. . . of programing that local PBS stations think boost contributions during fund drive weeks.

Like Dust, I watch KBTC and KCTS here in Seattle. They have chestnuts they roll out, but none of them are Suz Orman or any of the other crap some stations seem to subject their viewers to. Here, we're likely to get extra helpings Rick Steve's Europe (okay by me), Roy Orbinson's Black and White Night, and Alone in the Wilderness, Dick Preonneke's documentary on living in the Alaskan wild.

I don't watch more than a couple hours of television a week, but I agree that other than Frontline, NOVA, Bill Moyers, Nature, and miscellaneous science/nature shows there's very little on PBS that is worth watching. The NewsHour is horrible and Washington Week in Review is worse.

Another disaster of the Bush Administration, publicly funded broadcasting, will hopefully be restored to some of it's former glory. -- zumalicious

PBS has to compete with 100+ channels, including BBC America, historically the source of most of the best drama programming for PBS.

I'm afraid that, better funding or not, PBS feels a need to compete with commercial broadcasting and has lowered its mostly high standards to attract more of the unwashed. Like NPR, I'm afraid PBS is in a slow death spiral and will never recover.

And one can only assume that the majority of SC voters are even stupider than he is.

SC has the highest unemployment in the nation after Michigan. If this stupid prick doesn't want their stimulus money, give it to another state. Why oh why do people vote Republican?

Who cares? Borders Books is now worse than Barnes and Noble. Last time I was in one it reminded me of a Coles Books.

. . . that finance professionals listen to shows like Cramer's as if there were any substance. As Stewart contends, most of the people who comment on or are interviewed for shows like Cramer's know that it's all gossamer and dog crap. These shows are created for non-professional consumption.

As I contended in a related post yesterday, insisting that pros watch a show like Cramer's for expert analysis is like saying chefs at fine restaurants what Rachel Ray. And if any of the these "pros" don't know that the television finance show are mostly bunk, then they ought to be working at Denny's or Home Depot instead of being responsible for large sums of money.

He's come here because Americans have a much higher threshold for infantile and over-the-top (Adam Sandler or Judd Apatow anyone?). Think of him as the Beckham of comedy (though, unlike Beckham, he was never really any good to begin with).

I reiterate: caveat emptor People must begin taking responsibility for their own actions. -- red_gti2000

You can iterate that all you like. But capitalism only works with complete and honest disclosure. That isn't what was happening in much of the financial market over the last five to seven years. The government, in part, exists to regulate people who would, if not regulated, lie, cheat and steal, which is where the "free market" tends. The government wasn't doing this regulatory job (the SEC had been warned about Madoff for years), but the general public did, does not have the expertise to understand that this was not the case.

And if you don't like government regulation, have I got some Chinese food imports for you!

Afraid of assholes like McConnell.

How many times have Newt and Rushbo come back from the dead?

As long as their are ignorant bigoted people, there will be an audience for their crap.

. . . it was completely beholden to the U.S. government. The contracts are worthless because AIG is worthless at this point. It is no different than bankruptcy. The largest creditors are first in line, and that happens to be the government in this case. The federal government can therefore dictate conditions. Furthermore, the bonuses are going to some of the same people who responsibility for AIG's failure. Let those assholes leave. The market is now glutted with this kind of "talent." Those responsible for AIG's problems should be unemployed.

It is hardly any secret inside the Beltway that Wall St. owns the government. -- walter_map

You can't forget their junior partner, the NRA.

Can anyone defend themselves these days... without resorting to straw man arguments? Sheesh, this is getting so old!! -- orbitboy

But they have to hold a position that is defensible. This isn't the first time Stewart has dismantled talking head idiots on air. Remember, he went after Carlson and Begala on CNN. Did it reform either of them? No.

Zucker can get stuffed. Once upon a time, NBC had a news division nearly as good as CBS. They took reporting seriously in the 1960s and up through the late 1970s.

. . . American "class."

The author(s) would have been well served to have read Prof Fussel's treatise on the American class system before starting. -- JFrankParnell

RVs, like large pick-up trucks and SUVs, should have been legislated out of existence a couple of decades ago.

. . . you get exactly what you see.

We grew up in the same town (he's about four years older than me and was my school friend's piano teacher). He returned to that home town after his first European travels. His children went to the local high school, and his business is based there. You see him in public at local civic functions.

He's open about his marijuana use and works for decriminalization and legalization. He spoke at Hemp Fest again this year in Seattle. He has a "No Iraq War" sign in a second story window of his office that is clearly visible from the street.

He's about as authentic a television personality you're ever likely to meet.