On The Daily Show on Monday night, Mr. Stewart came to the defense of his Middle Eastern alter-ego, host of the Egyptian satirical TV news show Al Bernameg (“The Program”).

Mr. Youssef, who is often referred to as “Egyptian Jon Stewart,” was arrested on Saturday night after being accused of insulting Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and Islam on his show. Mr. Youssef turned himself in on Sunday morning and was held for questioning for five hours before being released on bail, according to The New York Times.

“Who’s that guy? I bet he’s a terror. What, has he been sabotaging Egypt’s infrastructure? Or harassing Egyptian women on the streets, or un-employing Egyptian people?” Mr. Stewart said on his show, referring to Mr. Morsi’s leadership of post-Arab Spring Egypt, which he sarcastically called “a work in progress.”

Mr. Stewart presented a clip from the contested episode of Mr. Youssef’s show in which the host wore a comically-large version of a hat Mr. Morsi wore at a ceremony in Pakistan. Mr. Youssef also made fun of Mr. Morsi’s “less-than-fluent English.”

“Making fun of the president’s hats and less-than-fluent English? That was my entire career for eight years,” Mr. Stewart asserted, pulling up a picture of George W. Bush in a cowboy hat up on the screen beside him.

After further lambasting Muslim Brotherhood leader and taking the president of NBC down with him, Mr. Stewart softened his mocking tone a bit and moved his chair away from his usual spot.

“Come on. Charging Bassem Youssef with insulting Egypt and Islam? I know Bassem. Bassem is my friend, my brother,” Mr. Stewart said of the heart surgeon-turned comedian, who appeared on The Daily Show in June last year. “By the way, without Bassem and all those journalists and bloggers and brave protestors who took to Tahrir Square to voice dissent, you, President Morsi, would not be in a position to repress them,” he said on a more sobering note.

“The world is watching. No one wants to see Egypt plunge into darkness,” Mr. Stewart added. “Democracy isn’t a democracy if it only lasts up until someone makes fun of your hat.”

Jon Stewart <3 Jesse LaGreca

We here at the New York Observer don't like to pat ourselves on the back too often (it's definitely uncouth, and we're nothing if not couth), but we couldn't help feeling a surge of pride when Jon Stewart used the video we uncovered of Daily Kos' Jesse LaGreca telling off a Fox News producer during  his Wednesday night broadcast.

Of course, we're only noticing this video now because unlike the "media-mocking-the-media-mocking-the-protesters" angle that Comedy Central took, we were actually down at the Megamarch on Wednesday and forgot to TiVo Mr. Stewart. Again, not patting ourselves on the back or anything.

However! We would like to challenge Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert -- both of whom are located in New York -- personally go down and cover the protests live. We'd also love to see them have Mr. LaGreca on their show. That is, if the political writer is willing to do it.

(Photo: The Daily Show)

Last night on The Daily Show, Mr. Stewart suggested that Mr. Paul gain some weight (it worked for New Jersey governor Chris Christie) or change his opinions. The media's bored with his consistency.

At the beginning of the interview, Mr. Stewart asked Mr. Paul was feeling the love from the people and he sarcastically responded, “Oh, all the time, especially the media, they really love me.”

From Jan. 1 to Aug. 14, the Texas congressman is a dominant newsmaker in only 27 campaign stories while former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is a dominant newsmaker in 85 campaign stories without even being a candidate, according to PEW Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, which defines a dominant newsmaker as someone featured in at least half a story.

Mr. Stewart asked Mr. Paul why the media would ignore a candidate that ran in 2008 with a strong showing in addition to coming in a close second in the Ames Straw Poll.

“I think it’s two things,” Mr. Paul said. “I think one is, some people don’t want to hear the message ‘cause it’s a threat to them because I’m a threat to the establishment. Some, though, they just flat-out, they don’t understand what freedom is all about.”

(Photo: The Daily Show)

Noting the attention lavished upon candidates who accuse each other of “flip-flopping,” Mr. Stewart suggested that Mr. Paul dramatically change stance on some key campaign issues. Or, failing that, he should gain weight because “they all seem to love Chris Christie.” Or Mr. Paul should get a tour bus like Ms. Palin’s (left).

Nonetheless, Mr. Paul was confident.

“You don’t always have to convince immediately 51 percent,” he said. “You do need a hardcore people who understand the message.”

For the rest of the interview, go here and here.

2011, however, begins with what could be a setback. Josh Lieb, executive producer at "The Daily Show" since 2006, is leaving to develop a workplace sitcom for Warner Bros. and NBC. Will this complete the trinity that began with "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation," perhaps?

The move set off a shuffling of veteran writers and producers, while Stewart and Roy Albanese will stay on as executive producers.

Josh Lieb is the author of I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President, a young adult novel. He sold the film rights for the book in 2008.

More information, from the Comedy Central press release, is below.

NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2011

Veteran "Daily Show" staff members, Steve Bodow, Jennifer Flanz and Jim Margolis have been promoted to co-executive producers, Tim Carvell to head writer and Pam DePace to supervising producer, it was announced today by Jon Stewart, executive producer, writer and host of the program. After four successful years, Josh Lieb leaves his role as executive producer.

Bodow, Carvell, DePace, Flanz and Margolis have individually held lengthy posts at the critically-acclaimed series and worked together on various tent pole events including the show's revered "Indecision" coverage of the midterm and Presidential elections resulting in week-long broadcasts on the road, live election night specials and, most recently, the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" in Washington, D.C. in October which drew over 250,000 people to the National Mall.

Bodow joined the show in 2002 and held positions as a writer (2002-2006), head writer (2007-2010) and supervising producer (2008-2010). Carvell began in 2004 as a writer (2004-2010). DePace started in 1996 and was a production manager (1996-2008) and line producer (2009-2010). Flanz joined in 1998 as a production assistant (1998-1999) and moved on to roles as an assistant production coordinator (1999-2000), production coordinator, (2000-2001), production manager (2001-2003), coordinating producer (2003-2007) and supervising producer (2007-2010). Margolis joined in 2001 as a field producer (2001-2005) and progressed to senior producer (2005-2006) and supervising producer (2006-2010).

Lieb heads to Los Angeles to pen a workplace comedy for Warner Brothers and NBC. He joined "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" in 2006 as co-executive producer and was an executive producer from 2009-2010. Lieb is the author of I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President, a satirical fantasy for teens, and one of the team contributors to the bestseller release, Earth (The Book), as an editor and writer.

nfreeman at observer.com |@nfreeman1234

Click for Scandal Report: And Then The Model At Diddy's Party Burst Into Flames

The Oct. 30 "Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear" on the National Mall was attended by about 200,000 supporters. 

"I felt like, in twelve years, I'd earned a moment to tell people who I was. And that's what I did," Stewart told Maddow of his reasons for holding the rally. 

Stewart's rally earned its share of critics to go along with the throngs of enthusiastic attendees. 

Though he used painfully diplomatic language, Stewart essentially told Maddow that his detractors missed the point of the rally:

"Whatever you put out, you can only control your intention ... So, when ... people that I respect are perceiving it as something that we didn't perceive it as, sort of, either two or three things. One is, we were inartful in the way that we conceived it and presented it, our intention was wrong or off, not clear, or it's being misperceived."

Stewart used the majority of his Maddow appearance to elaborate on the critique of the divisive, uncivilized culture of cable news that he said was "the point" of his rally.

"My problem is, it's become tribal," Stewart said. "And if you have 24-hour networks that focus -- their job is to highlight the conflict between two sides."

The "Daily Show" host laid blame on CNN for playing a major role in creating the contentious cable climate. 

"CNN sort of started it," Stewart said. "They had this idea that, you know, the fight in Washington is Republicans and Democrats, so why don't we isolate that and we'll stand back here." 

Stewart also called out MSNBC for taking part in an ideological "arms race" with Fox. He criticized the network's coverage of the Tea Party and a dismissive attempt "to delegitimize" the Conservative movement by focusing on its fringes.

Stewart has issues with CNN and MSNBC, but he told Maddow that he and his fellow "Daily Show" staffers have a "special place in our hearts for Fox."  

"I think the brilliance of Fox is they've delegitimized the idea of editorial authority while exercising incredible editorial authority, which is its amazing," Stewart said. "And they also have the game that, 'They're all out to get us,' so any criticism of them can be filtered through the idea that its persecution." 

Maddow and Stewart's discussion focused on the politics of the cable news business, but surprisingly, they didn't talk about last week's controversy over MSNBC host Keith Olbermann's campaign contributions to Democrats. In the nearly hourlong conversation that aired on Maddow's show, the pair of pundits didn't find time to address the temporary suspension of Maddow's "colleague and friend." 

Watch the uncut video of Maddow's conversation with Stewart below:

Media people actually covering the event will be there in scores: David Carr reported yesterday that there were over 1000 applications for press passes, with 400 awarded. 

Details about the rally have been scarce, as Stewart and his team have stayed tight-lipped about the plans. A leaked document from the National Parks Service gives a fairly limited rundown: The Roots, Sheryl Crow, and Jeff Tweedy are all set to perform, Sam Waterson will give a reading for some reason, and there will be a segment called the "Sanity and Fear Awards." The New York Times tells us that what does end up happening will be aired live on Comedy Central, with a tape delay to catch vulgarities. 

In case you don't have a way to get down to D.C., you can always hop on one of the buses that Arianna Huffington chartered. They even have snacks! 

nfreeman [at] observer.com | @nfreeman1234

Romenesko posted a memo that NPR Senior Vice President for News Ellen Weiss sent to the staff this morning reminding everyone that such political demonstrations are not the place for serious radio news reporters, mentioning the two upcoming rallies — and only those two — as examples of places they should not be seen.

NPR journalists may not participate in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that NPR covers, nor should they sign petitions or otherwise lend their name to such causes, or contribute money to them. This restriction applies to the upcoming John Stewart and Stephen Colbert rallies.

So when the Comedy Central duo descends on Washington, NPR staffers will have to show up incognito. We hear Target is selling some totally creepy Obama masks. That might do the trick. 

nfreeman@observer.com

Twitter: @NFreeman1234

The rally, which is set to take place in the shadow of the Washington Monument, is Stewart's response to Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally held on the mall Aug. 28. The Daily Show host posted the event's mission statement on its website:

Think of our event as Woodstock, but with the nudity and drugs replaced by respectful disagreement; the Million Man March, only a lot smaller, and a bit less of a sausage fest; or the Gathering of the Juggalos, but instead of throwing our feces at Tila Tequila, we'll be actively *not* throwing our feces at Tila Tequila. 

Presumably, riders on the Huffington Post bus could make use of the transportation to attend that day's rival rally: Stephen Colbert's "March to Keep Fear Alive."

Ms. Huffington said the buses would leave from Soho, and that other details are forthcoming. 

More than anything else, Jon Stewart challenged Mr. Blagojevich's decision not to take the stand. "You're a young sweet boy trying to help people," Mr. Stewart said at the top of the interview.

"There is not a person in the world that I belive could get you to pipe down," he continued later. "I'd like to see you as a Dickens character, as a victim, but you make it so hard to take your side completely."

Mr. Blagojevich reiterated that he was following his lawyer's advice. "They threw everything at me but the kitchen sink. They accused me of the biggest corruption scandal, selling the president's senate seat for money. They told all the american people that, and before I could catch my breath, everyone thought I was a scumbag around the world," he said. "That's what I was up against."

Part One:

Part Two:

This may come as a surprise to those who have never seen the show — and probably to most who have — but on Wednesday Tosh pulled Comedy Central's best numbers in his time slot since Dave Chappelle, with 2.4 million viewers. On average, Tosh draws 2.2 million viewers, compared to The Daily Show's 2 million and The Colbert Report's 1.4 million.

There's definitely an inclination to say that this may indicate Stewart's lagging relevance, especially since this newly crowned king, Tosh, offers little more than forgettable commentary for YouTube clips. But, hey, it worked for America's Funniest Home Videos.