Posted on 08/06/2004 8:44:31 AM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan
Last night, Fox News Commentator Bill O’Reilly launched a broadside on a new blistering Television Commercial produced by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth saying that sharply criticized Kerry’s service in Vietnam. Literally, the first words out of his mouth were about the “brutal attack ad” and he introduced the segment about the ad that “savagely attacked” Kerry. He kept up his endless denunciation by saying that he promised to deliver the “fairest election coverage” and said he covered left wing slander and now this ad as if to say it is right wing slander.
Bill O’Reilly, if my recollection serves me correct, has taken a position a while back saying he wouldn’t allow anyone or any information about Kerry’s role as the leader of the radical pro-communist VVAW, his connection to Jane Fonda, his bogus Winter Soldier Investigation, his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 or anything else to be aired on his program. Yet, Bill O’Reilly can have Douglas Brinkley, Kerry’s authorized biographer, and author of “Tour of Duty” come on and paint a glowing portrait of Kerry. This is what he means by “fair and balanced.”
Of course he has allowed Democrats to come on his program and make their argument that President Bush went AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard. The whole assertion that Bush was AWOL has been refuted, but the fact remains that he allowed such claims to be aired and when it come to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth – O’Reilly was all style and no substance.
He said that facts are that John Kerry volunteered to serve in Vietnam and that he had a Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. If he had paid attention to what the group was saying he would know that Kerry received the Bronze Star for killing a lone teenage VC and burning down a village. I recall in the Boston Globe that Kerry reportedly shot a wounded VC in the back. O’Neil says in ‘Unfit to Command’ that it was awarded two days after the incident, it wasn’t vetted by review, and it was designed to boost morale.
Odell was on Hannity and Colmes explaining that Rasmussen wasn’t pulled by Kerry from the water under fire, but that four people were in the water due to a boat hitting a mine and that his boat had picked up two of those people. Kerry had gotten the Bronze Star for this and Rasmussen has been following Kerry almost everywhere beating his drum.
Then there are the Purple Hearts. John Kerry was on a training mission and he fired either a mortar or a rocket at some rocks on shore and a piece of shrapnel ricocheted hitting him in the arm. The doctor pulls it out and puts a band aid on – the Kennedy Family writes a letter and he gets a Purple Heart for a self-inflicted wound requiring a band aid. The he attacks a flotilla that was carrying rice – I suppose that dangerous rice wounded him somehow – second Purple Heart. The third wasn’t related to enemy fire either.
So Bill O’Reilly needs to do his homework a little better before he talks about how “awful” it is with guest Dick Morris. One only wonders why he didn’t allow the group to defend itself or the ad. Dick Morris, not surprisingly, says the ad is “stupid” and dangerous.” O’Reilly continued his righteous indignation saying that he condemned the Left. What is awful or stupid about Veterans that served in Coastal Division 11 telling us the truth about Kerry and his service in Vietnam? It seems all we got from O’Reilly were these emotional attacks while Morris pondered the elusive connection between the group and the Republican Party.
He had the audacity to say that Rasmussen is unimpeachable, but I say to the contrary. He’s been out there on the campaign trail helping the Kerry Campaign sell Kerry as a “war hero.” He’s a willing political whore. Now we have accounts by Veterans, Kerry’s fellow officers, which contradict the account given about Kerry saving his life. Why isn’t that unimpeachable? Bill O’Reilly didn’t do his homework.
Dick Morris held the contention that you don’t attack Kerry on his “strongest suit.” Well, if what Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is saying is true – then the centerpiece of Kerry’s campaign becomes his weakest. My goodness, he has relied on this to inoculate himself against any criticism that he is weak on defense. I was outraged that he said no one is interested, because I’m immensely interested. What I wasn’t interested in was this circle jerk between O’Reilly and Morris trashing the Ad.
This ad will effect how people vote – showing Kerry is a liar and that his service was dishonorable and he didn’t earn those medals. Interestingly enough, Kerry said in a 1971 interview that he gave his medals back, but then he flip-flopped in 1984, 1988, 1996, 2003, and 2004 with evolving stories that he gave his ribbons back and those medals weren’t his and it is an issue “instigated by the republicans.” The 1971 footage blew him out of the water, but now he wants to highlight the medals he supposedly threw away or “gave back.”
I urge everyone to email Bill O’Reilly and fulfill his prediction that he would get tons of angry email from right wingers who think this sort of attack is okay.
I see the main page of Free Republic has already posted a different banner where the Kerry book use to be. What strikes me is a lot of money etc. goes into publishing a book for them not to get all of their ducks in a row.
Now the show is about little more than O'Reilly. He is so slovenly with his research that the show seems thrown together at the last minute. The pundits who come on to argue seem as if they have scarcely been briefed as to what their position is supposed ot be, other than being told they are on the "pro" or "anti" side.
I think the radio O'Reilly is beginning to influence the TV O'Reilly. I have never listened to his radio program, but I suspect it is probably a bit like Rush's program. As we know, Rush goes on long monologues, makes much of his own brilliance, "talent on loan from God", etc., and I expect O'Reilly (on the radio), in an attempt to pick up ratings against Rush has probably become more self-oriented in his presentation. It works on Radio for Rush, but on TV, where you are supposed to be "fair and balanced", this approach (O'Reilly's talking points are his "monologues") simply does not work.
I still think Fox over all leads all networks in not allowing "weasel room" in interviews, which is why I think the majority of their guests are conservative. Liberals will not do interviews in that way.
Before you stand by the SwiftVets, you better make sure they're telling the truth. The C.O., a guy named Elliott, has already retracted an affidavit he signed regarding Kerry's medals.
This has already compromised the ad. One more untruth, and the whole campaign and the book will be discredited.
What about JFnK's "Brutal attack" on all veterans of the Vietnam war, not to mention those still fighting it at the time. That was lies. It has not been demonstrated that the SwiftVetsForTruth allegations are lies. I tend to think they are not. Kerry is just the sort to puff up his own accomplishments, no matter how minor they actually are.
He pretends to be conservative in his views on small stuff, then caves on the really important issues. O'Really is a mole! I truly believe it.
The problem with your idea is that is has a very short term focus. Would there ever have been a President Reagan if not for Goldwater? Maybe not.
Sticking to your principles sometimes make sense; but you may not be able to be determine what the long term consequences of doing so will be.
Leadership does not always mean winning.
It is a bruatl attack ad. The question is whether the ad is true or not. Found to be true or proven to be false, it is in both cases an ad attacking Kerry.
The word brutal may be subject to interpretation. O'Reilly is a commentator so he can make that assessment. Let's not forget, however, that the most brutal charges leveled against John Kerry were by John Kerry himself in his Senate testimony many years ago.
BTTT
Pith on O'Reilly and Kerry's helmet he's riding in on and he still wouldn't air comments that have the truth to counter his statements, they would bring the balance he touts as being so prevalent on his show.
B O'R is so full of himself lately, his popularity has gone to his head. That Number One Cable Show stuff he thinks is permanent.
Mud b Slim:
Dick Morrris can take the sock off, and Hay Dick, put a toe in it! (Sucker...) Har, that will always be Morris's legacy.
Fox seems to be openly trying to disprove any rumors of conservativism and the only one of their three opinion as news shows I can stand anymore is [oddly enough] Gretta.
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Today's - but not yesterday's - super patriot, entered Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York in the fall of 1967. He was active as a columnist for the student newspaper The Circle as well as a member of the football team which meant he suffered no great physical handicap which would exempt him from military service.
In the bloodiest days of the Vietnam war we find Bill O'Reilly and Bill Clinton as college students in England.
O'Reilly spent his junior year, 1969-1970 at the University of London. The previous year, 1968, Bill Clinton had entered Oxford. So in the heat of the Vietnam war and its greatest battles, we find Bill O'Reilly and Bill Clinton as college students in England. In these years, U.S. troops in Vietnam topped the half million mark and American combat deaths now totaled thirty-three thousand, a sum greater than the Korean War. And in 1969, Life magazine shocked America with portrait photos of all 242 Americans killed in Vietnam in just one single week.
Then, in the fall of 1970, he returned to Marist College from England, rejoined the football team and graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. In that year, 1971, American deaths in Vietnam passed the forty-five thousand marker.
Additionally, at the time of O'Reilly's graduation, a draft extension bill was passed along with what was then known as the Mansfield Amendment which set a national policy of withdrawing troops from Vietnam 9 months after the bill's enactment (wording was later softened to the "earliest practical date"). It was the first time in modern US history that Congress had urged an end to a war in which the country was actively involved.
Yet after graduation, and with the conscription law and the draft lottery in full force, O'Reilly would never be inducted. Instead, he was off to Florida where he took a job teaching at a high school. Two years later, in 1973, he was back in college at Boston University for a master's degree in broadcast journalism. By that time he finished at Boston U., the draft and the war were history. And neither would ever play any part in the life of one of America's most vocal defenders of patriotic ways and values.
Despite O'Reilly's historical amnesia, Vietnam and the draft really did happen....
http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/oreillyvietnam.htm
Even with those you have to be alert for hidden bias. History Chanel is part of A&E Networks which is 37.5% owned by A.B.C.2, 25% owned by NBC Universal3, and 37.5% owned by Hearst Corporation. Discovery is owned by Liberty Media Corporation (50%), Cox Communications (cable company), Advance/Newhouse Communications and the C.E.O., John Hendricks.
think you may have missed the point. If Bush doesn't win, he can't lead, or not lead. the entire point is moot. If you're talking about long term strategy, it might be better if he lost. After four years of Kerry, Hitlery might not have the chance of a snowball in Hell. On the other hand, who knows the future? Sorry to always be quoting books, but "Of Mice and Men" comes to mind.
I"m a veteran, I won't stoop to the level of some on this issue. Its counterproductive on multiple levels.
All of this serves to distract from discussing Kerry's 18 years in the Senate, specifically his voting record.
To date, not enough is being done to highlight Kerry's leftwing lunacies of the past two decades.
This "story" does Kerry more good than harm, if for no other reason than it delays once again a open debate concerning this guys voting record. He's been on the wrong side of every major issue this nation has faced for three decades, yet average Americans aren't being made aware of it.
This is exactly how we ended up with Jimmy Carter in 1976.
And O'Reilly, if he can't pontificate, is not O'Reilly.
Speaking of fraud factor, I am looking for information about the original VVAW members who were said to have been frauds, that is never having served "in country"
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