So, have you heard that Fox News' Bill O'Reilly isn't fond of liberal bloggers?
In case there was any confusion about this issue, the outspoken host made it quite clear on Thursday's "O'Reilly Factor" when he told political consultant Dick Morris:
I think it's a danger to have blackmailers, which is what these bloggers are, active in the political process.
Ouch.
Yet, that might not have been the best moment in this segment, which also included a lengthy discussion about why Democrat presidential candidates are spending so much time bashing Fox News (video available here):
BILL O'REILLY, HOST: [A]s we reported earlier this week, some of the Democratic candidates have been attacking Fox News... You know, I understand what they're doing, trying to get the far-left people to like them and vote for them in the primaries. I mean, it's obvious. But you know what's interesting? The only one who didn't do, it Obama. Obama has not trashed FOX News.
DICK MORRIS, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: Obama is kind of more of a class act.
The big problem that Hillary has got right now is that she has to go after special interests, because she is awash in their campaign contributions. And she's getting flayed for that by Edwards and Obama.
So she can't attack drug money, because she's taking it. She can't attack insurance money, because she's taking it, but she can attack you and FOX News.
Interesting. So, in Morris' view, this whole Fox News issue is just a rehashing of the vast rightwing conspiracy canard specifically designed to allow Hillary to point accusatory fingers at someone else while diverting attention from her own hypocrisies and the real issues.
However, that might explain her modus operandi concerning Fox. But what justifies the other candidates' disdain for this network, especially as it pertains to their campaigns? As O'Reilly pointed out:
[T]his is by far and away the highest-rated cable news outfit. OK? And we're growing while the others are disintegrating.
Why do they want to make enemies -- particularly a guy like John Edwards, who is treated very well here, 33 times he was on. We pored over the transcripts. There was never one time that this guy was unfairly treated while he was on this network.
Why do they want to do that? Don't they understand that that might not -- that might come back to bite them in the you know where?
These were valid questions, as it seems that attacking Fox News best fits the Hillary agenda, and other candidates focusing on this network likely helps her. Unless there is another issue:
O'REILLY: [H]ere is what I see as the problem...Bloggers threatening -- you know, what people don't understand is that these Internet bloggers get messages to these candidates. If you don't do what we tell you to do, we will trash you and try to interfere with your fundraising...But I think it's a danger to have blackmailers, which is what these bloggers are, active in the political process.
Was O'Reilly suggesting that liberal bloggers are pushing the Democrat candidates to voice disapproval with Fox News? Is this to coddle the Netroots and their base, or because it indeed resonates throughout much of non-conservative America?
The reality is the left have done a very good job of making "Fox News" an issue. As a result, this cable network has become a rallying cry for many. Say the words "Fox News" in a room full of people of varying political persuasions, and a heated discussion will certainly ensue.
More importantly, as much of the left support a reimplementation of the Fairness Doctrine, continued negative focus on Fox News - even though the Fairness Doctrine only deals with radio broadcasts - fits the currently in vogue attacks on all non-liberal sources of information.
As such, the words "Fox News" have conceivably become akin to "Saturday Night Live's" spoof of Al Gore's "lock box."
For those that have forgotten, during the 2000 presidential campaign, "SNL" did skits satirizing the debates between Al Gore and George W. Bush. In one such segment, Gore's answer to virtually every question was "lock box" (video available here).
With that in mind, as Democrat presidential candidates don't have real answers to real issues - and certainly aren't going to be asked to disclose such by debate moderators from CNN and MSNBC! - the answer to every softball question could become "Fox News."
After all, that's likely the one thing the candidates and their supporters agree on.
What follows is a full transcript of this segment.
BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the "Campaign 2008" segment tonight, as we reported earlier this week, some of the Democratic candidates have been attacking Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Fox News, I think, has a clear and long history of bias against Democrats.
SEN. CHRIS DODD, (D) CT: It means standing up, by the way, when things get tough, standing up to Bill O'Reilly, by the way, when he comes after Daily Kos.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, I was very proud of my campaign, standing up and really calling O'Reilly out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Yeah. Now, the question is is all of that had a wise thing to do? Here now, a wise man, Dick Morris, the author of the best-selling book "Outrage," doing very well.
OK, now .
DICK MORRIS, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: If she wanted to call you out, she could show up on your show.
O'REILLY: She could do a whole bunch of stuff rather than pandering to those people. But we're going to remember all that. You know, I understand what they're doing, trying to get the far-left people to like them and vote for them in a primaries. I mean, it's obvious. But you know what's interesting? The only one who didn't do, it Obama. Obama has not trashed FOX News.
MORRIS: Obama is kind of more of a class act.
The big problem that Hillary has got right now is that she has to go after special interests, because she is awash in their campaign contributions. And she's getting flayed for that by Edwards and Obama.
So she can't attack drug money, because she's taking it. She can't attack insurance money, because she's taking it, but she can attack you and FOX News.
O'REILLY: But where does that get her? I mean, this is by far and away the highest-rated cable news outfit. OK? And we're growing while the others are disintegrating.
Why do they want to make enemies -- particularly a guy like John Edwards, who is treated very well here, 33 times he was on. We pored over the transcripts. There was never one time that this guy was unfairly treated while he was on this network.
Why do they want to do that? Don't they understand that that might not -- that might come back to bite them in the you know where?
MORRIS: Yes, well, by the time it comes back in the general election, Bill, they -- all of them except one won't be living so long. There will be only one candidate, and that's a long ways away.
Right now they need somebody to vilify because Hillary doesn't vilify somebody, she's going to be the villain.
O'REILLY: All right. So she has to divert attention away from -- away from the issues that the far left doesn't like about her?
MORRIS: Not just the far left. I have a column coming out in the Post the next few days. There are 12 foreign countries, including Pakistan and Dubai and Columbia and Jordan and Taiwan and a million others that have hired lobbyists who are -- many of whom are actually employed now by the Hillary Clinton campaign. The nexus is so close.
O'REILLY: Well, they're just trying to cozy up, in case she wins.
MORRIS: They're buying future interests in the Clinton presidency.
O'REILLY: See, I don't see that as a problem. But here is what I see as the problem.
MORRIS: They live the problem (ph)
O'REILLY: Yes, maybe they do, but it's just a stupid issue. Bloggers threatening -- you know, what people don't understand is that these Internet bloggers get messages to these candidates. If you don't do what we tell you to do, we will trash you and try to interfere with your fundraising.
MORRIS: Right.
O'REILLY: And that is unique. I don't think that has ever happened before.
MORRIS: I think that's true. I think there's a mobilization of the left-wing grassroots. And it is increasingly directed against Hillary. Increasingly you're seeing -- and you saw this at the AFL, you saw it at the bloggers' convention, that there is a new left emerging. And for them, Hillary Clinton is not that far from George Bush or Bill O'Reilly in the lexicon of demons.
O'REILLY: Right. She's not radical enough.
MORRIS: Exactly.
O'REILLY: How much power do they really have, though?
MORRIS: A lot, because...
O'REILLY: Do you really think so?
MORRIS: A lot. Because these folks are a grassroots group that has spread enormously over the Internet. The left is way ahead of the right on the Internet. Democrats are so much better than the Republicans now at penetrating them, and they have literally tens of millions of people who they're in regular touch with. Those are people who are going to swarm all over the primaries.
You know, one of the examples of that is you take Iowa, which is a caucus state, not a primary.
O'REILLY: Right.
MORRIS: So you get the activists who vote. Edwards is ahead there. Because...
O'REILLY: Yes, I know that. But that's not going to do him any good. You know that.
MORRIS: Well, if he wins -- if he wins in Iowa, he's in good shape. I don't think he'll win in Iowa, but he's ahead right now because MoveOn and those other groups have so saturated the Democratic left.
O'REILLY: And the people that voted across...
MORRIS: And you were a great rallying point for them, my friend.
O'REILLY: Well, they can rally all they want, but they're not going to do anything as far as the main election is concerned. But I think it's a danger to have blackmailers, which is what these bloggers are, active in the political process.
Dick Morris, everybody. Buy his book. Nice to see you, Dick.
MORRIS: Thank you.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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Comments Policy
Liberals Blackmailing Bloggers and Assassins
August 11, 2007 - 12:43 ET by Lame CherryYou can see what O'Reilly is talking about on Huffington daily. Yesterday an insane Chris Kelly started off with excrement in a blog somehow about children and tv, but got onto Pepsi in a bottle Britney Spears gave her baby, into Iraq and then as smoking excrement aimed at Hillary Clinton.
This is why Dems were at KOS (but look out people Jeff Rense was running a story that KOS is CIA controlled opposition to Bush), because the DNC is terrified of these jerks. That is why they keep introducing these stupid bills on Iraq which Americans do not want....it is to appease the blogging left.
Today a doctor in California with his family were threatened with assassination by the animal wacko movement.....so you get the while genre of what these internet highway cowards are. It is past time that the FBI name this garbage as terrorists, try them and execute them.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
VP
August 11, 2007 - 13:18 ET by BarkerIf and when Hillary gets the nomination, Republicans would be wise to make the Daily Kos founder, Markos Moulitsas, her running mate.
It kind of bothers me that
August 11, 2007 - 13:53 ET by OrlinIt kind of bothers me that the "left" has resigned themselfs to representing one viewpoint, and one viewpoint only -- theirs. No one else should be represented or even listened to ! That is what bothers me most when listing to their ranting. I thought politicians represent all the people. They don't have to agree with everyone, but to completely shut out any other viewpoint is unacceptable in a democratic society.
The nail...
August 11, 2007 - 15:17 ET by heldmyw...neatly struck on the head.
For liberals, there is only one viewpoint, one set of talking points, one reality.
Anything, and I do mean ANYTHING that is not in agreement with this is wrong, disgusting, beneath contempt and should be eradicated by all means including violence and blackmail.
They are the (self) righteous! Heretics can be killed with impunity for the glory of their disbelief in God! Halleloo Snackbar!
It must be very convenient to only have one book to read, one train of thought, one set of answers.
Even a dolt could manage to be a liberal.
Explains a lot, that does.
I was talking to my brother
August 11, 2007 - 14:25 ET by general companyI was talking to my brother the other day about Fox News. He absolutely hates it, when I asked him why he said because they are Right wing nuts that shout at their guest. So I told him how would you know, you obviously don't watch, so he said "well that is what everyone else says". I said "everyone else, you mean their competition"? I told him that Fox is the only network that offers both points of view, and some other BS about him being smarter then to let others decide what is good viewing and what is not. Just goes to show that most everyone who claims to hate Fox doesn't even watch.
It's the same with talk radio
August 11, 2007 - 14:32 ET by Sergeant ROCK.. they are afraid of what they may hear. The truth for instance.
Noel, As such, the words
August 11, 2007 - 14:27 ET by BlondeNoel,
As such, the words "Fox News" have conceivably become akin to "Saturday Night Live's" spoof of Al Gore's "lock box."
I tried to find the SNL thing about the "lock box". It was, IMO, the thing that caused Al Gore to lose that election.
Any chance of anyone else finding it here? That was classic.
I have to say, though...that FOX News isn't even in the same hemisphere as the "Lock Box" parody on SNL. Al Gore skewered himself...and rightly so.
Lockbox X 9
August 11, 2007 - 16:33 ET by stratmanTried to find the video of Darrell Hammond as Gore saying "lockbox" while debating Bush in an SNL skit. No luck. Did find this blurb and this transcript about that skit.
Killing them with kindness isn't working. Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.
The problem is that most
August 11, 2007 - 14:36 ET by mlongThe problem is that most Americans have no ideal what goes on at the Daily Kos,Dem underground,Huffington Post and other Left-wing Dem websites so they have no clue about the hate spewed there..so they don't understand the big fuss about the Dems going to the DK meeting over the weekend...and thanks to the MSM they won't find out about what really goes on either....so it's up to the Republicans to let people know about the "Screw them" remark and other vile comments coming from these places.
*********** John Edwards '08 ***********
"More woman than Hillary,more black than Obama!"
I don't think O'Reilly is
August 11, 2007 - 15:18 ET by dervishI don't think O'Reilly is the correct point man in this campaign, although I doubt anyone else would take on the job. I don't know if he really doesn't appreciate the problem or just has a short attention span.
The problem is not the spew that comes from Kos and company. Sure and it's vile, but I'm a first-amendment kind of guy about that. The problem is that their spew is tacitly and sometimes even vigorously endorsed by major candidates for national office. I think -- hope -- that this will come back to haunt them. No doubt the RNC already has commercials in the can, showing the candidates at Kosfest, with subtitles taken from Kos pages. (If not, I'd be glad to cook up a couple for, say, $100K per.)
BOR makes that point but then tends to rush by it just to show how vile the site is, complete with hide-the-children picture shows. Then, to be fair and balanced, he shows or mentions stuff picked from right-wing websites. He had one of the guys from FreeRepublic on a week or two ago and wouldn't even let him speak, just joined the liberal counterpointer in berating him about how he needed to do a better job about taking offensive posts off the blog. He left the clear impression that they were part of the same problem, and it just ain't so. Incivility, we can live with. Insurrection, we can't.
I read them...
August 11, 2007 - 15:27 ET by heldmywDU, DailyKos, et al, are absolutely mind-boggling. It is scary that some of these alleged people are licensed to operate a motor vehicle.
When you have that much hate, hysteria, and a worldview that is so conspiracy-laden as to render the owner certifiable...
Attributing to Karl Rove the villainy, deceit, Machiavellianism, and sheer malice worthy of a Marvel Comics supervillain is a fave rant. You'd think the man invented the plague, sank the Titanic and started all of the wars in history! Geez Laweez!
Well. "Know thy enemy", is always good advice. And while these are truly the 'nutroots', they are scattered through the populus at every level. Now I recognize one when I bump into one.
Check them out. I recommend small doses.
Then go to DummieFunnies for a little perspective.
There was a typical thread
August 11, 2007 - 16:12 ET by Del DolemonteThere was a typical thread on DU that may still be running, about how the White House disclosed that Bush was treated last year for Lyme disease. Along with the usual insults of Bush's IQ, one of the posters said
"Shouldn't they have treated the tick instead?"
Now see, I think that's
August 11, 2007 - 16:30 ET by dervishNow see, I think that's pretty funny. If we were discussing Lyme disease in someone like Pelosi, and I thought of that, I'd be pretty proud of myself.
Granted, we should all be more respectful of public officials. But that sort of went out with holding doors for ladies and giving up seats on subways.
R E S P E C T
August 11, 2007 - 19:22 ET by ChaitealoverThe problem with being more respectful of public officials is that most of them take it to mean that they are more important than the people that elected them. I don't think we should show them any more respect than we show each other. But then, I live in Southern California, a place that has no representation in the US Senate.
Here here.... Sacramento
August 12, 2007 - 05:28 ET by KhyrisHere here.... Sacramento and Washington rarely hear from So Cal over the close proximity shrieking from Frisco (they hate to be called that). It's really sad how man So Cal people I speak to actually have strong conservative values, yet consistently vote Democrat merely because all they ever hear from celebrities, media, and their friends and neighbors is that Republicans are evil and want to eat your babies. And where did those friends and neighbors get that opinion? Why, from their friends and neighbors, ad nauseum. Probably one of the best discussions I ever had with my fiance was our nearly complete agreement over politics. Personal responsibility, smaller government interference in daily life, all the basics. I just had to say "Babe, I'm sorry to have to be the one to have to tell you this, but you're a Republican." As a lifelong registered Democrat, it was difficult for her to admit, but admit she eventually did.
Hillary Clinton...Media
August 11, 2007 - 19:27 ET by bigtimerHillary Clinton...Media Matters....John Podesta....George Soros.
Fairness Doctrine and the looney leftist lemmings and some of their blog sites.
Been in the planning for years....
Gonna' fail too....
The enemy within never wins in the end.
Enough said.
Blackmailing Bloggers
August 11, 2007 - 20:35 ET by pocomocoAllahpundit, of Hot Air, recently coined the word “pandermonium”, which aptly describes the relationship between the Democrats and the liberal blogs.
Add to that O’Reilly’s suggestion that the liberal blogs are “blackmailing” the candidates to toe their line or else, and you can envision a president who is beholden to them a frightening prospect.
}}---> Keep it up
August 12, 2007 - 07:27 ET by Cool ArrowWe need to keep all this pandering in the spotlight as the Dems shift emphasis to the less radical members in their tent.
It's not likely we'll pick up the "GAYLES", but they need to be reminded repeatedly "I told you so" every time their agenda gets shelved.
Not likely we'll pick up much of the Black vote, but it wouldn't hurt to conspicuously watch as they are led back to their "place" after the election.
Sure, Charlie Brown, Lucy's going to let you kick it this time. After the first couple of times, you're just engaging in buffoonery to get on stage at all.
Once again liberals hate
August 12, 2007 - 12:42 ET by BlazerOnce again liberals hate Fox News because it is in the center, which by default to them appears far right. The fact is there is a lot of tabloid crap that goes on over there too, in reguards to actual news, and journalism. I dont' care who Paris is screwing this week, if Lohan got another DUI, or Britneys gone off the deepend again.
At any rate I would have to disagree with the statement that liberal bloggers are "blackmailing" the left, in due part because I believe conservative bloggers were more responsible than talk radio in shooting down the Shamnesty bill. Just ask (R) Sen. Voinavitch what his re-election chances are. Granted, Hannity cleaned his clock on radio, but a lot of people got the 411 from the likes of Malkin, LGF, Ace of Spades etc., etc. I look at blogging as an effective way to police our politicians, and get the word out.
The term "blackmail" I believe is too strong a word in most part because I believe in this decade politics have caught up with technology, and blogging has entered mainstream politics. If the left feels they are being blackballed by a certain blogger then they need to stop paying homage to he who needs not be named, or else they must like the abuse.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.