Fox's Bill O'Reilly wades into quarrel over cartoons at UO

[central scrutinizer]

Since this appeared in today's paper, it sort of qualifies as LBN. The local fishwrap doesn't appear on line until noon PDT.

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/05/19/a1.insurgent.0519.p1.php?section=cityregion

excerpt:

A campus controversy over anti-Christian cartoons published in The Insurgent student newspaper refuses to die amid continued objections from University of Oregon students, local Catholic organizations and national cable TV commentator Bill O'Reilly.

The parties question whether the First Amendment protects the content found in The Insurgent's March issue, and say they're looking for stronger action from UO President Dave Frohnmayer.

O'Reilly, the conservative Fox News pundit, called Frohnmayer "a coward who needs to be fired" on his national broadcast Wednesday. He revisited the issue on Thursday, calling Frohnmayer "a disgrace" and contending that the issue is one of hate speech, not freedom of speech.

snip

Frohnmayer dismissed O'Reilly's comments directed at him. "Being called names by him is like being called ugly by a frog," Frohnmayer said. "He's not a serious journalist; he's in the entertainment business. This is a ratings-driven publicity attempt that seems pretty transparent."


end excerpt.

A little backstory: Frohnmayer was a Republican candidate for governor of Oregon in 1990 and probably would have won except for a candidate put forward by a rabid anti-gay group as a third party challenge when Frohnmayer wouldn't accept their agenda

[marmar]

1. And what was O'Reilly's position on the anti-Muslim cartoons?

Loudmouthed psychotic hypocritical little bastard.

[rocktivity]

6. DING DING DING! Marmar, you're our grand prize winner!

And what was O'Reilly's position on the anti-Muslim cartoons?
And those cartoons were the result of a contest asking to depict a figure that Muslims don't like being depicted. I don't recall O'Reilly him calling the publishers who sponsored that contest a "disgrace" and "a coward who needs to be fired."

:headbang:
rocknation

[daleo]

7. That was my first thought too.

"The Factor wondered whether this latest violence might be a turning point. "We have had riots in France, bombings in Madrid, and now the Danes under assault. Will this finally be the step that wakes Europe up into helping in the war on terror?" "

So, he linked the Muslim response to the Danish cartoons to terrorism...

[saigon68]

25. WHERE ARE THE CARTOONS?

The Insurgent in March published a dozen cartoons mocking Jesus and Christianity. One cartoon depicted Jesus on the cross with an erection. Another depicted a sexually aroused Jesus kissing another man. The issue also included essays critical of Christianity and Catholicism.

[saigon68]

26. HERE THEY ARE

In its March edition, the Insurgent, an "alternative" student paper on the Eugene, Ore., campus printed 12 hand-drawn cartoons of Jesus as a response to rival paper the Commentator having published the controversial cartoons of Muhammad originally published in Europe that sparked Muslim riots worldwide. The Insurgent claimed it published the drawings to "provoke dialogue."

William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, said the university's president, Dave Frohnmayer, had been unresponsive to complaints about the drawings, so he had written to the governor, every state legislators and the chancellor of the Oregon University System, among others.

"The March edition of the Insurgent ... was one of the most obscene assaults on Christianity I have ever seen," Donohue said in a statement. "To make sure that the persons I wrote to understand how vile this attack was, I sent a photocopy of the two most offensive graphics: one was a depiction of a naked Jesus on the cross with an erection; the other, titled 'Resurrection,' showed a naked Jesus kissing another naked man, both sporting erections."



AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT STARTED THE FUSS

[Downtown Hound]

2. Bark! Woof! Hoowwwlll!!!!

This is what O'Dipshit is starting to sound more and more like.

[roguevalley]

3. Bill O'Reilly: Hands off my state, you bastard! There. I feel better.

RV, raised in Oregon, currently in exile in Alaska ;)

[primavera]

5. Hey, don't insult dogs like that!

My Springer pup has a much more pleasant, soothing, and rational voice than the industrial noise generated by Bill O'Liely.

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. O'Reilly is the world's highest paid moron

The guy is truly just a barking dog.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. "Bill O'Reilly, Get a Copy of the U.S. Constitution."

An editorial in one of UO's student newspapers.

http://www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2006/05/18/Commentary/Oreilly.Get.A.Copy.Of.The.U.s.Constitution-2012030.shtml?norewrite200605191551&sourcedomain=www.dailyemerald.com

[Julius Civitatus]

9. O'Reilly is the biggest MORON in the media

His degree of toolery knows no limits. What an idiot!

[rocktivity]

10. Fabricated Information? Yo can say that about MOST religions!

...The Insurgent...published a dozen cartoons mocking Jesus and Christianity. One cartoon depicted Jesus on the cross with an erection. Another depicted a sexually aroused Jesus kissing another man. The issue also included essays critical of Christianity and Catholicism...

...(The) UO student government denied a grievance filed against The Insurgent by 91 students calling themselves Students of Faith. Coordinated by Catholic students who attend the nearby St. Thomas More Newman Center campus ministry, the group accused the newspaper of publishing material that was "discriminatory, knowingly false, slanderous and egregious."

The students contended that The Insurgent violated three university policies relating to discrimination, fabrication of information, and separation of church and state. But David Goward, the student government's program administrator, on Monday ruled in The Insurgent's favor on all three claims.

Separation of church and state? I would hardly describe such cartoons as a U.S. government ENDORSEMENT of a religion, LOL! Fabrication of information? Is ANY religion in a position to accuse someone of that? Knowingly false? The mere fact that you believe in a religious doctrine doesn't make it true. Egregious discrimination? Discrimination involves a bit more than merely insulting someone, however intentionally. Slanderous? I know you can't slander the dead, but apparently you can slander the resurrected. And unless the St. Thomas More Newman Center is part of OU, I don't understand why the student government entertained their grievance in the first place. No wonder they lost!

:headbang:
rocknation

[China_cat]

11. Well, if you want realism

A man dying will most often have an erection and even ejaculate at the moment of death.

[democracyindanger]

12. Oregon,

our Alma Mater
We will guard thee on and on
Let us gather round and cheer her
Chant her glory Oregon
Roar the praises of her warriors
Sing the story Oregon
On to victory urge the heroes
Of our mighty Oregon!

Gooooooo Ducks!

Anyway, Oregon Republicans used to be the very definition of moderate. Remember this is the state that elected Wayne Morse as a Republican, then sent him back to the Senate for his stint as an independent before becoming a Dem. Morse was one of only 2 senators that voted against the Gulf of Tonkin resolution.

Even Packwood and Hatfield weren't that bad. But like the rest of the country, things got nasty in the 90s, due in no small part to anti-gay idiot Lon Mabon, assholian Bill Sizemore and radio dweeb Lars Larson. Bill O'Lielly was also an anchor for a local Portland station--KGW, I think--in the late 80s/early 90s.

I still talk with my childhood friends, and only one is a Republican. He's a good guy, a smart guy, but he's become one of the FOX pod people over the past several years. Pretty sad.

[central scrutinizer]

13. Speaking of Lon Mabon

you may be horrified to read this:

http://basicrights.blogspot.com/

[democracyindanger]

14. He went to jail?

What did I miss?

[central scrutinizer]

20. some details here

http://www.wweek.com/editorial/2823/2643/

[against all enemies]

15. Hey Bill, any phone sex lately? Maybe a cartoon about thay would

shut him up. I doubt he'd be calling Oregon again.

[gizmo1979]

16. You know Bill doesn't strike me as a

religous guy?

[KitSileya]

17. I like!

Frohnmayer dismissed O'Reilly's comments directed at him. "Being called names by him is like being called ugly by a frog," Frohnmayer said. "He's not a serious journalist; he's in the entertainment business. This is a ratings-driven publicity attempt that seems pretty transparent."

Even if Frohmayer is republican, he seems pretty decent. As a former UO student, I'm proud - I met several decent old-fashioned republicans at UO.

[rodeodance]

18. Frohmayer--really did it good to O'Lielly!--"not a journalist" te he.

....Frohnmayer dismissed O'Reilly's comments directed at him. "Being called names by him is like being called ugly by a frog," Frohnmayer said. "He's not a serious journalist; he's in the entertainment business. This is a ratings-driven publicity attempt that seems pretty transparent."

[rocktivity]

23. Hee hee! If I didn't know any better

I'd say that Frohnmayer "Colbert-ed" O'Rielly!

:headbang:
rocknation

[depakid]

19. Being called names by him is like being called ugly by a frog

:yourock:

Thanks, Dave.

One of Oregon's former "can do" style Republicans.

[pa28]

21. For a Republican Frohnmayer is thoughtful and considerate.

I had the privilege of meeting him when I was at UofO.

Another factoid to add. He lost several of his daughters to a rare genetic disease. This should not make him immune to criticism but it calls attention to just what kind of poor excuse for a man O'Reilly is.

[CabalPowered]

27. I'm with you there. He's a good man.

I witnessed a couple sit-ins at Oregon Hall and Dave would eventually come down and talk to the students. He wouldn't tell them everything they wanted to hear but he at least listened. On another note, the Insurgent is a great little paper and I always enjoyed reading it. The ODE has junk by the time I graduated. And the obligatory ..

GO Ducks!

[madeline_con]

22. Frohnmayer handled it well. eom

[Charlie Brown]

24. So Bill supports penalties for "hate speech" now?

It's nice to see pundits like O'Reilley brandishing their true fascist colors at last.

Did he believe the newspapers in Europe that published the Muhammad cartoons should also be penalized?

[walldude]

28. Hmm.. is this considered anti-Christian?