Our guest columnist this afternoon is Jon Stewart, writing in 2004.

A free and independent press is essential to the health of a functioning democracy. It serves to inform the voting public on matters relevant to its well-being. Why they’ve stopped doing that is a mystery. I mean, 300 camera crews outside a courthouse to see what Kobe Bryant is wearing when the judge sets his hearing date, while false information used to send our country to war goes unchecked? What the fuck happened? These spineless cowards in the press have finally gone too far. They have violated a trust. “Was the president successful in convincing the country?” Who gives a shit? Why not tell us if what he said was true? And the excuses. My God, the excuses! “Hey, we just give the people what they want.” “What can we do, this administration is secretive.” “But the last season of Friends really is news.” The unmitigated gall of these weak-willed… You’re supposed to be helping us, you indecent piles of shit! I… fuck it. Just fuck it…

Why anybody should expect that Jon Stewart, speaking in 2010, should be any different, is beyond us.

America (The Book) [Stinque@Amazon kickback link]

Now here it is, Rick’s Moment of Zen, with Pete Dominick, satellite-radio host:

Dominick: How is [Jon Stewart] a bigot?

Sanchez: I think he looks at the world through, his mom, who was a school teacher, and his dad, who was a physicist or something like that. Great, I’m so happy that he grew up in a suburban middle class New Jersey home with everything you could ever imagine.

Dominick: What group is he bigoted towards?

Sanchez: Everybody else who’s not like him. Look at his show, I mean, what does he surround himself with?

Well, there’s Wyatt, and Aasif, and Sam, and Larry, and Kristen, and— yes, Rick, you have more?

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Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) recently was featured in ESPN’s SportsCenter for an amazing catch in the annual Congressional Democrat v. Republican softball game, but yesterday’s performance on the House floor is even better.

The House Republicans were able to summon enough votes to defeat legislation that would provide medical care to 9/11 first responders and survivors who were sickened by the toxic stew of chemicals at the World Trade Center. Weiner called them out in style.

Update with a video of King and Weiner in a bitchslap on Fox after the jump. (HT Rptrcub)

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Hilarity ensues when New York Post columnist Kirsten Powers is invited to race-bait the New Black Panther Party on Fox News — but forgets the script she was handed before the segment!

Megyn Kelly Flips Out At Fox Contributor In Effort To Push Faux Scandal About New Black Panther Party [ThinkProgress]

[via Media Matters]

[via Sully]

No, we’re not indulging in April tomfoolery. On his show last night, Billo schooled Stinque Book Club favorite Jason Mattera on congressional etiquette — in this case, disrespecting the senator from the great state of Minnesota by calling him “Senator Smalley” to his face in a Capitol Hill ambush interview.

Not impressed? Try this:

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