Jon Stewart Enters the No Spin Zone

Television funny man Jon Stewart entered Bill O'Reilly's no spin zone, The O'Reilly Factor today, in an interview that apparently lasted around 35 minutes and will conclude on tomorrow night's show.  In the interview, Stewart explained why he takes pot shots at Fox News on The Daily Show, and quizzed O'Reilly on what the news network stands for. 

The LA Times' Matea Gold was present at the interview and writes;

what unfolded over the next 40 minutes was a vigorous, policy-laden debate between two of television's most popular figures who hail from increasingly polarized political worlds. Their discussion careened between talk of tort reform, global warming and the trials of the 9/11 terrorists.

But most of all, Stewart used his second appearance ever on "The O'Reilly Factor" to levy a robust critique of Fox News and its coverage of President Obama.

"Here's what Fox has done, through their cyclonic perpetual emotional machine that is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: They have taken reasonable concerns about this president and this economy and turned it into full-fledged panic attack about the next coming of Chairman Mao," the comedian told his host.

"I think some people do that, but most people don't," O'Reilly responded, calling it "the narrative of a couple of guys."

In an interview afterward, O'Reilly said he was struck by Stewart's mood.

"It was more serious than I expected him to be," the commentator said. "He wanted to make some points about Fox News, and he made them. I let him make them. And I told him, I'm not offended that he believes that or sees it that way. I'm not. But I think if he would sit down and watch Bret Baier, Shepard Smith, the way our hard news guys cover the White House and Congress and the Supreme Court, he would not see a rooting interest in the GOP."

Read more here.