Congressman Eric Massa Condemns Fox News(Calls For O'Reilly & Peters to be Fired)

[tekisui]

Source: MPNNow

MPNnow.com —Congressman Eric Massa today demanded Fox News immediately fire Bill O'Reilly and Lt. Col Ralph Peters for what Massa said were “deeply offensive and unpatriotic statements” made about prisoner of war Bowe Bergdahl.

In a Monday interview on Fox News, Peters said Bergdahl appeared to be a deserter and refused to apologize for his remarks in a Tuesday interview on Fox's O'Reily Factor hosted by Bill O'Reilly.

Massa, along with 22 other Congressional veterans, sent a letter to Fox News Chief Executive Roger Ailes on Tuesday demanding he issue an apology to the family of Bergdahl.

“Words cannot express how furious I am at Fox News, Lt. Col Ralph Peters and Bill O'Reilly for suggesting that we should leave a prisoner of war behind and allow him to be executed by the Taliban to save us the trouble of trying to intervene,” Massa said.

more: http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x639771378/Congressman-Eric-Massa-condemns-Fox-News

[spanone]

1. k&r....

[babylonsister]

2. Nice to see some outrage over this. nt

[virgogal]

3. Here goes that Freedom of Speech thingy again.Just ignore it.

[tekisui]

4. There is no violation of free speech to call for one's job

for saying something stupid.

[joeybee12]

5. Free speech goes both ways...you have freedom to say stupid things, and I

have the freedom to tell you what I think about what you said...all Congressman Massa is doing, and good for him.

[Javaman]

27. While all you say is true...

While what these morons said was really stupid and is protected by the constitution, it is however, what maybe considered inflammatory speech.

While am also no fan of the sedition act, what these tools are potentially doing is walking a fine line of just that.

Basically cheering on, in no uncertain terms, the taliban, who is our supposed enemy, to take justice against this kidnapped soldier for some imaginary charge these talking heads have cooked up.

The real question that needs to be asked of these two morons is: whose side are they on?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. I see you have freedom of punctuation too. I'll just ignore it.

More to the point, of course O'Reilly and this other jackoff have their first amendment rights, just like you do and just like I do. However, if I walk in and tell my boss to fuck off, which I have every right to do, I can also expect that I'll no longer be employed. No one is abrogating my right to free speech, and this isn't yelling fire in a crowded theater. But I haven't read any 1st Amendment footnotes that guarantee there won't be consequences for some speech. Get it?

[virgogal]

7. Of course I get it,but since when are Congressmen in charge of

who says what on Fox? If Ailes wants to fire them,fine,but Congress getting involved annoys me.

Thanks for your punctuation comment----do you comment on spelling also?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

9. You're welcome, and yes, I do.

Congress did not get involved, but it sounds like some elected congresspeople did get involved, in a nonbinding way, which is their right, just as it's your right to be annoyed with Congress and defend Fox News.

[AlbertCat]

44. Congress did not get involved,

Indeed.

The 1st amendment says

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; ...."

No one is making any laws.

But y'know.. there are some laws about libel....

[tekisui]

13. They are also veterans, who like you, could also write and request

someone gets fired. It didn't come up for a floor vote. It isn't even a resolution. One does not forfeit their freedom of speech when they become a member of Congress.

[damntexdem]

14. Does being in Congress take away one's right to object to dangerous and unpatriotic language?

A soldier's life hangs in the balance -- and Massa is objecting to those who want to tighten the noose.

[Ikonoklast]

29. I'm glad you're annoyed.

Bless your heart for defending the right-wingnuts.

You seem to do it a lot here.

[theblasmo]

30. Usually...

... it's the other way around and the Congressmen get their marching orders from Fox.

[Kajsa]

35. Why shouldn't a Congressman

get involved?

This is about a POW, one of our men being branded as
a traitor while he is a PRISONER of the Taliban.
And this slander is being perpetuated by a ( so called)
news station here in the US.

How much of their shit are we supposed to take?

Why shouldn't Congressmen get involved?

[Why Syzygy]

8. There is also the matter of defamation and slander laws.

Speech may be free, but it can't be used to slander another without penalty.

[GoldenOldie]

11. LTC Massa (ret) made grade while serving Stateside and Germany

Massa who never had battlefield experience, experience of the fear of shooting another human being or being shot or blownup himself. He served in the full pleasures,experiences and comfort of Europe, with his only worry was which county he was was going to vacation and what wine or sausage he was going to order for dinner. For this brave illustrious asshole to attack a young 22-year old young man, who has had to face an actual enemy says far more about the LTC's honor and integrity than it does about the Pfc.

O'Reilly and the LTC make a good pair. The LTC should be remined that the PFC's family, as well as all of us, were/are paying for his European vacation as well as his retirement. So much for a socialist state!

[virgogal]

15. Do you mean Peters? I'm confused (normal for me).

[backscatter712]

21. Yep, IIRC, it was Peters that said all those douchey things on FAUX Noise. n/t

[pangaia]

22. Massa'a integrity

My Dear Golden,
You must be REALLY, REALLY old.. I mean really. Even older than me. Eric Massa happens to be my congressman, which doesn't make me a lap dog by any means. I wish he would speak out more for health care, for example. However, having campaigned for him--twice- I think I know Eric a little better than you do. And I assure you he is man of the utmost integrity. He ENLISTED in the NAVY. He EARNED his rank and worked hard at his job. I guarantee you, SIR, Eric Massa is no Bush or Dick.

[stlsaxman]

23. Cheers, pangaia!

and welcome to DU!

[DinahMoeHum]

46. Massa didn't merely enlist - he's US Naval Academy class of 1983.

And he's retired with the rank of Commander.

:patriot:

[SeattleGirl]

17. There's free speech, and then there is saying it would be okay if

the Taliban just killed this man so we didn't have to bother with a possible trial.

Sorry, but for a retired colonel to be saying stuff like this is beyond the pale.

[OwnedByFerrets]

31. Don Imus said something stupid and got fired for it.....

if Faux had any integrity, they would do the same to certain persons, but we all know they do not.

[Clintonista2]

36. What an idiotic statement

[kirby]

49. You need to re-read your Bill of Rights...

Kindly point out the section that guarantees free speech from a private employer. Surely your realize that the rights have to do with the government and not private corporations.

[jmondine]

10. This is O'Reilly's idea of "supporting the troops"

[angstlessk]

12. remember Move On and Betrayus ad? Even the Democrats condemed

that ad...I think that is fitting, FIRE O'REALLY! FUCK YEAH!

[TheWraith]

16. That's my favorite Congressman.

One district over from me, and my honorary rep. I even have a photo of myself with him.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. K&R. Rachel Maddow also covered this again tonight.

Here's yesterday's coverage. Peters starts at 3:55. She had Paul Reikoff (executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) on following Peters shocking and deplorable recorded statement. Reikoff was excellent, as usual. Rachel had even more on this on today's show...

{Rachel Maddow} Hostage w/ Paul Reikoff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adnFyXjBVXI&feature=channel_page

I agree with Rep. Massa. O'Reilly also incited violence against Dr. Tiller... :grr:

[Cha]

19. I just went to Rep Eric Massa's

webpage to see where NY District 29 was..it's Clifton Springs which is some place I'd like to go in New YOrk..they have awesome sulpher waters there, I'm told.



Thank you, Rep Massa, for calling faux and the military toady they had on there(Lt Col Ralph Peters(ret) on their treasonous statement regarding PFC Bowe Bergdahl!

And, why would they do that? To undermine Pres Obama?!?


07/22/09

"WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Eric Massa held a press call to condemn the deeply offensive and unpatriotic statements of Lt. Col Ralph Peters (ret.) and Fox News Host Bill O'Reilly about prisoner of war PFC Bowe Bergdahl."

http://massa.house.gov/

[snake in the grass]

20. This can't be stressed enough!

Peters' statements on Fox News were a new low for them. It's rare that I see red when I watch a Fox clip. This was one of those times.

[Stinky The Clown]

24. Pay Attention To Eric Massa!!!!! Another gem of a stance by this guy is his refusal to take ........

....... Congressional Insurance. He buys his family's insurance "on the street" and into whatever plans were available to them. He says that if he is going to fight for health care reform, he cannot morally do so while insured on the national dime.

Pay Attention to Eric Massa. He's the real deal.

[pangaia]

43. The REAL DEAL

Yes, Eric is DEFINITELY the real deal, He also refused to take any corporate money in his 2 campaigns to unseat that nitwit Randy 'Not-so Kuhl." And this is a REPUB congressional district...just south of Louise Slaughter's.

[ladywnch]

25. I don't get it...

Bergdahl is white.....from a Western conservative state......a real American......I thought O'lieley would be leading the charge for the mission to rescue him???? :sarcasm:

[madmom]

26. I've been out of the loop a few days..WHY are they saying this guy deserted?

[grantcart]

37. After returning to base he changed clothes and went outside the perimeter

without his gun, armour, or another soldier, armed only with a knife.

Apparently he met some local people that he had developed a relationship with.


The commanders involved have said that there is no evidence of desertion.


Obviously it was a stupid thing to do.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

28. Eric Massa is my Congressman too, and I'm THRILLED to see this

YES! We need people in ALL parts of society to take a stand against PoxSpews, O'Lielly and all the nasty, ugly, self-serving, power-driven, greedy demagogue scumbags.

Why anyone here would bring up Fux et al's freedom of speech AS IF that countermands Eric Massa's and OUR freedom of speech..... WTF???

:wtf:

[OswegoAtheist]

34. I used to live in the 29th

Elmira, more specifically. I moved in early 2008, but I worked with Massa's campaign in 2006. He's a far cry better than Randy, no?

Oswego "It takes a (R)eal man to threaten his abused wife with TWO shotguns" Atheist

[Douglas Carpenter]

32. KICK AND RECOMMEND!!!

[Piewhacket]

33. FIRE THEM?? TRY THEM FOR TREASON!!!

[Butch350]

38. I say the US should exchange them for the captured soldier...

[valerief]

39. And everything before this on Fox News he was okay with? Oy, vey. nnt

[bbgrunt]

40. we need lots more like Eric Massa. k n r

[berni_mccoy]

41. K&R!

[PatSeg]

42. It seems to me

the next step would be to write to sponsors of Massa and O'Reilly and complain. That is where the real power for change lies. Does anyone have a list of their sponsors?

[Iwillnevergiveup]

45. Reikoff said it all

Peters needs to shut up.

K&R

[Cha]

47. Kick for Eric

Massa!

[SpiralHawk]

48. Chickenhawk Republicons like O'Reilly HATE our honorable veterans

and service men and women. And he is proving again, undoubtedly coming out of his own well-deserved sense of SHAME for being a Chickenhawk Republicon propaganda pimp.