Exclusive: Dodd To Go On O'Reilly Show To Defend YearlyKos

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jul/31/exclusive_dodd_to_go_on_oreilly_show_to_defend_yearlykos_0


Exclusive: Dodd To Go On O'Reilly Show To Defend YearlyKos
By Greg Sargent | bio

This should make for some decent TV.

Dem Presidential candidate Chris Dodd has agreed to go on Bill O'Reilly's show to defend YearlyKos against O'Reilly's ongoing assault against the gathering and against DailyKos, Dodd's spokesperson confirmed to Election Central.

The move is significant because it will make Dodd the first Presidential candidate to personally appear on a leading right-wing show for the explicit purpose of defending the liberal blogosphere. It's got to be seen as a sign of the times -- and of current shifts in Democratic politics -- that a Presidential candidate would view such an appearance in defense of Kos' liberal blogging community and the netroots in general as an asset to a Presidential campaign.

Dodd's spokesperson, Hari Sevugan, tells Election Central that the Senator will hit O'Reilly hard for his smear tactic of selecting a few isolated comments out of literally hundreds of thousands or even millions of comments to smear the whole site and the netroots in general.

"Democrats aren't going to be lectured to by Bill O'Reilly about the crudeness of language," Sevugan says. "Senator Dodd will point out O'Reilly's hypocrisy in singling out a handful of these comments and talking about how extreme they are when many of the comments O'Reilly himself has made have been equally extreme and disturbing."

"To pick three or four out of millions of comments in the blogosphere is patently unfair," Sevugan continued. "But it's not surprising that O'Reilly would employ such a tactic."

Hillary's spokesperson, Howard Wolfson, has already appeared on O'Reilly to fight back against his campaign against YearlyKos.

That Dodd would see the potential for political gain in such a move is representative of a larger development in Campaign 2008 that we've noted here before: The more and more frequent use by the Dem campaigns of aggressive pushback against right wing media figures, on behalf of themselves and others, to appeal to Dem primary voters in general and the netroots in particular. We've already seen Bill Clinton's on-air criticism of Fox News' Chris Wallace, the Edwards' campaign's repeated attacks on Ann Coulter, and the Dem boycotts of the Fox-sponsored debates.

And now Dodd's appearance on O'Reilly. The Dodd campaign -- like the other campaigns -- has aggressively courted the lib blogosphere, defending YearlyKos early on and signing up with the Reid-Feingold Iraq withdrawal amendment, among other things.

Dodd will appear on O'Reilly tomorrow night.

[More Than A Feeling]

1. In another cycle, either these shenanigans will be closed down completely

or we'll have the top tier defending us personally. Pretty sweet.

[ellacott]

2. Hope Dodd brings up Billo's own site

and how it's being investigated for threatening HRC. Hopefully he'll also mention the freeper board and other conservative blogs that are very viscious.

[bdamomma]

3. I'm glad Billo is focusing on Kos and not on us, can you imagine

what he would say about us, what a dumb ass he is.

[More Than A Feeling]

4. Just wait until we attempted to all go on his show at once!

:evilgrin:

[Dinger]

5. DUers I'd Like To See On o'LIElly:

K-pete
Swamp Rat
Skinner
elad
EarlG
Nance Greggs
Parche
Dinger
Totally Committed
Tom Rinaldo
Sparkly
Husb2Sparkly
IA_Seth
FrenchieCat
RetroLounge
RevCheesehead
attman
CaliforniaPeggy
xkenx
48percenter
Carol NYC
Crunchy Frog
Philosoraptor

[RFKJrNews]

9. A guest I'd watch...

on "That O'Reilly Bastard" (whoopsie, I mean "The O'Reilly Factor") would be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

It would be an especially entertaining match because Bill O'Reilly has always claimed (believe it or not!) that his hero is Bobby Kennedy Sr.

Yeah, I know. Boggles the mind. But that's what O'Liely says, I swear I am NOT making this stuff up!

Actually, Bobby Jr. did appear on the Factor once a few years ago, but O'Reilly made him agree that he would not say a single solitary word against President Bush in the interview. (I'm telling ya, you can't make this stuff up!) Although RFK Jr. honored Bill's request, he has not been a guest on the show since.

I'll be watching for Dodd's debate tonight with "That O'Reilly Bastard." Sounds like must-see TV!

[Greeby]

6. Bill O Reilly won't change his mind with words

Now if he was smashed across the face repeatedly with a piece of heavy mining equipment, then he might see it your way

[More Than A Feeling]

7. I was going to suggest a live badger up his nose

but it could easily be both.

[ellacott]

8. I think money in his pocket would do the job n/t

[More Than A Feeling]

10. Nah, I once offered a diehard conservative $20 to act

like an ultra-liberal for a day, but it had to be convincing. He turned it down, said there was no way he could be convincing. It's probably the same for O'Reilly.

[ellacott]

12. I often wonder is Bill is a true conservative

or is just doing this because of the millions he has made.

[comtec]

11. Better man than I.

I don't think I could stomach being on he same airwaves, let alone show with that... .
I just might send Dodd my vote for this, even though he really has no hope of being the nominee. It is a great, and brave thing he is doing.
Personally I think I might beat the ever living crap out of billo, if he dared cut my mike off (which would be about 30 seconds in).

Dodd is a great man for doing this. And we should find some way to let him know we appreciate it.

[Doctor_J]

13. My personal view is that Dems should avoid Cabal "News" altogether

and especially Fox. Let them die from neglect.

[beachmom]

14. Good. But this has got me worried:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/7/31/9920/91146

Someone should let Chris Dodd know.