Tiny dog salutes John Stewart's recent appearance on the CNN debate show Crossfire, in which he accuses the hosts Tucker Carlson ("the right wing guy") and Paul Begala ("the left wing guy") of failing to provide an honest forum for political exchange in a news climate increasingly dominated by spin, and choosing instead to perform a "theater" where diametrically opposed talking heads parrot partisan talking points in the service of campaigns. What a low blow Jon. That doesn't sound like the American media I know and trust to tell me the complete impartial story about important issues like voter disenfranchisement and casualties in Iraq for gosh's sake.

"See, the thing is," Jon Stewart tells the hosts, "we need your help. Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations.. you're part of their strategies. You are partisan, what do you call it, hacks."

Tucker Carlson cleverly responds by calling him John Kerry's "butt boy" for failing to ask tough questions on "Comedy Central," to which Jon Stewart replies: "You're on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls. What is wrong with you?" and "...my point is this. If your idea of confronting me is that I don't ask hard-hitting enough news questions, we're in bad shape, fellows."

Touché.

See the video or read the transcript of the exchange.

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