The feud: If only Rick Santelli had kept his booking on The Daily Show ... none of this would have happened. After the CNBC reporter freaked! out! over bailouts for mortgage holders during a live report from Chicago's Mercantile Exchange, comedian Jon Stewart tried to book him. But when Santelli bailed on his March 4 appearance, Stewart had a freak-out of his own, devoting his show that day to documenting the many ways CNBC's advice failed in the days leading up to the economic crisis.
Part of the attack was leveled against analyst and Mad Money host Jim Cramer, who made some dubious predictions about Bear Stearns stock shortly before the financial giant kicked the bucket. While the rest of CNBC was content to sit tight and let ratings soar in the aftermath of Stewart's tirade, Cramer got, well, mad, taking to the air to defend his show and his predictions. It earned him an even more scathing, personal rebuttal from Stewart, which aired March 10.
Chance at reconciliation: Uh, no. Cramer appeared on The Daily Show on March 12, and after a tongue-lashing from a very earnest Stewart, the two parted ways unamicably.
He said/He said:
F**k you!"
— Stewart to Cramer, March 10, 2009
"A comedian's attacking me! Wow! He runs a variety show!"
— Jim Cramer, March 10, 2009