Michael D. Clark

mclark@enquirer.com

HAMILTON Butler County's outspoken and controversial sheriff said he will soon duel in a verbal shootout with TV's Jon Stewart of The Daily Show.

Sheriff Richard Jones told the Enquirer exclusively Thursday that he is filming a show segment with Stewart later this afternoon.

Jones, who was in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, has attracted national attention, support and criticism for his opposition to illegal immigration into the Southwest Ohio county and elsewhere in America.

"We're going to be filming a segment on illegal immigration and the upcoming elections," Jones said, referring to the nation's midterm elections next month.

He declined to comment further.

Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is filming this week in the Texas capital city for shows that will air Oct. 27 through Oct. 30, according to the show's website. The show has a history of broadcasting from around the country prior to national elections.

The cable TV show and host Stewart are popular among many liberal Americans. But Stewart also has a history of inviting conservative politicians and other, like-minded, high-profile figures for some verbal sparring.

Jones recently grabbed national attention for a TV ad parody that invited drug dealers to become like tourists and "visit" Butler County.

Jones has also grabbed headlines for "billing" Mexico for costs to his departments for handling and incarcerating illegal aliens he alleged were predominantly from that country.