Give Judy Woodruff's Job to Jon Stewart

Sadly, there are no transcripts of The Daily Show (if there are, please tell me where), so the following is a loose account, and quotations are only approximate (brought to you by the magic of Tivo.) Tonight's guest was Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) and member of the GOP's "rapid response team" convened during the Democratic Convention. Bonilla started nicely enough, giving Stewart a pair of miniature cowboy boots for his new son.

Then it got interesting. This is a bit lengthy, but read the whole thing. You'll be glad you did.

STEWART: ... they say he's a liberal ... he's the number on liberal in the ...

BONILLA: He's to the left of Ted Kennedy, and that's fine.

STEWART: Where do they come up with those rankings...how do

BONILLA: We're all ranked every year.

STEWART: By who?

BONILLA: [Mentions business groups, tax groups, trial lawyers, unions all tracking votes...]

[crosstalk for a minute, more of the same.]

STEWART: I turn on the TV and I hear that John Kerry is the most liberal senator and John Edwards is the forth most...How do they figure that?

BONILLA: We have votes...and they track them...

STEWART: Who's "they"? Which one said they were the first and fourth most liberal?

BONILLA: Well you take the trial lawyers or the people that follow the union vote, or the small business votes, or the corporate votes...

STEWART: Who?

BONILLA: These groups do...these groups have lists...

STEWART: Which group? Which group says they're the most liberal. That is a point that you guys make....

BONILLA: The liberal and conservative groups. Both of them do.

[This continues for a while, as Bonilla digs himself deeper and deeper.]

STEWART: I'll tell you who it is. It's actually called The National Journal.

BONILLA: That's a magazine.

STEWART: But they're the ones who put it together.

BONILLA: They actually compile the list.

STEWART: But is that over their career? Or over just...

BONILLA: Over their career.

STEWART: But, see. No. ...Edwards over his career is actually more to the right than the median Democratic [senator] and Kerry is more to the right of Kennedy. So, I just, want...what you said. You just want people to have an honest discussion and that's all that I want.

[SHORTLY THEREAFTER]

STEWART: Like the 350 tax cut thing, is so out of context. Some of that is when he voted not to lower taxes and keep them the same.

BONILLA: ...I wish both candidates would just come out and say, "I stand here" and "I stand here."

STEWART: I think they do.

BONILLA: They don't. And that's why we have the rapid response team.

STEWART: No. That's not why you have the rapid response team. [Laughter]

Is there some way to fire Judy Woodruff and give her job to Jon Stewart? For a bit more context on the National Journal and the "1st and 4th most liberal" talking point, see this and this from Somerby.

AB