Following the publication of a July 8 New York Times editorial asserting that "[i]t is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit," Bill O'Reilly attacked the Times on the July 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor for “declar[ing] defeat in Iraq yesterday on its editorial page.” O'Reilly claimed: “It is beyond disappointing this campaign is not succeeding, but I'm still praying for a miracle, as a stable Iraq makes the world a safer place. I believe that prayer is not being shared in some precincts here in America, but of course I could be wrong.” However, as Media Matters for America documented, on the February 20, 2006, edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, O'Reilly said that the United States ought to “hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible” because "[t]here are so many nuts in the country -- so many crazies -- that we can't control them."

O'Reilly began the July 9 program by declaring that the “far left” is “gleeful over the chaos in Iraq.” Later, O'Reilly stated: "[T]here's no question the anti-war movement has momentum. Iraq is a mess and most Americans want out after four years of great sacrifice." He claimed that "[t]he USA can't control the country" and that “the Iraqi failure to help themselves has come true.” He added: “And so there is joy in Far Leftville. The Bush haters have won a victory. Iraq is not going to become a functioning democracy any time soon. And President Bush will have that on his resume forever.”

During a discussion of the topic later during the program, O'Reilly asked former deputy undersecretary of defense and American Spectator contributing editor Jed Babbin if he believed “there's anybody in the media who's rooting against America in Iraq.” Babbin stated: “Of course I do. ... I think the editors of the U.S. -- of The New York Times want us to lose in Iraq, and I think they don't really care if we lose the overall war.” O'Reilly told Babbin that his claim was “provocative” and said that Babbin was “almost accusing them of being traitors,” to which Babbin replied: “Well, I -- let's go pretty close to that. I mean, these people are so active in the med -- they're not reporting the news. These guys are media activists. They want to get George Bush out of the White House and the Democrat in there. They don't care what the price is, Bill.” Babbin concluded: “And they'll do anything, leak anything, publish anything in order to get that to happen.”

Babbin has previously attacked the Times, falsely accusing the paper of providing misleading data in its reports on homicides of detainees in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, as Media Matters also noted.

From the July 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: The O'Reilly Factor is on. Tonight.

NEAL GABLER (media critic and Fox News Watch panelist) [video clip]: When we get terrorist threats in this country, I mean, they are hyped. There's hysteria.

O'REILLY: The far left continuing to downplay worldwide terrorism and are gleeful over the chaos in Iraq. We'll have analysis.

[...]

O'REILLY: Tonight's “Talking Points Memo,” blood in the water over Iraq. The New York Times declared defeat in Iraq yesterday on its editorial page, and there's no question the anti-war movement has momentum. Iraq is a mess, and most Americans want out after four years of great sacrifice.

The truth is the Iraqi government and many of its citizens are simply not doing enough to defeat the terrorists and corruption. The USA can't control that country. No nation could. “Talking Points” laid out that scenario three years ago. Unfortunately, the Iraqi failure to help themselves has come true.

And so there is joy in Far Leftville. The Bush haters have won a victory. Iraq is not going to become a functioning democracy any time soon, and President Bush will have that on his resume forever.

Not content with the Iraq debacle, the far left is also trying to diminish the overall war on terror. This movement is led by The New York Times and NBC News in the mainstream media.

When the London car bomb story broke, NBC News actually put a guy on the air who said, quote, “You have a non-event in London, and we're going to battle quarters and beginning to give the old hairy eyeball to every Muslim?”

Non-event? And that statement wasn't even challenged on NBC's air. Incredible.

Over at The New York Times, columnists Paul Krugman and Frank Rich are doing everything they can to downplay the war on terror. Left-wing zealot Krugman now puts a “TM” [trademark symbol] next to the war on terror in his column. How clever. How clever. And today, Krugman stated, quote, “These days terrorism is the first refuge of scoundrels,” unquote.

Now Krugman and many at the Times believe the Bush administration hypes the danger from terrorism in order to impose fascism or something on America. The 9-11 conspiracy theory has more credibility than this dopey stuff, but it's out there in droves, and since Iraq has not worked, this kind of far-left insanity is gaining traction.

There's no question that time is running out in Iraq, but all Americans should honor the sacrifice our military has made. It is beyond disappointing this campaign is not succeeding, but I'm still praying for a miracle, as a stable Iraq makes the world a safer place. I believe that prayer is not being shared in some precincts here in America, but of course I could be wrong. And that's the “Memo.”

[...]

O'REILLY: You don't believe there's anybody in the media who's rooting against America in Iraq?

PATRICIA DeGENNARO (New York University instructor): Against the Americans in Iraq?

O'REILLY: Correct.

DeGENNARO: Well, I would have a hard time believing that.

O'REILLY: Do you believe it, Jed?

BABBIN: Of course I do. Look, you look at just The New York Times for one example. They have leaked --

O'REILLY: Now, wait, wait. I want to be very -- I want specific. You believe the editors of The New York Times want the USA to lose in Iraq?

BABBIN: I think the editors of the U.S. -- of The New York Times want us to lose in Iraq, and I think they don't really care if we lose the overall war. Bill, these people have --

O'REILLY: Really?

BABBIN: They have leaked -- and published the leaks actually, not leaked, but they have published the leaks --

O'REILLY: Yeah, but they say the people have a right to know. But to your -- that's a provocative statement.

BABBIN: But even in -- yes.

O'REILLY: You're almost accusing them of being traitors.

BABBIN: Well, I -- let's go pretty close to that. I mean, these people are so active in the med -- they're not reporting the news. These guys are media activists. They want to get George Bush out of the White House and a Democrat in there. They don't care what the price is, Bill.

O'REILLY: All right.

BABBIN: And they'll do anything, leak anything, publish anything in order to get that to happen.