Bill O’Reilly Slams George Soros and Harry Reid for Debate Cancellation

As most people are likely aware, the Democrats have pulled out of a presidential debate to be held in Nevada this August. Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly was none too pleased about this announcement, and made his feelings known Monday evening (video available here):   

The dishonesty of the far left on display again…Within the Democratic party, there are two elements, moderate Dems and radical left Dems. The radical movement is funded by George Soros and Peter Lewis, who pour millions of dollars into candidates and websites like MoveOn to do their bidding. Soros and Lewis have given MoveOn at least $5 million.

That was just the beginning. I suggest you fasten your seatbelts, for O’Reilly was loaded for bear:

My book "Culture Warrior" pinpoints the far left agenda. And it is frightening. Things like open borders, a one world foreign police, unfettered abortion, and so on.

The Soros-Lewis mob despises FOX News because we have their number and report on them accurately. They use the MoveOn website to smear this network and others with whom they disagree.

These people use propaganda techniques perfected by Dr. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister of information. They lie, distort, defame all the time.

Yikes. Alas, Bill was just getting warmed up:

So it's not surprising that MoveOn objected to a debate sponsored by FOX News and the Nevada Democratic party. MoveOn immediately tried to boycott the August event and persuaded John Edwards to drop out.

That was simply stupid. FOX News has sponsored a number of debates in the past, all of them fair and balanced. And Edwards has appeared on this network more than 30 times with no complaint.

O’Reilly addressed what supposedly was the straw that broke the camel’s back:

Then last Thursday evening, FOX News chairman Roger Ailes received a Freedom of Speech Leadership Award in Washington. I was in the front row when Mr. Ailes said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER AILES, FOX NEWS CHAIRMAN: And it is true that Barack Obama is on the move. I don't know if it's true that President Bush called Musharraf and said why can't we catch this guy?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: Not one person complained, according to the organizers of the event. It was just an obvious jest directed at President Bush.

Why should they? Seemed like an innocent joke poking fun at either the president or all the media outlets mistaking Obama’s name for that of the infamous al Qaeda terrorist leader. Alas, the left had found the smoking gun it needed:

But almost immediately, Senator Harry Reid, the Democrat from Nevada, declared the joke a smear against Obama, saying, "We cannot, as good Democrats, put our party in a position to defend such comments."

Now Reid is either very dense or very disingenuous. There's no middle ground.

And so the debate has now been cancelled. The Soros MoveOn cabal believe this is a major victory for them, but once again they're wrong.

O’Reilly then demonstrated how important Fox News is to presidential hopefuls, even those on the left:

The FOX News Channel has been fair to the Democratic Party and will continue to be fair. Listen to Senator John Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: Before we start the interview, I wish we could have done this in the campaign. You know, we kept waiting for you to come and.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We should have done it. We should have.

O'REILLY: You think so?

KERRY: I would have loved it.

O'REILLY: In hindsight, you should have.

KERRY: Oh, I don't know why we didn't, but we should have.

O'REILLY: OK. Because some people said well, he doesn't like you. He doesn't think you're going to get a fair shot on the program.

KERRY: I've always had a fair shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O’Reilly concluded:

And the truth is that MoveOn is hurting the Democratic Party. They have succeeded in buying some politicians and media people, but clear thinking Americans understand radical lunacy and dishonest tactics when they see them. And that what is what the Soros, Lewis MoveOn cabal specialize in. Shame, shame on Senator Reid for supporting that. And that's the Memo.

Certainly, it's a peculiarity when Bill O'Reilly and Bill Maher agree on anything. However, it does seem likely that the Democrats succumbing to this pressure does not serve their interests of taking over the White House in 2008.