Geraldo Rivera of Fox News keeps proving the ideological diversity of the FNC staff on his book tour attacking opponents of illegal immigration. On Tuesday night, he appeared on the Comedy Central show The Colbert Report, where liberal comic Stephen Colbert pretends to be a conservative, played heavily over the top for laughs. Rivera repeatedly punched away at what he called "right-wing talk show thugs." He was so enamored of the phrase that he inserted it strangely into Irish-hating episodes from 100 years ago, and into his 2005 defense of Michael Jackson against charges of child abuse. MRC’s Melissa Lopez did the transcript. It began like this:
COLBERT: "Your book, it fascinates me. I'm a little torn here. Umm, it's called HisPanic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S., does it really matter why we fear Hispanics? Isn't it more important that we fear Hispanics? Isn't that really the goal right now?"
RIVERA: "Driven by the right-wing talk show thugs, there’s a campaign against Hispanics and immigrants that has been very distressful."
COLBERT: "Campaign against them? They’re invading our country, sir."
RIVERA: "We’re scapegoating them. We're blaming them for everything. I’d be surprised… I wouldn't be surprised if Eliot Spitzer's hooker turns out to be an illegal on Lou Dobbs’s show, lead the show with it."
COLBERT: "Now Lou Dobbs is a friend of the show here."
RIVERA: "He’s no friend of mine."
A little later, the subject of the Irish surfaced:
COLBERT: "You say, are you saying that we shouldn't be blaming recent immigrants for our problems? We have a long tradition of doing that, sir. We blamed the Irish a hundred years ago and then the Italians, and the Irish helped us blame them. Why can’t the Hispanics join with the rest of us in blaming the Muslims? Then we’d all be together."
RIVERA: "It may come to that, but there is a maddening tendency once your group gets over the immigrant bridge to burn the bridge so no one else can get over it. The Irish definitely encountered the same kind of hostility. It must have been some equivalent to right-wing talk show thugs then too. You know, if you read the stories, they burned their quarantine centers. No Irish need apply. It was something that was very general."
The reference to the Jackson case came when Colbert turned the topic to Geraldo’s moustache, which he said he’s sported for 40 years straight:
COLBERT: "You have you've never shaved it off."
RIVERA: "I have never. I came close in the Michael Jackson case. I was so confident he would be acquitted that I said if he was convicted that I would shave my mustache because all of the pundits, driven by the right-wing talk show thugs --"
COLBERT: "Because Michael Jackson is also Hispanic?"
RIVERA: "Michael Jackson is also an easy target. And you know, they all said he was going to be convicted. He was a pervert and the case wasn’t there. I said I would shave my mustache if he was convicted. So certain was I that he would not be."
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
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Geraldo's messing his nest.
March 12, 2008 - 17:49 ET by Chris NormanGeraldo's messing his nest. Is he calling his regular Friday night host, O'Reilly, a "thug"? Perhaps O'Reilly will be offended by this cretin now.
BTW, when I first read the headline: "Geraldo Trashes 'Right-Wing Talk Show Thugs' on Comedy Central", I thought it meant Geraldo had really lost touch with reality and was calling Stewart and Cobert "right wing thugs". Then, I read the post.
»→ but Chris
March 12, 2008 - 17:51 ET by Cool ArrowEverybody's way to the right of Geraldo.
♣ a seal
and probably saner, too.
March 12, 2008 - 18:05 ET by Chris Normanand probably saner, too.
I was more than a little
March 13, 2008 - 10:08 ET by misterbee241I was more than a little put out that O'Reilly nor anybody else on FNC came to Michelle Malkin's defense when Heraldo (I'm big into phonetics) the Gentleman threatned to spit on her. Good for her she wont go back on Bill O.
I've never been a fan of Heraldo. I thought there might be some redemption for him when he came to FNC but I was wrong and he's just a wolf in sheep's clothing.
There is none so blind as they that won’t see. Jonathan Swift 1667-1745
The best thing about Geraldo
March 12, 2008 - 17:53 ET by the strugglerThe best thing about Geraldo is he thinks Lou Dobbs is an A$$hole.I agree with Geraldo on that.Daily,Lou Dobbs is outraged,I say OUTRAGED, by something...Yawn.
Geraldo must be this pissed
March 12, 2008 - 17:57 ET by wiwfGeraldo must be this pissed because his family didn't wait in line and is getting ready to be deported.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
On the issue of illegal
March 12, 2008 - 18:42 ET by Clear thinkerOn the issue of illegal aliens, Lou Dobbs is dead-on accurate!
"Abstain from McCain"
Ct...That is the only
March 12, 2008 - 19:04 ET by bigtimerCt...
That is the only place I too agree with Dobb's on....here are some links on what the House and Senate are attempting to do, but I am quite sure it may be held up.
Wonder if they do come to the floor just how McCain will vote this time and what amendments he will put forward or co-sponsor.
Like they say in one of these articles, he may not be pleased.
The best thing about
March 12, 2008 - 19:17 ET by Clear thinkerThe best thing about Geraldo
March 12, 2008 - 17:53 ET by the struggler
The best thing about Geraldo is he thinks Lou Dobbs is an A$$hole.I agree with Geraldo on that.Daily,Lou Dobbs is outraged,I say OUTRAGED, by something...Yawn.
Struggler...
Is it Lou Dobbs in general you don't like, or his illegals stand?
"Abstain from McCain"
Clear thinker,
March 12, 2008 - 19:45 ET by the strugglerClear thinker, Lou Dobbs.He's outraged by everything. The blue juice on my snowcone is bleeding into the red juice! I'm outraged at this injustice!Somebody should be held accountable!What IDIOT would do this!War on the snowcone industry.They're taking us all for granted etc...
John McCain threw me under the straight talk express---BillY C.
Remember when Lou was just
March 12, 2008 - 19:58 ET by Chris NormanRemember when Lou was just another bland reporter with a business show mostly about stocks, etc.? Then, he left CNN, but came back with his demand granted that the show be egotistically called "Lou Dobbs Tonight". Then, he found his inner Howard Beale and the rest is populist history - er - hysteria...(except the immigration part, because I like that)
Struggler... Are you
March 12, 2008 - 22:31 ET by Clear thinkerStruggler...
Are you outraged about the illegals problem?
"Abstain from McCain"
I love how NOW he is
March 12, 2008 - 17:58 ET by red_dragon311I love how NOW he is getting in touch with his hispanic side.
does he even speak spanish?
I was a professional twice over - an analyst and a therapist. The world's first analrapist
If there is a campaign...
March 12, 2008 - 18:28 ET by ThalpyIf there is a campaign, it's against the absolute failure of government at every level to address the issue of immigration in the United States.
Rivera is a jerk. If he were Polish, he'd still be a jerk. (No disrespect intended)
is this any surprise from this emerging race pimp
March 12, 2008 - 18:31 ET by lunaticcringeradiolast week he was on opie & anthony and he went off for nearly his entire visit about how basically right wing radio stirs up racist dogma against mexicans. he continued with saying that illegal aliens aren't illegal, that they contribute more to our society than they take, excuse me i'm vomiting right now, and he went on to say how we should have open borders with mexico.
oh and he also talked about this whole michael jackson shaving his mustache thing too, but he didn't blame it on right wing thug radio, he blamed them for stirring racism against illegals that week. when he talked about michael jackson he was saying how the case couldn't be made that prove the sequined kid toucher couldn't be convicted, notice though he never said he was innocent.
geraldo is a new race pimp wanna be, and can't keep his stories straight from one week to the next.
i'll bet if he went back and looked in al capones vault he 'd find a family of illegal aliens living in there.
i think anyone who is in favor of amnesty and allowing illegal aliens to get a free pass, really wants and likes to have a low wage slave class in society. now that's more deplorable than any racist.
lunaticcringeradio
Please excuse my choice of
March 12, 2008 - 18:40 ET by Clear thinkerPlease excuse my choice of words, but Geraldo has now gone into the realm of being an asshole.
"Abstain from McCain"
What do you mean...
March 12, 2008 - 19:39 ET by heldmyw"Now gone into the realm of being an..." ?
The Global Village Idiot that is Jerry Rivers has been a silver-sprayed sphincter since the first studio light was shined on him.
To paraphrase now-legendary bigot and gynosaur Geraldine Ferraro; "If he wasn't marginally, a faux-hispanic, Puerto Rican panderer for "his people", he wouldn't have gotten any airtime ever!"
what do you mean, "has now
March 12, 2008 - 23:50 ET by richardwhat do you mean, "has now gone", he's been there for years!
And he has no intentions on
March 13, 2008 - 07:15 ET by BobAnthonyAnd he has no intentions on leaving that realm. Only wish he'd leave FNC!
Wrong, Geraldo!
March 12, 2008 - 19:14 ET by c5thenThe campaign is against ILLEGAL aliens, whatever their ethnicity, color, creed, or language. It is you and the other enablers who automatically assume that "Illegal alien" equals Mexican or Hispanic (whatever that is). You're creating your own stereotypical racial profile in order to refute racial profiling. A psychiatrist would call that insane.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Geraldo has essentially become a very large void...
March 12, 2008 - 19:22 ET by R D Helm...surrounded by an even larger sphincter muscle.
Theme for Election '08: I want my mommy!
When oh when are they going
March 12, 2008 - 19:22 ET by bigtimerWhen oh when are they going to fire Geraldo from Fox, he has run Michelle Malkin off... the militiary shooed his arse out of there....he tried to incite a race riot in NO after Katrina...he is calling people right wing thugs that are against illegal aliens invading this country at our hard earned dollars expenses...he is a leftist who wants the open borders for the leftist party...he has no friends in the real world that I can see, he reminds me of Spitzer at the moment.
Please fire this POS, let msnbc rehire him.
Dayem, bt,
March 12, 2008 - 19:31 ET by R D Helm...he reminds me of Spitzer at the moment.
Wow.
And I agree, Geraldo should be run off. It would be great if Fox gave Michelle a show in his current time slot.
Theme for Election '08: I want my mommy!
bt,All I can figure is
March 12, 2008 - 19:39 ET by Chris Normanbt,
All I can figure is Geraldo possesses embarassing and potentially career-destroying photos and negatives of FoxNews upper management from an old office Christmas party...
Chris... ROFL... I
March 12, 2008 - 19:43 ET by bigtimerChris...
ROFL...
I would not doubt that one little bit either.
Like mostly moderate said below, I lost respect for him long ago when he published that tell all book of his...you may be right for all I know he may have secrets yet to come.
No matter what, he is a slug to the utmost degree.
I remember when he was flying in a chopper in my vicinity with the Ruby Ridge fiasco screaming through a bull-horn at the cabin where what was left of the Weaver family holed up inside...I will never forget the disdain/hatred I had for the television hog he was then and is now.
Dirty dancin
March 12, 2008 - 19:47 ET by acumenYou think Jerry has a picture of Colmes pole dancing at a FOX festivus party?
ac, Yikes! If he does, I'd
March 12, 2008 - 20:02 ET by Chris Normanac,
Yikes! If he does, I'd pay him $$$$ to keep from seeing it. Now, I've got to go remove the part of my brain where that image is stored - let's see, third lobe from the right...
Imagine Chris
March 12, 2008 - 20:14 ET by acumenWhy cleanse just part of the brain Chris - Did I mention Colmes was dressed in a Code Pink tutu? Nyah ha ha
Thanks a lot. Here goes
March 12, 2008 - 20:18 ET by Chris NormanThanks a lot. Here goes another lobe...
"It may come to that, but
March 12, 2008 - 19:28 ET by motherbelt"It may come to that, but there is a maddening tendency once your group
gets over the immigrant bridge to burn the bridge so no one else can
get over it. Geraldo Rivera
Uh, no, Geraldo, most of us don't have a problem with people coming over that "immigrant bridge." What a lot of us have a problem with is people avoiding the bridge, and coming over (figuratively) in boats and on rafts and by swimming across so they don't have to pay the toll.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 13, 2008 - 13:23 ET by Southern_PrideRight On!! I couldn't have put it better myself!
"The United States remains the last best hope for a mankind plagued by tyranny and deprivation."
-- Ronald Reagan
First, Geraldo is Jewish.
March 12, 2008 - 19:31 ET by mostlymoderateFirst, Geraldo is Jewish. Second, I lost all respect for him in the 1980's when he wrote a tell-all book about the women he slept with. Third, nobody is asking that Mexican's leave the country; instead, we are asking that criminal invaders that are illegally occupying our country leave.
Whorealdo-his name says volumes...
March 12, 2008 - 19:34 ET by ExtirpaterHis self aggrandizing "reporting" from war zones is a totally staged event. His front line "heroics and risk of life and limb" are staged in a safe area away from real danger.
He is Bull O'Rally's Water Boy, he probably can't even spell reporter.
By hiring this clown, FooxNews let the cat out of the bag.
While other propaganda outlets parrot conservative, their own actions show they are not.
Jerry and the peacetakers?
March 12, 2008 - 19:43 ET by acumenWell isn't that special. All the ills of the world formerly caused by Bush has been officially ceded to "right-wing talk show thugs."
Feerst Ameendmendt? We dohn need no steenkin' feerst ameendmendt....
paranoia
March 12, 2008 - 19:48 ET by seanrobinsParanoia is a terribly disabling psychiatric disorder.
I truly hope that Geraldo obtains suitable treatment for his some day.
sean robins
www.seanrobins.com
You Keep Dancing Geraldo...
March 12, 2008 - 19:59 ET by RickTaLife...And I'll keep laughing. :D
When Colbert accidentally
March 12, 2008 - 20:16 ET by robert108When Colbert accidentally spoke the truth and called them invaders(which they are), Geraldo just ignored it, or tried to rationalize it away with his "scapegoating" BS, but he failed miserably to address the truth of the situation.
Without the invasion, there's no problem with Hispanics. It's the source of all the trouble, and until the invasion stops, there will continue to be trouble.
And me without a folding
March 12, 2008 - 21:30 ET by richflanjAnd me without a folding chair.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1KT1QoSCT8
richf... I was watching
March 12, 2008 - 21:35 ET by bigtimerrichf...
I was watching that show that day...
I look at the so-called man now and wished he would of gotten it really bad, like a lop on the head...instead of a bloody broken nose.
Maybe it would of knocked some sense in him.
Doubtful... but it couldn't of hurt anything to try.
Just to be fair
March 12, 2008 - 22:25 ET by BarkerGeraldo Rivera is a flame-throwing left-wing race-baiting talking-head guttersnipe who is on a campaign against law-abiding American citizens.
Geraldo hates law-abiding Americans.
Geraldo
March 13, 2008 - 10:08 ET by caambersAh yes...Geraldo....who said on the Mike & Juliet show a few weeks ago that only candidates who have served or have children who could be put in harms way should be elected president. And the audience clapped....I weep for this country. On the bright side, that would eliminate both Hitlery and Obama from running....
"On the bright side, that
March 13, 2008 - 20:38 ET by RickTaLife"On the bright side, that would eliminate both Hillary and Obama from running..."
Not to mention most democrats! With the majority of military men being Republican or center-right, we'd actually get something done! I'm all for it! :-)