Jon Stewart Guts Tucker Carlson

Naturally, the one day I miss Crossfire all week, Jon Stewart was on and absolutely refused to be Tucker Carlson's "monkey."

The blogosphere is positively vibrating this evening with gossip about Stewart's refusal to play the game, and maybe it's all getting blown way out of proportion, but judge for yourself: here's the transcript and here's a Salon "take" on the confrontation (don't have the link, since this came pasted to me into an e-mail -- and my thanks to Irmaly!):

Jon Stewart: Crossfire "hurting America"

"I think you're a lot more fun on your show," said Tucker Carlson to
"Crossfire" guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. "And I think you're as much of
a dick on your show as on any other," Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux
avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on "The Daily Show" but
there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't
buying any of it.

From the moment Stewart sat down he made no secret of how repugnant he found
the show. In fact, he said to Carlson and co-host Paul Begala that he had
been so hard on the show he felt it was his duty to come on and say to their
faces what he has said to friends and in interviews. What he said was that
their show was "hurting America," and he was being only slightly hyperbolic.
Stewart told them that when America needed journalists to be journalists
they had instead chosen to present theater.

Carlson, trying to affect an air of dry amusement that a comedian would
presume to lecture him, important pundit that he is, but looking as if his
bow-tie were about to start spinning, could barely contain his outrage. In
an absolutely mind-boggling moment, Carlson tried to counter Stewart's
criticism by pointing out that during John Kerry's recent appearance on "The
Daily Show," Stewart asked the candidate softball questions. "If you want to
measure yourself against a comedy show," Stewart said, "be my guest."

Paul Begala tried to put a more conciliatory face on things by pointing out
that theirs was a "debate" show. Stewart was having none of it. "I would
love to see a real debate show," he said. And went on to tell them that
instead of holding politicians' feet to the fire by asking tough question,
"you're part of their strategy. You're partisan -- what's the word? -- uh,
hacks."

It's almost a cliche by now to talk about "The Daily Show" being more
trusted than real newscasts, but Stewart showed why. He pointed out to
Carlson that he had asked Kerry if he really were in Cambodia but "I don't
care," and when Carlson asked him what he thought about the "Bill O'Reilly
vibrator flap," Stewart said, "I don't." It was as concise a demonstration
of the triviality of the media as you could hope for.

"I thought you were going to be funny," Carlson said toward the end of the
interview. Stewart responded, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey." And
that was what was so bracing.

Stewart's "Crossfire" appearance is going to generate talk about how prickly
he was, how he wasn't "nice" like he is on "The Daily Show." But prickliness
is just what was needed. If you've built your reputation as a satirist
pointing out how the media falls down on the job, you're not going to make
yourself a part of their charade.

I've heard people talk about "The Daily Show" as an oasis of sanity, a
public service. I couldn't agree more. Stewart's appearance on "Crossfire"
was another public service. He went on and acted as if the show's purpose
really was to confront tough issues, instead of being the political
equivalent of pro wrestling. Given a chance to say absolutely what he
thought, Stewart took it. He accomplished what almost never happens on
television anymore: He made the dots come alive.