O'Reilly claimed right wing doesn't "smear"
SUMMARY: Bill O'Reilly asserted that while "on the left, it's all about the smear," "the propagandists on the right" are "not smear merchants"; "they're not trying to smear anybody." He also said, "[M]aybe I'm naïve," but "when I tune in to [the] programs [of Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Laura Ingraham], I hear ideology."
On the April 26 edition of The Radio Factor, host Bill O'Reilly asserted that while "on the left, it's all about the smear," "the propagandists on the right" are "not smear merchants"; "they're not trying to smear anybody." Later in the show, a caller challenged O'Reilly's assertion, asking why O'Reilly does not consider attacks on liberals by fellow Fox News host Sean Hannity and nationally syndicated radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham to be "smear tactics." O'Reilly replied that "maybe I'm naïve," but "when I tune in to their programs, I hear ideology." O'Reilly explained that unlike liberal "smear merchants," the three conservative pundits "keep it in the issue area." Citing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) as an example, O'Reilly stated that he's "not hearing" conservatives "try to tear him to pieces and injure him personally."
In fact, in addition to O'Reilly himself, who is no stranger to making personal attacks, Media Matters for America has compiled numerous examples of Limbaugh, Hannity, and Ingraham straying from "the issue area" to attack liberals, including Kennedy. Below are just a few examples.
Rush Limbaugh
- Commenting on a clip of Kennedy holding prison abuse photos from Abu Ghraib, Limbaugh stated that Kennedy has "got these pictures at home, folks. ... I mean, this is what he's doing at home. ... [A]re we to believe, here, Senator Kennedy is a stranger to forced nakedness? Ah -- no." (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 6/8/04)
- Limbaugh repeatedly referred to Kennedy as "the swimmer" because of Chappaquiddick. Limbaugh has several doctored photographs on his website depicting (subscription required) Kennedy in snorkeling masks (subscription required).
- In recent weeks, Limbaugh has stated that terrorists "sound[] just like the DNC [Democratic National Committee];" said that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) "sounds like a screeching ex-wife;" and repeatedly suggested that Clinton had then-deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster murdered while she was first lady. (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 4/26/06; 3/3/06; 9/21/05)
Sean Hannity
- Hannity labeled as "insane" Kennedy's September 27, 2004, speech criticizing President Bush's policies in Iraq for "not ma[king] America safer." Hannity also falsely claimed that Kennedy "call[ed] the soldiers failures" and said Kennedy placed himself amongst "those of us who would like to cut and run [from Iraq]." (Hannity & Colmes, 9/27/04)
- Hannity suggested that the DNC may have been behind the Abu Ghraib prison abuse photos, asking: "Was that a DNC plot too?" (The Sean Hannity Show, 9/10/04)
Laura Ingraham
- Ingraham stated that Democratic Sens. John Kerry (MA), Joseph R. Biden Jr. (DE), and Barbara Boxer (CA) are "on the side of" North Korea leader Kim Jong Il because they were opposed to John R. Bolton's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (Hannity & Colmes, 4/11/05).
From the April 26 edition of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
O'REILLY: You're going to have the propagandists on the right, primarily on the right -- now, they're not smear merchants. There's a difference. The propagandists on the right are just holding water for the oil companies, but they're not trying to smear anybody. But on the left, it's all about the smear. All about the smear, ladies and gentlemen, that's what it is.
[...]
O'REILLY: OK, we're talking about the appointment of Tony Snow. Of course, he was smeared immediately by the left-wing websites -- those despicable people who operate those. Harrisburg, PA, [caller], what say you?
CALLER: Well, I -- I'm just a little taken aback at what you're saying, Bill. Because I -- I -- it just -- you conveniently always omit the smear tactics of Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, constantly. Why is that?
O'REILLY: Well, I don't see it the way you see it.
CALLER: They constantly smear the --
O'REILLY: Nah, I mean, look. I -- I see -- I hear those people all the time and I don't see any -- I don't -- I mean, look. Maybe I'm -- maybe I'm naïve. But here's my definition of a smear, [caller], so you can take it to the bank. OK?
It's taking a person like Tony Snow, who, across the board, is admired and respected, OK? Courageous guy -- wants to help this country, has a belief system that he does not make any bones about. And then you take a guy like Snow and you try to tear him to pieces. That -- that's smearing to me. OK?
Now, the three people that you mentioned are right-wing commentators, and they go after the left consistently and on a daily basis. OK. But I have to tell you, when I tune into their programs, I hear ideology. That's what I hear. And then I hear, you know, "This one's bad," but they keep it in the issue area most of the time. That's what I'm hearing. Maybe I'm missing it. But it's in the issue area.
It's not -- OK -- "Here, we have a new person for Ted Kennedy. Let's try to tear him to pieces and injure him personally." I'm not hearing that. There is one smear merchant on the right who does that and I despise him. But the rest seem to deal mostly in issues.
Does he believe it, or what?
Ask a conservative about Ted Kennedy and the first thing they will ALWAYS do is call him a drunk and a murder. That is smearing.
I'm a conservative. Nice of you to generalise like that.
As for Bill, it's hardly unusual for him to be talking complete garbage. The right still smears Kerry every time Bush does something wrong, and he's not even the democratic candidate for president anymore :S.
"Ask a conservative about Ted Kennedy and the first thing they will ALWAYS do is call him a drunk and a murder. That is smearing." defkon_4
Ted Kennedy could have easily been described as "a drunk" not too many years ago, or at the very least as a man with a severe drinking problem. Even he has admitted as much.
Leaving a young woman to drown by not reporting an accident immediately (even though there was a house nearby where the senators car flew off the bridge) may not be first degree murder, but it still stinks to high heaven, and though he was never charged with "murder", calling him a murderer is not so unreasonable. If I'd been a family member or close friend of Mary Jo Kopechne I think that's exactly what I would have called him.
George W. Bush could have easily been described as "a drunk" not too many years ago, or at the very least as a man with a severe drinking problem. Even he has admitted as much.
Laura Bush also ran a stop sign at 50 mph to kill a classmate. While it may not be first degree murder, it still stinks to high heaven, though she was never charged with "murder", calling her a murderer is not so unreasonable. If I'd been a family member or close friend of Michael Douglas I think that's exactly what I would have called her.
I was gonna suggest that bush was a drunk and a murderer (10,000 times over, so MASS-murderer?) but yours was better.
"I'm not hearing that. There is one smear merchant on the right who does that and I despise him. But the rest seem to deal mostly in issues."
Obviously he's talking about Michael Savage, and the only reason O'Reilly despises him is because Savage has attacked him personally. BO only hears it when somebody mentions his name.
gots jokes [sic].
I could have swore he was referring to self-loathing.
When BO said "But I have to tell you, when I tune into their programs, I hear ideology ", what he probably meant to say was "idolatry" - you know, as in their constant worshiping of their Lord God Duhhbya.
The right-wing pundits and commentators don't smear??!?!?!
I nearly fell out of my seat here reading this drivel from O'Really?............
Maybe someone needs to refute this guy on air with actual quotes/smears from the right-wing smearosphere...
If he would bother to study academia, he would learn that everything is ideology, including his world. It is what one does with that ideology that makes society good or bad.
How he conveniently doesn't mention anything about his friend Ann Coutler.
From the Dallas newspaper story about Sheer Insanity's recent bomb at an advertisers' event in Texas:
"Two pokes at Ted Kennedy, whom he gives a hiccup sound for a middle name, also die resolutely on the vine. "
Nothing personal, eh, Bull O'Really?
I'd just like to personally thank Bill O'Reilly for the comic relief. This laugh could very well last me the entire weekend.
O'Reilly has become a caricature of himself.
I didn't realize that O'Reilly was working his way into comedy. This is a pretty good bit. Satirizing the right for their claims that they don't smear. I've heard that from our moderate friends for a while, but not from Lying Bill.
Still, good joke though. The right doesn't smear! Ha ha ha ha ha. Good one, Bill!
Maybe he should try standup. He' d be a big hit at the Laugh Fallafel.
Stephen Colbert has launched such a successful career satirizing BOR's schtick that Bill has decided to try to satirize his own schtick. The results are hilarious but Colbert still does it better.
"...Tony Snow, who, across the board, is admired and respected..."
Very, very funny.
BTW, who does Bill despise on the right?
It appears to be Neal Boortz:
[link to www.oreilly-sucks.com]
Check out the link - it's actually very instructive about what makes Bill tick.
At the outset, it looks like on of those phony arguments between two conservatives designed to distract the sheep from the real problems of the world. But then Boortz crosses Bill:
BOORTZ: There is only one place in this country where this whole story is at issue at all. It's not a controversy in Georgia. It's not a controversy anywhere but on your show, and one might suspect that you're running to this to give you some cover maybe for this alleged hubcap incident that happened at your fundraiser.
O'REILLY: Well, let's -- that -- you know, you're a vicious son of a bitch for saying that.
WHOA! Bill amped it up there when Neal went after Bill's persoanl life, didn't he?
The "Hubcap incident," for those who don't remember:
[link to www.fair.org]
As reported in the Washington Post (4/15/03), O'Reilly was trying to fill the time before a singing group connected with the charity, called the Best Men, was set to perform, and quipped: "Does anyone know where the Best Men are? I hope they're not in the parking lot stealing our hubcaps." According to the Post report, some of the conservatives in the audience were aghast at the seemingly racist crack.
So now it comes together:
If you call Bill on his crap to his face, you are a "smear merchant." If you bring up hubcaps, or Andrea Makris, or even mention loofahs, you have crossed the line. Even if you are on the right.
You can go after anyone else - just don't go after Falafel Bill.
...Savage has savaged O'Reilly regularly. Savage's new book even has a chapter on him.
From wikipedia.com (FWIW):
He [Savage] has also attacked Bill O'Reilly (whom Savage has dubbed the "Lepre-con") (also now "Loofa-Man" in reference to Bill O'Reilly's shortlived sexual harassment scandal), and William Bennett, as hypocrites and "phony" conservatives for advocating morality while living what he views as immoral lives.
Which makes even more sense: ANYONE who mentions the Makris lawsuit is "smearing," according to Bill.
I laughed so hard, I peed. No joke.
there, I said it BOR.........send the FOXtapo after me, Billy Boy. You and Crazy Annie are morons.
...is an independent you know.
and I consider myself center/left. He does smear, so does fox, and all the rest of the reichwing cooks. Please, tell me how denigrating someone because you don't like what they say isn't smear?
The right-wing doesn't smear...
...and the sky is really an intense shade of viridian green
...and my cats are actually leaving nuggets of pure platinum in their litterbox
...and there are gay leprechauns living in my desk drawer
...and bears don't **** in the woods
...and the Pope is in fact NOT Catholic.
As you could tell if you paid attention to the Pope, you would know that he's definitely a member of the Metropolitan Community Church. He's a big gay rights activist. Duh.
This one just made me laugh.
O'Reilly is a world-class idiot.
It seems that both parties smear each other. Spokes people for politicians do it all the time. Remember Dan Rather's attempt to smear Bush about his military past? Yup, everyone smears everyone. Thats considered normal especially during an election.
I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but if you honestly believe that the left "smears" as much as the right does, you're just not paying attention.
I simply cannot believe this O'Reilly is considered anything but a caricature of himself. This clip about right wing smear however does indicate 1 possible good thing about the man, at the end I hear the start of some realy nice music. If only he sticks with playing music....
If you call me a scumbag, that's a smear because it isn't true, I'm not a scumbag. But if I call you a scumbag, that isn't a smear because it is true, you are a scumbag. You just have to understand that I'm the one who does the definitions around here.
This is a beautiful kind of argument because there's no way to get through it. If you try to explain to this kind of irrational person that his definitions may not be entirely accurate, that's the end of the discussion. As soon as you suggest that he may not be 100% correct, you're smearing him (by his definition), so then he can cut you off and call you a scumbag, and it isn't a smear because you are a scumbag (by his definition).
All conservative logic works this way. Liberals can be called traitors and it isn't a smear because conservatives define the word "traitor" as "liberal". If someone else defines the word "traitor" as "conservative", that's an unpatriotic smear. Clear skies through air pollution. Clean water through arsenic. Healthy forests through deforestation. Small government through explosive government growth. Fiscal discipline through fiscal irresponsibility. Honesty through bribery. Fair elections through gerrymandering. Peace through perpetual war.
It's easy when you make the definitions. And it isn't even possible for a conservative to flip-flop on an issue, like the Dubai ports deal, or the 9/11 Commission, or any of a hundred other things. Flip-flopping is defined as something Democrats do. Republicans don't flip-flop, they just change their definitions, and that's different.
So O'Reilly thinks that the Right-wing doesn't smear eh? What planet does he live on? Seriously, he can't be THAT dumb. All the Right-wing does is smear. Has he ever read anything written by Ann Coulter? Rush Limbaugh calls former President Clinton a "psychopath" & refers to liberals/Democrats as "traitors", "pinheads", "America-haters" and much worse. I challenge anyone to listen to some Right-wing talking head and tell me that they don't smear. The thing about conservatives is that they don't look at people who disagree with them as people who just have an opposing view. No, they look at them as evil! So if you are against the war it isn't out of principle. It is because you are an America-hating scumbag. That's why Right-wingers drive me crazy.
I do not smear BO'R when I state that he is Hannity's father,because I have faith that is so.They distort liberals views. And they do all that in the cause of morality!
"The right wing doesn't smear."
"Fox news isn't a 'right wing' enterprise."
"We don't do personal attacks here."
WAR IS PEACE
SLAVERY IS FREEDOM
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU
Don't forget 2 + 2 = 5
Hell according one conservative even that is true.
I won't give the website here....but if you ever come across it, you'll laugh as hard as I did.
Or .. just a liar.
It's so obvious that FOX is nothing but pure smear and propaganda.....you'd have to be an idiot or a raging ideolougue not to see it.
..if Andrea Makris kept falafel and a loofah in her hubcaps...
I notice that we have a better brand of conservative here because none of them are defending this moronic statement.
I think that you not getting the point that he is trying to make. He is saying that the left goes after people by smearing them and treating them with physical harm. I know he didnt say that, but lets think about this for a second.
Rush, Hannity and that women say the things that they feel about certain people based on the things they did or said. Not one thing that you have posted about those individuals were lies or threats. It was there opinion about the actions of those individuals. Now, how many times have liberals thrown a pie in the face of a conservative spokesperson? How many physical threats have been make to conservative talk show hosts (hannity, OReilly, and Limbaugh all have body guards because of threats made against them)?
And in case you didnt know who the person that Oreily talk about despiseing. Michael Savage!
They have bodyguards because they've been threatend by liberals??? WHATEVER. You can rest assured that anyone who threatens another person with harm is NOT a liberal.
These idiots are probably being threatened by other conservatives.