Nothing like a backyard barbecue -- with Jon Stewart

We caught up with "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart Monday at an afternoon barbecue in Myers Park, where he was mingling at a fundraiser for veterans and wounded warriors.

The cause is one of Stewart's favorites. It's also a favorite of party co-host and Charlotte author Paula Broadwell (shown with Stewart and with local veterans). (Check the end of this post for a list of veterans' resources that Broadwell recommends.)

About 200 attended the event, held at the home of Shannon Lalor and Sami Aasar. Broadwell, author of "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus," met Stewart in January during a "Daily Show" appearance to promote her book.

That day, she and Stewart engaged in a push-up competition to raise money for wounded veterans. Broadwell, a West Point graduate and counterterrorism expert, bested Stewart easily. Recalling the contest Monday, Stewart said: "I'm never doing that again in my life."

With Stewart in town to film "The Daily Show" at ImaginOn during the Democratic National Convention, Broadwell decided to throw the last-minute party.

Stewart, wearing khakis, a black T-shirt and at least a day's beard growth, said he was enjoying the sunshine after spending a week taping shows in Tampa during the Republican National Convention. "I haven't been outside for a week," he said "I feel like a mole person."

He spent much of the party posing for photos, chatting with guests and drawing laughs with one-liners. When a little girl clad in a bathing suit and swim flippers approached him, he quipped: "Oh my God! It's a web-footed person!"

Has he gathered any good material on Charlotte for his show yet? He's working on it, he told me. "We're trying to figure out why, no matter what you're eating, they put it on a biscuit."

Here's a list of local resources for veterans that Broadwell highlighted Monday:

• Team Red, White and Bluewww.teamrwb.org headed by Army Major Mike Erwin.
• MFLCF http://www.mflcf.org/ headed by Army vet Rick Cantwell.
• Carolina Marines http://www.carolinamarines.org/ headed by Marine vet Aaron Harper.
• Charlotte Bridge Home http://www.charlottebridgehome.org/ headed by Tommy Norman and represented by Frances Thompson yesterday.
• USO of North Carolina http://www.uso-nc.org/ headed by Army vet John Falkenbury.
• We Serve Again www.weserveagain.com run by veteran Brannon Williams.
• www.Openprosthetics.org started by Marine veteran and amputee Jon Kuniholm.

Charlotte author bests Jon Stewart in push-up contest

If you read my story this week on Charlotte's Paula Broadwell, counterterrorism expert and author of "All In: the Education of General David Petraeus," you know this Dilworth mom is a tough competitor. After all, she graduated in the top of her West Point class in physical fitness.

Now she can boast another accomplishment. On Wednesday night, when she appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," the two competed in an off-air push-up contest. And she killed.

Broadwell took her heels off, did 60 push-ups and looked liked she could keep going indefinitely. Stewart did 38 push-ups and looked like he was about to die. He donated $20,000 to an organization for veterans that Broadwell is also supporting. (Broadwell's husband, Dr. Scott Broadwell, also got into the act.)

And what did Stewart say about the book? Well, he noted it it was a flattering portrait of Petraeus: "I mean the most controversial thing.. is is he awesome, or incredibly awesome?"

The video contains graphic language.

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