John and Condi, sittin in a tree....

Did you catch this? John Stewart, of whom I have from time to time been a fan, shamelessly attempting to charm (because she is a woman and he sees himself as a charmer) the truth out of Condi Rice, former Secretary of State for the Bushies, an incompetent, pathological liar and opportunist (a prereq in that administration) who will defend the crimes of the Bush administration with her dying breath.

Did he ask her if she was afraid to leave the US now because she was wanted in several countries for war crimes? No. When she objected to his one weak objection to the Bushies' "misrepresentations" (American politicians never "lie", you know) when "selling" the war to the public – she insisting they never tried to "sell" the war – did he come back with Rumsfeld's quip – two days after 9/11 – when asked by a reporter what would be the most difficult thing about the burgeoning War On Terra, Rumsfeld said (and this is a direct quote): "Selling it to the American People"? (I wrote it down in my journal, folks.)

Lame, lame, lame. The litany of lies she proffered, in a smooth but strident monologue that went virtually unchallenged by Stewart, reeked of condescension to the audience and the host. Basic fact checking beforehand would have been minimal responsible journalism, but Stewart simply wasn't up to the challenge. He showed his ego's true colors with this one and I wonder if he wasn't kicking himself afterwards, knowing he'd let people down (check the comments here as well) cause he was just plain chicken, pathetically not up to the challenge of his own power.

Those fluttering eyelids of hers every time he made a lame objection to anything she said gave her away. There she sat primly, in her bellicose red suit (no, no, there would BE no surrender to any facts by Condi), expecting to be treated like a visiting dignitary. It floored me that he could be such a coward, and I lost respect for a man who thought he could confront a person who was as responsible as any for perpetrating one of the biggest criminal hoaxes in human history on a willing public in cooperation with complicit media he pretends to mock, yet he either hadn't done his homework or didn't feel the need to. Either way, his arrogance is his shame now, and his fans didn't fail to notice if you read the comments at the Daily Show site.

I realize this is political commentary masquerading as comedy, but there must be the force of truth behind it in order to garner respect. I've seen John pander before, but this was too much. I'll be takin a break from Mr. Stewart for awhile.

And here it is, your moment of Zen.

ps

i happened on this little nugget about the Jobs Bill floating around Congress. Anyone still thinking Obama is a good guy should read this brief report at Common Sense about what's really in that bill, what it means for the future of Social Security, and why FDR and JFK are rolling over in their graves.

And talk about not walkin the walk, the US threatens to withdraw funds from UNESCO after a majority vote there in favor of Palestine recognition passed? Shameful extortion.