ABC's Chris Cuomo: Jon Stewart is 'Clearly a Lefty,' 'Clearly Pro-Obama'

"Good Morning America" news anchor Chris Cuomo launched an unlikely attack on liberal comedian Jon Stewart during Thursday's show. After discussing possible media bias against John McCain, and playing a clip of the "Daily Show" host mocking the senator, Cuomo warned, "I'll offer you the other side. You gotta be careful of friends like these with Stewart. Clearly a lefty. Clearly pro-Obama."

Referring, presumably, to McCain's nearly even status in many polls, Cuomo continued, "A lot of this country may not feel the same way. May be a little bit of a reflection. You know? Kind of trying to come to McCain's aide 'cause everyone else seems to be for the other guy." Co-host Diane Sawyer concurred, noting the tightness of the race. She also casually admitted to the media's obsession with Obama: "...They keep pointing out in the McCain camp that he's taken three foreign trips in the past four months and not one network anchor joined him and all three show up for Obama." Of course, the GMA anchor didn't continue that thought any further, examine the significance of her admission or even Cuomo's comment that "everyone else seems to be for the other guy."

Cuomo's chiding of Stewart for being both a "lefty" and too "pro-Obama" is odd, given his own reporting and background. In addition to being the son of New York's former Democratic governor Mario Cuomo, he's the brother of the state's current Democratic attorney general. On "Good Morning America," Cuomo often promotes a liberal agenda. Such as when he famously went after conservative Congressman Tom Tancredo for using "scary" words and "driving anti-immigrant sentiment," in regards to the representative's border security crusade.

On a related topic, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough also attacked "The Daily Show" last week. Scarborough, in a much tougher tone than Cuomo, savaged Stewart and his comedy writers: "I never want to hear anybody from 'The Daily Show' or any of these other shows ever saying again, 'We speak truth to power.' 'Cause you know what they do? They speak truth to Republicans."

A transcript of the July 24 segment, which aired at 7:49am, follows:

DIANE SAWYER: [Starts mid sentence.] --this morning. Those of us who cannot live without Jon Stewart. There, I've said it. Couldn't resist his take on the two campaigns, Obama and McCain. Right? Out there and the press coverage. Here is what he said about the press coverage of Obama.

["Daily Show" clip]

JON STEWART: But, let's move from darkness to light with our continuing coverage of one noble warrior's epic adventures. When we last left our hero he was in Jordan. Today, the president of Dreamerica visited the Holy Land. ["Video" of Obama fighting dragons.] (Laughs)That never gets old to me.

SAWYER: And what about McCain? Who, by the way, I think had two people covering him on a day when -- waiting on the tarmac when Obama had 200 over in the Middle East. Here's McCain.

["Daily Show" clip]

STEWART: So how will the journey of Barack and the Obamanauts to the Holy Land affect our nation's other presidential candidate? He's on a quest too, you know, you little jerks! [The song "All by Myself" plays to a "video" of a lonely McCain, looking old and crying at one point.]

ROBIN ROBERTS: He really cracks himself up sometimes with what he does.

SAWYER: No, but they keep pointing out in the McCain camp that he's taken three foreign trips in the past four months and not one network anchor joined him and all three show up for Obama.

CHRIS CUOMO: I'll offer you the other side. You gotta be careful of friends like these with Stewart. Clearly a lefty. Clearly pro-Obama. A lot of this country may not feel the same way. May be a little bit of a reflection. You know? Kind of trying to come to McCain's aide 'cause everyone else seems to be for the other guy.

SAWYER: Well, that's true. I mean, the public is still-- The polls are holding steady, whatever the coverage.

CUOMO: To be continued.

SAWYER: Yeah.