He's usually the one handing out barbs (remember when he sparred with D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton over whether D.C. residents are actually U.S. citizens?) but Stephen Colbert (at left), star of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, will be the one taking the brunt of jokes aplenty tomorrow night, at the 20th annual Roast for Spina Bifida, here in Washington. Our Kathy Rowings will be at the Roast tomorrow, and got a chance to talk to Colbert earlier today.

She reports that he says he's looking forward to "watching other people tell jokes" and is excited about the room itself: It's the same room where his now infamous performance at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner took place. "That room has so many warm, fuzzy feelings for me," he said.  So is he nervous about what the roasters --  Rahm Emanuel, newly minted Chief of Staff for President Elect Barack Obama, White House press secretary Dana Perino, the above mentioned Holmes Norton and Sen. Orrin Hatch -- may have to say? "Of course not! I hope they bring it," Colbert says. "What's there to criticize? I'm all about love. They'll probably just use petty problems, like how I mock what they do." Since he's confident this will be a friendly affair, we then had to ask who he's most looking forward to hearing from. "I'm a big fan of Eleanor Holmes Norton." Colbert says. "She's got a very sharp mind. And I can't imagine that Rahm Emanuel's going to be very tough. He seems like a real pussy cat, a real pushover."

Colbert also noted that organizer Judy Woodruff had asked him to participate last year but he had to decline, because "last year I was a little busy running for president, so I told her to catch me on a year when I'm not running for president and I'd happily be vivisected in front of a group of strangers." In all seriousness, though, Colbert says he's just excited to help the Spina Bifida Foundation. "That's what I'm most looking forward to: Raising some serious cash and awareness for Spina Bifida research, or else I wouldn't be doing it -- I've already done the room!" 

Click the following links for more information about the roast or for more info about the Spina Bifida Association.

(photo by Martin Crook/Comedy Central)