Posted on 12/05/2012 5:39:04 AM PST by marktwain
The Bob Costas flap has become the gaffe du jour this week, with some well-meant attempts to help the embattled NBC announcer do damage control in the wake of Sunday night’s remarks and Monday’s blistering reaction.
Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly and contributor Bernie Goldberg jumped to Costas’ defense Monday night and while they made some reasonable points, they also said some things that may just exacerbate the situation, and leave them looking a bit foolish. It's a pity, because both guys seem like honorable men trying to do what they believe is the right thing.
To wit, during O’Reilly’s popular “Talking Points” segment, the former high school teacher remarked, “The Constitution gives the right to Americans to protect themselves, that’s clear.”
No, that’s not what the Constitution does. The Constitution doesn’t “give” anybody anything. It affirms and protects rights, granted by the Creator if you will. The Second Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, as clearly explained by Justice Antonin Scalia in his landmark majority decision in the case of District of Columbia v. Dick Anthony Heller in June 2008. The right to arms goes back at least to English common law. The right of self-defense, or self-preservation, is the oldest natural right, a human right, if you will.
Mr. O’Reilly further observed, “Talking Points has long felt that criminals who use handguns should be punished more harshly than they are now. In fact all gun crimes in America should be federalized, and that includes illegal possession… There should be mandatory federal prison time for any person convicted of having a gun illegally.”
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Here’s the biggest problem: Costas sounded like Katie Couric (probably not a coincidence) in his follow-up remarks as he went off on one of these paranoid rants about ‘assault weapons,’ militiamen armed to the teeth and so forth. The cliches flew at a furious pace e.g. ‘why should a citizen have the same weaponry as the army?’ Those of you who own M1 tanks and howitzers, raise your hand.
At no point did he address so-called gun control in places that already have it like Chicago, Philly, DC, NYC, etc. nor did he admit that, as always, those who ignore the laws of today will ignore the laws of tomorrow.
Stopped watching O’Reilly back in 2004. He should take his own advice and stop with the bloviating.
O'reilly's said a lot of ridiculous, off-the-cuff, absurd things, but that's got to be up there in the top 10.
O really calculates the position that will garner the most viewers, then spews it. Jus bidness.
Time for Goldberg to go (never happen). O’Reilly’s been doing this posturing as left-pf-Limbaugh forever & Goldberg even moreso. Call us “loonies on the right”.
Goldberg Monday said he talked to his buddy Costas Monday and everyone has him wrong. BR promises something tonight. More palp.
After the election BG cited a caller into Rush who prefaced “I heard that and I knew what was coming”. The guy calling into Rush had announced himself as a traditional conservative into family values or something. Heck- that’s me! The caller then said he didn’t vote for R/R because they wanted to reach across aisle. That’s not me Bernie so you had it wrong.
Late last week BR used the words kooks , nuts for values voters- those who vote on abortion/homo marriage 1st and for sure. He quickly withdrew that but his color’s showed.
BP/BG play fake peacemaker.
Give me Rush anytime. Tues or Werds he was saying the microphone is a dangers and announcers weren’t to blame for their errors, its the mike.
Mr. O’Reilly once was known by a more descriptive name given him by his students. RICHARD WITHEARS.
The remote is a wonderful invention, let old one eye bloviate on whatever subject he chooses, watch Duck Dynasty or some other highbrow show.
Most of you will get the descriptive name, hint: nickname for Richard. split Withears into two words. Any way he despises FR so bad.
You own it Barack.
Caddis
O’Reilly is a self-satisfied, smug blowhard who makes a fool out of himself by showcasing his ignorance on a routine basis. I rarely, if ever, watch him anymore. But the other night, he was going down a list of Christian denominations-—Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, etc.-—and he included Mormon in the list.
He’s a Catholic, yet he’s clueless of the fact that the Catholic church officially views Mormonism as a cult.
Remember the sexual harrassment claim? B’OR weaseled out of it but it was well known how many times he touted his mantra “big hands, big feet”=ME! around the “office”..
For a “Harvard-educated” man, BO really knows how to demonstrate abject stupidity like a pro.
They can all go straight to Hell!
I watched some of O’Reilly’s show last night, and it seemed to me that he made a pretty big point of the idea that guns and access to legal guns do not cause the crimes. Also that the football player was not a victim of anyone/anything, the NFL was not liable, and that Costas’ comments were not appropriate. So I think this article is a bit one-sided. (Or I completely misunderstood O’Reilly’s perspective, which is possible.)
I agree with you about last night’s show. O’Reilly was holding the K.C. player responsible for his actions and did not entertain the notion that the gun was the problem.
Thank you for the sanity validation!! :)
Bob Costas is saying: So What??? So What if my comments were poorly timed??? It’s not like I made a monkey out of someone:
The glib Bob Costas has been eating a lot of shoe leather lately.
You act as if being Catholic meant something. It’s just a badge to most. Plus, think of the good old days when Romans thought Catholicism was a cult.
You’re not trying to compare Catholicism to Mormonism, are you? Hopefully not, because it doesn’t work. And no, I’m not Catholic.
They’re comparable.
Only if Catholics believe God used to be a man who had wives, and now has flesh and bones, and if they believe in multiple gods; if they believe Satan is the brother of Jesus, Jesus is a created being, and they will inherit their own planets when they die.
Catholics are Christian. Mormonism denies basic Christian doctrine.
I would classify O'Rielly as a populist, not a liberal or conservative.
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