Biased facts

From "Special Correspondent Rob Cordray" on Monday's Daily Show (if you visit their site, be sure to watch the interview with Bob, "Life is bulls**t," Kerrey):

"How do you report the facts in an unbiased way when the facts themselves are biased?...The facts coming out of Iraq are biased against President Bush."

Brilliant. The Daily Howler brings us fresh insight on the pros and cons of Jon Stewart's role as the Official Court Jester for the Bush administration (scroll down to "From the annals of Bob Woodward sessions," but the entire post is worth reading).

"Our reader is absolutely correct. Big Pundit Russert played the fool. Stewart asked the obvious question.
But there's an obvious downside to having comedians handle your public discourse. Comedians tend to interject jokes. When Stewart asked Woodward this obvious question, he didn't force the scribe to answer. The chance for full discussion was lost."

I think the Howler was more insightful earlier in his screed when he compared Stewart to Lear's jester. "Full discussion" is not something we need at 11:20PM at night, and it's certainly not something most of the Daily Show's audience is going to listen to.

Or need to listen to. They get the inference and the irony, and they recognize the modus operandi of the Bush administration, helped along in no small part by Stewart's wry jokes and, usually more effectively, wry looks and raised eyebrows.