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Posted on 09/03/2003 5:58:22 PM PDT by kattracks
Leftists never learn not to tangle with Fox News star Bill O'Reilly. When his Irish temper is aroused he can be tough, something the New York Times got a taste of last night.
The Times, which cozies up with the likes of O'Reilly foe Al Franken, recently exposed as having lied to Attorney General John Ashcroft, carried a column by Judith Maslin that says the alleged satirist "makes a bull's-eye out of Mr. O'Reilly" for having told whoppers.
In his Talking Points memo last night, O'Reilly fired back at the newspaper, which "is leading the charge to turn America into a secular nation and return political power to the left wing of the Democratic Party."
Raged O'Reilly, "Over the Labor Day weekend a New York Times reviewer named Janet Maslin attacked me in print - what else is new - but Maslin's gleeful libel demonstrates the viciousness that has enveloped the Times."
Noting the recent Jayson Blair scandal, which he said badly damaged the "troubled institution," the top-rated commentator recalled how the Times "inaccurately reported the battlefield situation in the opening days of the Iraq war." He said the Times' "hard news coverage was shaded to bolster its editorial position that the war was wrong."
"I knew that once I took on the New York Times the paper's character assassins would take dead aim on me," said O'Reilly, noting that "few journalists will ever criticize the Times. They know the paper will come after them in a very personal way. Therefore there is no check on the power of the New York Times. It prints what it wants with impunity."
He let loose at Maslin's "recycling of the bogus charges that impugn my integrity. Writes Maslin, 'Mr. Frankin makes a bulls-eye out of Mr. O'Reilly … he shows how Mr. O'Reilly's erroneous claim that he won a Peabody Award evolved into even bigger fibs once it was challenged.'
"Maslin must know by now that I never said I won a Peabody Award," O'Reilly explained. "Transcripts prove that, and the defamatory charge has been refuted time and time again. I simply defended my previous program, Inside Edition, by saying it won a Peabody. But I made a mistake. The program actually won a Polk Award. I corrected the record on March 2, 2001 and March 8, 2001 - two and a half years ago. Yet Maslin spreads the lie once again as well as hooting that I am a registered Republican -- something terrible to her - when the truth is that I changed my voting registration to Independent years ago.
"She also recycles the incredibly asinine assertion that I did not grow up where I said I grew up. My mother has lived in a Levitt house on Long Island for more than 50 years. The Arts & Entertainment 'Biography' program actually photographed the house and gave a brief history of the Levittown area. Yet this is not enough for Maslin."
Calling this "journalistic terrorism designed to punish people who hold opposing points of view," O'Reilly said he was not going to "deal with these attacks again on this program, but I will tell you that I am not alone. The New York Times actually called Mel Gibson a 'Jew-baiter' for daring to film a movie based on the passion of Jesus. The Times knows that the courts will allow this kind of libel because in this country famous people deserve no protection, but defamatory descriptions are disgraceful, and so is the Times for using them time and time again."
He concluded: "This is a high-stakes power game that influences political decision-making in America. The New York Times is pushing its far-left, secular agenda hard and will use any and all methods to hurt and diminish those who stand in its way. The culture war in America is getting bloodier. It will be interesting to see who will ultimately prevail."
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Hardly. Leftists learn that it pays to tangle with O'Reilly. When his Irish temper is aroused he is capable of stupefyingly stupid actions, like suing Al Franken and giving him the #1 book in the nation for two weeks straight. Bill O'Reilly is a raving egomaniac who will eventually self-destruct.
The "Factor" is unwatchable. Olbermann is even worse. So in this house at 8pm it is SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, the finest show on TV.
I listened to the Savage Nation tonight from 7-10, and it was a good show. Sometimes to get away from O'Reilly I watch people buy houses on HGTV.
If you're ever in NYC, look me up. We would all get along well. I also listen to Savage and watch HGTV. "House Hunters" and "Divine Design" are particular favorites (if you can look past the hideous Canadian accents). lol
Trajan88
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