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Posted on 10/03/2003 10:55:44 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
Baseball matters in Seattle, so this scribe was glued to the Mariners-A's game a couple of weeks back and missed his 15 seconds of fame (or infamy) on national television.
In his nightly Talking Points, Fox News loudmouth Bill O'Reilly labeled me a "left-wing columnist" and accused me of deliberately misrepresenting an incident in which O'Reilly told the anti-war son of a World Trade Center victim to "shut up!" and cut short his interview.
Congressman-for-life Jim McDermott, Councilwoman Judy Nicastro and the Church Council would probably dispute the left-wing label. And the O'Reilly ego might have swelled had he known I was actually tuned in the night he yelled "I don't care what you think!" at the young man.
As usual for one denounced by a right-wing talk host, especially on Fox, salty e-mail consumed my computer for a couple of days.
A Fox fan named Howard Stoppelman suggested that I book time on O'Reilly. "Let me know when you're going to be on. I'd like to see him chew you a new one," wrote Mr. Stoppelman.
Peter Setzer of San Jose, Calif., critiqued and gave this prediction of America's future. "Get used to GW (Bush) as president for another four years and my wonderful right-wing crowd making your life and other brain dead bleeding hearts a living hell!!!!!!!"
These were the nice guys. The majority of negative missives were anonymous and/or unprintable.
Since Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin in the 1930s, our airwaves have been populated by populist demagogues. Long was stopped by a bullet, Coughlin was squelched by a bishop, but most of these guys eventually just run out of gas.
Where, then, is O'Reilly going? He's been rumored as a possible challenger to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.
She's demonized in O'Reilly's new book as a "mean-spirited headliner" and America's "most dangerous" politician. But then, Pope John Paul II is described as one of "Saddam's enablers."
As with the talkers who have gone before him, O'Reilly's hold on his audience -- the largest nightly on Cable TV news -- is the self-styled image of a regular guy bravely defying "the elites." "Who's Looking Out for You?" is the new book's title.
The talkers often specialize in demonizing those who fight for social justice and defend Americans' rights to dissent. O'Reilly abuses what he calls the "incredibly vicious" American Civil Liberties Union on a nightly basis.
They also devote many pages of books and hours of airtime to celebrating themselves.
A close reading of O'Reilly's book spots curious, hilarious parallels with a Hollywood celeb whose foreign policy stands he often ridicules.
Of our politicians, O'Reilly writes, "Most of them swear they are looking out for you with a vengeance. Sure, and I'm Barbra Streisand."
The O'Reilly-Streisand resemblance is, in fact, unmistakable.
Streisand is famous for directing movies in which she monopolizes the screen. She is known for complaining loudly of sexism when left off the list of Oscar nominees for best director.
O'Reilly is, likewise, hugely self-absorbed and sensitive to the slightest slight. Everything is about ME.
In his book, the resident diva of Rupert Murdoch's news channel takes swipes at a sportscaster at the Dallas station where he once worked -- "The guy was scum" -- and grouses that previous employer KingWorld gave him a hard time over first-class airline travel.
O'Reilly makes a big thing about how the elites can't stand him. "Now, I rarely go to parties, primarily because I am not often invited," he writes.
Yet, pages are consumed by an account of meeting Bill Clinton at a do thrown by former New Yorker editor Tina Brown -- "Many affluent eyes narrowed at the sight of your humble correspondent" -- and attending a Forstmann-Little retreat in Aspen, Colo. He boasts about angering Queen Noor of Jordan.
"Whatever happens at my life party, I have chosen not to cry -- at least in public," O'Reilly writes.
The book, however, complains about being snubbed by the NBC "Today Show" and spends five pages denouncing Washington Post columnist Lloyd Grove. Grove ran an item in which O'Reilly, as MC at a benefit, quipped when a group of young black performers were late on stage, "Jeez, I hope they aren't out in the parking lot stealing hubcaps."
Grove is labeled "vicious," "a despicable human being" and one of the "witch hunters" who ruin peoples' reputations.
O'Reilly is making a mint off "Who's Looking Out for You," dueling on the best-seller lists with his nemesis, Al Franken. It was Franken who exposed O'Reilly's false claim that "Inside Edition" won a Peabody Award while he was host.
O'Reilly has every right to bloviate, but he might take to heart a piece of advice he gives about being "brutally honest with yourself."
If he is going to genuinely do battle with the "corporate assault on our culture" -- with its sex-celebrity emphasis -- O'Reilly might call up his ultimate boss, Rupert Murdoch.
Nobody puts more skin on TV screens and front pages than Murdoch. Local promos for Fox's "Best Damned Sports Show" were so vulgar that many Mariner fans wrote or called to protest.
If O'Reilly really believes the U.S. media served our enemy in Iraq, he should deal with the wartime broadcast in which Fox's Geraldo Rivera drew the position of his advancing unit in the sand.
If O'Reilly is committed to countering vicious gossip, why doesn't he cite what's appeared on "The Drudge Report" -- the popular Web site that regularly puffs O'Reilly's ratings and book sales?
Finally, corporations and their lobbyists are curiously underrepresented in O'Reilly's accounts of the rich, powerful and greedy.
Early this week, the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign sent supporters a list of "frequently asked" questions. High on the list: "Can I use my personal aircraft for campaign business."
What reporter exposed this gem? Hats off to Lloyd Grove.
P-I columnist Joel Connelly can be reached at 206-448-8160 or joelconnelly@seattlepi.com
Hannity and Colmes were both quick to give tribute to Rush saying they would not be where they are now, doing what they are doing, if not for Rush.
Rush may be the Elvis of conservative news/talk. O'Reilly is ..? O'Reilly.
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I notice that "Joel" doesn't dispute O'Reilly's characterization of him. Whatever faults O'Reilly has, having to correct facts he relates is not one of them.
And, I love it when he slams screws like Connelly.
I'd like to use this opportunity to offer my opinion about Mr. Connelly's sputterings.
If O'Reilly is committed to countering vicious gossip, why doesn't he cite what's appeared on "The Drudge Report" -- the popular Web site that regularly puffs O'Reilly's ratings and book sales?
The newspaper employee does not listen to O'Reilly's radio show. O'Reilly hates Drudge, once saying Drudge uses drugs and should be killed (he made those comments on the Imus show). He has cited Drudge as an example of Internet lies.
The [right wing] talkers often specialize in demonizing those who fight for social justice and defend Americans' rights to dissent.
Bill O'Reilly labeled me a "left-wing columnist" and accused me of deliberately misrepresenting an incident in which O'Reilly told the anti-war son of a World Trade Center victim to "shut up!" and cut short his interview.
Mr. O'Reilly described the incident on his radio show. The "anti-war" son of a World Trade Center victim was asked to provide some proof to back up his claims about President Bush or shut up. He did neither and was kicked off the show.
Mr. Connelly speaks in half truths. Which bring up the question of the meaning of "dissent." Is opposing the U.S. government just half of the meaning? Is the other half treason?
For the record, "social justice" is the cause of Communism.
The bully also called Neal Bortz, a vicious SOB.
What a guy.
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