Sen. Al Franken appeared on The Daily Show Monday night and sort of thanked host Jon Stewart for engaging young people in the political process.

Franken said to Stewart at the start of the 14 minute spot: “You have taken this platform, and by the dint of your hard work, your judgment, your intellect, you have engaged a generation of young people in public policy and politics —  not enough to get them to vote, but enough to get some of them to Rock the Vote parties.”

Franken talked about his experiences in the Senate, saying he’s been able to work with his Republican colleagues to get some things done there.

“You reach common ground on certain things but there is a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans. We believe America does better when there’s a strong middle clsss.”

He said some of his colleagues in the Senate, maybe not a lot of them, can be funny. “But not one does physical schtick.”

They were serious for a while, talking about the unraveling of the big telecommunications merger, and a bill he’s trying to pass that would protect LGBT students from bullying at school.

“It’s really hard to see you grown up like this. I’m sorry, It’s really nice. I like it,” Stewart said at the end.

Parts one and two of the interview are below: