Jon Stewart To McCain: ‘You Opened Pandora’s Box’ By Picking Palin (VIDEOS)

Jon Stewart found himself annoyed Tuesday with establishment Republicans who cried foul at the tea party’s recent campaign to defund the Affordable Care Act, an effort that led to the government shutdown.

Stewart said it was a bit hypocritical of conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer and GOP strategist Karl Rove to criticize a wing of the party that they previously embraced. 

But the host saved his most brutal takedown for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), one of the most vocal Republican critics of the defunders. McCain, Stewart said, has no right to complain after tapping Sarah Palin as his 2008 running mate and effectively turning the former Alaska governor into a conservative icon.

“McCain, you don’t get to complain. At all,” Stewart said. “Because if I remember correctly, no matter how cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs you think your wackoo bird colleagues are, they don’t come anywhere close to your hatchling.” 

The Arizona senator, for his part, has been steadfast in his defense of the Palin pick.

“You opened Pandora’s box,” Stewart reminded McCain.