Congressman Joe Crowley singing along to "Call Me Maybe" at the Today Show. (Photo: NBC)

Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert was the surprise guest this morning at the House Democratic retreat and his appearance included quips about his sister's House bid in North Carolina and a "dramatic" duet of the Star Spangled Banner with Queens Congressman Joe Crowley. Sadly, Mr. Crowley's office told us they don't have video footage of the comedian and congressman performing, but Mr. Crowley did offer up a complimentary appraisal of his partner's performance.

"All I can say is Stephen Colbert can be my back-up singer anytime," he said.

His duet with Mr. Colbert isn't Mr. Crowley's first musical moment. The guitar-playing congressman once taped a singing robocall. He has also served as a bandleader at various fundraisers, and, perhaps most memorably, was filmed rocking out to a performance of Carly Rae Jepsen's tween pop hit "Call Me Maybe" at a Today Show taping last summer.

Nikki Haley.

Comedian Stephen Colbert has made a tongue-in-cheek push for South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to appoint  him as the Palmetto State's senator now that Jim DeMint is leaving the job to work at the Heritage Foundation. This afternoon, Ms. Haley responded to The Colbert Report host's campaigning and high poll numbers by releasing her findings from "vetting" Mr. Colbert.

"Mr. Colbert, clearly a whole lot of people felt you needed a second look for U.S. Senate, and because I believe in doing my full due diligence ... this is what our vetting process came back with," Ms. Haley wrote in a post on Facebook that included a link to a document containing information about Mr. Colbert. 

Ms. Haley's report on Mr. Colbert included quotes from a 2007 interview in which Mr. Colbert, who grew up in the state, "did not know the South Carolina State Amphibian," which is the spotted salamander. It also includes a quote from his show five years later, in which he suggested Ms. Haley was not qualified to serve as governor because she did not know the state amphibian.

The report also takes note of several controversial statements Mr. Colbert has made on his satirical news program, including the comment that he changed the pronunciation of his name to include a silent "T" in order "to get cultural elites on my side."

Just prior to releasing her research on Mr. Colbert, Ms. Haley posted some lyrics from Adele's hit "Rumor Has It" on her Facebook page. The ellipsis-filled status update, which was also shared on Twitter, simply included the song's title and some of the words without any further explanation from Ms. Haley, prompting MSNBC's Chuck Todd to wonder whether the post actually came from her. Politicker reached out to a spokesman for the governor who confirmed the Facebook post was something "she personally did herself."

"Anyone who knows Governor Haley knows that she loves music," the spokesman said. "And from time to time, she posts song lyrics on her Facebook page. Beyond that, there's absolutely nothing to read into it."

Read Ms. Haley's full report on Mr. Colbert below.

Stephen Colbert (Photo: Getty)

A new poll indicates South Carolina voters want Governor Nikki Haley to make comedian Stephen Colbert their senator now that Jim DeMint is leaving Capitol Hill to become president of the Heritage Foundation. The survey, from the liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling, found 20 percent of South Carolinians want Mr. Colbert, who is a grew up in the Palmetto State, to get the job.Republican Congressman Tim Scott, who is reportedly the most likely replacement for Mr. DeMint, came in second to Mr. Colbert with the support of 15 percent of South Carolina voters. He was followed by Congressman Trey Gowdy who polled at 14 percent.

Jenny Sanford, the wife of the state's former governor, Mark Sanford, came in fourth in the poll. Ms. Sanford, who divorced her husband after he had an affair, had the support of 11 percent of South Carolinians. Mr. Sanford tied for fifth place at eight percent with former attorney general Henry McMaster.

Mr. Colbert, who ran a satirical presidential campaign this year, has campaigned for the Senate seat on Twitter.

"Tweet @nikkihaley & tell her why I belong in the US Senate. For one, I wouldn't just block legislation, I'd body-check it! #SenatorColbert," he wrote last Thursday.

Even if Mr. Colbert was serious this time, Ms. Haley, a Republican, is unlikely to support someone famous for left-leaning comedy. However, the PPP poll also showed she has strong incentive to heed the will of the voters. It found she is "one of the most unpopular Governors in the country" with only 42 percent of voters approving of the job she's doing and 49 percent who disapprove of her performance.

Professor Susan Grogan in a photo that accompanied the press release about her Super PAC.

Susan Grogan, who has been a political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland for over two decades, formed the amusingly named "We Just Want Stephen Colbert To Come To Our College Super PAC" two days ago. We reached out to Professor Grogan to ask about her political action committee and she responded with a lengthy press release that referenced her "small turtle collection" and challenged Mr. Colbert to dance while maintaining her PAC would be "more serious" than his.

"I recently formed 'We Just Want Stephen Colbert To Come To Our College SuperPac' for several reasons. First and foremost, it is to advocate for the voter, to promote responsible voter behavior, and to enhance student engagement in voting and encouraging others to vote," Ms. Grogan wrote. "It may seem that the name of my Super PAC has little to do with its purpose. In part, I intended this as a satirical remark on the lack of transparency that is the case with so many Super PACs. More so, it is advised to give your Super PAC a catchy name to improve your chances of success."

Ms. Grogan says she doesn't "have time to watch much TV," but she "generally" watches Mr. Colbert's Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report after watching The Daily Show. She decided to include Mr. Colbert's name in her PAC after taking note of his "Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" Super PAC, which has raised over $1 million.

"Another Super PAC associated with the name 'Stephen Colbert' comically raised over one million dollars in short order. Being perhaps typical of college professors, I am somewhat short on creative ideas of my own. I tend to appropriate those of creative geniuses....Thus, I decided to follow Stephen Colbert’s lead. (To Stephen Colbert—Let’s dance.)," Ms. Grogan wrote (emphasis hers).

Though Mr. Colbert inspired Professor Grogan's Super PAC, she has some criticisms of his work and vows her political action committee to be "more serious." Specifically, Ms. Grogan takes issue with a treasure hunt Mr. Colbert's Super PAC hosted where he encouraged college students to search for a "a 101-year-old sterling silver antique turtle" he planted somewhere in the country.

"My hope is to siphon off the donations that otherwise might be given to the court jester toward a more serious purpose than, say, sending students off on 'Treasure Hunts' in pursuit of folly or silver turtles," wrote Professor Grogan. "While I do have a small turtle collection (about 6—I am not all that avid a collector of anything), and could appreciate Colbert’s so-called treasure of an old silver turtle trinket, what I would rather have students do than Colbert’s Treasure Hunt is to inscribe themselves with the motto of 'We Just Want Stephen Colbert To Come To Our College Super Pac' which is: 'Treasure None But Your Vote.'"

Despite her differences with Mr. Colbert, Ms. Grogan says she admires him and she does indeed want him to come to her college because of the attention he has brought to campaign finance issues.

"Of course, I would love to have Stephen Colbert come to our college as a speaker, as would most any other small college. Citizens United and other court decisions have made 2012 the Election of the Independent Expenditure," Ms. Grogan wrote. "Stephen Colbert has brought widespread attention to this problem in starting up Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow—in keeping with the finest traditions of political satire. This is an example as to why I admire him, why I’d like to have him speak at our college."

Professor Grogan hopes her PAC will attract Mr. Colbert to her school, but she also made sure to point out "We Just Want Stephen Colbert To Come To Our College SuperPac is not affiliated with St. Mary’s College of Maryland."

Currently the PAC does have a website, www.wejustwantstephencolberttocometoourcollegesuperpac.org, but there's not much there beyond a note that "it's summer break" on the contact page.

We included Professor Grogan's full press release below so you can experience it in its full glory.