Some people are giving Jon Stewart some serious credit for getting the health care bill for 9/11 responders passed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/business/media/27stewart.html
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With so little faith in congressional politicians it's comforting to think that at least comedians can get things done.
Jon Stewart has not defiled himself by becoming a politician and is in a position where he can generate enough shame on the lowly creatures to maybe get some things done.
I remember this episode. To say he was harsh on the people that voted against it would be an understatement. He put video clips of every Senator that frequently uses September 11 for political gain, re-election, federal power grabs, etc for a minute, then put the video of the roll call vote of them voting against it.
Good job, I say. :)
If Jon Stewart was influential in getting that legislation passed, then it would seem to suggest that comedians have more power than clowns, wouldn't it? The devil is in the details though, and I suspect that the first responders will continue to have to fight to actually get treatment, let alone collecting any of the funds allegedly set aside for disability payments under the settlement.