I just saw the Stewart vs. Carlson match... (on Crossfiiiiire!)

[BloodyWilliam]

A side note, so I don't bum all of you: America: The Book is absolutely awesome in every way. My parents came up and we bought a copy of the book, and a copy of Citizen You! by the guys from the Onion. Citizen You! is pretty good, but I'm still returning it for my own copy of America: The Book, and my parents are getting the book-on-CD version of America: The Book too. It's brilliant because I honestly think they don't care about the politics. It's about the humor, which lets them make it about the truth. No spin, just laughs. Seeing what's wrong with the whole system.

That said, I just saw Jon Stewart talk to Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala (Begala lost so many points with me tonight) on Crossfire (www.ifilm.com has it). For a brief, shining moment, I wanted to punch Tucker Carlson in the face more than I wanted to punch Bill O'Reilly in the face, and that's saying a lot. The sheer gall of that little creep to lecture Jon on journalism and integrity, and then to demand that he act funny... it was sickening.

For once I didn't see Jon Stewart the comedian. I saw Jon Stewart the brilliant, caring human being. He made an impassioned plea to the spinmasters of CNN to cut the crap and do the right thing, and Carlson said Jon didn't ask tough enough questions. It was absolutely disgusting.

We need more men like Jon. We need men who are smart, honest, brutal, and honestly non-partisan. We need people who actually care about this.

And I love Jon Stewart now more than ever.

[MSgt213]

1. But neither of them got that impassioned plea. Life is good when all you

have to do is repeat what the party line is and get paid very well for it. How hard could it be to check the fax machine every day about noon for the days talking points.

[Cha]

2. Yes, Jon was Brilliant!

And it totally left tucker and begala speechless..how dare someone come on their show and ask them to stop "hurting America".

[NYC Liberal]

9. And the sad thing is...

neither of them got it!

[Sputnik]

23. No, they got it

But they care more about their fat paychecks from CNN than they do about our country.

Carlson and Novak can kiss my American ass, but I've tried to give both Begala and Carville the benefit of the doubt, telling myself that it's important for their strong progressive voices to be heard on television every day. But, that's so over for me. The thing is that there are probably at least a thousand people who can do what they do on Crossfire, but very few people have the campaign strategy skills of Begala and Carville.

I don't begrudge them making big money, but I do hold it against them that they KNOW what George W. Bush is doing to our country but they'd rather keep their mugs on TV than put all their best skills to work getting John Kerry elected.

What they DON'T get is that if they were part of the team that helps elect John Kerry (unseating yet another Bush), their fame and bank accounts would grow even more.

[Longhorn]

3. I ordered both the hard cover and CD-book from amazon today!

I never have time to read (because of DU!) so I'll listen to it on my commute, as I did Kitty Kelley's book, which is also very good.

[theorist]

4. Garofalo brought up a good point on Friday night.

Jon just had a child. He sees these shills actively dismantling the public discourse and replacing it with a thin, hollow shell. He clearly won't let this happen without a bit of a fight. It's great seeing a respected cultural icon like Stewart holding his own against these guys. He probably sees it as an act of protecting his child.

[Shadowen]

15. It's the rule of nature, and it still stirs something primal in people.

The one thing you don't do is threaten a mammal's young. Nothing makes people fight quite so hard in the quite the same way.

[REP]

17. He Cared Before He Had a Child

I'm getting really tired of people saying Jon Stewart is kicking ass only because he's a father. Wrong. He's been kicking ass for a while - only now, more people are watching. Saying that Stewart's commentaries have something to do with his reproductive status is saying that before July, he was just sucking wind and that Peabody he won in 2000 was a fluke. I wish people would stop insulting him by implying that having a baby means he's suddenly worth taking seriously. The Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times and The Nation, to name just a few respected institutions, were giving him the respect he deserves long before he decided to start a family.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. How about all the nit wits in the audience laughing at what they

thought was satire and smart ass from Stewart? After a while they stopped laughing when it was plain that he wasn't joking. At that point Carlson start in with the "come on, make us laugh" shit. It was quite a moment, and seemingly unexpected.

[BloodyWilliam]

8. I chuckled a little too, because Jon's naturally witty.

Even when he's being serious he's more responsive than a Ferrari when it comes to zingers.

"I'm not going to be your monkey." Absolutely classic, and true. He might be a comedian on his show, but he's also a fucking person, and they were NOT addressing what he was saying. He wasn't there to do a standup routine.

[Digit]

12. I loved the, "I am not going to be your monkey", line eom

[WLKjr]

20. That I think is one of the downsides to being a comedian

No one takes you serioulsy after a while, even when your dead serious. In the words of Rodney Carrington, Jon Stewart just didn't "get any respect" on crossfire. I heard the clip on AAR yesterday and all I can say is, what a bullshit show. Jon was serious as a heart attack and I am glad he called Tucker? a dick and told them they all spin the news.

[The Traveler]

6. Stewart gets it

and these guys don't. Which is why Jon Stewart is rapidly becoming "The Most Trusted Name in News". And if that ain't (tragically) funny, I don't know what is.

[ewagner]

13. I think that's the whole point

Jon Stewert is a talented comedian and has always wanted to be known as just that: a comedian.

But look what's happened. Through his telling the truth through humor, he has become the primary source of "news" for millions upon millions of people. It's an awesome responsibility falling on his shoulders and he, as much as any of us, understands the tragedy of getting our news from a comedy show.....THAT'S what he was trying to tell those two jerks on Crossfire .

Jon has become an icon and, quite frankly, he doesn't want to be. It an awesome burden and I think he's scared silly that so many of us are idolizing him and treating him like a god....he doesn't want that. He wants to be a successful comedian.

[mikehiggins]

7. How many of us have deeply ached to call _ucker Carlson

a dick? I know I have.

God Bless American and God Bless Jon Stewart.

When he told Carlson it was weird for CNN to be looking to Comedy Central for their ethical standards I thought I would fall out of my chair laughing. _ucker really expected another humorous session with someone willing to play by the Xfire rules. When Jon told him he wasn't going to be his monkey, I fell down again.

Hey! That hurts.

[rpannier]

10. It was Great...n/t

[Bozita]

11. EVERY jounalist needs to see that video ...

... and study the transcript.

Did you hear about Bill O'Reilly?

[DU9598]

14. Don't forget

Tucker Carlson called Stewart Kerry's "butt-boy". That is one of the most vile homophobic remarks I have ever heard on a "trusted" "news" network. I call on all DU'ers to email CNN with outrage at Carlson's homophobic remark and call for his censor and suspension from CNN. It is no different from using a racial slur, he needs to pay.

[Shadowen]

16. Video for download!

.wmv format. Warning: 35 mb. Check it.

[digno dave]

18. It's also at mediamatters.org

[pen dragon]

19. I used to find Tucker Carlson...

amusing a few years ago when he was on the Spin Room with Bill Press. Now his soulless eyes just worry me. He said in interview last year that he's even more right wing at heart than the Bush administration.

Begala, like Darrell Hammond playing Chris Matthews said on SNL awhile back, is a creepy looking lawn troll.

Kudos to Stewart for telling these two twits what was on his mind. May it start some winds of change blowing. CNN is a den of fast food tabloid shit passing for "news" and should be given a truth enema

They ARE the most TRUSTED name in 'news' afterall...

[FlyByNight]

21. Thank you Jon!

Fucking brilliant!

[mediaman007]

22. Tucker Carlson is a prop.

He couldn't have displayed it more than he did on that program. At least, Begala had enough sense to keep his mouth shut.

[RollergirlVT]

24. Thank you so much for the link.

I had read the transcript but was so disappointed that I had missed it. Thank you. Thank you.