As the controversy over Rush Limbaugh's inflammatory comments about Sandra Fluke continues, Fox News is finding itself in somewhat of a dilemma, as Jon Stewart pointed out on Tuesday night's "Daily Show."
The conservative news network had the choice of either defending or condemning Limbaugh, who many in the GOP vocally support, but instead raised Bill Maher's controversial Sarah Palin joke from last year as evidence that liberals are also guilty of irresponsible diatribes.
Stewart was perplexed by Fox's diversionary tactics on the subject:
"So I guess by bringing up Bill Maher, Fox is saying, 'So we're even, right? Off-setting penalties. Let's just say we all get back to what really matters to Americans: whether Obama is a Sunni or a Shi'ite.'"
Fox pundits went on to accuse comedians of having a liberal double standard, or as Michelle Malkin put it, "the humor card," allowing them to say anything they want under the umbrella of comedy and entertainment. However, this argument lacks solid footing given the GOP's defense of Limbaugh as merely "being absurd" and even Limbaugh's own excuse for the Fluke comments as an "attempt to be humorous."
As a comedian himself, Stewart obviously had strong feelings about this so-called hypocrisy:
"See here's the other thing I'm sick and tired of about this comedian thing: nobody's hiding behind comedy, and there are repercussions for what comedians say. When you're doing it in a club, there are repercussions. Ask Michael Richards. Ask Tracy Morgan. If you do comedy on television, there are repercussions. Ask me."
Watch the full clip above to see Stewart criticize Fox and the GOP in general for their defense of Limbaugh.