The Daily Show Season 11, Episode 103: Thomas E. Ricks

George Packer

TONIGHT: Author of The Assassins' Gate : America in Iraq, George Packer!

Pierce Brosnan

TONIGHT: Actor, Pierce Brosnan! Also, Jason Jones with "Spear Pressure."

James Risen

TONIGHT: NY Times reporter and author of State of War, James Risen!

Albert Brooks

TONIGHT: Star of Finding Comedy in the Muslim World, actor and filmmaker, Albert Brooks!

Peter Bergen

TONIGHT: CNN's terrorism analyst, Peter Bergen!

Edward Lazarus

TONIGHT: Author of Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court, Edward Lazarus!

Eugene Jarecki

TONIGHT: Documentary film maker, Eugene Jarecki! Also, Rob Corddry with "This Week in God."

L. Paul Bremer

TONIGHT: Author of My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope and former Head of Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer!

James Woolsey

TONIGHT: Former CIA Director, James Woolsey!

Josh Lucas

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Glory Road, Josh Lucas! Also, Nate Corddry with an American Resolution.

Fred Barnes

TONIGHT: Author of Rebel-in-Chief: How George W. Bush Is Redefining the Conservative Movement and Transforming America, Fred Barnes!

Reza Aslan

TONIGHT: Author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Reza Aslan!

Anthony Hopkins

TONIGHT: Actor and star of The World's Fastest Indian, Anthony Hopkins! Plus "New Year's Resolution" with Ed Helms!

Bernard-Henri Levy

TONIGHT: Author of American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville, Bernard-Henri Levy!

Randy Jackson

TONIGHT: Judge on American Idol, Randy Jackson!

Charles Barkley

TONIGHT: Retired NBA Star, Charles Barkley!

Michael Beschloss

TONIGHT: Author and historian, Michael Beschloss!

Robert O'Harrow, Jr.

TONIGHT: Author of No Place to Hide: Behind the Scenes of Our Emerging Surveillance Society, Robert O'Harrow, Jr.! Plus, "New Year's Resolution" with Dan Bakkedahl!

Torie Clarke

TONIGHT: Former Assistant Defense Secretary for Public Affairs, Torie Clarke! Plus, Rob Corddry with "This Week In God!"

Harrison Ford

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Firewall, Harrison Ford! Also, the first installment of "Klassic Kolbert."

Will Arnett

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Arrested Development, Will Arnett!

Mike Mullane

TONIGHT: Astronaut, Mike Mullane!

Peter Tertzakian

TONIGHT: Author of A Thousand Barrels a Second: The Coming Oil Break Point and the Challenges Facing an Energy Dependent World, Peter Tertzakian!

Julianne Moore

TONIGHT: Actress and star of Freedomland, Julianne Moore! Plus, "Trendspotting" with Demetri Martin.

Ed Harris

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Winter Passing, Ed Harris! Plus, Lewis Black with "Back in Black."

Sarah Vowell

TONIGHT: Author of Assassination Vacation, Sarah Vowell! Also, Nate and Rob Corddry with "Brother vs. Brother."

Matthew Fox

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Lost, Matthew Fox!

Roger Ebert

TONIGHT: Movie critic, Roger Ebert! Also, Lewis Black with "Back in Black."

Eugene Linden

TONIGHT: The author of The Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations, Eugene Linden!

Neil Young

TONIGHT: Musician and composer, Neil Young!

Bruce Bartlett

TONIGHT: The author of Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy, Bruce Bartlett!

Eric Burns

TONIGHT: The author of Infamous Scribblers: The Founding Fathers and the Rowdy Beginnings of American Journalism, Eric Burns!

Bart Ehrman

TONIGHT: The author of Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, Bart Ehrman! Plus "This Week in God" with Rob Corddry.

Natalie Portman

TONIGHT: Actress and star of V for Vendetta, Natalie Portman!

Vin Diesel

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Find Me Guilty, Vin Diesel!

Clive Owen

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Inside Man, Clive Owen!

General Georges Sada

TONIGHT: Author of Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied And Survived Saddam Hussein, General Georges Sada! Also, "Trendspotting" with Demetri Martin!

Senator Russ Feingold

TONIGHT: Wisconsin Senator, Russ Feingold!

Michael Mandelbaum

TONIGHT: Author of The Case For Goliath: How America Acts As The World's Government in the Twenty-first Century, Michael Mandelbaum

Michael Gordon

TONIGHT: Author of Cobra II : The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, Michael Gordon!

Fareed Zakaria

TONIGHT: Newsweek International editor, Fareed Zakaria!

Queen Latifah

TONIGHT: Actress and star of Ice Age: The Meltdown, Queen Latifah!

Sharon Stone

TONIGHT: Actress and star of Basic Instinct 2, Sharon Stone!

Ricky Gervais

TONIGHT: Actor and podcast host of "The Ricky Gervais Show", Ricky Gervais! Also, Ed Helms with "This Week In God".

Studs Terkel

TONIGHT: Broadcaster and author of "And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey", Studs Terkel! Also, Senator John McCain stops by to defend his decision to talk in front of Liberty University students.

Gen. Tony Zinni

TONIGHT: Retired Marine General and author of "The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose", Gen. Tony Zinni!

Josh Hartnett

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Lucky Number Slevin, Josh Hartnett! Also, Dan Bakkedahl learns about "Beach Ploys".

Jon Meacham

TONIGHT: The author of American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation, Jon Meacham! Also, Ed Helms travels to Alaska to find out about the enormous population of bald eagles in one small town.

Ryan Nerz

TONIGHT: The author of Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit, Ryan Nerz!

Dennis Quaid

TONIGHT: Actor and star of American Dreamz, Dennis Quaid!

Sen. Ted Kennedy

TONIGHT: Senator from Massachusetts, Sen. Ted Kennedy! Also, Jason Jones with Not In Your Front Yard.

Efraim Halevy

TONIGHT: The author of Man in the Shadows: Inside the Middle East Crisis with a Man Who Led the Mossad, Efraim Halevy!

Tom Selleck

TONIGHT: The author of Man in the Shadows: Inside the Middle East Crisis with a Man Who Led the Mossad, Efraim Halevy!

Kimberley Strassel

TONIGHT: Wall Street Journal editor, Kimberley Strassel!

Robin Williams

TONIGHT: Actor and star of R.V., Robin Williams!

Matthew Continetti

TONIGHT: The author of The K Street Gang: The Rise and Fall of the Republican Machine, Matthew Continetti!

Madeleine Albright

TONIGHT: The author of The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs, Madeleine Albright!

Clark Kent Ervin

TONIGHT: The author of Open Target: Where America Is Vulnerable To Attack, Clark Kent Ervin!

John Malkovich

TONIGHT: Actor John Malkovich!

David Remnick

TONIGHT: The author of Reporting: Writings from the New Yorker, David Remnick!

Eric Shawn

TONIGHT: Author of The U.N. Exposed: How the United Nations Sabotages America's Security and Fails the World, Eric Shawn!

Billy Connolly

TONIGHT: Stand-up comedian Billy Connolly!

Francis Fukuyama

TONIGHT: Author of America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy, Francis Fukuyama!

Howard Dean

TONIGHT: The Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean!

Denis Leary

TONIGHT: Actor and star of Rescue Me, Denis Leary!

Ramesh Ponnuru

TONIGHT: A senior editor for National Review, Ramesh Ponnuru! Plus, Lewis Black: Back in Black.

Willie Nelson

TONIGHT: Legendary country musician and performer of You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, Willie Nelson!

Caroline Kennedy

TONIGHT: Caroline Kennedy, founder of the Profiles In Courage Award.

Bill Bennett

TONIGHT: Former Secretary of Education and author of America, Bill Bennett.

Bonnie Hunt

TONIGHT: Actress Bonnie Hunt from the movie Cars. Plus, Lewis Black reports in Back in Black!

Lily Tomlin

TONIGHT: Legendary comedian Lily Tomlin!

Thomas Friedman

TONIGHT: The author of The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, Thomas L. Friedman!

Ken Mehlman

TONIGHT: The chair of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman!

Tim Russert

TONIGHT: The Host of NBC's Meet the Press and the author of Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons, Tim Russert!

Louis C.K.

TONIGHT: The star of the new series Lucky Louie, Louis C.K.!

Calvin Trillin

TONIGHT: American journalist, humorist, and author of Messages from My Father!, Calvin Trillin!

Juliet Eilperin

Tonight: Washington Post reporter Juliet Eilperin, author of Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship is Poisoning the House of Representatives.

Anderson Cooper

TONIGHT: Host of CNN's Anderson Cooper: 360, Anderson Cooper.

Adam Sandler

Lance Armstrong

Helen Thomas

Al Gore

Kevin Spacey

Illario Pantano

Tonight former U.S. Marine and co-author of <I>Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy</I>, Illario Pantano.

John Dean

Tonight: Former Nixon legal counsel and author of <I>Conservatives Without Conscience</I>, John Dean.

Shawn Wayans

Owen Wilson

Tonight: Actor and one of the stars of <I>You, Me and Dupree</I>, Owen Wilson.

Gordon Chang

Tonight: Gordon Chang, author of <I>Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On The World</I>.

M. Night Shyamalan

Tonight: Director of the movie <I>Lady in the Water</I>, M. Night Shaymalan.

James Maguire

Tonight: The author of <I>American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds</I>, James Maguire.

Paul Giamatti

Tonight: Actor and star of the movie <I>Lady in the Water</I>, Paul Giamatti.

Senator John McCain

Ed Burns

TONIGHT: actor, writer and director of <I>The Groomsman</I>, Ed Burns.

Sharon Weinberger

TONIGHT: Defense reporter and author of <I>Imaginary Weapons: A Journey Through the Pentagon's Scientific Underworld</I>, Sharon Weinberger. Also, Lewis Black in "Back in Black.

Dr. Alon Ben-Meir

TONIGHT: NYU Professor, Dr. Alon Ben-Meir.

Will Ferrell

Vali Nasr

TONIGHT: Professor of Middle East and South Asia politics and author of <I>The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future</I>, Vali Nasr.

Chris Paine

TONIGHT: Writer and director of the documentary <I>Who Killed The Electric Car?</I>, Chris Paine.

Danny DeVito

TONIGHT: Actor and star of <I>It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia</I>, Danny DeVito.

Brian Williams

Craig Glenday

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

TONIGHT: Famous NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Samuel L. Jackson

TONIGHT: The star of the movie Snakes on a Plane, Samuel L. Jackson.

Thomas Kean

Matt Dillon

Reza Aslan

Tonight, author and scholar of comparative religions, Reza Aslan.

William Cohen

Tonight former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, author of <I>Dragon Fire</I>.

Frederick Lane

Tonight Frederick Lane, author of <I>The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture</I>.

Martin Short

Tonight actor and comedian Martin Short.

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Tonight actress and star of <I>sherrybaby</I>, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Gary Hart

Tonight former U.S.

Ed Gillespie

Tonight political advisor and author of <I>Winning Right: Campaign Politics and Conservative Policies</I>, Ed Gillespie.

Norm MacDonald

Tonight comedian Norm MacDonald.

Bill Clinton

Ben Affleck

Tonight actor and star of <I>Hollywoodland</I> Ben Affleck.

Johnny Knoxville

Tonight actor and star of <I>Jackass Number Two</I>, Johnny Knoxville.

CC Goldwater

Tonight founder of Sweet Pea Films and producer of the documentary <I>Mr. Conservative: Goldwater On Goldwater</I>, CC Goldwater.

Pat Buchanan

Tonight conservative pundit Pat Buchanan.

Pervez Musharraf

Al Franken

Tonight comedian Al Franken.

Jim McGreevey

Tonight, former Governor of New Jersey and author of <I>The Confession</I>, Jim McGreevey.

Trent Lott

Tonight Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, author of <I>Herding Cats: A Life in Politics</I>.

Dennis Miller

Tonight comedian Dennis Miller.

Ian Bremmer

Tonight the President of the Eurasia Group and author of <I>The J Curve: A New Way To Understand Why Nations Rise And Fall</I>, Ian Bremmer.

David Rakoff

James Baker

Tonight former Secretary of State and author of <I>Work Hard, Study...

David Cross

Tonight comedian and star of <I>Freak Show</I>, David Cross.

Lou Dobbs

Tonight the host of CNN's <I>Lou Dobbs Tonight</I>, Lou Dobbs.

David Mark

Tonight David Mark, author of <I>Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning</I>.

Frank Rich

Tonight <I>New York Times</I> columnist Frank Rich, author of <I>The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina</I>.

Amy Sedaris

Tonight actress Amy Sedaris, author of <I>I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence</I>.

John Ashcroft

Tonight fromer U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Kirsten Dunst

LeBron James

Tonight NBA superstar LeBron James.

John Meuller

Tonight Ohio State policy analyst and author of <I>Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry Inflate National Securty Threats and Why We Believe Them</I>, John Meuller.

Midwest Midterm Midtacular

Tonight John Oliver talks to people who were wooed in 2004. Also Demitri Martin reports on the clubs at Ohio State.

Sacha Baron Cohen

Tonight comedian and star of <I>Borat</I>, Sacha Baron Cohen.

Jerry Seinfeld

Indesion 2006 Election Night

Combined with The Colbert Report, Dan Rather stops by.

Howard Dean

Tonight chairman of the Democratic National Committe, Howard Dean.

Dustin Hoffman

Tonight actor and co-star of <I>Stranger Than Fiction</I>, Dustin Hoffman.

Tina Fey

Tonight writer, actress and star of <I>30 Rock</I>, Tina Fey.

John Edwards

Tonight former Senator from North Carolina and author of <I>Home: Blueprints of Our Lives</I>, John Edwards.

Ted Koppel

Tonight former anchor of <I>Nightline</I>, Ted Koppel.

Muhammad Yumus

Tonight professor of economics and founder of the Grameen Bank, Muhammad Yumus.

Rahm Emanuel

TONIGHT: Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D, Rep-ILL, chair of the Congressional Campaign Committee for 2006 elections.

Tom Waits

Tonight's Guest: Musician Tom Waits.

George Clooney

Tenacious D

Tonight's guests: Jack Black and Kyle Gass, collectively known as Tenacious D.Black and Gass star in the new film Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny.

Nathan Lane

Tonight actor and Broadway star Nathan Lane.

Sen. John Danforth

Eve Herold

Tonight the director of public policy research at the Genetics Policy Institute and author of <I>Stem Cell War: Inside Stories from the Frontlines</I>, Eve Herold.

Ed Viesturs

Tonight mountain climber and author of <I>No Shortcut to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Hightest Peaks</I>, Ed Viesturs.

Sen. Lincoln Chafee

Fareed Zakaria

Tonight the editor for <I>Newsweek International</I>, Fareed Zakaria.

Ricky Gervais

Tonight actor and star of <I>Extras</I>, Ricky Gervais.

Rajiv Chandraeskaran

Tonight the assistant managing editor for the <I>Washington Post</I> and author of <I>Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone</I>, Rajiv Chandraeskaran.

Gov. Tom Vilsack

Tonight Iowa Governor and 2008 Presidential candidate, Tom Vilsack.

Bill Kristol

Ben Stiller

Tonight actor and star of <I>Night at the Museum</I>, Ben Stiller.