I missed this one last week, but Gawker is calling it Stephen Colbert's "best segment ever," and after you watch it, I'd say it would be hard to argue that it's not at least right up there near the top. If you're tired of political news that makes you feel like we're doomed as a society, or that the extremists have taken over the country, well... here's one that will restore your sanity and your faith in humanity.

AlterNet has more on the segment here: Watch: Stephen Colbert's Hilarious Take on How Openly Gay Small-Town Kentucky Mayor Is Doing An Amazing Job—Despite the Haters:

Russia's gay ban is in the news, as well as a potential Olympic boycott, but last night Stephen Colbert also ferreted out a sweet story on Vicco, Kentucky Mayor Johnny Cummings. Cummings is mayor of the tiny Appalachian town where everyone knows each other, everyone has a gun, and poverty runs deep. He is also openly gay. Shockingly, he is doing a great job, his constituents love him since he is making their lives better by doing things like improving parks, fixing potholes, and improving the water. He also got the town to pass an LGBT fairness ordinance protecting gay people from discrimination in housing, employment, etc... That made Vicco the smallest town in America to pass such an ordinance.

And everyone seems to love it. Everyone, that is, besides one Pastor Truman Hurt, who thinks gay people like Cummings are headed straight to hell and are also very devious. "Fairness is a trick word," Pastor Hurt says. "I have nothing against gays. I don't like their lifestyle. I don't like their lifestyle. I don't like them trying to push it on me and my family. I think they should go back into the closet." But he has nothing against gays.

Without fail, it's one of these closeted men who have trouble with their own sexuality causing all of the problems. During the interview Hurt admitted to going to gay bars, but never quite explained just what he was doing there.

Colbert's Bill O'Reilly-like character was of course very upset by the lack of bigotry in rural Kentucky at the end of the show. Once again, Colbert managed to skewer the bigots with satire and good for him and his staff for doing so.

I hate to ever argue against anyone having well deserved time off and vacation time, but I do really hate it when the crew over at Comedy Central goes on vacation, since they often help keep me sane. They're out again until next month when Jon Stewart comes back.