and that makes him part of the "media"?

mr. rogers used to be on tv too, but i never considered him a part of the media.

is jimmey kimmel part of the media as well? god, i hope not.

I just watched this, it was obviously a stunt to get some press.

Crossfire is an easy target, but the underlying point that Tucker made is a good one - if you are so concerned about people not holding politicians up to the fire - why not do it when have the opportunity? His show is semi-serious and discusses current events - I don't think Weekend Update comes anywhere as close to the level of intelligent satire that the Daily Show does.

It doesn't matter if Crank Yankers is on beforehand....even David Letterman asked Kerry some decent questions when he was a guest.

I disagree. Stewart is getting plenty of press lately without having to go on 'Crossfire' of all shows.

Stewart has always cited 'Crossfire' as a prime example of what he thinks is wrong with news outlets as of late. I thought it was pretty cool of him to go on a show he openly dislikes, and try to discuss it face-to-face with the hosts. As stated before, either the hosts didn't understand what he was talking about, or refused to care.

His concern isn't about people holding politicians to the fire, it's about journalists not doing it. While Stewart may have had the opportunity, he doesn't have the obligation or responsibility that actual news people do. It's not part of Stewart's job description to have journalistic integrity, it's part of his job description to be funny. Journalistic integrity is part of the job description of journalists, which is what CNN and Crossfire claim to have.

Take the clip of Stewart mocking Kerry's appearance on Regis and Kelly Ripa(sp?). While he joked that it was "like Nerf Crossfire," I doubt Stewart would ever say that either Regis or Kelly had any reponsibility to ask Kerry serious questions. That's not their job. The problem isn't that the people who aren't supposed to be doing the job aren't doing the job. The problem is that the people who are supposed to be doing the job aren't.

Media failing the American people...

depending on your definition he sure could be.

His FOX-NFL stints alone could warrant that.

If by "media" you mean he's not a CD-Rom, then yeah, probably right (might still be debatable though).

Letterman has always insisted that his job is to be entertaining and that the he expects the guests to be entertaining.

He'd also be the first person to defend Jon Stewart; who's show is nothing like the hour long late night talk shows that Letterman and Leno do.

TDS is a fake news, 1/2 hour comedy show with guests that sometimes actually spend a grand total of 3 minutes answering questions. Leno and Letterman decide themselves how they want to handle politicians and, admittedly, Dave seems to have decided to handle them a bit more seriously, so they don't leave without some decent questions. I think Letterman feels like politicians are trying to use him and his show for political gain, so Letterman doesn't go completely easy on them. But the questions are worked out before the show and Kerry was not surprised by what he was asked. It might seem a little different, only because Letterman asks some questions that the REAL MEDIA don't seem to.

I still find it incredible that you'd defend Tucker Carlson about anything. Not only does he take cheap shots, only to be mean or for what he thinks is funny, to make many of his points, but lately he's more and more done other things and made other statements that would suggest that he's much less partisan. When it suites him, on a lot of other shows, he tries to bring his "comedy show" routine and he flip-flops more than Kerry and Bush combined. His appearance on Maher was pathetic. And this is a guy who's supposed to be a serious journalist. I've never read his columns, but he and Begala are both awful playing parts on a serious show, which IS the point of Stewart's criticism. Jon is making jokes and using satire only to get people to think about their politicians and the news media, not to answer questions for people. That should be what Crossfire is about...and the many other "news" shows that are more like the Daily Show than vice versa.

What's so funny? Or don't you believe the media has a responsibility to the American people?

What's your definition? Typically, the term media is short for "news media".

I considering anyone who actually sends staff to a GOP convention, especially 94 staffers members, part of the media regardless of how fake the news is. You have a press badge, you are press in my mind.

I used to kinda like Carlson, until I heard him characterize Edwards' career as a lawyer who worked on Jacuzzi cases. The Jacuzzi case was when a manufacturer of pool vacuum filters knew that their part was unsafe, but would require a small expenditure on their part to fix, and as a result a young girl was disemboweled when she was sucked into the bottom of her pool. She is on permanent life support, and Carlson talked about the case like it was over a hot cup of coffee spilling on someone's lap at McDonalds.

They were there to lampoon the press AND the politicians. So, because they were able to get press passes, they are supposed to be serious journalists?

What serious information from the convention did you learn from their "coverage?" "They're all idiots" doesn't count.

TDS ARE press. Just FAKE press. The only reason they even get in is because Wolf Blitzer and most politicians want to look like they have a great sense of humor. Which they really don't and is a lot of why they go to these events, "cover" them, and come back with so much great material for their FAKE NEWS SHOW!

You just don't understand the nuanced vocabulary of compassionate conservatism.

That's a terrible story about the little girl and it wouldn't surprise me if Carlson didn't even know the facts of the case. He just goes for the zingers and cheap shots. I don't think Tucker wouldn't feel awful about the girl, but he didn't even care about the case, he just wanted to get out the word Jacuzzi.

You know, funny word, not very serious, makes people think Edwards sues people who just like to relax, and Carlson knows that. He uses Hillary Clinton or Monica Lewinsky any time he can, because he knows they work for the audience he's trying to pander to.

Begala is partisan, I don't think he has the experience to be doing this kind of show, but Crossfire doesn't seem to care.

Still, Carslon IS a "journalist" and he knows how to play with soundbites and hammer on with the same few words that he knows makes the right happy. He's awful on that show and he was undressed by Stewart. Just the fact that Begala stayed out of it for the most part shows he's not really in a league of egos with Carlson, who just felt compelled to argue with Stewart even when he was wrong AND tried to be as funny as Stewart too.

from what I've heard about that case, the lawsuit was definately warranted. However, plenty of suits over Edward's career are more questionable.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/natio...1234-1949r.htm

birrman54

I'm not talking about ALL viewers of the show and I'm aware of their "demo".

just not as questionable as the money Cheney's made while his company steals money from the american people and profiting on a war that he pushed, in a situation where many people felt the war wasn't needed at the time.

but Edwards' "plenty of questionable" suits clearly makes him a much worse man.

Sure, that works for me.
And Kimmel fits that mold with his NFL reporting, it's sports, but it's news.

heh, funny clip, but I would hardly categorize it as "brutal" as the description said. It was funny when he said the guy with the bow-tie is a big dick. Stewart is a funny guy, I don't like his stance with Kerry (I'm a Bush supporter), but the Crossfire (which I have never once watched) host comparing The Daily Show and CNN in that they're both news shows was downright laughable. The Daily Show is FAKE NEWS, for pure comedic reasons only. It is not Stewart's responsibility to ask tough questions in the 3-5 minutes that he interviews guests, leave that to *real* (as in not fake news) programs.

Sure it would be nice if the media was unbiased to all people, not just Americans...

But that's not gonna happen, as the ulimate goal is ratings/money (TV/newspaper/whatever).

You take the media serious enough to be let down?

It's about breaking a story first, and getting the most people interested. Martha Stewart is in Jail, M Jackson likes kids, Kobe's accusers name is realeased, Star Wars DVD box set is out, and there is a war in the middle East. Yeah, over the top, but that's the jist of it.

And no, I don't think the media has any responsibility to me.

No, I'm pretty sure he did it because he watches Crossfire every single day and it's driving him up the wall. It's his job along with all the other Daily Show writers to watch cable news every day.

I don't watch Crossfire, but I got a pretty good impression of what Tucker Carlson was like when he went on Bill Maher's show a few weeks ago and said the press has the right to report any military information they have, including troop positions during war. Bill asked him about 3 times exactly what he meant because he couldn't believe what he heard

The reason for the protections of the press that were instituted in the Bill of Rights and upheld by so many Supreme Court decisions over the years since is that they have a critical role in holding our leaders accountable and keeping their activities transparent. If they continue to shirk that responsibility, and if the people they are supposed to serve slowly forget (as we seem to be doing) to care if they are being informed, this country will slide into an unrecognizable amalgamation of our worst extremes. Power becomes absolute when it is not held accountable, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Some would argue this happened in the Reagan/Bush era.

Tucker Carlson is a dick!

Whether you consider them part of the media or not, do you honestly believe that the DS has the same responsibility as Crossfire?

Are you stating that as reality or do you believe that should be their goal?



It's hard to take the televised media seriously at all anymore, but yes, they have let me down. News (real news) shouldn't be entertainment. It shouldn't be just about ratings & money.

That's just sad.