Liberal Comic Jon Stewart Back in 2000: I'm a 'Socialist'

Roger Ailes was right. Earlier this week, the Fox News president made waves by asserting that Jon Stewart confessed [1] to being a "socialist" while the two were in a bar once. Outlets such as Huffington Post [2] and Mediaite [3] reported the story as an accusation or an open question. It isn't. Appearing on CNN in the year 2000, the comic openly explained his ideology.

After a caller on the December 15, 2000 Larry King Live asked about being objective, Stewart conceded, "I think I would say I'm more of a socialist or an independent."

He added, "No one would ever I think watching our show think that, boy, that guy is just leaning so far right." [MP3 audio here [4].]

For all the attention Stewart gets about speaking truth to power, the comedian told King: "I mean, your personal prejudices always get involved in the job."

Earlier in the segment, the then-CNN anchor told Stewart, "I think you're a Democrat, Jon."

 The humorist prefaced his "socialist" comment by agreeing, "I think that's probably correct."

A transcript of the December 15, 2000 exchange can be found below:

LARRY KING: What's your question?

CALLER: Everyone talks about you at school.

KING: At school. I don't want to get into that. What's your question.

CALLER: I was wondering, is it hard to make political jokes and not be on, like, either side?

KING: You can't be for either side.

JON STEWART: No, that's not true. I mean, I think you -- most people can't hide their political.

KING: I think you're a Democrat, Jon.

STEWART: I think that's probably correct. I think I would say I'm more of a socialist or an independent. But, yeah, I mean, no one would ever I think watching our show think that, boy, that guy is just leaning so far right.

KING: But you would knock the Democrats-

STEWART: Oh, sure.

KING: -when a prime opportunity occurred.

STEWART: Oh, yes.

KING: Like Mark Twain, humor comes first.

STEWART: No, I always -- you know me. I've got the Mark Twain thing. What did he say?

KING: Humor comes first.

STEWART: Humor comes first, and I have that. I never met a man I didn't like -- that wasn't him, was it?

KING: He said that. You didn't believe that, did you?

STEWART: No, I didn't. But yes, clearly. I mean, your personal prejudices always get involved in the job.

-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [5] to follow him on Twitter.