O'Reilly to Barry Lynn: "You know I love you as a guest. You're one of the best. You're a paranoid crazy."
SUMMARY: Bill O'Reilly called guest Rev. Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, "a paranoid crazy."
During the March 2 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly told Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU), "You know I love you as a guest. You're one of the best. You're a paranoid crazy." O'Reilly made his remark during a discussion on the thank-you note Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. reportedly sent to James C. Dobson, the founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, in which, according to news reports, Alito wrote that "the prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force. As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me." During Alito's nomination hearing, Dobson publicly supported his confirmation and helped mobilize Christian conservatives to join him in supporting Alito.
During the segment, Lynn offered his view on what Alito meant in his thank-you note to Dobson:
LYNN: OK, deciphering this letter is not as difficult say as breaking The DaVinci Code. I think it's very clear that Justice Alito here is saying to James Dobson -- and by the way, the letter's to Dobson and his entire staff -- "Thank you for all the work on my behalf," which included sending out three million e-mails saying, "Vote for this guy, Alito" --
O'REILLY: Help and support. Right. Right.
LYNN: -- for this help and support, a national plan, radio campaign, print campaign, and a lot of other things that helped him get the job.
Now, he's saying, "Thanks a lot for all of that specific help to get me the job, and trust -- trust me," meaning, "I'm going to be on your side," and that's exactly what James Dobson understood it to mean when he said, "They get it. They understand."
O'Reilly responded, "Reverend, look, with all due respect and you know I love you with as a guest. You're one of the best." He went on to add, "You're a paranoid crazy. ... You're paranoid and you're crazy."
From the March 2 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
O'REILLY: "Unresolved Problem" segment tonight: more controversy about religion and government. After being confirmed as the newest Supreme Court justice, Samuel Alito wrote a bunch of thank you notes to supporters and one of them went to Dr. James Dobson, the Focus on the Family leader. In the body of that letter, Alito wrote, quote, "The prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force." Apparently, that is causing some concern.
Joining us from Washington: Reverend Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Now, Reverend, I read the letter. It's -- it is as benign as you can -- and you don't like it. Why don't you like it?
LYNN: OK, deciphering this letter is not as difficult say as breaking the Da Vinci code. I think it's very clear that Justice Alito here is saying to James Dobson -- and by the way, the letter's to Dobson and his entire staff -- "Thank you for all the work on my behalf," which included sending out three million e-mails saying, "Vote for this guy, Alito" --
O'REILLY: Help and support. Right. Right.
LYNN: -- for this help and support, a national plan, radio campaign, print campaign, and a lot of other things that helped him get the job.
Now, he's saying, "Thanks a lot for all of that specific help to get me the job, and trust -- trust me," meaning, "I'm going to be on your side," and that's exactly what James Dobson understood it to mean when he said, "They get it. They understand."
O'REILLY: All right, let me -- let me --
LYNN: What else could it mean, Bill?
O'REILLY: Well, Reverend, look, with all due respect and you know I love you as a guest. You're one of the best. You're a paranoid crazy. Honest. You're paranoid and you're crazy.
LYNN: Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln --
O'REILLY: Let me read it to the folks so they can know how crazy you are. Quote: "As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me." And you're seeing this as some kind of conspiracy to bring God into it? Come on.
LYNN: No, no, not a conspiracy to bring God, a message to James Dobson and his millions of radio listeners that this is something that --
O'REILLY: A secret message?
LYNN: No. It's not very secret. It says, "Thanks for getting me this job --
O'REILLY: No, it doesn't.
LYNN: -- I'm going to be good to you."
Bill, did Barry Lynn threaten to send "Americans United security" to your house, to hold you accountable, when you called him a paranoid crazy?
To have Bill "sexual harraser/send to Fox security squad in" O'Reilly talk about crazy and paranoid people is nothing short of delicious hilarity.
I meant "send the Fox security squad in"
Well I don't know why O'Reilly needed to refer to Rev Lynn as a "crazy"...BUT "paranoid" might certainly fit.
Reading what Alito wrote I'm NOT seeing that he's making ANY promises to Christian Conservatives here. For Lynn to think so is a stretch. AND do keep in mind Alito was NOT elected, so I fail to see how Dobson or any of the Christian Conservatives got him his "job"
Anyway, while I find myself agreeing less&less with Bill these days, THIS time I'm going to give him a passing grade. And MMFA an "F" on posting this thread.
Of course Dobson helped get Alito his job. Not only through the full court press of the "grass roots" campaign, but Alito wouldn't even have had a job to be considered for if Dobson and his fellow evangelicals hadn't crushed the Myers nomination.
And it doesn't take a clairvoyant to decipher what he means when Alito talks about the "trust you have placed in me". Trust to do what? You don't have to be paranoid to read between the lines.
Still sounds paranoid to me. But you're entitled to your opinion.
Groups from BOTH sides try to convince Senators to ACCEPT or REJECT nominees. Nothing new or illegal about that.
isn't there supposed to be some separation of the judicial branch from the religious branches. i'm sure i've heard that before. now, where was that?
oh ya, it's in the constitution.
seriously, jeter, you're an idiot.
"seriously, jeter, you're an idiot."...by trutheau
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Ah the typical response from a Liberal who lacks debating skills. And you wonder WHY Ann Coulter wrote a book aptly titled: "How to talk to a Liberal (If you must)?? YOU are a CLASSIC EXAMPLE. When you've got NOTHING intelligent to respond with, ALWAYS revert to name-calling.
Mmmmmm now if I recall correctly MANY Liberal and Left-wing Organizations rallied against Alito's nomination hoping to twist a Senators arm or two to vote AGAINST the man. But I guess that's ok in your book? BUT when Conservative or Right-wing organizations speak out in FAVOR of a nominee hoping to CONVINCE Senators to vote for him/her it's...EVIL. Ok, got it.
Just because a Religious group is in favor of a nominee and publicly supports him/her crosses NO LINE in the separation of church&state issue. Just as the Pro-Choice groups or Gay/Lesbian groups that FOUGHT his nomination have little bearing on the results OTHER than to prompt certain Senators to either approve or reject a nominee. That trutheau is how it works.
A simple Thank You for your support note is hardly an ominous signal that Alito will vote in the affirmative on ANY case involving religion ....except of course to the paranoid...such as yourself and Rev. Lynn.
"As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me"
Trutheau, I'm going to have to agree with Jeter in the sense that calling him an idiot for showing a difference in opinion is just wrong.
The above quote can definitely have different interpretations to it. I see it as you helped me out I'll help you out, but that is because I don't trust anything about this Alito character, and I think if I'm not mistaken, the point Jeter was trying to make is that he sees it just how it is, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed on me. Which could be, I'm going to be as honest and trustworthy as possible because of the trust you put in me.
I don't think Jeter said anything that warranted him being called an idiot and it makes you look bad when you just toss out name calling rather than having an intelligent debate on the issue.
Lost, thank you for your post. I appreciate it believe me. I TRY very hard myself not to indulge in name-calling here as it accomplices little (other than showing oneself to be devoid of intelligent responses or comments).
While I fully UNDERSTAND that anyone or anything that George W. Bush touches is open to skepticism, and yes Bush nominated the man-- I think to read too much into what Alito wrote MIGHT be a bit of a stretch. Dobson did NOT get Alito his position. I think it was a foregone conclusion that the MAJORITY of Republican Senators would vote to confirm him without ANY "outside influence". Maybe others are "reading between the lines" concerning his "thank you" to Dobson, and that's their prerogative. I simply don't see it as any kind of a "veiled" promise to the Christian Right. And to be called an "idiot" for expressing my opinion is annoying. Unfortunately, there are SOME posters here who lash out angrily at any opposing viewpoints.
Thank you for NOT being one of them.
is MMFA's way of saying Bill is "personally attacking" Barry Lynn. I'd call him Reverand but he sent in a couple of cereal box tops in for his license. Oops, now I am personally attacking him.
this doesn't qualify as a personal attack?
I'd call him Reverand but he sent in a couple of cereal box tops in for his license.
You're either a liar or a blank-eyed buffoon who has no idea what they are talking about.
But don't take it personally - after all, if calling someone a "paranoid crazy" is not a personal attack, neither is that.
O'Reilly told Mike Farrell that flat out O'Reilly "didn't DO" personal attacks. A flat denial.
O'Reilly LIED. Yes, that's the point. O'Reilly engages in personal attacks constantly, and denies he does so.
O'Reilly either KNOWS he is lying, or he does not. If he KNOWS he is lying, he has no character or credibility. If he DOES NOT know he's lying, then this indicates a deep mental disease.
I don't much care which it is, but the rightwing is sure proud of O'Reilly's "#1 in cable" position. Wow.
Whether Judge Alito's letter to Dobson has some meaning other than his thanking him for his support, we'll never know. Some people are concerned that the Separation of Church and State is starting to disappear. Tody. both the government and the churches ask for blind obedience. Everything must be taken on faith. We have a town in Pennsylvania being sued for insisting that a supernatural power created everything. Now, the town has an enormous legal bill to pay because the school board overruled the scientists, was sued, lost and is required to pay legal fees. The voters in the State of California voted to fund stem cell research, but because of a Christian Group, the will of the people of the state has been thwarted. Today, I've heard that a state legislator in Missouri has proposed legislation to make Christianity, the Official State Majority Religion. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?
Here's a link to the Missouri proposal.
[link to www.kmov.com]
According to the linked article, "State representative David Sater of Cassville in southwestern Missouri, sponsored the resolution, but he has refused to talk about it on camera or over the phone."
Now, when a politician won't talk, especially about a piece of pet legislation, you know something's amiss.
"COUSIN LYNN IS RIGHT!
Suppose you helped someone get a political appointment by, say, encouraging former co-workers to write letters of support. Suppose that later, that person wrote to you expressing gratitude for the letters that people sent and said "I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me."
Would you think it "paranoid" to read that as saying "the trust you have placed in me?"
No, I didn't think so. Lynn's reading is quite reasonable.
If Lynn actually thought it was a conspiracy to get god into the supreme court like Oreilly would like to believe, then id agree with his "paranoid" label for him.
However, Oreilly is the one who comes off as a "crazy" in this video.