BROOKE GLADSTONE: Speaking of which, I few years ago I interviewed Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's Daily Show on his book of comic writing, Naked Pictures of Famous People. The funniest bit in there, in my opinion, was the sketch called Adolf Hitler: The Larry King Interview. In it, the worst human in history goes in for rehabilitation by TV confession. I convinced Stewart to play Hitler and Mike O'Meara of the Don and Mike radio show played King. [JON STEWART'S SKIT - ADOLF HITLER: THE LARRY KING INTERVIEW]

MIKE O'MEARA:Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we bring you perhaps the most controversial show in the history of Larry King Live. He began his career as president of the fledgling National Socialist Party, the Nazi Party in Germany. After a failed coup, some prison time and a best-selling book he re-established himself in the German hierarchy first as chancellor and then as Fuhrer. The next ten years under his watch saw Germany's return to power, shame at the Munich Olympics, a failed marriage and finally one hell of a world war, complete with what was thought to be a cowardly demise by his own hand. Tonight, risen from the proverbial dead, we welcome Adolf Hitler!

JOHN STEWART: First of all Larry I don't know what I was so afraid of! These bagels in the green room are delicious!

MIKE O'MEARA: Heh! Well, Chancellor Hitler, I have really...

JOHN STEWART: Please, please -- call me Adolf.

MIKE O'MEARA: Adolf. Yes, well first of all I have to say quite frankly we were very reluctant to have you on!

JOHN STEWART: Well I can't say I blame you for that. I mean you hear the name Hitler -- it's--

MIKE O'MEARA: Well in the end we decided this show is about newsmakers, that's been my motto through 40 years of broadcasting, and critics be damned! I'm not about to stop now!

JOHN STEWART: I don't, I don't know what you're talking about.

MIKE O'MEARA: What do you say to all those people out there - the people who view you as a demon -the perpetrator of the most vicious and incredible-- [BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]

JOHN STEWART: Guilty as-- guilty as charged. Larry, look --I was a bad guy! No question! I hate that Hitler!

MIKE O'MEARA: And this new Hitler?

JOHN STEWART: I get up at 7, have half a melon, do the jumble in the morning paper and then let the day take me where it will. The other day I spent 7 hours in the park watching ants cart off part of a sandwich. Me! The inventor of the Blitzkreig! You know when you stop having to control everything, it's very freeing!

MIKE O'MEARA: Hmmm! Why did you do it?

JOHN STEWART:Oh! Boy. The 64,000 dollar question, huh? I wasn't a happy kid. I mean I'm not trying to make excuses, but you go through high school with one testicle and the nickname "Shitler"--I'm, I'm sorry - they can bleep that, right?

MIKE O'MEARA: Did you ever see the despicable nature of your actions? Was there any remorse?

JOHN STEWART:Ah, sure but denial is a powerful thing. I, I always thought I could stop any time I wanted. If I could just get Czechoslovakia, that'll be the end of it! I'll be happy then. And I'd get it and think -- well, geez, Poland's just up the road apiece-- and-- you know the rest. I-- I think admitting to myself that there was a problem was the toughest part.

MIKE O'MEARA: Yeah, tell us about those final days in the Berlin bunker where until now we had assumed you had killed yourself.

JOHN STEWART: Hm! Ah! Yes, yeah, right well - a funny story. Everyone thought I went into the bunker to escape--

MIKE O'MEARA: Not the case?

JOHN STEWART:N--No. Actually, as the allied forces are closing in, I was still in denial! I really thought we were going to rally - you know make an end run around Switzerland and flank'em. So I'm planning furiously and snapping at people - you know, as my therapist says, "playing the dictator."

MIKE O'MEARA: Uh-huh.

JOHN STEWART:So Eva calls me down to the bunker for some--emergency with the generators. So anyway I go down and there's Eva and Himmler, and two of my other closest friends, and I'll never forget. I walk in and say "Was is los?"

MIKE O'MEARA: Mm-hm.

JOHN STEWART:And Eva takes my face in her hands, looks me in the eyes and says, "Adolf, we all love you very much, but if you don't stop with this [SHOUTING] conquer and purify thing, no one in this room [RANTING] will ever talk to you again!"

MIKE O'MEARA: Well what happened?!

JOHN STEWART:Ah-- I shot them. I mean back then we didn't know from interventions -- I just figured they were betraying me! Anyway I threw on Eva's clothes and snuck out into the night. I lived like an animal for weeks, doing what I had to do to get by. One day a group of boys were making fun of the lady with the moustache, and I got a look at myself in the reflection of a window and realized they were talking about me. It was then that I knew I had to get my life together.

MIKE O'MEARA:Interesting! Now after all these years, why resurface and open yourself up to the incredible tumult that your return has created?

JOHN STEWART: Stay off the radar. No, that's a good question! See-- I had been talking a good game for many years now, what a changed man I was, how I'd found real peace-- but I was still playing the blame game! My therapist challenged me to put up or shut up -- to prove to myself that I could take responsibility for my life. So-- here I am.

MIKE O'MEARA: We've been talking with Adolf Hitler, the book is--

JOHN STEWART: Da--ah-- is, is it over already?!

MIKE O'MEARA: I'm afraid so.

JOHN STEWART: That, that was fast!! I thought I was the one who had ways of making you talk! [LAUGHTER] Ah, but seriously, the book is called Mein Comfortable Shoes. You get it?

MIKE O'MEARA: I do!

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Yes, yes. It's about an angry man who learns to appreciate the little things in life. It's about acceptance.

MIKE O'MEARA: And what's next for Adolf Hitler?

JOHN STEWART:Well I'll be doing Politically Incorrect next Thursday and as always you can see my old work on the A&E network, and in two weeks I will be appearing on Court TV as I stand trial for crimes against humanity.

MIKE O'MEARA: What kind of defense will you be offering?

JOHN STEWART:Not much. I fully expect that by this time next year, I'll have been convicted, possibly put to death. But I'm going to represent myself, though, because from now on the blame goes here. The only one to blame for Hitler is Hitler. Yeah, besides, who wants to get involved with a bunch of phony-baloney defense lawyers? [LAUGHS] I mean, talk about evil! [LAUGHTER]

MIKE O'MEARA: Well, Adolf, thanks so much for coming by.

JOHN STEWART: Ah, danke schoen. [MUSIC]