United States," he said.

Colbert's announcement showed he has the verbal skills needed to dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge questions asked at political debates. He didn't need to "umm" and "ahh" his way through questions a la Fred Thompson.

After "fifteen minutes of soul searching", Colbert declared he would seek the President's office, running on both a Democratic and Republican ticket.

Seeking the President's office on both tickets proves Colbert is going above and beyond every other politician's attempt to meet voters in the middle.

The three Democratic frontrunners won't commit to a troop withdrawal date for Iraq - they all mentioned there might still be combat missions going on as late as 2013. Romney, Mormonism aside, has flip-flopped on important issues throughout his political career, such as whether he's pro-choice or pro-life.

There is waning distinction between Democrat and Republican in terms of policy. If no candidate can give voters a distinct platform, how can voters give them a definite vote?

Anyone confused about the sincerity of Colbert's campaign (in South Carolina) need only read his best-selling book.

Between the pages of the red, white and blue book, Colbert eloquently expresses himself on topics the other candidates avoid; he offers his opinion on taboo topics such as homosexuals by saying "baby carrots are trying to turn me gay," and his views on foreign policy by saying "South Koreans scare me."

The Spectrum fully endorses Stephen Colbert as the one candidate that won't f%#k up America.

Voters, you must to ask yourself one question: when other candidates pursue the middle ground, why not just vote for the one man who's got it all covered (in South Carolina)?

Public and private schools in New York City have set up a fund to reward students with cash for passing their Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. The program aims to encourage more low-income, black and Latino students to prepare for and take the exam.

The limited fund, set up by philanthropists, takes a step away from the No Child Left Behind Act and rewards the student, rather than the school, for high scores.

There's no punishment for doing poorly or not taking the exam at all, but students who devote the time and effort to getting the highest score of a five can earn $1,000, while a four or three nets $750 to $500, respectively, according to The New York Times.

The money isn't a scholarship, and there are no restrictions on how the money should be spent. If a student wants to save it for college or spend it on the best prom ever, they are free to do it; it's their money, they've earned it.

The money is awarded to the AP Exam and not other exams because high scores on AP Exams allow students to earn college credit, thus encouraging students to apply to college. Giving individual students the opportunity to advance their education, instead of punishing all students for not measuring up to the No Child Left Behind Act is a step in the right direction.

Rewarding schools for scores encourages the teaching of standardized testing. This funding program should be expanded and allowed to encourage all students to pursue a college education.