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Break oot the beaver musk, nation - Stephen Colbert may be heading north after all.

Two weeks after putting Canada on notice, decrying the hordes of "ice-holes" and "syrup-suckers" he feels are hogging ice time at the Richmond Olympic Oval, Mr. Colbert says he hopes to attend the 2010 Games.

While appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman Thursday night, Mr. Colbert revealed that his show had paid "300,000 bones" to sponsor the U.S. speed skating team - he hastily added "dollars" to allay a disturbed look on Mr. Letterman's face - while raising $250,000 thus far from fans, his so-called Colbert Nation. (Asked how much he personally had given to the team, Mr. Colbert boldly declared: "Not a dime!") Mr. Letterman asked him, at the end of the interview, whether he'd like to go to Vancouver in February and watch his U.S. team compete.

"I hope so," Mr. Colbert replied matter-of-factly, the end of what could be considered out-of-character interview for the comedy host. After that, Mr. Letterman thanked him and cut to commercial.

The admission comes days after the City of Richmond offered Mr. Colbert a role as the ombudsman of the city-owned oval, ensuring fair access to ice time.

"So as the Canadian ice-holes who happen to be the proprietors of the Richmond Olympic Oval, we are inviting you to find yourself some sled dogs and venture forth to our great frozen wasteland to be our guest at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games," Ted Townsend, senior manager of corporate communications for the city, wrote in the light-hearted letter.

At the time, Mr. Colbert seemed, well, cool to the idea of heading north, perhaps after earlier noting the "frosty sphincters" of a country "doping with beaver musk."

Asked at the time by the Globe whether he'd accept, he was vague.

"Can I even legally work in Canada?" Mr. Colbert mused in an e-mailed statement. "Don't I need a green card, or whatever you call it? A beaver board?"

Since Richmond sent him the letter, he's made no mention of the city or the Games on his own show.

Canada, or rather its "Canadian Ice-Holes," remains on his On-Notice board, just below Jane Fonda and above Grizzly Bears. He held his hand to his heart when it was put there on the Nov. 5 show, to the "Canadian National Anthem" - Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On.

Mr. Colbert's original segment came after a New York Times report about complaints by U.S. speed skaters over limited access to the oval. Vancouver Olympic officials have denied the claim, saying all teams are being given the required access and some international teams aren't showing up for the times they are given.

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