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Stephen Colbert stung by sister's loss to Mark Sanford. Will he seek revenge? (+video)

Stephen Colbert rarely breaks out of his on-screen persona, but a bit of honest, raw anger seemed to peek out when he addressed his sister's loss to Mark Sanford in a congressional race.

By Peter Grier, Staff writer / May 9, 2013

First Congressional District Democratic candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch gives her concession speech at the Charleston Renaissance Hotel after losing to Republican Mark Sanford Tuesday in Charleston, S.C.

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Washington

Stephen Colbert’s whole world has been rocked by his sister Elizabeth Colbert Busch’s loss to Mark Sanford in this week’s special election in South Carolina’s First Congressional district.

Peter Grier

Washington Editor

Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital.

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That’s the way Mr. Colbert acted on his show Wednesday night in any case, and we have to say it was so convincing there seemed to be truth peeking out from behind his blustering on-screen persona.

“Tonight I am angry, and for once that doesn’t make me happy,” he said. “My sister lost. How could this happen? I was so sure Lulu had won, because CNN called it for Sanford.”

As a result, Colbert said he was renouncing his South Carolina-hood, and becoming a North Carolina Tar Heel, “whatever the [bleep] that means.”

Then he renounced the renunciation after tasting North Carolina barbeque, which he described as a “sauce-less, vinegar-based meat product.”

Yes, Mr. Sanford is a Republican and his sister is a Democrat, and the first district is heavily GOP. But if you remember, Sanford got into trouble with an Argentinian mistress when he was governor. A story about his ex-wife accusing him of trespassing in their former family home broke late in the campaign cycle. The national GOP pulled its cash out of the race.

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Colbert said he just did not get where his sister went wrong. Did she not raise enough money? Did she not campaign hard enough?

“Did she hold too few debates against a cardboard Nancy Pelosi?” said Colbert, lampooning a Sanford debate tactic.