COLBERT STRETCHES THE 'DAILY' VIBE.

Byline: David Kronke Television Critic

When Jon Stewart earnestly lobbed Stephen Colbert political queries on Comedy Central's ``The Daily Show,'' Colbert invariably arched an eyebrow before his wearily smug response. He perfectly encapsulated the disdain inside-the-Beltway commentators have for naive members of what a recent New York Times Magazine article deemed the ``reality-based community.''

Colbert's withering brow hilariously dismisses those too dim to understand that mere facts are not so pernicious as to be easily batted away like flies by the New World Order's preening. The late Peter Jennings was one of several broadcast journalists accused of editorializing by arching a skeptical eyebrow during a report: If Jennings' brow performed a high jump, Colbert's medals in the pole vault.

For his efforts, Colbert has received his own program, ``The Colbert Report'' (both hard T's are pretentiously silent), a parody of shows like ``The O'Reilly Factor,'' which are less about issues and events than they are about how righteously gifted the host is. It debuted Monday night, after ``The Daily Show.''

Unlike ``The Daily Show,'' ``The Colbert Report'' so far has no political ax to grind. It's merely content to parody pundit self-aggrandizement. ``Your voice will be heard - in the form of my voice,'' Colbert declared on his premiere.

During a beautifully calibrated screed championing anti-intellectualism on Monday, he proclaimed, ``Anyone can read the news to you; I promise to feel the news atyou.''

Colbert delights in nudging ``journalism'' aside to revel in the poetry of clever if pompous wordplay. That sensibility soared Monday when he had NBC reporter Stone Phillips deliver a playground tongue-twister with stentorian news-anchor authority.

On Tuesday, Colbert railed in favor of mindless conspicuous consumption. Whether his eloquence in service of idiocy can sustain itself for the life of a series remains to be seen, but the show is off to a decent start.

Meanwhile, over on ``The Daily Show,'' Stewart has become something of an activist, despite repeatedly insisting he's nothing of the sort.

When CNN canceled ``Crossfire'' after Stewart denigrated that show on the cable channel - CNN president Jonathan Klein agreed that such bickerfests had little value - it inadvertently, and irretrievably, upped his political capital. And he has taken care to instill value to his unique brand of advocacy anti-journalism.

Though he dismisses his program as a mere forum for comedy, Stewart has clearly striven to make it significant. Its Emmys and Peabody Awards - not to mention NBC anchor Brian Williams' recent admiring shout-out to Stewart on his blog at MSNBC.com - delineate the Media Elite's approval of Stewart's sensibility.

Last month, during ``The Daily Show's'' weeklong skewering of the evolution ``debate,'' a sepia-toned image from the Scopes Monkey Trial was accompanied by a scratchy, tinny sound bite spewing homophobic venom. Viewers assumed the quote came from the 1920s until a title card revealed a public official uttered it just last year. It was a brilliant piece of social commentary chillingly underscoring the relentless march of small-mindedness. What it wasn't, though, was funny. Nor are montages of pundits mindlessly repeating talking points, even if they are astute media criticism.

Stewart strives to have it both ways. He mercilessly assails the current administration and the media's seeming reticence to criticize it; his imitation of President Bush's feckless cackle is absolutely corrosive. Yet when he interviews conservatives such as Rick Santorum, he's usually respectful (particularly toward conservatives he likes, such as John McCain and Bob Dole), straining to find a common ground. He's singular in his attempts to inspire civil, rather than rabid discourse in the country.

On Tuesday, on the other hand, Stewart had Bill O'Reilly on the show; it was neither man's finest moment. O'Reilly scarcely seemed pleased to be there, scolding Stewart: ``The world could blow up,'' he said, suggesting Stewart's response would be, ``How can we make fun of it?''

``We do add insult to injury,'' Stewart admitted, adding, ``but - you add injury.'' Stewart brought O'Reilly on early in the show but rather than keep him around - the interview is usually the last feature of an episode and newsmakers such as O'Reilly frequently stay for two segments - he cut his losses and threw to a canned jokey report for the show's finale.

At that point, Stewart realized that while it's laudable to make ``important'' points, it's better for his show to be funny.

David Kronke,[phone]

david.kronke(at)dailynews.com

THE COLBERT REPORT - Three stars

What: ``Daily Show'' correspondent Stephen Colbert's comically self-serving commentary.

Where: Comedy Central.

When: 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

In a nutshell: Eloquence in the service of idiocy.

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COLBERT