O'Reilly named "Worst Person" for attack on Dodd; Ingraham named "runner-up"
During the August 6 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named Fox News host Bill O'Reilly the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for attacking Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd (CT) after he brought up O'Reilly's comment regarding an Al Qaeda attack on San Francisco, as Media Matters for America documented. Olbermann stated: "In an interview, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut reminded Orally that he had once talked about how this country should let Al Qaeda attack San Francisco. Bill did not deny it. He just demanded Dodd present a quote and a date. Senator Dodd who, having a life, does not keep handy a list of Bill O'Reilly's top 3,000 inhuman and inaccurate statements, could not produce either." Olbermann continued: "Bill-O barked, 'No, you're wrong, I did not say it here. You don't know what the hell I said, with all due respect.' Bill, Bill, Bill, it's you who've never known what the hell you said." Olbermann went on to quote from the November 10, 2005, comment that Dodd cited, in which O'Reilly reacted to San Francisco's passage of a ballot measure urging public high schools and colleges to prohibit on-campus military recruiting. O'Reilly said that if he were president, he would tell San Franciscans that "if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."
As Media Matters has documented (here, here, here, here, and here), Olbermann frequently names O'Reilly during his "Worst Person" segment. Recently, Olbermann awarded O'Reilly the "bronze" during the August 3 edition of Countdown for "blast[ing] the conservative website Free Republic for permitting people to post comments there like '[Sen.] Hillary Clinton [D-NY] should be assassinated,' unquote." Olbermann further noted that "there have been posts threatening her life made on BillOReilly.com."
Additionally, in the August 6 "Worst Person" segment, Olbermann named syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham "runner-up" for falsely asserting that The New York Times editorialized against updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), as Media Matters also noted. Olbermann stated that Ingraham "just flat-out lied about The New York Times" and added: "She told Fox Noise [News] that a Times editorial about the FISA law had included that, quote, 'We should not update the surveillance law to meet current advances in technology. We are now in a blackout with some of this intelligence because of what The New York Times and what the Democrats have done.' " Olbermann then observed: "Except that's not what the Times editorial said. It said, in fact, the exact opposite. It insisted on updating the law to meet current advances in technology."
From the August 6 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
OLBERMANN: Our runner-up, conservative water carrier Laura Ingraham, who just flat-out lied about The New York Times. She told Fox Noise that a Times editorial about the FISA law had included that, quote, "We should not update the surveillance law to meet current advances in technology. We are now in a blackout with some of this intelligence because of what The New York Times and what the Democrats have done."
Except that's not what the Times editorial said. It said, in fact, the exact opposite. It insisted on updating the law to meet current advances in technology. The Times wrote, quote, "Instead of asking Congress to address this anachronism, as it should, the White House sought to use it to destroy the 1978 spying law." This just in, conservatives don't know how to read. They merely skim.
And to that point tonight, our winner, Bill-O. In an interview, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut reminded Orally that he had once talked about how this country should let Al Qaeda attack San Francisco. Bill did not deny it. He just demanded Dodd present a quote and a date. Senator Dodd who, having a life, does not keep handy a list of Bill O'Reilly's top 3,000 inhuman and inaccurate statements, could not produce either.
Bill-O barked, "No, you're wrong, I did not say it here. You don't know what the hell I said, with all due respect." Bill, Bill, Bill, it's you who've never known what the hell you said. November 10th, 2005, The Orally Factor [The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly], after the city had passed a nonbinding resolution encouraging public schools from permitting on-campus military recruiting; saying, if he were president -- it's O'Reilly -- he'd tell San Franciscans, quote, "If Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, 'Look, every other place in America is off limits to you except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead.' "
Bill-O, as ever, in his most towering rage when somebody quotes one of his own blockheaded remarks back to him, today's "Worst Person in the World."
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But where did Bill say that? I think it was off-broadcast -- which doesn't matter at all, but you got to hand it to him -- he's great at shouting a irrelevant question that puts his opponent on the defensive. I guess that's why he's America's big meat head. But Dodd was great, kept his cool and didn't back down -- I'm going to give him a second look
No, it wasn't off-broadcast. He did it on his talk program "The Radio Factor".
Well, I think O'Reilly was attempting to set up an argument about how his comments about denying San Francisco support against terrorism were made on his radio show, and therefore shouldn't be taken as seriously because he delivered them in a less serious forum.
Now, the irony is that this argument totally and completely undermines O'Reilly's criticism of the DailyKos, since he can't possibly contend that anonymous posters to a blog should be held to a higher standard than the host of a talk radio show.
I think O'Reilly wanted to muddy the issue because it didn't help his case against Kos and in his argument with Dodd. If he meant to imply that his radio show is a less serious forum he could of said that quite simply. For that matter if that was his argument one could argue that anonymous posts on a blog are not a serious format so what's the point?
Why doesn't Keith call this award the O'Reilly Award? it seems that O'Reilly wins it all of the time. Retire the old man and choose some new blood.
I think this bit has jumped he shark.
Where's Fox security when you need them? Another SLAM DUNK. Ingram tells a bald-faced lie and O Reilly gets stuffed on a quote he trys to backpeddle away from. Olberman gets the stuff.
"But where did Bill say that?"
The San Francisco remark? On his radio show broadcast.
Dodd did keep his cool and rightly confronted Bill about his rank hypocrisy and dishonesty, especially when it comes to Bill's true motivation for his new Christmas war against DailyKos.
Well, O'Reilly was right before he was wrong.
Rather than address the content of what he said, which is what an honest person did, he challenged Dodd about where he got the info. O'Reilly wanted a chance to attack the messenger because he(O'Reilly) cannot defend the message he sent by saying what he himself said!
Remember, he's the one who advocated condoning a terrorist attack on San Francisco.
But he did it on his radio show, not on his TV show. So, O'Reilly was right when he claimed that Dodd had it wrong.
"No, you're wrong, I did not say it here. You don't know what the hell I said, with all due respect."
So, O'Reilly was correct that Dodd didn't know WHERE he said it. He was totally lying when he said that Dodd didn't know what O'Reilly said. Dodd got it right.
How could anyone ever defend condoning a terrorist attack on any city? They couldn't. O'Reilly can't either, so his only option was to attack the messenger.
Did you hear the show and comment O'reilly made about San Fran? He didn't condone a terrorist attack. Only someone with a strong dislike for Oreilly could or would interpret it that way.
Just more of Olberman riding the O'reilly coatails. Anything to help MSNBC's ratings I guess.
The real issue is the democratic party giving too much legitimacy to organizations like the Daily. Moveon etc. It's disingenous pandering and both sides do it.
the exact quote is listed above...just because I wasnt tuned to the broadcast the day he said it doesn't mean i cant criticize him for saying he'd allow a terroriost attack in SFO.
Bill's line is hard to defend, but I see we have a couple of takers even on the SFO attack.
Don't expect Lolo to check the facts out. As Olbermann just noted, This just in, conservatives don't know how to read. They merely skim.
How would you interpret what he said?
Here's a direct quote of what he said.
"We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."
How is that not condoning a terroristic attack on San Francisco? SF is not off limits to an attack by terrorists? At a minimum that's condoning an attack, and is darn near to encouraging one.
" He didn't condone a terrorist attack." - LOLA
OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - Why don't you just deny he ever said it, as he clearly intended the audience to believe in the Dodd discussion?
Only the most committed of B.O.'s Kool-Aide drinkers could possibly not think he's not only condoning but encouraging a terrorist attack on S.F.
PLEASE explain exactly why each and every line is not condoning a terrorist attack.
A recording of him saying it is still available on line. He's clearly serious and angry, not kidding, as he said he was.
Lolo....riding O'Reilly's coattails???
Let me attempt to point something out to you about Olbermann & O'Reilly
1) Olbermann's comments(on Worst Person & in general) are directed at correcting BO's often wrong comments & warped view about the state of things in this administration or in politics. Keith is light years ahead of Bill in thought processes & sanity.
2) Bill O is a pompous jerk who has duped you & his viewers(all 3 of them) into believing he actually HAS a valuable opinion to share.
3) lolo, get a life &/or wake up!!
Technically, O'Reilly wasn't right before he was wrong.
He turned tables in the usual O'Reilly form, and went right after Dodd to come up with when and where he said this. This imediately takes the attention off what Dodd said. Dodd answered by stating he thought it was on the TV show....basically answering a question to his best knowledge. O'Reilly probably knew he wouldn't think about the radio show.....as most don't. >g<
O'Reilly wanted to make the point that Dodd didn't get the information on his own.....and gave him a chance to throw in the name of MMFA once again.
Dodd may have read or heard about this anywhere, but O'Reilly's goal was to make Dodd look to his viewers, like he was repeating information from a left wing web site that he tells his viewers are liars and can't be trusted...basically, his mission was accomplished.
Answering a question with his best guess, hardly makes O'Reilly "right".
MMFA: "When Dodd said that O'Reilly had previously "talk[ed] about Al Qaeda attacking San Francisco and blowing up San Francisco," O'Reilly did not deny saying it, but rather challenged Dodd to name "when" and in "what forum" he had made the comment. After Dodd said he believed it was in 2005 on O'Reilly's television show, O'Reilly responded, "No, you're wrong. I didn't say it here. You don't know what the hell I said, with all due respect." He went on to complain that Dodd "got it from Media Matters."................"
I made this same point on the previous MMfA thread on this same issue. If Dodd had actually gotten this info directly from MMfA, he would have known that it came from O'Reilly's radio show. Dodd got the info second or third hand, and so he didn't know that the statement was said on radio not TV.
O'Reilly was right when he said that it came from his radio show, not from TV. That doesn't make what he said any less disingenuous. He clearly was trying to mislead his viewers and attack the messenger, and that's because he can't defend the message!
From my previous posting...
What difference does it make that he got the TV show and the radio show mixed up? How does that change the message from O'Reilly?
I am always disappointed when people come on with propaganda like Senator Dodd did. He obviously didn't know what I said about Al Qaeda in San Francisco. He didn't know what program I said it on.
If Dodd got the "propaganda" from MMfA, then he would have the info that said that it was from the Radio show, because that's where it happened. Dodd did know what O'Reilly said about San Francisco.
The issue is not what form of media O'Reilly used to say this hate speech. The issue is the hate speech. Since O'Reilly can't deny that it's hate speech that came from his mouth, his only "defense" is to say that Dodd got the medium wrong.
So what, Bill, so what?
What disease does O'Reilly suffer from that renders him useless in the memory department. You'd think getting hoisted on your own petard would hurt a bit after while. But this guy is like the energizer bunny and just keeps coming back with the same old denials. How many times can the guy embarrass himself and just keep on with the this?
I am writing rhetorical questions in solidarity of Roundhouse ;)
Be still my beating heart, I'm all twitterpated. (Hope that word doesn't make anybody feel stupid : -)>
You're just flirtin' with disaster ain't ya, JuliaJayne?
Power to the people!
He's a republican my dear, at least in behaviour. As far back as my political memory goes (Agnew) when confronted with an accurate accusation, the true republican's first response, next 100 responses and last response will be " he / she is a commie/liberal/ lying partisan etc" They will never, never address the substance of the accusation. Kill, discredit, smear the messenger. (Think Daniel Ellsberg) That is how you can easily tell when an accusation is accurate, pretty neat huh?
Righty water carriers are great
At the business of selling hate
They express bitter scorn
For a lie not yet born
To tell to the dolts that await
Watching the Bill O'Really Show (The All-Spin Factor) is like observing another reality where up is down, true is false, good is evil and Bill thinks he's clever.
Now THAT'S entertainment!
Thanks, Keith- another slam dunk!
Amazing how some will argue the actual transcript...
I think that statement on San Francisco, qualifies as hate. As much hate as one can put forth when you wish citizens, including children, DEAD, because the city doesn't allow military recruiting on high school campuses.
I mean.. really.. who or WHAT gives Oreilly any kind of credibility, The man is a raving lunatic. And to deny his own statement, and not the first time nor will it be the last is classic.
What was Dodd doing even speaking to the creature?
As to why Dodd spoke to him, while I am in general against any democrat speaking to him, hannity or any other far right schill because it somehow legitimizes them, in this instance I have to say I'm glad he did. Dodd handed O'Reilly his @ss on a platter. I wish we had more people like him who can give better than they get!
Snoopy:
I"'m glad he did. Dodd handed O'Reilly his @ss on a platter. I wish we had more people like him who can give better than they get!"
True- it would be another way to take him down and out, if one can get their response in before he attacks, cut-off, or shouts down, and most likely edits out.
But.. I'm leaning towards the let's not give this fool any legitimacy...
This is waaaaay off topic y'all, but seems Phelps just put out a press release that his little team of "christians" are going to picket funeral services for the ones who died during the bridge collapse last week. I apologize for this, but it really is something to take note of.
God help us.
Well Snoop, it's not entirely off topic. This is a fine example of "vile and disgusting" behavior that one would expect Mister Looking Out For You to jump all over every night for the next six weeks. I'm betting we won't hear much about it from him. If anything. It might undermine his anti "far left" propaganda.
Can you imagine the fascinating conversations taking place in that little brain trust, i.e the earth is only 10,000 years old, abortion is murder (but I don't adopt nor do I believe in medicaid, food stamps, welfare to help people who would be forced to have a child), and I love war but would never go myself. I have no tolerance for people like this.
Hey! I have one thing to say to you all about Laura Ingraham: Leave the dude alone! Can't you see that He's so depserate for relevancy now that Bushco is waning in disgrace that He's willing to actually try an old Bizarro World hat trick where you actually tell a story backwards.
Again, leave the dude alone!
This entire issue is hogwash at it's best. I was actually listening to BOR's radio show the day he originally made the comment. BOR was incredulous that the city of San Fran was in the process of banning military recruiters from colleges and high schools in their city. A totally absurd policy. O'reilly was being equally absurd when he suggested that San Fran should not be defended in case the terrorists decided to attack our soil again. His frivolity and jocular demeanor were easy to discern to the casual listener. Honestly people, how many actually believe BOR would root for the terrorist fanatics if they attacked the fair city of San Francisco? I am not carrying water for O'Reilly in every instance, but this one is pretty weak. There are plenty of more substantive issues to bash Bill on. This is not the hill I would choose to plant my flag on. BOR is definitely a putz on other more serious issues!
Hey Obie, the audio is available. I've heard it. If BO didn't mean it, he shouldn't have said it and then denied he said it. Your meme of these eejits being humorous, funny, sarcastic, pick an adjective, has been done to death. You must not get out much. That's a tired, well worn non-argument and ain't nobody buyin'.
Here's a link to that very comment by O'Reilly.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200511100008
It was an absurd thing for him to say, but I hear no indication that he was joking, or wasn't 100% serious in his comments.
O.B.Won,
Sorry, but you're just plain wrong on this. Just because O'Reilly was joking, or angry, does not excuse this kind of hateful speech. He said it--he owns it. O'Reilly and the right wing talkers have many hills, but we have many more flags.
Would O'Reilly really mean such a thing? It is certainly hard to believe. I guess maybe we'll have to go to Mr. O'Reilly himself to find the answer:"What I said isn’t controversial. What I said needed to be said."
If he thinks it wasn't controversial, then there's no reason to believe he was joking. He doesn't believe there's any shock value, so there's no humor. If he says he stands by what he said, and it needed to be said, then that doesn't suggest he was kidding either. Right?
O B gone. I heard the clip, there was no humor or jocular intent.
And I remember the story behind the "absurd" ban. It seems that the recruiters were targeting inner city schools and at risk teens and also making false promises etc- enough to enrage the community to demand action. Hence the ban on recruiting.
Bo is a jerk and should be taken off the air.
Snoopy, this is another chance for "true " christians to stand up to these crazies. Here is all they have to do, the minute they cross the border into MN, have a sit in around their vehicle(s), and rotate out so the sit in can last as long as it takes to have the service without outrageous protests from Phelps and his tribe of self aggrandizing psycho paths.
Hannity once said that Phelps group was a bunch of Liberals. LOL
This group has been protesting for a while. Good luck tracking and stifling them.
I couldn't wait for two things after Dodd's spar with O'Really: The first is Keith once again giving it to Billo; the second was the usual rants against Keith for obsessing on the Falafel Guy. Well, he does pay a lot of attention to the Big Head, but it's just so funny, especially knowing it probably drives O'Rally nuts. It'll prompt another absurd accusation that MSNBC is 'far left' no doubt.
Congratulations Bill for receiving the Worst Person in the World award! Liberal Fox News employees are proud of your accomplishments! We'll send a dozen black roses upstairs to your office.
Again, congratulations. You deserve the award.
Have you ever noticed that the folks in the pro-war crowd are usually the ones that never fight in them and did their darnedest to stay out of places like Korea and Vietnam? By the way...has anyone noticed that Bill-O sometimes gets that Peter O'Toole megalomaniac stare that he perfected for his character in the film The Night of The Generals?
you neocon cronies,everyone not watching foxnoise knows olby uses indisputable fact-based logic for EVERYTHING he says. he always using an opposing point of view in each interview, he knows how to persuade (the man could sell water to a fish) he creams o'really everynight in the ratings. that's what happens when you have the BS communications skillz. Ballin' !!
-Olby for Sec of Def Obama '08