Jon Stewart Spars With Bill O'Reilly (Video)
Under the guise of vetting Stewart as a possible running mate, O'Reilly pressed the left-leaning host on a number of substantive issues, including Iran and Sarah Palin.
We've posted video of last night's portion of the interview above. The full unedited version is posted below. Click here to read about and watch the first half.
O'Reilly began by claiming that he is "thinking about running for president," and asking Stewart whether he would consider joining his ticket.
"I think that's a really bad idea," Stewart said, adding, "I have pictures of me from college that I have in a shoe box that preclude me from working at the post office."
On the topic of Sarah Palin, the Fox News host asked Stewart whether he had been unusually tough in his mockery of the former Alaska Governor. Stewart, claiming he has lampooned Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to an equal degree, replied "I mock her, but I don't think I've been too tough."
He added that he wasn't too "crazy about the whole real America vibe."
Accusing "The Daily Show" host of not taking a strong line on national security issues, O'Reilly said, "you don't seem to be too concerned about Iran."Stewart curtly replied, "Thank you guys for ratcheting up the fear on this," before expressing his opinion that Iran's "self-preservationist streak" would prevent the rogue state from using a nuclear weapon.
Moving onto the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, O'Reilly asked Stewart, who lives in downtown Manhattan, how he felt about the trial taking place in his "living room."
Stewart responded that he wanted the terror suspect to be "executed at half-time of the Super Bowl and then re-animated so we could do it every year."
When Stewart neglected to take a strong stance on the discussion of military tribunals, O'Reilly accused him of waffling. "I need a strong VP," he added.
"I'm not running with you," responded Stewart.
Though there is clearly no love lost between the two men, the discussion remained civil throughout.