'Daily Show' Takes on Army, White House Over Gay Translator's Firing

Posted by Alex Leo, Huffington Post at 10:02 AM on May 15, 2009.

A storm is brewing over President Obama's refusal to intercede on the behalf of Dan Choi, an Arabic translator and lieutenant in the U.S. Army who was just dismissed for being gay. Choi went on the "Rachel Maddow Show" last week and said he intends "to fight it tooth and nail," and that this kind of behavior "weakens the military." 54 Arabic translators (and hundreds more servicemen) have been dismissed from the Army due to their sexuality.

Jon Stewart excoriated President Bush for his policies and President Obama for flip-flopping on the issue, saying:

"So it was okay to waterboard a guy 80 times but God forbid the guy who could understand what that prick was saying has a boyfriend? Waterboarding may make a prisoner talk, but it ain't gonna make him talk English."

He then introduced the following segment on the issue, in which John Oliver supported the Army's choice with the "he's gay" defense. He eventually screamed at Stewart saying, "I will not let you Cramer me."

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