Today hosted O'Reilly again despite smearing war opponents in last appearance
SUMMARY: For the third time in just over three months, Bill O'Reilly appeared on NBC's Today despite the fact that, in his previous appearance on the show, he compared those who support withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq to Hitler appeasers.
Fox News host Bill O'Reilly appeared on the January 24 edition of NBC's Today -- his third appearance on the show in just over three months -- despite the fact that, in his previous Today interview, he compared those who advocate for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to Hitler appeasers. Today also continues to provide airtime for O'Reilly's comments about the award-winning film Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features, 2005), the topic du jour in O'Reilly's so-called "culture war."
As Media Matters for America previously noted, on the November 30, 2005, edition of Today, O'Reilly labeled as "pinheads" those who advocate for the United States to end its military presence in Iraq and alleged that these "are the same people before Hitler invaded in World War II that were saying, 'Ah, he's not such a bad guy.' " During that same segment, O'Reilly discussed his much-publicized crusade against the so-called "war" on Christmas.
Such comments apparently earned O'Reilly another ticket to Today. When Today co-host Matt Lauer interviewed O'Reilly on January 24, the onscreen text read: "No Spin Zone: Culture War Rages On." Lauer asked O'Reilly about Brokeback Mountain, which tells the story of a romantic relationship between two men. O'Reilly has devoted considerable attention to it, even though he has acknowledged that he is not interested in actually seeing the film. O'Reilly has contended that the film has garnered critical praise because the media "want to mainstream homosexual conduct."
From the January 24 edition of NBC's Today:
LAUER: So, O'Reilly, have you seen it [Brokeback Mountain]? Should it get the Oscar for best picture of the year?
O'REILLY: I'm afraid of cowboys. I'm from Long Island. I'm afraid of all cowboys. And gay cowboys? I mean, I don't -- I don't get the whole shepherd-cowboy-pup tent connection. I'm not getting all of that stuff. So, you know, I'm a simple guy. I get King Kong [Universal Studios, 2005]. He's a big gorilla. I get him. All right? This other stuff, a little over my head, and it's in subtitles, isn't it? Cowboy subtitles?
I understand that Bill O'Reilly is a lightening rod and his comments encourage debate and thought, but where is the Conservative "misinformation" in this clip? Or does MM have to put EVERY Bill O'Reilly clip on its website?
Oh...it is probably because he was talking about 'Brokeback Mountain' and libs can't talk poorly of gay cowboys. We love gay cowboys...yeeHaw.
The misinformation comes in the form of Bill O'Reilly getting even MORE airtime to spew his conservative mouth-breather drivel from the ostensibly "liberal" Today show ("liberal" only according to all my conservative acquaintances). Just further proof that the far Right gets a lot more press than the far Left.
When was the last time Mike Moore was on the Today show? And O'Reilly gets to be on there three times in one month?
The Today Show's guest list is NOT subject to the desires or censors of Liberals or MMFA. They are FREE to have O'Reilly on, and he is FREE to voice his opinions. I don't watch the Today Show anymore (haven't in years) BUT I'm certain it's a safe bet to say they've had guests on that Conservatives bristle at. Free Country...Free Press...and NO rule that says you must ALWAYS have someone else there as an opposing viewpoint to counter every guest you feature.
O'Reilly obviously brings in great ratings or they wouldn't keep asking him back. Like it or not, ratings is what it's about....
they do not have a balance of guests because i do see it, not every day but enough. the overwhelming preponderance of guests in the 7 to 8 hour are guys like o'reilly, gingrich and scarborough. you can say they don't owe anyone explanations but when you put yourself out there as a supposedly objective news program, it's quite correct to point out they're not. nbc, more than abc and cbs, has taken a definite turn to the right. and when guys like o'reilly go unchallenged on their lies that's not a good thing.
mefirst, I've no problem with MMFA pointing out which guests the Today Show features, or to even suggest that over a period of time MORE are Conservatives than Liberals, all I'm saying is that they cannot dictate who or what any show on any network chooses to feature. Only IF people complain...or stop watching (thereby lowering their ratings) will they make changes. Unfortunately, as you&I both know--rating are the bottom line.
My memory MAY be a bit faulty here, BUT I'm quite certain quite a few guests during the Clinton years seemed to be more left-leaning. In fact that may be WHY the Today Show was often labeled as being "liberal-biased" back then.
I personally would prefer EQUAL representation on every program, and quite often I do think we get that by the networks&cable.... EVEN Fox attempts to showcase TWO points of view on their programs (well ok the Fox host ALWAYS sides with the Conservative--making it 2 against 1), but at least they will almost always have a Liberal guest to counter the Conservative guest, even IF it's only perfunctory on their part.
I don't know that I'd agree about NBC leaning Right--but even if they are, I wonder if it's ideology or what they think is the more popular point of view or mainstream point of view?... Also, EVERY network is looking for ratings...and MAYBE O'Reilly, Gingrich are rating grabbers? As far as Scarborough goes, well he's with their affiliate MSNBC so featuring those already on the "company" payroll is probably typical.
You see O'Reilly on the TODAY SHOW, and Matt Lauer (whom I've decided is spineless after these interviews and his interview with Michelle Malkin) is just laughing it up with Bill.
But the same Matt will grill a Senator Kennedy or Biden, grill a Paul Begala, grill ANYONE who isn't a Bush apologist.
I can't name one liberal pundit who frequents that couch, but how many times will they have Ann Coulter on?
Matt grilled Tom Cruise on Scientology, but did not QUESTION Ann Coulter's assertion that Japanese Internment Camps were a defensible act of the Government. The TODAY SHOW is completely out of control.
Your analysis is accurate as usual IMO.
If you don't like the show or what they are doing, don't watch it. I think everyone would do better to stop watching so much TV and especially "news" shows that seem to be more about opinion and entertainment than "news".
Thanks open_mind, I appreciate that. :-)
We can all carp&moan here about what we see as BIAS or just plain bad reporting, or better yet we can write letters to the networks & complain, BUT I actually like YOUR suggestion-- the best thing we can ALL do is simply shut our TV's and radio OFF and stop watching those "entertainment/opinion" news shows and may I ADD.... start reading more..
--stop watching those "entertainment/opinion" news shows and may I ADD.... start reading more.
Oops...sorry for that "repeat" at the end of my post...just one more reason MMFA should RETURN the *PREVIEW OF POST FEATURE*!!!
May I also add...read more (NOT left or right biased websites or publications--but non-opinionated-news sources) and form your OWN opinions.
number one, the right is always going to label any program as liberal, except fox which they see as "balanced", which it is not as balanced as you suggest. it's frequently a host and some right wing "guest". as for your recollections of the clinton years, you're going to have to do a bit better than that, because you called cnn the clinton news network, which is standard right wing propaganda. my point here is that the public interest is not being served by a steady diet of these misinformers like o'reilly, ratings or not. a license is issued on the basis of serving the public good. i am also unaware that mmfa has the power to "dictate" to anyone, and that sounds, well, just a little too much like the right wing mantra of don't tell the truth about us. mmfa is doing what it purports to do. pointing out the today show has taken a swing to the right.
Well mefirst I could easily turn that around and say: Liberals are ALWAYS going to "label" any program as having a Conservative bias. It's all in the ears&eyes of the beholder isn't it? And you have a great memory as you're correct, I did (many many posts ago) refer to CNN as the Clinton News Network. And I stand by that observation.... During the Clinton presidency CNN was particularly empathic&cordial to Clinton (I have a very CLEAR MEMORY of Judy Woodruff--for example-- fawning over Clinton and a majority of CNN's guests being Democrats and defending Clinton during the Monica debacle without being drilled severely by CNN's hosts). You called that "standard right-wing propaganda"...guess I could easily turn THAT around too and say that You and others here claiming EVERY network has a Right-wing bent of spreading Left-wing propaganda.
The Today Show during the Clinton years did NOT lean Right. Katie Couric, in particular was ferret like when it came to the Right (remember her ambush of Bush One??).
Here's my theory which you can give some thought to, or dismiss out of hand : MOST, though NOT all networks are going to go a bit easier on WHICHEVER party is in power. They want access to the Administration. The easiest way to be shut out is to ATTACK unmercifully.
I, and I'm certain MOST of us would prefer our news FAIR&BALANCED...I suggest if you don't like what you're seeing, Shut It Off. I have. I stopped watching Hannity&Colmes ages ago BECAUSE Hannity was a shill for the Administration and Colmes let him get away with it...a disgusting display!!
But may I add, just because MMFA CLAIMS every network&Newspaper in America has taken a Right turn doesn't make it so. There is Left&Right bias everywhere. Some is BLATANT, some more SUBTLE...and often it depends on your PERSONAL perspective IMO.
MMFA posts all they can of O'Really because over the life of the posts, they will get more comments than almost anything else posted.
HEY I SEE MEDIA MATTERS MUST BE GETTING TO FOX NEWS AND OREILLY IS UP ON THIS WEBSITE BECAUSE OF THE MISS INFORMATION HE AND FOX NEWS LOVE TO PUT OUT. SOMEONE HAS TO TELL THE TURTH ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE OREILLY BECAUSE THE SO CALLED LIBERAL MEDIA ARE IN THE SAME BED WITH PEOPLE LIKE OREILLY.
...as I posted in today's other O'Reilly column, the misinformation might be in the words O'Reilly chooses. How many "wars" are there in O'Reilly's world? And do his fictive wars distract from the real war that we wage? Of course, they do, so his make-believe wars are misinformation and they do misdirect public attention from the dying of our fellow Americans, the dying of Iraqis, and the cultivating of tomorrow's terrorists.
A few years ago, Kellen Winslow, when he played at the University of Miami, compared himself to a soldier...and many berated him, for football isn't war.
Likewise, a cowboy movie isn't war. A "holiday tree" isn't war. O'Reilly doesn't know because he dodged war. And this draft-dodger does disseminate misinformation when he misapplies words.
Do you have proof he dodged the draft? No, you don't. This is what liberals do all day long, they smear people and twist facts and when they run out of facts to twist, they just make them up.
But he sure as hell didn't go now did he. They're quick to send someone else's kids, but when they were kids, they let the other guys go do the dying.
Now these clowns are selling this real war in Iraq and also calling everything else a war. A war on our culture, a war on Christmas, a war on Christians.
As far as smearing people, how about the smearing of John McCain? How about the smearing of John Kerry? how about the smearing of Max Cleland? How about the smearing of John Murtha? these men all sevred honorable and had their reputations destroyed by those who chose not to serve. I don't care what anyone did back then. But if you didn't go yourself, don't you dare smear someone who did go. O'Reilly and the rest of the republican noise machine have done nothing but smear hero's for the last 5 years.
Twisting facts and smearing is what LIBERALS do all day long?
Have you not been paying attention?
There's a rock somewhere with a nice, warm, you-shaped spot under it. Go back there.
"There's a rock somewhere with a nice, warm, you-shaped spot under it."
That was fantastic, I would really like to steal that one.
Please do.
Use it wisely.
Use the words to smite conservatism wherever it rears its ugly, balding, smearing, greedy head.
You must be some kinda COMMIE....wait, do they still exist?
You must be a NARCO-TERRORIST!
Take a good long look at the words you wrote... considering the insane amount of misinformation, name-calling, whining and hostility that is perpetually spewed by the current Right Wing... you have no call to criticize any of the "liberal" readers on this site.
And, yes, Bill O'Reilly is a coward and a liar. Is that plain enough?
When I began reading this item, I saw a reference to a 'culture war', and having also just commented on the calculated use (and trivialization) of that word 'war' by Bill on another thread, I went immediately to the transcript in this item, to see if Bill yet agin invoked the word, trivially: but I was disappointed, and found only more 'queer cowboy movie' stuff.
Anyway, the more important point is that NBC (a division of Defense Contractor GENERAL ELECTRIC) is again hosting the (highly) paid advocate (of this War) Bill O'Reilly, although in this instance anyway, they're choosing to 'softsell' the buffoon as a 'culture critic' (pretty soon 'culture warrior')...
...and you'd better believe that's what they're (GE) doing, 'softselling' Bill O'Reilly on NBC: it seems that buffoon's call for terrorists to kill San Franciscans, and his publicly berating a grieving mother's anti-war activism, has taken a greater toll on Bill's reputation (and ratings) than anybody would've thought; especially those Defense Contractors (like GE), who need to keep afloat as best they can, the reputations of their (highly) paid advocates (of War).
BO avoided the draft because he got a college deferment. When Bill Clinton was running he was called a draft dodger by the right because of the very same thing. So I guess it all depends upon who you are talking about, one standard for Bill and Hillary, another for the neocons.
The point is, this latest batch of neocon "Chicken-hawks" are all gung-ho about spending other peoples lives in elective wars, but most have never offered their own lives. Don't believe that? Check out [link to www.awolbush.com]
Furthermore, how do you know what "liberals do all day long". Are you claiming that you are omnipresent, are you God?
After all, we distort the truth, claim there are "wars" where there aren't; support wars we don't have the balls to fight.
o'lielly dodged the draft the way a lot of us did, student deferments and the like. Now he endorses wars OTHERS have to lose their lives for. Further, he proclaims his "combat" experience--yeah, he had a word processor (unfortunatly without a silencer) while others were wounded. Lies, lies, and more lies, not simply hyperbole.
o'lielly is one of the most divisive harlots the world has ever seen, pure and simple. And until educated commentators like you realize it, we'll be at each others' throats. And bin Laden will laugh all the way to the bank.
I think you're right. I did assume, since so many pundits and members of the Bush administration are chickenhawks, that O'Reilly dodged the draft. I can't support that and I apologize. I did, however, find evidence to suggest that O'Reilly suggests he's something he wasn't: a vet. He never served in war, but in several conversations, he did imply that he served. While talking to a couple vets on May 5, 2005, O'Reilly said:
"O'REILLY: So you know what we're talkin' about. "Cause I was in combat and when you are there your adrenalin is flying through your ears. And you know you've got the gun and I just couldn't understand ..."
So, thanks for urging me to locate the facts.
As far as what liberals do all day long, you don't do me, so you don't have a clue what I do all day long.
Here is a link to an mp3 of O'Reilly claiming that he was in combat.
[link to www.realitybasednation.com]
- find evidence to suggest that O'Reilly suggests - holly
But it's no crime to have been brainwashed by brock and company.
Or YOU would be doing life
You are not the one who should be apologizing Holly. O'Reilly-Sucks.com has had this on their site for a long time and the facts it contains have never been contested. Chickenhawks like O'Reilly will cheerlead for a war conducted on questionable legal and Constitutional grounds and engage in orchestrated smear tactics and thuggery against anyone who dares question their views. The Bush administration is littered with chickenhawks. Check the links here. And don't miss The Chickenhawks Hall of Shame Video here. O'Reilly not guilty of draft dodging? Well maybe Capone was only guilty of bad accounting practices.
on that exact issue when he was talking about being "in combat". The caller asked BOR on his radio show if he was ever in the military, and Ol' Billy admitted that he had not been, and that the "combat" he saw was as a journalist covering it. He then berated the caller and hung up on him for claiming he was misleading his listeners. The clip has been played on Franken's show on AAR several times. If it weren't for the fact that so many people believe BO's BS, I'd find him amusing and irrelevant. I really don't care, however, that he's been on Today so many times. Of course, you know how you can tell when Billy is spewing misinformation? Easy - his lips are moving.
Important to remember, when o'lielly was challenged, he just cut the guy off. Like Limballs, o'lielly has the switch to the mike.
God, he's a gutless wonder.
A Hollywood movie featuring gay characters. Gee-I wonder what the Today producers thought O'Reilly would say about it...
What a useless waste of precious air time, with all that's happening in the world.
O'Reilly didn't answer the question as to whether he's seen the movie. If he doesn't "get" the culture, maybe he ought to watch it and learn something. But if he did see the film, I don't think he'd admit it in for fear of alienating the more homophobic of his fans.
Someone up the food chain at NBC Today or NBC must support O'Reilly ideologically and be bent on getting O'Reilly as much "positive" exposure as possible. If NBC Today was concerned about ratings, they would not be talking to him about movies. All they would have to do is let him start a rant about koolaid drinkers, terror websites, war on Christmas..
Well... if O'Reilly can get on three times in one month, clearly it appears the rest of the sane world has no time, or interest for that matter, in appearing on 'Today.'
Bill O'Reilly fans wouldnt know truth if it was handed to them on a silver platter with instructions on how to figure it all out. I could name all those other right-wing pundits also but this spot is specific to Mr. Bill!
I bet all you right-wing neo-cons just love it when your guy gets airtime on a national show like 'The Today' show and (name anyone that isnt far-right) get little to no time at all! Its kind of like that cable channel that claims to be Fair & Balanced (aside from a few weak democrats and a few paid liberals that whore themselves for the dollars paid to speak their spew and vile. Why is it I wonder that when someone doesnt agree with the right-wing view of fantasy world (and I'm talking even a simple disagrement on: name your subject) he is vilified as a liberal-scum? With that; Why is it that we are somehow scum in your eyes when we speak out against the lies? Is it because you have a low opinion of yourself? Are you a closet liberal (like David Brock was until he finally saw the right for what it is and are afraid that you might be too?) Or is it perhaps because we have free wills & minds and know what the Constitution allows us (because we understand it) and that speaking out against injustice is what makes us truely American & patriotic? I can understand Bill O'Reilly's stake in it: Whether or not he believe in what he says he is paid to say it. But I dont understand those of you that come in here and have little or no stake in what these people can actually give you....except what? Moral highground? Please, if you base that train of thought because of Clinton (no doubt some of you do) you truely dont have a mind of your own. It is much deeper than that! I will end with this thought: If you truely believe in everything the right-wing stands for for your own personal reasons. Good for you, it is your duty as Americans to do that! But if you do so because you are to lazy to find out for yourself and you only do what Bill and the other ideologs tell you to do. Then shame on you!
And for the proof needed that Bill lies: See the Documentary: Out Foxed Listen to: AirAmericaRadio (Chicago 850AM click here: [link to www.lies.com]
or here:
[link to www.sweetjesusihatebilloreilly.com] (ok...not the most glamorous name for a site, but it has many other links to many of Bill's lies)
or here: [link to www.the-hamster.com]
You righties are always asking for proof....well....here ya go!!
The question Bill loves to ask his critics to "discredit" them when they point out lies, misinfo, etc that he has spewed. Don't you he should follow his on crazy logic here? Q: Bill have you seen BBM? A:No Well then there you go.
Or vice versa... when he asks if someone watches the Factor they can point out that he didn't watch BBM before criticizing it.
Everytime I see or hear the name OReilly, I get sick. His McCarthyism verbage and attention getting behavior does not warrant focus from the media. He's lacks intelligence. I guess he makes up for it in his arrogance. Why the Today Show deems it necessary to have him as a guest again and again only re-emphasizes that while I did watch the Today Show for 30 years, I have ceased due to their lack of intelligible focus. They too have become the "E" Channel of the AM programs.
So what he doesn't like Brokeback Mountain. I have no problem with gays, but I don't want to see it. I have actually heard that is isn't that good. Good, but not that good.
Let's concentrate on all the other crap that comes out of his mouth.
Agree with Bill...Don't really understand gay cowboys!
Today is pandering to the rightwing by having O'Reilly on, but that doesn't surprise me. Lauer interviewed Kitty Kelly as if she were Osama, and came across as trustworthy as Scott McClellan.
As for O'Reilly's quips, if that's what they were, why the hell is he still ranting about this show, and why does Lauer give him air time?
What is wrong with interviewers asking these wingnuts about Brokeback Mountain when they know the righties haven't seen it? What is up with that? And when they admit they haven't, why can't somebody say, "Then you shouldn't be talking about the movie, should you?"
news programs such as Today as if he's a legitimate journalist with something worthwhile to say. But we'll almost NEVER see Al Franken invited to make an appearance.
I have to admit that I dont watch Bill O'Reilly every day, but I do watch it once a night for anywhere from 5-30 minutes just so I can get the juices flowing for the defense of decency. I certainly wouldnt watch it for news as Fox is 24/7 opinion......and nothing but opinion.
So to answer your question that of course you attempted to answer for me TBONE is that I have watched his show, probably not as much as you it would seem, but when I eat my dinner I dont like the prospect of giving it up to the porcelain god just so you can say 'I told you so!' To bring Ann and Rush up for a moment, I've read both their recent trash.....er books. So that I'd have the right to discredit them, but this particular blog is for Mr Bill.
And TBONE....if my argument to be being taken seriously hinges on my watching him at least some of time to see for myself you are right and while I cant very well prove to you directly that I do watch occasionally, you'll just have to take my word for it. You are right about one thing: If one isnt willing to watch and learn about what he hates so he knows why he would want to hate it has no business here or anywhere else for that matter in attempting to debate one way or the other or to say word one about the other side!! So before you presume that I dont or am unwilling.....think again!! So now it falls on you and any other right-winger that may jump on me....do research on a few lefties...or even some moderates (Ed Schultz, Randi Rhodes, Richard Clarke, Amy Goodman, Molly Ivines and compare what you find about what they say to what your guy says) before you presume that your guy is telling the whole truth as I have done! I assure you that I have done my research and have found numerous examples of Bill O'Reilly and his lies (see my other post)......and you know what......his lies are damn near identical to Bush & Co lies, they sound almost word for word as if they were coming from Hannity, Savage, Limbough, Sailor to name a few or "vise e verse" and back again to Bush & Co and regurgitated over and over until it seems that people like you figure that it must be true because if all the right-wing ideologs are saying it...it must be true!! Just for the heck of it, why dont you tune to the Ed Schultz show....not the entire time, maybe 20-30 minutes and listen to the voice of sanity and reason and compare it to your idol Mr Bill. You may just be amazed at all the sense that comes from him.
Did you read my post at all? or just the title? I am anything but a right winger. I apologize if it was not clear, but I was trying to point out the fact that since ol' Bill (or "Bull" if that makes you feel better) here had not seen Broke Back Mountain and then here was commenting on it, he was thus not following his on FAULTY logic, that FAULTY logic being, that if you don't "watch" the factor (and I am not sure how much you have to watch of it for him to consider that you "watch it") that you are not equiped to criticize him for the lies or crap he talks about on it or I guess talk to him about it at all, unless of course if you agree with him and then this question never seems to come up(weird, I know). Anyway thanks for the diatribe though it was very entertaining.
O'rielly claimed to have been on the front lines in the Falkland War,but the closest he got was a seat on the sidewalk at a cafe.The British didn't allow reporters in the Falklands until the fighting was over.O'Lielly was quoted that he was in El Salvador during the fighting and 'Heard " fighting going on.The closest this pervert ever got to fighting ,was fighting over a loofah with Hannity.He's a man who tries to" talk the talk",while never have "walked the walk",just like the vast majority of Republicans he sucks up to!
I owe you a huge appology it seems TBONE..... I misread your Bill O line and just presumed the worst. The line you wrote "He should follow his own crazy logic!" It is obvious to me now that I misread it. In my defense I have had a sinus infection the last couple days and its messed with my eyes.......yeah........thats my story and I'm sticking to it!!
Can you ever forgive me?
Anyways, you are right about it being a good diatribe, but it does still holds true to any right-winger that might read it.
So officially, I take back everything directed at you but still hold it out for those in here that are right-wingers!!
Well, o'lielly drools over the lens again, and network idiot box has him on.....sans phone sex.
I haven't watched a show like that since I was in college, a long, long time ago. The best thing we can do is refuse to watch it. True, then o'lielly will drool all the more. But when sponsors hear, via people not watching, that the idiot doesn't have an audience, he'll be history.
But that's idealism. In the meantime, maybe we need to convert that third rate, draft-dodging bully into cat food. He'd serve more earthly purpose than he does now.
When will you stop masquerading as a "watch dog" of the media and just blatantly state where you true biases are.
If the "Today Show" wants to have O'Reilly as a guest that is their right. In fact I'll use a famous line the liberals like to use whenever a conservative complains about sex and violence on T.V. "Just CHANGE the channel."
I really don't see what the problem was with what O'Reilly said about "Brokeback Mountain" other than the fact that it was Bill O'Reilly of Fox News that said it. And Media Matters doesn't like Bill O'Reilly of Fox News because Bill O'Reilly of Fox News destroys the cable news shows in the ratings that Media Matters and shhh....George Soros enjoy.