Quote of the day: The Daily Show unmasks Democrats as the "validators" of terrorism that we (and Dick Cheney) always knew they were

The Democrats validate the terrorists, and as you know, terrorists are notoriously insecure. Without that validation, without that jolt of self-esteem, they're lost. They could get depressed. They might even contemplate suicide.
--Daily Show Senior Terror Analyst John Oliver

After playing the (in)famous clip of Vice President Dick Cheney portraying Ned Lamont's Connecticut Senate primary win as a triumph for Al Qaeda, Jon Stewart introduced one of the show's most promising additions, the very English John Oliver:

JON STEWART: Daily Show Senior Terror Analyst John Oliver joins us right now. The vice president is clearly suggesting that the defeat of Joe Lieberman, who supported the Iraqi war, played into terrorist hands.

JOHN OLIVER: That's right, Jon. Al Qaeda was in fact on the verge of surrender until news of millionaire Ned Lamont's 52-to-48-percent primary victory reached them and rallied their spirits. Just take a look at Lamont's victory rally.

[On-screen: a doctored campaign-rally photo showing Osama bin Laden standing behind Lamont, who is mostly surrounded by other Muslim-fighter types]

JON STEWART: Is that . . . now that can't be . . . John, that looks to be bin Laden.

JOHN OLIVER: Yup, it's him. That's him, and he never goes to any of these events, Jon. That's how badly he wanted Lamont to win.

JON STEWART: Al Qaeda is interested in America's local primary races et cetera?

JOHN OLIVER: Absolutely. The buzz in the Khyber Pass caves is all about the upcoming Ohio senatorial race. Democrat Sherrod Brown's defeating Republican Mike DeWine would be like Saladin conquering Jerusalem all over again--uh, except, you know, in Ohio.

JON STEWART: [taking this in] In Ohio. Now what . . . there really is a difference to Al Qaeda between Democrats and Republicans? Why is Al Qaeda so for the Democrats?

[On-screen: a clip of VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY:
What the Democrats are suggesting basically--you can call it "withdrawal," you could call it "redeployment," whatever you want to call it--basically, it in effect validates the terrorist strategy.]

JOHN OLIVER: The Democrats validate the terrorists, and as you know, terrorists are notoriously insecure. Without that validation, without that jolt of self-esteem, they're lost. They could get depressed. They might even contemplate suicide.

JON STEWART: [pointing] Uh . . .

JOHN OLIVER: No, private suicides, Jon, not the poof!

[What follows is a discussion, largely visual, of various forms of non-poof suicide, too difficult to reproduce here.]

JON STEWART: John, it seems as though the Bush administration, anytime you disagree with their policies, no matter what, they suddenly suggest that that is empowering the terrorists, and terrorism seems like a cudgel they wield.

JOHN OLIVER: No, no, if anything this administration has soft-pedaled.

JON STEWART: I find this all very difficult to believe, John.

JOHN OLIVER: Well, try harder, Jon. This nation is at war, as we are reminded before every election.


This segment seems likely to turn up in video form on the Daily Show page of the Comedy Central website. It's worth watching for.


AND SPEAKING OF THE OHIO SENATE RACE . . .

You want to keep up with the buzz in the Khyber Pass caves, don't you? Don't forget this evening's live blog session with Sherrod Brown--at 5:30 EDT on firedoglake.