海角大神

Jon Stewart thinks The New York Times has gone waaayyy overboard in its examination of Marco Rubio鈥檚 personal life in several big stories this week. Mr. Stewart ripped the paper and political journalism in general on Wednesday night in a very funny and painfully true (to a reporter) segment called

First, the soon-to-be-ex-host of "The Daily Show鈥� went after the Gray Lady鈥檚 . This Times expos茅 showed that since 1997, Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, have accumulated 17 traffic tickets. Of these, 13 went to Jeanette.

So, Marco Rubio got four tickets in 17 years, and it鈥檚 a story?

鈥淚 assume The New York Times got this damning information from Marco Rubio鈥檚 plaque in the 鈥楬all of Best Miami Drivers Ever,' " Stewart said.

Then the comedian brought up the larger, follow-up . This front-page expos茅 noted that Rubio bought three houses without putting any money down on two of them. When the Florida lawmaker received $800,000 for a book advance in 2012, he used $100,000 of it to pay off old law school loans, the Times noted.

How dare he lighten his debt load, inveighed Stewart. Facetiously.

鈥淎t long last, Senator, have you no sense of insolvency?鈥� the comic said.

(That鈥檚 a historical reference, if you didn鈥檛 catch it. On June 9, 1954, a brave Army lawyer named Joseph Welch, under questioning from red-hunting Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R) of Wisconsin, said, It broke McCarthy鈥檚 public image.

So Stewart's bringing up McCarthyism there in the context of The New York Times's Rubio stories. Pretty tough stuff.聽

The segment goes on to mock the Times for reporting on Rubio鈥檚 boat and car choices, and his purchase of a home with 鈥渙versized windows."

鈥淥versize windows. What鈥檚 the matter, Senator, the normal amount of sunlight isn鈥檛 good enough for you?鈥� said Stewart, sarcastically.

The segment wraps up by comparing journalism to a 鈥済ame,鈥� drawing on a quote from a聽New York Times reporter about its examination of Rubio being part of 鈥渉ow the game is played."

Stewart notes that the Times鈥檚 print product is the just one beginning of the journalistic assembly line, and that other sources, notably television, will pick up the paper鈥檚 findings and produce bits that highlight the sensational parts and make them seem far more frightening than they are. In the end, the Times story will become about 鈥淩ubio printing counterfeit hundreds in his basement,鈥� according to Stewart.

But it鈥檚 all a game, right?

鈥淒on鈥檛 hate the player, hate the game,鈥� Stewart said. (That鈥檚 an Ice-T lyric and a slightly newer cultural reference.)

Ouch. But if it鈥檚 a game, Stewart plays too: His segment reduced the Times stories to their most ridiculous elements, ignoring such bits as evidence about Rubio鈥檚 past use of political funds for private purchases.聽So the critique might go both directions.