US Politics Special: How Stephen Colbert Reduced A Senator's 26-Year Career To #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Senator Jon KylJon Kyl is a Republican US Senator from Arizona. He joined the Senate in 1995 after eight years in the House of Representatives, reaching the level of Minority Whip, responsible for maintaining party discipline. He recently announced that he will leave the Senate at the end of his term in 2013.

This 26-year record may now be remembered for one stellar moment, thanks to the comedian Stephen Colbert.

Last Friday, in the midst of the debate to cut off Federal funding for Planned Parenthood (see separate EA analysis), Kyl informed the Senate that performing abortions is "well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does". Planned Parenthood responded that 90 percent of its services are preventative, and only 3 percent are abortion-related.

A spokesperson for Kyl then claimed the senator’s remark "was not intended to be a factual statement".

Stephen Colbert, the host of The Colbert Report and a forceful presence on Twitter as @StephenAtHome, picked up on the incident. Soon he was building a Twitter shrine to Senator Kyl with #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement. This was the stream of testaments to the Senator over the course of 24 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday:

Jon Kyl thinks no one can see him when he puts a paper bag on his head. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl was named after the Quebec town, Jonquière, which is fitting because he ate all of its residents.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl bought a SodaStream so he could drink *carbonated* tears of the poor. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl invented a chemical-free method for bleaching recycled paper pulp. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl claims the craziest thing he's ever done was that time he ate pancakes for dinner. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl is the only person who can sneeze with his penis. He calls it a "sneenis." #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Everything you would only do in the privacy of your own home, Jon Kyl prefers to do on a subway car.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl can unhinge his jaw like a python to swallow small rodents whole. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

The secret to Jon Kyl's success can be found on page 53 of the Necronomicon. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Every halloween Jon Kyl dresses up as a sexy Mitch Daniels.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Along a certain stretch of Mexican highway, Jon Kyl is known as El Autoestopisto Blanco Borracho.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl destroyed love in 1973. All feelings since then have been but a shadow of the original concept.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl actually prefers Hydrox to Oreos.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl developed his own line of hair care products just so he could test them on bunnies. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl has a shrine to Scooter from the Muppet Show.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl's torso is covered in superfluous nipples.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl can, and will, deny that you're a jolly good fellow.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl has the world's most extensive catalogue of snuff films.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl was sent from the future to kill Sarah Conner.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl is an accomplished nude hula dancer. He is not welcome in Hawaii. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl is so mean he once shot a man just for snoring.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

For the past ten years, Jon Kyl has been two children in a very convincing Jon Kyl suit. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl sponsored S.410, which would ban happiness.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl calls the underside of his Senate seat: "The Booger Graveyard." #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl cheated on Sandra Bullock.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl is 90% prune juice. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl let a game-winning ground ball roll through his legs in Game 6 of the '86 World Series.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Once a year, Jon Kyl retreats to the Arizona Desert and deposits 2 million egg sacs under the sand.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

In 2009, Jon Kyl lost $380,000 wagering on dwarf tossing.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Citing religious reasons, Jon Kyl refuses to utter the number 8.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl murdered a caricaturist for drawing him with a basketball instead of a surfboard. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl once ate a badger he hit with his car.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl = ax2 + bx + c #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl holds the Guinness World Record for "Largest Collection of Penis Enlargers." #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Carly Simon wrote that song about Jon Kyl.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl has a $1000-a-day Lik-M-Aid habit.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl calls all Asians "Neil" no matter what their name is.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl's knees bend both ways. He's part racehorse.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl assassinated Archduke Ferdinand.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

On weekends, Jon Kyl shoots manatees with paintball guns.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Legally, Jon Kyl cannot be within 100 yards of Helen Mirren.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl was the CEO of Enron when they took all those people's pension money. #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Jon Kyl is one of Gaddafi's sexy female ninja guards.#NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement