Political satirist Jon Stewart trashed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for hypocritically attacking the influence of conservatives Charles and David Koch while shying away from criticizing casino mogul Sheldon Adelson over how he uses his financial clout,
Mediaite reported.
Stewart began his Comedy Central program
on Tuesday by ostensibly lauding Reid for campaigning against the billionaire conservative Koch brothers on the grounds that they've used their fortune to sway political outcomes. He screened clips of Reid's recurring criticism of the Koch brothers.
Quickly, however, he turned on the Nevada Democrat portraying him not only as inarticulate, but for being a charlatan, according to excerpts reported by
Raw Story.
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Stewart mocked Reid's inability to coherently make the case that the Koch brothers' energy business drove their stance on climate change. Speaking on the Senate floor, Reid could only make faltering, disjointed references to "the stuff up there."
Next, Stewart presented Reid's battle for money-free politics as a sham. He ran excerpts from an MSNBC interview in which Reid was asked about Adelson, who is also a major Republican donor.
Stewart professed to be certain that Reid would be no less tough on Adelson. "Harry Reid's gonna crush this guy," Stewart told the audience.
Instead Reid said in a clip: "He's in it because he has certain ideological views. Now, Sheldon Adelson's social views are in keeping with the Democrats. On choice, on all kinds of things. So, Sheldon Adelson, don't pick on him. He's not in it to make money."
An incredulous Stewart asked, "What the [expletive] difference does that make?"
The comic added, "He's got ideological views. If those happen to line up with the money, mazel tov."
Turning to comedian-correspondent Jason Jones in Washington, Stewart asked him to explain the difference between Adelson money rooted in Reid's home state and Koch money.
Jones said that "corruption is a billionaire who spends money" on causes Reid doesn't benefit from. Stewart said that made it sound like America was an oligarchy in which competing billionaires carried the day. Jones corrected him explaining that "an oligarchy is a country run by billionaires who aren't American!"
To underscore his point, Jones held up two bags of cash. A "polluted pile" that belonged to the Koch brothers and an identical sack from Adelson, which he described as containing "a majestic tower of liberty bucks."
"So what is corruption?" Stewart asked.
"Corruption is a billionaire who spends their money on [expletive] you don't like," said Jones.
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