Jon Stewart on the 'O'Reilly Factor'

Freedom's Lighthouse provides the videos. And here's this from the Los Angeles Times, "Comedian Jon Stewart Takes the Hot Seat with Bill O'Reilly":

Jon Stewart showed up alone for his showdown Wednesday afternoon with Bill O'Reilly.

"Stewart, S-T-E-W-A-R-T," he told the security guard in the lobby of Fox News' midtown Manhattan headquarters. "I'm here to get crushed by O'Reilly."

In fact, 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."

Media criticism is nothing new for Stewart, who engages in it every night on "The Daily Show," gleefully splicing together news footage in bracing send-ups of media outlets, particularly Fox News. His mockery of CNN's political talk show "Crossfire" helped persuade executives to cancel that program. And last year he jousted fiercely with CNBC host Jim Cramer, accusing him of overstating the health of the stock market.

But when Stewart lodged his case against Fox News on the network's own air, directly to its top-rated host, it made for a rare and remarkable television exchange.

More at the link, as well as a Fox News video of the broadcast. (Via Memeorandum.)