Jon Stewart, Bill O'Reilly Clash on Fox

(AP)  Comic Jon Stewart told conservative TV host Bill O'Reilly that he has become the voice of sanity on Fox News Channel, although "that's like being the thinnest kid at fat camp."

The host of "The Daily Show" and Fox's kingpin exchanged some good-natured shots Wednesday during Stewart's appearance on a network he relishes mocking. Stewart tossed off jokes but also criticized Fox for being a "cyclonic perpetual motion machine" opposing President Barack Obama.

"They have taken reasonable concerns about this president and this economy and turned it into a full-fledged panic attack about the next coming of Chairman Mao," Stewart said.

O'Reilly said the Obama attacks were primarily coming from Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, who have two of the highest-rated programs on Fox. O'Reilly called Beck an "everyman."

"He just spouts," O'Reilly said. "He spouts for what he believes. If you think Beck spouts for the Republican Party, you're out of your mind."

Fox cut off the taped interview at that point, saying more would be shown Thursday.

Both men have appeared on each other's show before, but it was Stewart's first time back since 2004. O'Reilly annoyed Comedy Central by calling Stewart's audience primarily "stoned slackers"; on Wednesday, he amended it to "stoned slackers who love Obama."

There was even a dispute over who initiated the return visit. O'Reilly said on Fox earlier Wednesday that Stewart's representatives had asked for him to come on the show. Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox said an O'Reilly producer requested the appearance.

Fox "is the most passionate and sells the clearest narrative of all the news networks, if ... you're still referring to it in that manner," Stewart said.

O'Reilly pointed out that Fox is like a newspaper with news and opinion pages, an idea Stewart poked fun at.

"Fox in and of itself doesn't say you're a news network all day," he said. "What is it, you're news from 9 to 11, then you're opinion, then you're news again from 1 to 2:30 except for the Jewish holidays? And then on alternate parking days you're news, but Christmas, you're not?"

Stewart was asked about a Washington Post column that suggested he was becoming disenchanted with Mr. Obama. "I don't take any of that seriously," he said.

But he did criticize Mr. Obama for not taking control of his agenda.

"It allows too much room for different narratives to take hold, for instance, a narrative that might emanate from a news organization of this ilk," he said.

[noloyalisti]

Just look at how misled and ignorant the people are who listen to Faux.

The listeners to Faux "News" are all white people who think the rich like O'Reilly deserve another tax cut so they themselves can't have health care, good jobs, successful small businesses and keep their homes.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

by HawkSpringsIsBack February 4, 2010 6:56 PM EST
Poor Deranged Libs.
They can't stand the fact that ONE tiny little news network doesn't toe the Party Line of the DNC.
Libs have CNN, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, and PBS as propoganda arms of their agenda, but that's not enough when Fox doesn't parrot what they want.
============================================================
A more accurate statement would be that many of us dislike Faux Noise
for deceiving people like you. People like you are easy to
fool and it makes me angry that Faux Noise takes advantage this fact.

[Leaderless]

LOL, the libs only interested in the mindless propaganda networks like cBS, BSnbc, aBS, etc.
Things the lib want to hear from the guests on their shows are "Yes, you're absolutely right keith" or "Yes, I felt a thrill running up my leg too" or "Yes, I do have an obama shrine in my living room also."
Not surprisingly, the lib doesn't like Fox News. It's tough to hear all of the messiah screwed up that their network trying to cover up.

[noloyalisti]

It's funny to watch someone like O'Reilly who supports the party of no and ignorant extremist pretend to know anything. Maybe they should change the name to Faux Comedy Hour. Or the Quick Spin Zone.

[Leaderless]

noloyalisti, sounds liked you're refering to d'olberman from bsnbc? Can't get anymore ignorant then him. matthews and maddow are a close second or even first on certain days.
Your two geniouses, d'olberman and matthews, even got booted from their jobs covering the election due to stupidity.
So stop being ignorant.

[zoopster1]

I saw the interview; it was actually pretty good-natured for the most part. There doesn't seem to be any genuine animosity between those guys.

[ianlou]

I'm no Bill O'Reilly fan, but I am a little impressed with each of them for showing up on each others shows.

[actornaught]

Fox is for, composed of, and run by, Fsychos.

If you think you get "information" from fox & rush, you've been punked....

[pragmatist1]

If Stewart faults Fox and O'Reilly, then O'Reilly has every right to fault Stewart for his purporting to represent factual news. I no longer have cable and didn't watch either show on a regular basis even when I have it. I will say that if Fox and O'Reilly are trashed for supposedly not reporting the news objectively or factually, then the same should be done to Stewart, his show and for it's subjective and spinning of the news. The critics can't have it both ways.

[lakota2012]

by pragmatist1:
"...fault Stewart for his purporting to represent factual news."
--------------------------



For crissakes, Jon Stewart is on Comedy Central, which is where all the highly-partisan FAUX NoNooz political hacks should be!

And therein lies the crisis of democracy that our country faces: a moderate-liberal President, willing to make judicious compromises, confronted by a republican party paralyzed by cynicism and hypocrisy, undergirded by inchoate ideological fervor.

[BuddyBeanbags]

uh... dude... Stewart has a COMEDY show... he makes fun of the news. It's a crying shame that his show is more factual and relevant than Fox.

[LtSmily]

I think all of you are wrong. Star Trek was the best movie of 2009, and anyone who thinks Avatar was better is completely insane....wait... oh yea, forgot to flip the "I don't care switch". OK. All of you who don't watch Fox news when I am watching it are liberal sociopaths, and all of you who don't watch MSNBC when I am watching it are crazy bible thumpers, and all of you who don't watch CNN when I am watching it are.... intelligent????
Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice, all the people behind the scenes at all of these "news" stations sit back and laugh at all of you too stupid to realize, lazy, ignorant, live in your own little cocoon, Americans. What a joke you all are. They get rich off your sponsorship and patronage, while you "cheer" on your respective "news" agency or political party. Any relevance the MSM or politicians had has been destroyed or used up for generations. You are all just too blinded by your own unbending ideology and pride to accept the fact that you may be (and probably are) wrong. America, like every other "great empire" is quickly sliding down that slippery slope of perdition, ironically caused by Democracy and too much Freedom. Therein lies the paradox our Founding Fathers spoke of when creating this "Great Experiment", but I am sure most here do not know what I am talking about so please... feel free to resort to the typical name calling that inferior mentalities gravitate to. Cheers

[PVperson2]

I think you need to get over yourself, as you smack down every one other than yourself, maybe you should look in the mirror once in a while.

[chevyhotrod]

by skyk-2009 February 4, 2010 10:39 AM EST
I LOVE Jon Stewart... he's the only one out there who's willing to call out FOX for what it is!!

That does not suprize me at all, because he even admits what he does is Fake News and you still believe what he does is real news. Too funny.

Bill O'Reilly has always said from day one what he does is an opinion show.

You still dont realize your revolution is over do you?

[lakota2012]

by chevyhotrod:
"That does not suprize me at all, because he even admits what he does is Fake News and you still believe what he does is real news. Too funny."
-------------------------------



NO, actually all Americans need a little comedy by people just like Jon Stewart, in order to lighten-up the sadness of the entire situation, where President Obama continues to "try" in the midst of republiCON obstructionism and propaganda, to clean-up the bushevik mess of epic proportions!

[Chapeltepec]

Anybody who really truly believes Jon Stewart is a legitimate, professional newscaster other than the same type opinion pundit as Shawn Hannity or Glenn Beck and get their information about the news of the day from him is suffering from mental stress due to watching liberal talking points all day long from MSNBC, CNN and CBS and NBC News.Time to turn in your voter registration cards!

[RedWings_ninety_one]

What? You have an account on this site and your bashing them? I doubt, but it is possible, that there is anyone that gets their news only from Jon Stewart. I watch for a little comedic spin on the happenings in the world, which is the main point in the show in the first place, am I right?

[lakota2012]

by Chapeltepec:
"Anybody who really truly believes Jon Stewart is...."
------------------------------



Hey, Jon Stewart is a comedian, just like Bill Maher, and they both bill themselves that way.

The ones that need "to turn in their voter registration cards," are the FAUX NoNooz syccophants believing that the murdoch republiCON network has anything but highly-partisan political operatives on the air, with roger ailes as the head ring leader of that circus!