Clinton Plans Attack on Rush, O'Reilly, Fox

NewsMax ^ | 5/2/03 | Joel C. Rosenberg

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

WASHINGTON – Major war operations in Iraq are over. And President Bush scored big in last night's prime-time speech.

But rather than talk about the war or the road ahead for peace, former President Bill Clinton this weekend will take a shot at Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and the Fox network over family values and network television, WORLD magazine has learned.

In a debate with Bob Dole on Sunday during his weekly appearance on the CBS program "60 Minutes," Clinton will say: "Fox, the network full of conservative Republicans, has reality shows. You and Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh haven't attacked them."

The full exclusive advance transcript is published below.

Clinton and Dole agreed in March to tape 10 weekly segments. According to CBS, "the segments will revive the Point-Counterpoint segments popular until they stopped airing in 1979, but will not use the name. Instead, the segments will be called 'Clinton/Dole' one week and 'Dole/Clinton' the next week."

"I think that the country needs a debate that's not a screaming match," the former president said on CBS News' "Early Show" in March. "And I think too many times we have these arguments on these talk shows where they're trying to get ratings by generating heat, when we ought to be trying to generate more light."

Advance Text From Sunday's '60 Minutes'

BOB DOLE:

"Does Hollywood still think Ozzy Osbourne is funny now that he's shipped his underage son off to drug rehab? America is awash in reality TV. The reality is it's debasing and degrading.

"Mr. President, don't your show biz pals realize the consequences? They package dysfunctional people like the Osbornes. Giggle at the coarseness and the crimes. And sink lower for higher rating. For eight years you treated Hollywood like your own piggy bank. Now how about joining me in demanding a little responsibility? Ask those entertainment executives who wrote you those big, big checks: Isn't there some way to reach the most viewers without appealing to the worst in viewers?

"Reality exacts a price. Sadly, from Ozzy's son today. Maybe from other kids tomorrow. President Clinton, how low can things go?"

BILL CLINTON:

"I've never watched the Osbournes, but 10 years ago did challenge the entertainment industry to take violence and other things harmful to kids out of their programming. I pushed for the first TV ratings system and the V chip to give parents more control over what their kids watched.

"Reality TV makes money because adults watch it. Fox, the network full of conservative Republicans, has reality shows. You and Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh haven't attacked them.

"As for kids and drugs, the Republican budget gives a tax cut to you and me paid for by cutting $50 million (each) from the Safe and Drug Free School Program and the Drug Enforcement Administration and worst of all by taking half a million kids out of after school programs which we know helps kids stay off the streets and away from drugs.

"The administration's budget will hurt our efforts to keep kids drug free a lot more than the Osbournes. That's reality."

[hispanarepublicana]

Maybe it's the way my mind works, but I put voices with the quotes when I read them. In my head, Clinton sounds like a petulant child and Bob Dole sounds like Norm McDonald doing Bob Dole.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

For the love of god will someone shoot Bob Dole in the neck with a tranq dart and drag his Pepsi besotted carcas away from 60 minutes before he does any more damage to the GOP?

Week in and week out, he practically cedes the debate to Slick Willie.

[steve-b]

In my head, Clinton sounds like a petulant child

That's not just in your head.

[widowithfoursons]

Maybe his wife can get him off the air. He needs a Hitlary moment.

[w_over_w]

I think that the country needs a debate that's not a screaming match," the former president said on CBS News' "Early Show" in March.

And then his insignificant "other" gave a speech in April before the Connecticut Democratic Party . . . hey who wears the pants in the Klintoon family?

[PackerBoy]

Amen. Dole should have landed some well-paying corporate directorship gigs and be spending a lot of time on the beach. This 60 Minutes thing he is doing is embarassing.

[Mister Baredog]

"The administration's budget will hurt our efforts to keep kids drug free a lot more than the Osbournes. That's reality."

Just like "oral sex isn't sex" did so much for young America. Fourteen year old girls at "oral sex" parties quote him regularly. Thanks Bubba.

[Steven W.]

I swear I remember Clinton commenting about the Osbournes before - me thinks he's LYING again.

[Renegade]

Only stupid people watch 60 minutes any more. If they both want to look like a horse's a$$, let them .. Stupid is as stupid does .

[MJY1288]

How can a man who disgraced the highest office in the land by having oral sex with a White House intern in the oval office and then lie about it under oathe feel he can give anyone an idiot lesson on what's good for our children.

GO TO HELL BILL CLINTON

[ISonnet]

Look at it this way. If the left watches this and celebrates Bill's victory each week, maybe they will come to expect the same level of debate from all republicans.

Might make for a nasty surprise for them when they take on Bush. Think Gore over or underestimated his opponent?

[twigs]

Interesting. Sean Hannity said on his radio show yesterday that he's seeing a slowly increasing attack on talk radio and conservatism on the airwaves. He thinks that when the Dems get back into power, they are going to try and shut conservative voices down. Apparently there was an article in the LA Times yesterday that got into the issue.

[RetiredArmy]

I can only hope and pray that one of these days Klinton suffers publically for all he has done privately and publically to this nation.

[Howlin]

Have you actually SEEN this little segment on 60 Minutes?

Nobody, I repeat NOBODY sees it -- it's not even on at the same time each week, so nobody can FIND it.

And for once, Dole actually LOOKS better than Clinton.

Clinton always has that "Giving a Monica deposition on tape" look.

[JohnGalt]

Conservatives do tend to give Murdoch, a softcore and soon to be hardcore, porn pusher, a pass, but Clinton looks like an idiot for going at it from the family values angle over reality shows.

[MJY1288]

Don't be silly, anytime Clinton is quoted..... He lied again :-)

[conservativecorner]

BUMP!!

[green team 1999]

democrats don`t fly bump

[browardchad]

Week in and week out, he practically cedes the debate to Slick Willie.

Yup, he's Willie's perfect foil, nothing else.