Certainly, this was an inconvenient truth for a former presidential candidate who blamed all the world’s problems on President Bush during the 2004 campaign to admit on national television. But, he didn’t give this up easily. In fact, at first, he did blame it on guess who. Fortunately, O'Reilly didn't let him get away with it:
“You and Al Gore, big environmental guys. And I'm a big environmental guy. OK? So I'm seeing Gore and Kerry. Here they are, decades in the Senate, and I'm seeing Brazil have ethanol for all its automobiles starting next year. And I'm seeing the United States not even close to having ethanol for automobiles. I'm going, ‘How come Gore and Kerry didn't get us ethanol?’ How come?”
After Kerry stated that he voted for ethanol whenever it came up in the Senate, O’Reilly asked, “Why didn’t it happen?” Kerry said, “Because the president’s energy policy…” O’Reilly asked, “Is this President Clinton?” Kerry said, “This is President Bush.” That’s when it got really interesting:
O'REILLY: What about President Clinton? He was in eight years.
KERRY: You're right, he was in for eight years and not enough was done during that period of time. We're trying to shift it.
O'REILLY: So you've been green and Gore's been green, but the bottom line is you guys couldn't get it done.
At this point, it was quite apparent that Kerry was uncomfortable. But, O’Reilly smelled blood in the water, and moved in for the kill:
O’REILLY: The oil companies buy -- do they buy influence here? I mean, how can -- how can the Congress, knowing Hugo Chavez, knowing the oil sheiks, knowing the environmental damage -- everybody knows that. There's no debate over any of that. How can they, year in and year out, not pursue grass-based, cow manure-based ethanol? Does that -- do the oil companies bribe them? What happens?
KERRY: They have seen their interests, their business interests in very narrow terms, and they have fought to protect their business interests within the halls of Congress...
O'REILLY: What does that mean? I don't know what that means. Do the oil companies give campaign money?
KERRY: Sure.O'REILLY: So you're telling me they're bought?
KERRY: No. They give them campaign money. The entire political system in America is overly dependent on campaign contributions.
At this point, you could just feel that this was moving towards a truly delicious conclusion…and it did:
O'REILLY: If it's better for every one of us not to be oil dependent, every single American, in 30 years the Congress could not, or would not, make it happen. You're telling me that the Congress sold us out and so did four presidents. You have to arrive at that conclusion.
KERRY: I believe the American people have been sold short by the United States Congress with respect to the energy future of our country. Yes. And it is regrettable, because millions of jobs have been lost. Our security has been put at risk.
The United States' technological lead in those areas has been set back. Our health has been set back. The environment has been set back. The overall security interests of our nation have not been well served.
O'REILLY: Both parties at fault, right?
KERRY: Both parties at fault.
Touchdown! Finally, someone got one of these greenies that are in office to admit that this is a problem that began 30 years ago, and has been ignored by both political parties. Of course, Kerry wouldn’t say this when being interviewed by the three broadcast networks, or CNN, because it doesn’t fit their agenda to ask. And, unfortunately, if another series of major hurricanes hits the Gulf Coast this summer, or there’s a strike in Nigeria, and gas prices head to $4 a gallon, you can bet that these liberal outlets will report that it’s all President Bush’s fault.
Moreover, when someone like ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, or CBS’s Bob Schieffer asks Sen. Kerry why gas is up again, and he blames it on this Administration, or the Republican Congress, you can rest assured that they won’t say, “But, when you were on with Bill O’Reilly a few months ago…”
And, you can bet the ranch that the next time one of these liberal outlets is interviewing Al Gore or Bill Clinton, and the subject of gas prices or global warming comes up, they certainly won't be asked what they did to advance oil independence in this country, or why they didn't raise CAFE standards by as much as 1 mile per gallon in eight years while they were increasing maximum highway speed limits. No, instead they'll blame the nation's energy problems on George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and the oil companies. And that'll go unchallenged by who's ever interviewing them, because it quite fits the media's agenda even though nothing could be further from the truth.
What follows is the full transcript of this segment, along with a video link. This discussion begins seven minutes and fifteen seconds in.
O'REILLY: All right. You're a big environmental guy, right?
KERRY: Yes, sir.
O'REILLY: You and Al Gore, big environmental guys. And I'm a big environmental guy. OK? So I'm seeing Gore and Kerry. Here they are, decades in the Senate, and I'm seeing Brazil have ethanol for all its automobiles starting next year. And I'm seeing the United States not even close to having ethanol for automobiles. I'm going, "How come Gore and Kerry didn't get us ethanol?" How come?
KERRY: Actually, I did vote for ethanol. Every time we've had a chance to vote for it on the floor I vote for ethanol.
O'REILLY: Why didn't it happen?
KERRY: Because the president's energy policy...
O'REILLY: Is this President Clinton?
KERRY: This is President Bush.
O'REILLY: What about President Clinton? He was in eight years.
KERRY: You're right, he was in for eight years and not enough was done during that period of time. We're trying to shift it.
O'REILLY: So you've been green and Gore's been green, but the bottom line is you guys couldn't get it done. Clinton didn't lead. Bush isn't leading now, although he says he is. I don't know what he's doing.
But this is important to people watching. The oil companies buy -- do they buy influence here? I mean, how can -- how can the Congress, knowing Hugo Chavez, knowing the oil sheiks, knowing the environmental damage -- everybody knows that. There's no debate over any of that. How can they, year in and year out, not pursue grass-based, cow manure-based ethanol? Does that -- do the oil companies bribe them? What happens?
KERRY: They have seen their interests, their business interests in very narrow terms, and they have fought to protect their business interests within the halls of Congress...
O'REILLY: What does that mean? I don't know what that means. Do the oil companies give campaign money?
KERRY: Sure.
O'REILLY: So you're telling me they're bought?
KERRY: No. They give them campaign money. The entire political system in America is overly dependent on campaign contributions.
O'REILLY: If it's better for every one of us not to be oil dependent, every single American, in 30 years the Congress could not, or would not, make it happen. You're telling me that the Congress sold us out and so did four presidents. You have to arrive at that conclusion.
KERRY: I believe the American people have been sold short by the United States Congress with respect to the energy future of our country. Yes. And it is regrettable, because millions of jobs have been lost. Our security has been put at risk.
The United States' technological lead in those areas has been set back. Our health has been set back. The environment has been set back. The overall security interests of our nation have not been well served.
O'REILLY: Both parties at fault, right?
KERRY: Both parties at fault.
