If you haven't watched John Stewart's appearance on Crossfire yet, you can watch it on ifilm. It's being discussed in a lot of places including Slashdot, Lisa Rein's Radar, and on Jason's blog.

BEGALA: And that CROSSFIRE reduces everything, as I said in the intro, to left, right, black, white.\ STEWART: Yes.\ BEGALA: Well, it's because, see, we're a debate show.\ STEWART: No, no, no, no, that would be great.\ BEGALA: It's like saying The Weather Channel reduces everything to a storm front.\ STEWART: I would love to see a debate show.\ BEGALA: We're 30 minutes in a 24-hour day where we have each side on, as best we can get them, and have them fight it out.\ STEWART: No, no, no, no, that would be great. To do a debate would be great. But that's like saying pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition.

I won't spoil it to much or add too much of my own redundant analysis. Suffice to say that John Stewart tells the Crossfire hosts "Why do you have to be corporate/party tools" and they basically respond "Didn't you come on our show to be a tool too?" The only thing that would make this exchange any funnier would have been if that guy's bow tie would spin every time he got upset by Stewart's comments.

Not since the turn of the 20th century has the US plowed through Panama the way it did tonight. Needing a win to advance to the final regional round, the US team romped to a 6-0 win at RFK Stadium tonight. Wearing the captain's armband, San Jose midfielder Landon Donovan scored the first two goals. Eddie Johnson, who plays for the Dallas Burn, came in at the 75th minute and managed to score a natural hat trick in only his second appearance with the senior national team. An own goal in the closing minutes ended the goal fest.

Save for some sloppy play after its first goal in the 20th minute of the first half and in the opoening minutes of the second half, the US managed to control possesion and trouble the Panamanian defense without relenting. Panama looked dangerous only on two occassions, forcing US Goalkeeper to make saves on a long range shot and a curling free kick.

The win qualifies the USA for the six team final round with one home games left to play. Coach Bruce Arena will have the freedom to bring in and test some new faces in its final home game against Jamaica. This final round will decide the three teams that will represent North & Central America and the Caribbean in the 2006 World Cup.

Nothing spectacularly insightful and I missed the first hour of the debate because we were watching the US-Panama World Cup Qualifier, but here are some observations:

• In his answer to the no child left behind question, Kerry spoke about Hispanics and the president seemed to refer to them as "children whose parents don't speak English."
• Bush blinks a lot when he's not speaking.
• Staci wants to know what George Bush has done domestically besides no child left behind.
• I'm gonna try the "pound-the-podium" technique to get people to believe my points.
• I think the blue background behind the candidates could lead to some interesting blue screen possibilites. Either Kerry or Bush could be the next Bert-is-Evil meme.
• Bush says: "Freedom is a gift from the Almighty", "Gog wants everyone to be free", "Freedom is on the march in Afghanistan" but he "never wants to impose his religion on someone else." So is he an instrument of God's will on Earth?
• You think Bush didn't hear complaints from National Guard troops about a backdoor draft because his handlers make sure no dissenting voices make it to his campaign appearances?