Bill O'Reilly Blasts MSNBC, CNN for 'Carnage du Jour' Iraq Coverage

On his program last night Fox News host Bill O'Reilly blasted his cable competitors for their "delight in showing Iraqi violence," a product of an editorial mindset at CNN and MSNBC that "want[s] Americans to think badly of President Bush."

O'Reilly's words came in response to remarks made by CNN president Jon Klein who accused FNC of dialing back Iraq coverage as violence in Iraq has increased.

"It illustrates the danger of cheerleading for one particular point or another because they were obviously cheerleaders for the war," He told the AP. "When the war went badly they had to dial back coverage because it didn't fit their preconceived story lines."

Klein was referring to a study by a leftish group called the Project for Excellence in Journalism which stated that MSNBC covered Iraq twice as much as FNC. CNN covered it almost twice as much according to the study.

O'Reilly did not dispute that Fox News covered Iraq less than its competitors, speaking for his own show, O'Reilly said he did so because the reports CNN and MSNBC tend to air add nothing to the story and help with terrorist PR:

Now we've done hundreds of Iraq reports on this program, as you know. But we don't do the carnage du jour. We don't highlight every terrorist attack because we learn nothing from that. And that's exactly what the terrorists want us to do. I mean, come on, does another bombing in Tikrit mean anything other than war is hell? No, it does not.

In my opinion, CNN, and especially MSNBC, delight in showing Iraqi violence because they want Americans to think badly of President Bush. And that strategy has succeeded.

So their Iraqi coverage is more political than informational, again in my opinion. Could be wrong about CNN. I'm not wrong about the committed left wing crew over at NBC.

O'Reilly's overall point is spot-on. The details are a little trickier, however. When you look at the coverage as MRC has for the entire duration of the war, you do see a strongly negative tone toward the war effort. Where that comes from in the more liberal networks (everyone except FNC) is a complicated story, a combination of anti-Republican suspicion, a general dislike of American casualties, and the old "if it bleeds it leads" mentality. Throw in a dash of Bush hatred and you get the persistently defeatist coverage mix.

My grandson called me today from Afghanistan - he’s a “Sky Soldier” - Airborne TAsk Force rapid response.
He lamented that all the media wants to report is body count while they totally ignore all the good they’re doing there - rebuilding schools, roads, water lines, electricity = etc -= all the things the Taliban deliberately destroyed in their zeal to plunge them all back into the dark ages and bring back the Caliphate.
This one sided coverage of the media is very disheartening to our troops.
If these slithering libRat media scum had been around in WW11, we’d all be speaking German and/or Japanese now. If the MSM and the libRats have their way, we'll end up having to play stinkbug with our butts in the air, facing Mecca 5 times a day - those of us infidels that still have our heads.

Get this book for him:

*********************************

There is a book (now available in paperback ):

***********************

Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left
(Hardcover)
by David Horowitz

********************************************************

And reviews:

****************************************

Editorial Reviews

Rich Lowry, Editor National Review

David Horowitz is synonymous with pyrotechnics. A historian and polemicist of the first order, he is paid the ultimate compliment --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Davis Hanson, Author, Ripples of Battle

An original look at those who want us to fail in the Middle East, both at home and abroad. The --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

***********************************************************

See all Editorial Reviews

Fascinating Analysis of Leftist Goals, August 13, 2006

Reviewer: N. Sincerity - See all my reviews

A former 1960s radical, Horowitz is well-acquainted with the Leftist mindset. In this book, he strives to explain the modern alliance between left wing progressivists and radical Islamofascists. He argues that this alliance is based on a common desire to destroy Western capitalism. Leftist sympathy with Islamofascist ideas makes no sense from an intellectual point of view, given that countries ruled by radical Islamists are among the most racist, sexist, theocratic states in the world today. However, Leftists have recognized that they can benefit politically from destructive terrorist attacks on the Western world. A West under attack can be made to turn on its leaders in fear and desperation (as they did in Spain after the Madrid train bombings). Only once people reject current government structures can the Left execute its anti-capitalist revolution and build a new reality that mirrors the Leftist view of utopia.

The complete and utter idealogical hypocrisy of the Islamofascist-Leftist alliance is distressing, but as Horowitz reminds us,

Leftists radicals truly believe the ends justify the means.

***************************************

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.