Stephen Colbert wants your money.

For the past nine months, he’s been soliciting donations for his SuperPAC (Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow), and using the money to, among other things, create campaign ads that urged Iowans to vote for Rick Parry (he’s more patriotic than Rick Perry, as the “A” stands for “America”) and denounce the extensive use of “cornography” (scenes depicting starch gently waving in the wind) in campaign ads.

The money he’s collected — over $1 million — will be used to champion causes close to Colbert’s heart, such as the personhood of corporations (“Are corporations people? Or are just people people?”), and to cover “normal administrative expenses, including — but not limited to — luxury hotel stays, private jet travel and PAC mementos from Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.”

It’s all very funny — until you consider that what Colbert is doing is perfectly legal.

Colbert is among the most effective educators of the general public when it comes to campaign finance regulations. Through his satirical journey into the world of campaign finance, Colbert has managed to turn SuperPACs from a subject that can bore even the most dedicated political science majors into a lively topic of conversation.

SuperPACs are organizations that collect unlimited donations from individuals, corporations and other groups and then distribute them on behalf of candidates as long as the expenditures are not “coordinated,” a result of the controversial Citizens United Supreme Court ruling. Thanks to Colbert, thousands of young voters who were formerly unaware of the laughably convoluted rules that govern campaign finance and SuperPACs now comprehend their absurdity.

Colbert’s show regularly features segments documenting his SuperPAC’s exploits. While these episodes are comedic and more often than not ridiculous, they expose viewers to serious problems within our current regulatory system.

For example, in January, Colbert underscored the incongruity of the proclaimed “non-coordinated” nature of SuperPACs from the perspective of a presidential candidate. Although SuperPACs are technically prohibited from coordinating with candidates, a close friend or business associate of the candidate, who remains in close contact throughout the campaign, is often in charge.

Colbert, following conventional campaign practice, turned his SuperPAC over to fellow comedian Jon Stewart after announcing his candidacy for “President of the United States of South Carolina.” Stewart promptly renamed the organization the “Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert SuperPAC,” and vehemently denied any connection with Colbert, feeling the need to assert the fact that he did not devise a “series of Morse-code blinks to convey information” about the SuperPAC’s activities to Colbert.

Colbert is funny, but the state of our current campaign financing system is not. Most Americans were — and still are — completely unaware of the absurdity of this system. However, Colbert has managed to expose the ridiculousness to thousands of Americans through his satirical masterpiece of an organization. Through raising public awareness of the topic, Colbert is contributing to what could possibly be an integral step towards reformation of campaign financing. While he says it in jest, his SuperPAC slogan is true: Stephen Colbert is working for a Better Tomorrow (Tomorrow).

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