Jon Stewart and ‘The Daily Show’ are not ignoring Ron Paul

Proving that "The Daily Show" is a legitimate stop on the political publicity tour--and "Indecision 2012" ain't no joke--Texas Rep. Ron Paul has agreed to make his first appearance on Jon Stewart's show since Paul announced his intention to seek the 2012 Republican nomination, and a month after Stewart chastised the news media for ignoring Paul's candidacy.

Paul is scheduled to appear on "The Daily Show" on Sept. 26 at 11 p.m. ET. The episode will serve as a lead-in to an hour-long "Colbert Report," expanded for the first time to accommodate a mini-set by the band Radiohead.

Last month, after Paul finished in second place to Michele Bachmann in the Iowa straw poll, Stewart accused the news media of ignoring the libertarian-leaning candidate.

"This pretending Ron Paul doesn't exist for some reason has been going on for weeks," Stewart said in a "Daily Show" segment. "How did Ron Paul become the thirteenth floor in a hotel?"

Stewart added, "Even when the media does remember Ron Paul, it's only to reassure themselves that there's no need to remember Ron Paul."

At a breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Paul thanked Stewart for "making the case" his supporters have been arguing.

Paul's last appearance on "The Daily Show" was on Sept. 29, 2009. He first appeared on June 4, 2007, when he was seeking the 2008 Republican nomination.

Going on Comedy Central is usually a safer proposition for candidates after they've dropped out of the race. Earlier this month, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty appeared on "The Colbert Report" show for "some light-hearted post-campaign debriefing," The Ticket's Chris Moody observed, "and he said some things you never would have heard him say if he were still running."

"I came in third place behind Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul," Pawlenty told Stephen Colbert. "I think that's enough for any one person to endure."