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Jon Stewart has been a pretty busy guy lately. Not only is he hosting a new show-cum-podcast, The Problem with Jon Stewart, but he’s also been spending a good chunk of time in Cockburn’s hometown, Washington DC. Stewart has been making the waves while campaigning for HR. 3967, otherwise known as the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, as he bashed Ted Cruz for initially not supporting it.
His on-the-ground activism in DC garnered media attention this week after he held a press conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Jon Tester. Stewart made a passionate plea that would make Matthew McConaughey proud.
The TV host also found himself embroiled in a spat with conservative firebrands Jack Posobiec and Raheem Kassam. Stewart started off combative and confrontational against the two, believing them to be “trolls.” However, after having calmed down, he appeared in a video with Posobiec and recanted his earlier outburst, conceding that they were on the same side on this issue.
Stewart said:
I lost my temper a little bit, I felt like I was being trolled, and I realized that the important thing is just to get this done for these guys [veterans] and get them over the finish line to get the healthcare they need.
The comedian has advocated for this cause for some time. Back in 2019, Stewart put out a video advocating medical help for 9/11 first responders and soldiers overseas exposed to toxic fumes from burn pits. These soldiers suffered from lung disease, cancer and brain injuries, purportedly due to the impact of the pits. Last year, Mary Kate Skehan wrote in these pages about her brother, an Afghanistan veteran, and his thyroid cancer. “He wasn’t conscious of breathing in fumes, and his doctors don’t know whether his being there gave him the exposure that led to his cancer.”
Given his time in Washington, it seems fair to wonder: is Stewart trying to position himself as the new face of the Democratic Party? Cockburn couldn’t help but notice his stint in town was opportunely timed, while President Biden was waylaid with Covid.
As the Democrats look to 2024, they could use someone who can really keep pressure on their opponents. Stewart put the vise on Cruz, who eventually folded and helped to pass the legislation.
While the Texas senator griped that he hated the “Democrat-created budget gimmick that will allow Congress to subsequently spend another $400 billion in pork”, he voted for it nonetheless, which could well be indicative of Stewart’s power and influence.
It is undeniable that the Democratic Party needs a fresh face; someone to take up the role of the wise mentor figure. Every late-night host is already singing off the Stewart songsheet — why wouldn’t the Dems follow suit?
