Stephen Colbert e-mailed Gov. Mark Sanford's office—in character!—last month at the height of the media frenzy surrounding the governor's disappearance, inviting him on the show "for a friendly place to make light" of the story.

South Carolina's The State used the state's open records law to obtain the e-mail, along with hundreds of others flying in and out of the governor's office as his staff frantically worked to figure out where he was last month.

Other e-mails released by the state include the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza asking Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer: "Dude, is everything OK?" after being told, preposterously, that Sanford's office wouldn't release details of his location for security reasons. Sawyer responded: "Yep. Slow news day." Reporters for Fox News and the Washington Times, naturally, assuring Sanford a friendly venue if he would speak to them first. Hey, if Stephen Colbert can do it, why can't they? A Fox News correspondent whom the paper doesn't name—nor did it post a copy of the e-mail—wrote:

Having known the Governor for years and even worked with him when he would host radio shows for me - I find this story and the media frenzy surrounding it to be absolutely ridiculous! Please give him my best.

Totally ridiculous.

[Via Talking Points Memo.]