Stewart to Crossfire: "Stop, stop, stop hurting America"

(The link is the entire transcript of the episode so you'll have to scroll down or do a "Ctrl-F" on "Stewart")

It is a world gone mad. The best news and most insightful commentary in this the bastion of freedom and democracy comes from a comedy show and its charming and intelligent host. Jon Stewart kick some media butt on CrossFire and poor little bow-tied Tucker Carlson was battered about like a blow-up Bozo the Clown. I encourage you to read the whole exchange but here's some choice bits.

STEWART: Here's just what I wanted to tell you guys.
CARLSON: Yes.
STEWART: Stop.
[LAUGHTER]
STEWART: Stop, stop, stop, stop hurting America.
BEGALA: OK. Now
[CROSSTALK]
STEWART: And come work for us, because we, as the people...
CARLSON: How do you pay?
STEWART: The people -- not well.
[LAUGHTER]
BEGALA: Better than CNN, I'm sure.
STEWART: But you can sleep at night.
[LAUGHTER]
STEWART: See, the thing is, we need your help. Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations. And we're left out there to mow our lawns.
BEGALA: By beating up on them? You just said we're too rough on them when they make mistakes.
STEWART: No, no, no, you're not too rough on them. You're part of their strategies. You are partisan, what do you call it, hacks.

You folks are reading this with Stewart's voice in your head and his timing, right? I remember him on his short-lived talk show. God, the man is brilliant.

CARLSON: When politicians come on...
STEWART: Yes.
CARLSON: It's nice to get them to try and answer the question. And in order to do that, we try and ask them pointed questions. I want to contrast our questions with some questions you asked John Kerry recently.
[CROSSTALK]
CARLSON: ... up on the screen.
STEWART: If you want to compare your show to a comedy show, you're more than welcome to.
[LAUGHTER]
CARLSON: No, no, no, here's the point.
[CROSSTALK]
STEWART: If that's your goal.
CARLSON: It's not.
STEWART: I wouldn't aim for us. I'd aim for "Seinfeld." That's a very good show.

Ouch. And that's the weakness of Carlson's whole argument. CNN is the news network, not Comedy Central. Just because The Daily Show is picking up some of the slack that CNN has dropped doesn't make them a competitor.

STEWART: You know, it's interesting to hear you talk about my responsibility.
CARLSON: I felt the sparks between you [and Senator Kerry].
STEWART: I didn't realize that -- and maybe this explains quite a bit.
CARLSON: No, the opportunity to...
[CROSSTALK]
STEWART: ... is that the news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity.

And you know what? America's youth are also turning to Comedy Central for their news. Their news! That's not right. As Stewart said to them, "You're on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls."

Back in the early 60s (I was born in 1962 so I may not remember the dates right), Mort Sahl used to take the stage at the Hungry I in San Francisco with the day's newspaper and just riff on it. Jon Stewart (and the Daily Show writers) is our Sahl.