Ah. Let me sigh that again. Ahhhh.

There ain’t nothing like campaign season, with the spirit of debate and the spite of mud-slinging, to bring out the best in political humor. Unfortunately for this cycle, the TV writers are on strike, stripping some hosts of their snidest one-liners. While that means Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are suffering handicaps, Keith Olbermann, for example, in the other mitt, is making his break for the limelight. And so, in the spirit of Countdown, here’s your countdown of the week’s best news satire.

5. Maher gets heckled by the Truthers. Again.

Back in October, Film.com presented a clip from Real Time with Bill Maher, where supporters of the so-called 9-11 Truth Movement launched a guerrilla strike on the show’s oft-arrogant host. Maher struck back, threatening to personally manhandle the protesters out of the studio. On Tuesday, Dennis Kucinich supporters ambushed Maher during his appearance on the Tonight Show. OK, so this time the activists weren’t protesting the “official story” of 9-11 or promoting Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, but speaking out against NBC’s decision to nix Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich from the Las Vegas debate. Watch how Maher’s polished his defense. (Watch it here; 00:57)

4. Jon Stewart sides with Hillary Clinton in the “Race War.”

No host has felt the hurt of the strike more than The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart. He’s a funny guy, a decent improvisation artist, but, shit, who can come up with that much material alone every day? Stewart’s leaning on his video-editors and graphic designers and, to tell you the truth, it ain’t half bad. On Wednesday, Stewart lambasted the media for molehill-to-mountain-making over Hillary’s MLK line and for how this issue has dominated the debate. In this clip, Stewart skips to Hillary’s defense, pointing out what racism really sounds like with a recording of bigot-cum-Congressman-cum-corpse Strom Thurmond. (Watch it here; 06:03)

3. Stewart can’t lay still.

In a completely politically irrelevant bit, Stewart spoofs “Restless Leg Syndrome” ad (the 2008 equivalent of the “I’ve fallen but I can’t get up” commercials) and the bizarre disclosure: RLS medication may cause “increased gambling.” (Watch it here; 01:26)

2. Colbert shames Conan.

After presidential candidate Mike Huckabee won the Iowa Caucus, Conan O’Brien bragged that, because he introduced the Republican to Chuck Norris, he’s responsible for Huckabee’s mo. Colbert goes ape-shit in this clip: Huckabee’s the only candidate to appear thrice on the Colbert Report, and each time the Huckster’s credited Colbert with the bump and invited him to join his ticket. Colbert takes the viewers through the history of the Colbert-Conan conflict, starting with Conan’s shots on him on his show through to Colbert’s green-screened sign-language threats during the Emmys. (Watch it here; 03:39)

1. Olbermann presents the ABCs of Anti-O’Reilly Defense.

Perhaps it’s because news programs like Countdown aren’t affected by the strike, or maybe it’s because the war between FOX and MSNBC is downright inspiration. Either way, Keith Olbermann rocked it on debate night with a step-by-step guide to counteracting an O’Reilly Factor ambush. If you’re unfamiliar with O’Reilly’s modus operandi, here’s how it usually plays out: A.) Bill declares on TV that he’s going after someone, often a media personality who’s earned Bill’s wrath for no good reason; B.) Bill dispatches an intrepid young camera crew to accost the subject; C.) The crew then finds the most inopportune moment (say, as the subject is loading up his SUV) and attacks him with distorted accusations. Olbermann illustrates how to make sure the footage never makes it to broadcast. In three words: loofah, loofah, loofah. (Watch it here; 08:06)