On Tuesday night's O'Reilly Factor, mentioning his appearance on NBC's Today that morning, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly observed that the Peacock Network was having a difficult time covering the scandals plaguing the Obama administration: "Look, even when I was at the Today show this morning, NBC News, okay? I would say the most fervent Obama news agency in the country....Even them, they're going, 'Whoa, whoa.'" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Guest Monica Crowley replied: "Even NBC, Holy smokes! That's when you know he's in trouble..." O'Reilly added: "...they can't defend him anymore, the President, because he's in charge." Crowley countered: "Well, I mean, look, they still go to great lengths to protect him." O'Reilly declared: "Not today they didn't."
However, Crowley's point is well taken, NBC has gone to "great lengths" to protect Obama in recent weeks. Here are some examples of them running defense for the White House amid the scandals:
NBC's Guthrie Urges McCain to Agree That IRS Scandal 'Went No Further' Than Cincinnati
NBC's Brokaw on AG Holder Targeting Journalists: First Amendment 'Not Unconditional'
NBC and CBS Tout Obama Efforts to Distract From Scandals, Show 'Government at Its Best'
No Mention of IRS Scandal on NBC's 'Today,' But Plenty of Time for Obama Prom Photo
Here is a transcript of O'Reilly's June 11 commentary on The Factor:
8:26PM ET
(...)
BILL O'REILLY: Now, we have the IRS, we have the snooping, we have Benghazi, we have all of these things, Colmes. And it looks like President Obama has lost control of the process.
ALAN COLMES: Well, they're not all equal, but that's why I believe he needs get up and-
O'REILLY: No, but he – it's everyday now.
COLMES: He needs to – that's why he needs to be very clear, he needs to communicate with the American people. There's a lack of trust of government because people do string these all together, whether they belong that way or not, and he needs to clarify-
O'REILLY: So alright, he has to do something soon, wouldn't you say, both of you? He's got to do something soon or it is going to be [President] U.S. Grant.
Look, even when I was at the Today show this morning, NBC News, okay? I would say the most fervent Obama news agency in the country, NBC. Would you agree? I think so, alright. Even them, they're going, "Whoa, whoa."
MONICA CROWLEY: Even NBC, Holy smokes! That's when you know he's in trouble, when NBC is-
O'REILLY: You know, "we can't defend" – they can't defend him anymore, the President, because he's in charge.
CROWLEY: Well, I mean, look, they still go to great lengths to protect him, but let me say this-
O'REILLY: Not today they didn't.
(...)