Video clip (2:00): Real (3.5 MB) or Windows Media (3.9 MB), plus MP3 audio (700 KB)
Below is a transcript of the relevant exchange with Letterman from the October 11 Late Show:
David Letterman: "Did you see the George Bush press conference this morning?"
Jon Stewart: "I did. He's tremendous. He's doing a, as always, I think he soothed the nation, I think, here's what I like about, he answers questions the way, like an eight-year-old does when they didn't read the book. [applause] You know what I mean? It's that crazy, like, you know, 'Treasure Island is a book about an island,' you know. He just describes facts. I remember they asked him about Dennis Hastert and the Foley situation and should Hastert resign, and he says, [imitating Bush] 'Dennis Hastert,' he says, 'Speaker of the House, known him ten years, his father's a coach, he has an epidermis, covers his whole body, he's a mammal, his kind have live young, no eggs,' you know. And then by the time you're done, he's like, 'Next question,' you know, and you're like, 'You didn't say anything!' People always say, 'Is he,' you know, they say like, 'Oh, I think President Bush is stupid.' He's not stupid. Stupid is, you know, 'Oh my God, I just ate soap.' He's not stupid. When you listen to him talk, you realize he talks like he's talking to someone who's stupid, which means -- we're stupid. That must be. That must be the way that it is."
Letterman: "I feel that way myself. I feel as though I might be stupid."
Stewart: "His manner strikes me now as becoming particularly odder as it goes along. He seems to be wanting to stress things more, you know, 'I make decisions! I'm a decision-maker!' It's that sort of, you know, 'I A B, I'm an 'A B'er,' you know,' I'm a 'B A'er.' I listen to my generals, I'm a general listener.'"
