The Spin Zone
Reported by Melanie - August 24, 2004 -
Monday's (August 23, 2004) "Talking Points" memo began with Bill O'Reilly telling the audience that he believes "very strongly in karma." Then he launched into a talk about the "smear merchants on the left" who've spent millions "defaming people with whom they disagree," saying he's been "a primary target" of the smearing, and he knows what he's "talkin' about here."
O'Reilly said George Soros and his "character assassins," aided by the New York and Los Angeles Times, have spread "vicious propaganda" and some "prominent Democrats," like Howard Dean, have even used it in their campaigns.
O'Reilly said Michael Moore was a "hero" at the DNC and that Whoopie Goldberg has never been denounced for her "disgraceful" performance at that NYC fundraiser several weeks ago. He said Maureen Dowd and the New York Times claimed to be "disgusted" by the personal attacks made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and he asked where their outrage was at George Soros and why they didn't condem some of the false claims in Fahrenheit 9/11. (Here is the result of a search - "Michael Moore" - going back 90 days, on the NYT's website .) O'Reilly then said "you have no right to say anything about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth issue" and neither does the "newspaper which employs you."
He then went on to say that attacks on both Bush and Kerry "are wrong," that Kerry's military service "was noble," that both Bush and Kerry are patriots, but that "rank hypocracy is not gonna play here in the no spin zone." He continued, saying that there are "hundreds of other media types" who "embrace" this kind "of defamation" and who are "indignant about the Swift Boat controversy." Then: "Again, you people have no right to say anything. You went to the slander party and it's part of your resume forever."
O'Reilly continued saying that the Washington Post has thus far done the "best reporting" on the issue; that many Americans "don't want to know the truth," they just want "their ideology reinforced on both sides." He said we may never know the truth about Kerry's military service because there are too many conflicting reports and "it doesn't matter anyway," he volunteered for combat "he got his metals - that's the record."
O'Reilly thinks what Kerry did after returning from Vietnam is fair game but that "the left wing media has forfeited" any credibility in this fight and they "can't throw mud and then claim clean hands." He suggested viewers "just read the glowing reviews" of the "smear books and the films" in local papers and that'll tell anyone all they need to know about the Swift Boat hypocracy.
COMMENT: Wow. There are a lot of words here, and a lot of accusations, but little to no real information to substantiate them. And, what was that about believing in karma Bill? It seems to me that the "no spin zone" is everything but, and it's not good karma to lie.
