O'Reilly calls Edwards a liar about Faux News' bias

[draft_mario_cuomo]

Note: you can watch a 2 minute video of O'Reilly getting pwn3d on this at http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

O'Reilly claimed Edwards is "actually lying" about Fox News' treatment of Democrats

==Summary: After playing a clip of John Edwards asserting that "Fox News ... has a clear and long history of bias against Democrats," host Bill O'Reilly responded that "John Edwards has been on the Fox News Channel 33 times," and that, in reviewing those interviews, "ot once could I find anything insulting, demeaning, or disrespectful to the senator." In fact, beyond Edwards' treatment while a guest on Fox News, O'Reilly himself and numerous other Fox News personalities have repeatedly made "insulting, demeaning, or disrespectful" statements about Edwards and other Democrats.

During the August 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, after playing a clip of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards asserting that "Fox News ... has a clear and long history of bias against Democrats," host Bill O'Reilly responded that "John Edwards has been on the Fox News Channel 33 times," and that, in reviewing those interviews, "ot once could I find anything insulting, demeaning, or disrespectful to the senator." O'Reilly then asked Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers, "So he's actually lying, is he not?" When Powers responded that Edwards was "making a broader claim against Fox," O'Reilly repeated that "he was on 33 times and treated with complete respect." Similarly, on the August 9 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, discussing how "some of the Democratic candidates have been attacking Fox News," O'Reilly questioned why they "want to make enemies -- particularly a guy like John Edwards, who is treated very well here, 33 times he was on." O'Reilly continued: "We pored over the transcripts. There was never one time that this guy was unfairly treated while he was on this network." O'Reilly went on to assert that the Democrats' attacks on Fox News "might come back to bite them in the you-know-where."

But beyond the question of how Edwards was "treated" during his various appearances on Fox News, O'Reilly himself and numerous other Fox News personalities have repeatedly made "insulting, demeaning, or disrespectful" statements about Edwards and other Democrats.

Additionally, during the August 9 program, O'Reilly referred to Fox News as "far and away the highest-rated cable news outfit," and asserted, "e're growing while the others are disintegrating." In fact, a recent comparison by the blog TVNewser of the three cable news channels' ratings in June 2006 and June 2007 found that CNN and MSNBC's audience grew at a greater rate over that period than that of Fox News. According to TVNewser's analysis, CNN's prime-time viewership increased (across all age groups) by 17 percent and its all-day audience by 10 percent. MSNBC's prime-time viewership increased by 38 percent and its all-day audience by 34 percent. Meanwhile, Fox News' prime-time viewership increased by 10 percent and its all-day audience by 8 percent.==

Read the rest, plus some classic quotes from Faux personalities on Edwards and other Democrats at http://mediamatters.org/items/200708100006?f=h_latest

[draft_mario_cuomo]

1. Interesting quote from O'Reilly on Obama

From the article (O'Reilly on Democrats bashing Faux News):

O'REILLY: -- rather than pandering to those people. But we're going to remember all that. You know, I understand what they're doing, trying to get the far-left people to like them and vote for them in the primaries. I mean, it's obvious. But you know what's interesting? The only one who didn't do it -- Obama. Obama has not trashed Fox News.

[Colobo]

3. He ignores them, which is better.

[Cameron27]

5. I agree with you, when you ignore them

you make your point and they get zero publicity.

[Cobalt-60]

2. I guess his viewers really will believe anything

They choose faux because Faux is disrespectful to Democrats.
Of course most of his viewers are old enough to have voted for Herbert Hoover.

[Vogon_Glory]

11. Most O'Reilly Viewers WISH They'd Voted For Hoover

Most of O'Lielly's viewers are only old enough to WISH that they'd voted for Herbert Hoover. Unfortunately for the good guys, time and mortality have been taking out voters old enough to remember what like was like before FDR and the Democrats put in such minimal social protections like the FDIC and Social Security. Otherwise, wrathful voters with long memories would have turned out to vote against Georgiekins in such numbers that he would have been sent back home with his tail between his legs after the 2004 elections.

[usregimechange]

4. kick

[Mnpaul]

6. Of course they treat Edwards with respect

He is smart enough to shove their crap right back in their face.

[Meldread]

7. Edwards should attack O'Reilly

Say something trivial, but enough to get the old man riled up. Billy won't be able to resist firing back, and let an exchange happen, effectively drumming up interest in his campaign. Basically turning Bill into his salesman. If Edwards can push the right button Billy might go into meltdown mode and implode right on the TV.

He can start it off by saying something like this to a crowd... "It is important to educate yourselves. It is important to know what you are consuming, and by consuming I am also talking about what you listen to and watch. We're here to change America and one of the ways you can help is simply by turning off Fox News. Don't tune in because they spend hours thinking up ways to spin their news against the Democratic Party and make favorable spin for Republicans. You also have some of their hosts - some of their hosts like Bill O'Reilly who are just... he's a liar and out of touch with reality."

After Bill implodes Edwards will be invited on other stations (non-Fox) to defend what he said, to see if they can get him to apologize. Edwards would stick to his guns and drop his website address during the interview. Begin a campaign to get American's to tune out of Fox News until they really become fair and balanced.

Edwards could also work out deals with MSNBC and CNN to appear on their network to talk about his fight against Fox. It's win-win for everyone.

[sendero]

9. Seriously...

.. a very interesting idea with a lot of potential.

Fox News is already considered a joke among those with a clue, and that's actually quite a few people.

He could twist the knife while helping his campaign. Nice.

[Meldread]

12. That's the general idea.

Since the media isn't giving him the attention that he wants and needs, then he just has to do something to make them pay attention. Making Billy go crazy and start foaming at the mouth is an easy way to do it. If he attempts to boycott Fox then they'd talk about him 24/7. The other media outlets (who are competing against Fox) could have him on to talk about the boycott giving John time to plug his campaign.

He should constantly tell everyone his website address, and basically use the internet like Dean did in 2004. After all, it isn't like Fox News is ever going to say good things about him or isn't already spinning stories to make him look bad. So really he has nothing to lose, and lots of fund raising cash to gain.

[zbdent]

8. Let me guess ... he reviewed the

transcripts, where any nasty stuff said by BS was watered down in print (and :sarcasm: is hard to see in print) or edited out altogether ...

[Catchawave]

10. Is this the same network John Gibson is on?

What a sad bunch of attention whores (no offense to whores).

Since Gibson and BOR seem to battle it out daily for Olbermann's Worst Person list, I would say they should just shut their pie holes and go back to pretending their serious journalists :eyes:

Also, the Faux idiocy is well documented here:

http://www.newshounds.us/

....they watch Fox so we don't have to....:D