Nobody better say nuttin' bout Ted Koppel

Jon Stewart's Friday appearance on CNN's lame "Crossfire" show has generated lots of mixed press for Stewart. Happily, you, too, can watch the entire segment on-line. Considering that "Crossfire" is broadcast at 4:30 in the afternoon, at a time when only housewives and felons under house arrest are at home, it seems likely most people without TiVo will be viewing the segment online. Stewart's bright moments: he calls Tucker Carlson a "dick" and asks him, "How old are you? And you wear bow ties?"

On last night's show, Novak and Carville both took an opportunity to defend the honor of their beloved, bow-tied colleague, not to mention Ted Koppel, whom I don't think came up in the Friday segment, but of whom Carville is quite protective anyway.

NOVAK: Let me say something about Jon Stewart. I don't think he's funny. And I know he's uninformed.

CARVILLE: Well, I think he's funny. I just think he's a pompous ass attacking Ted Koppel. Why would you want to attack somebody that's been in this business this long? Attack CROSSFIRE, Tucker, me. Who cares?

NOVAK: Because he's uninformed. Because he's uninformed.

CARVILLE: He's funny, but he shouldn't attack Ted Koppel.

One wonders whom Novak would consider funny. Novak does not strike me as the kind of guy who would "get" Da Ali G Show, for example. I'd absolutely love to see Ali G take on Novak, though. Novak seems more of an Abbott and Costello kinda guy.

And what's with Carville's Koppel obsession? Stewart didn't even mention him, as far as I know. The Ragin' Cajun got a hard-on for Ted, I guess.

I used to watch "Crossfire" when it was on later in the evening; since CNN changed its time slot, Stewart is right, it's just pointless bickering for policy wonks home sick in the afternoon. The show puts two partisans in a ring and lets them tear at each other with no resolution or attempt to mediate. And somehow it's all supposed to shake out in the minds of the citizenry? No, it just reinforces division, that's all. Stewart gets it exactly correct.