Jim Cramer Disappears From Public; Felt 'Blindsided' By Stewart

Since his brutal interview with Jon Stewart on Thursday, CNBC host Jim Cramer has largely disappeared from public view. He skipped a planned Friday morning appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and MSNBC producers were also asked to avoid bringing up the debacle during yesterday’s programming. Today, the Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz hints at the internal turmoil the interview caused, noting that staffers were “furious” with Cramer for failing to defend the network:

Cramer has told colleagues he felt blindsided by Stewart’s hostile approach. But many CNBC staffers were furious with Cramer yesterday for failing to defend the network’s reporting or to criticize Stewart’s video clips as selectively edited or out of context. CNBC declined all interview requests, saying in a statement: “CNBC produces more than 150 hours of live television a week that includes more than 850 interviews in the service of exposing all sides of every critical financial and economic issue. We are proud of our record.”

Cramer used an analogy to the college basketball playoffs to depict himself as the underdog. “When you are a Big East team and you are 16th seed in the Western Regional, you just want to leave with your head intact,” he said by e-mail. “When I walked out, I checked in the mirror. It was still attached. So I am thrilled to have been in the tourney.“