WashPo’s Sally Quinn Admits Michelle Obama’s Oscar Appearance Was Propaganda; But Thinks It Was Brilliant

The liberal media’s love affair with the Obamas appears to have reached a new climax following the first lady's appearance via satellite on the Academy Awards on February 24. 

Speaking on the O’Reilly Factor on February 25, the Washington Post’s Sally Quinn admitted that Michelle Obama’s Oscar appearance was, in Bill O’Reilly’s words, “Hollywood Left boosterism,” but gushed that it was a “brilliant idea.”   [See video after jump.  MP3 audio here.]

O’Reilly did agree with Quinn’s analysis that we:

Have a first lady who is black so that people in other cultures and other countries can see. And she is very good ambassador for this country. So I think from aside from liberal or conservative politics, I think it was a great coup for her to do that.

However, his criticism, which Ms. Quinn denied would happen is that: 

When you said you think that they would have used the first lady if they had thought about it, I can assure you that Laura Bush would never at any time have introduced any award other than worst president ever and then they would have voted for her husband. This was orchestrated by Harvey Weinstein.

Remarkably, Quinn then admitted that, “look it’s no surprise that Hollywood is liberal, everybody knows that. I mean that’s where Democratic money comes from.”  Despite her admission of such unabashed liberal bias, Quinn still maintained that:

But I think that it was a brilliant idea and I think Michelle Obama did a great job and I think it was a great coup for the United States of America.

A "great coup" for the United States?! Listen to yourself, Sally.

See relevant transcript below. 

Fox News

The O’Reilly Factor

February 25, 2013

8:22 p.m. EST

BILL O’REILLY: Personal story segment tonight. It’s estimated that a billion people worldwide watched the Academy Awards last night. At the end of the program they all saw this.

JACK NICHOLSON: Tonight it's my great pleasure to introduce live from the White House the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

MICHELLE OBAMA: I am so honored to help introduce this year's nominees for Best Picture and to help celebrate the movies that lift our spirits, broaden our minds and transport us to places that we never imagined. And the Oscar goes to... Argo! Congratulations.

O’REILLY: Alright, joining us now from our New York studio, Sally Quinn, who works for the Washington Post. This smacks, does it not, of Hollywood left boosterism Ms. Quinn, correct?

SALLY QUINN: Sounds right to me, Bill.

O’REILLY: Alright, so you are not going to argue with me on that.

QUINN: No. It was right out there. What can you say.

O’REILLY: I want to state my case for the far left nuts that are monitoring this segment. No Nancy Reagan. No Barbara Bush, no Laura Bush, but there’s Michelle Obama, hey, how are you? It's a pure propaganda play to make them glamorous?

QUINN: First of all I think that they probably would have done it before if somebody had thought of it, I thought it was a brilliant idea. And secondly, if you look at places all around the world, you will see that the most important ambassador we have is American films. I mean people in caves all over the world. I mean, people in huts and jungles have American movies.

O’REILLY: They are all enjoying pirates of the Caribbean and that’s doing the country a lot of good.

QUINN: No, but wherever they are they are watching American films. And even if they hate America they love our movies. And so this is a way to present that picture of America. We have a first lady who is black so that people in other cultures and other countries can see. And she is very good ambassador for this country. So I think from aside from liberal or conservative politics, I think it was a great coup for her to do that.

O’REILLY: Now I agree with you in part that this is an image around the world that is positive for America particularly in the third world. I like Michelle Obama personally. I have nothing against her. I like her physical fitness stuff. No beef there. But when you said you think that they would have used the first lady if they had thought about it, I can assure you that Laura Bush would never at any time have introduced any award other than worst president ever and then they would have voted for her husband. This was orchestrated by Harvey Weinstein. You know Harvey? Okay, he is a big, big Obama guy, big democratic contributor. And Harvey basically a guy walks around Hollywood and says you are going to do in this or I'll have you killed. Alright that’s what Harvey does. So Harvey walked in and said hey, my pal Michelle Obama is going to introduce best picture. And that’s it.  And they went, okay, Harvey, and that is what it was. They’re all on board. They want to – well it might have been a good idea for world perception but it boosts the Obama Administration up as this glamorous thing.

QUINN: Well, it is. She is glamorous.

O’REILLY: No it’s not.

QUINN: And, I mean....

O’REILLY: Let me break this to you Ms. Quinn. I have to be brutal.

QUINN: Okay, go ahead Bill, I can take it.  

O’REILLY: I got to be brutal and I'll give you last word. 17 trillion dollar debt isn't glamorous. Okay? Go.

QUINN: Okay. How much money do you think that they spent on jewelry in that event alone.

O’REILLY: It was all loaned jewelry, it was all loaned.

QUINN: Right, exactly.

O’REILLY: Yeah, they gave me a nose ring and I wouldn't wear it. It was just a loaner, they wanted it back.

QUINN: But look it’s no surprise that Hollywood is liberal, everybody knows that. I mean that’s where Democratic money comes from.

O’REILLY: I'm not surprised but it's my job to call propaganda, propaganda. That’s my job.

QUINN: And I think you are doing your job. But I think that it was a brilliant idea and I think Michelle Obama did a great job and I think it was a great coup for the United States of America.