If Jon Stewart wants to be “absolutely wrong,” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) thinks that’s his right as a late night comic.
McCain told Fox News media critic Howie Kurtz in an interview that aired Sunday that although he doesn’t think Stewart is fair to Republicans, “it doesn’t matter really.”
“He’s a comedian,” McCain said.
But Kurtz, who often complains about the line Stewart straddles between comedy and commentary, contended that the “The Daily Show” host is “also a social critical who has a sizable following among young people.”
McCain acknowledged that point, and casually noted that Stewart gets away with errors.
The senator was once a frequent guest on “The Daily Show,” but he hasn’t sat down with Stewart in years. Nevertheless, McCain told Kurtz he has “no beef with late night comedians who make fun of politicians.” His real beef, it turns out, is with newspaper columnists.
“Listen, he’s a very entertaining and funny guy. But you know, when he says things — which he’s entitled to, after all he’s a late night comic — that are absolutely wrong, he gets away with it. It is what it is. I frankly have no beef with late night comedians who make fun of politicians,” McCain said. “That’s the nature of the business. I do resent when respected commentators, who are columnists particularly, say things that absolutely are contradicted by the facts. Like, oh, well, we wanted to leave a force behind in Iraq, but the Iraqis wouldn’t take it. That’s just wrong.”
