UPDATE: A Comedy Central spokesperson has confirmed to The Huffington Post that "this letter was absolutely not written by Jon Stewart."
On Wednesday afternoon, anti-war advocacy group Codepink posted a letter falsely stating that it was written by "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, calling for President Obama to hand over classified documents outlining the administration's drone strike policy.
The full text can be found below.
After explaining that "my friend Medea Benjamin," a cofounder of Codepink, called Stewart to ask for his help, he agreed to pen an open letter to Codepink supporters to explain how they can help encourage Sen. Patrick Leahy, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to get the drone documents.
While the post is signed "Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show," and no clear indication is given that the letter is anything but authentic, the warning signs that Stewart did not pen the letter are clear. Attached to the letter is a clearly PhotoShopped image of Stewart, with a photo of his head pasted on a body wearing a Code Pink shirt (the original head can be found here).
The language also departs from Stewart's regular rhetoric. In one instance, the author says that he agreed to pen the letter because Codepink is a women-centric group, and "As a virile man, I'd do anything for a vagina." Most "Daily Show" viewers would agree that this does not quite sound like something the married father of two would publicly say (at least in such a manner).
Additionally, Stewart rarely comments on his personal politics outside the confines of his "Daily Show" pulpit. And even if he did, he would probably not use it to champion Codepink, an organization that he once declared as "not helping" liberal causes.
Codepink did not respond to requests to verify its authenticity.
Below is the entire letter Codepink.
February 27, 2013
Dear Codepink person,
I like the president, but if he's going to claim the right to kill me with a flying robot, don't I at least deserve to know why?
Last week, we did a segment on The Daily Show about President Obama’s refusal to release the classified memos justifying his use of killer drones. Now, I've always said that I'm a comedian, even after my role in Big Daddy. But this story got me thinking a little more seriously.
Then I got a call from my friend Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK. She saw that my correspondent Aasif Mandvi had the memos and wanted us to release them. But ever since he read them, Aasif's been too scared to come out from under his desk. So Medea asked me to join her in demanding that Congress do something. Naturally, I said no. I'm a comedian, not an activist. But then she said I could have one of the giant vaginas she sometimes wears and I said “absolutely.” As a virile man, I'd do anything for a vagina.
So join me in calling on Patrick Leahy – the big, bald-headed Democrat who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee – to get his hands on those drone memos. If he does, he'll be doing a public service. And he can have my vagina.
Yours,
Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show
P.S. Check out what those crazy CODEPINK women have been up to!
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