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Ron Paul鈥檚 got something to say to Jon Stewart. Two words, in fact: 鈥渢hank you.鈥�

OK, Representative Paul didn鈥檛 use that phrase exactly, but at a Wednesday breakfast sponsored by the Monitor, he was clearly appreciative of all the publicity that the famous Comedy Central host has been providing his campaign for president.

Asked how he was getting his message out through a skeptical media, Paul made a few generic remarks, then said, unbidden, 鈥淚 think another person that鈥檚 sort of made my case ... is Jon Stewart. I mean, how could anything be more dramatic than what Jon Stewart did?鈥�

What鈥檚 Mr. Stewart done, you say? We鈥檙e glad you asked! In recent weeks, boosting up Paul has become something of a recurring 鈥�Daily Show鈥� subject.

This kicked off last month when Stewart complained that Paul had finished second in the Ames, Iowa, GOP straw poll, yet the media almost entirely ignored him afterward.

鈥淗ow did libertarian Ron Paul become the 13th floor in a hotel?鈥� Stewart said at the time.

Then, earlier this month, Stewart noted that at one point during the GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley, Calif., Paul said that a barbed-wire fence between the United States and Mexico was un-American, and he implied that it might eventually be used to keep Americans in, instead of illegal immigrants out.

鈥淚鈥檓 telling you, this is why we need this guy in the race! He is the only guy in any political party who realizes that at some point we might want to sneak into Mexico,鈥� said Stewart.

And in a long interview published in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Stewart notes as an aside that it would be impossible to produce a video of Paul contradicting himself on issues 鈥� something the 鈥淒aily Show鈥� staff routinely produces for many other politicians.

鈥淸Paul鈥檚] been consistent over the years,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淵ou may disagree with him, but at least you can respect that the guy has a belief system he鈥檚 engaged in and will defend.鈥�

Let鈥檚 be clear here: Stewart has also said he鈥檚 not sure Paul should be president. Still, taken together, his statements make it sound like he鈥檚 got something of a political crush on the septuagenarian anti-intervention gold bug from Texas.

Even if Stewart鈥檚 kind of making fun of Paul at the same time.

鈥淧eople say, 'Oh, that鈥檚 just the fun [the media] play with candidates, and this is how we direct things.' But [Stewart] really made our case,鈥� said Paul at Wednesday鈥檚 Monitor breakfast.

Which leads us to one last point. You know how Paul could actually win?

That鈥檚 right. Run as a ticket. Paul for president, and Stewart for VP. And they could promise to make Stephen Colbert the White House spokesman.