O'Reilly Continues Jihad - This Time It's the University of Wisconsin
Reported by Marie Therese - February 12, 2005
OK. Time to stop griping about how awful Bill O'Reilly is. Here's a real chance to give him a big old (metaphoric) black eye!! So far his Factor Folks have managed to get Ward Churchill's lectures canceled at several universities and persuaded the cowardly Board of Regents at the University of Colorado to investigate - for incompetence - a man who has authored 25 books!! In last night's Factor, O'Reilly - after gloating that Nancy Rabinowitz of Hamilton College had resigned - encouraged his goon squads to inundate yet another university with calls and letters!
This time it's the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater [interesting name, huh?) Hes targeted Wisconsin's Democratic Governor as well. Colorado and Wisconsin are states that are in play in 2008. Believe me, this is no coincidence!
Read the transcript below. If you're as angry as I was when you've finished reading what Mr. O had to say, click on the links provided and write a short, polite e-mail thanking Chancellor Jack Miller and Governor Jim Doyle for standing firm and honoring their contract with Mr. Churchill. I suggest that you express your support in the subject of the e-mail. That way it will be registered as pro-free speech even if it isn't opened and read.
Absent the help of the progressive big guns, who are strangely silent on this issue, it's up to us little guys to stand up for freedom of speech. Just imagine that Goliath has Bill O'Reilly's face and David's slingshot is made up of tens of thousands of phone calls and e-mails!
Thanks in advance to all the progressives, liberals and moderates who strike a blow for free speech! You're the greatest! When you're finished, pass it on! The freepers have already gotten a 12-hour head start.
TRANSCRIPT, THE O'Reilly FACTOR, FEBRUARY 11, 2005
O'Reilly: How the networks are handling the Ward Churchill story - that is the subject of this evening's Talking Point Memo. For everyday folks, the Churchill story is big. It has emotion, free speech implications, taxpayer involvement, a villain. It's very interesting on a number of levels - but NOT for the nightly news broadcasts. CBS and NBC News both ran one short report, focussing on the speech angle. Peter Jennings has not reported the story at all. So here again is the difference between the elite world and the real world. Radical professor Ward Churchill has insulted thousands of American families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and the guys is being paid nearly $100,000 of taxpayer money by the University of Colorado.
[COMMENT: Colorado taxpayers only pick up about 10% of Churchill's salary. Source: Denver Post]
O'Reilly: And other colleges were paying him to speak as well. This is not an important story? That a guy who hates America is profiting from that hate and inflicting pain on the 9/11 families? This is not worthy of some exposition? Come on! This goes right to the heart of our liberties, right to the moral fabric of America! This is huge. But, not to the national news TV people on the broadcast side. If ever there was an explanation of why they are losing audience and FOX News is gaining, this is it. Talking Points has been considering the lack of interest and I don't have an answer. Yes, Churchill makes the radical left look stupid. But, while the network news generally tilts left, it has little use for radicals. Howard Dean, for example, was not embraced by the network types, so I don't think they're covering up for Churchill.
Perhaps the story is too controversial. The New York Times is covering Churchill, saying it's the [mocking tone] "dreaded conservatives" that are driving the sentiment against him. Of course, the Times does that all the time. And, of course, it's not true.
Americans of all political persuasions are condemning Churchill. The far left websites simply don't know what to do. So some of them are attacking me. One consistently foolish site even posted that if Churchill was fired it would mean that O'Reilly would be running college campuses. Beyond dumb. Talking Points can say two things with certainty. The rantings of Churchill do not help the far left cause in this country at all. And it's mighty strange that Dan, Peter and Brian have avoided a great story that has all America talking. Beyond that, who knows?
Later in the show (8:13 to 8:18 PM EST)
O'Reilly: Impact Segment tonight. As you may know, the Factor got involved with the Ward Churchill story because Hamilton and other colleges were paying the guy to spread his hateful anti-American rhetoric. I feel that's kind of dubious, don't you? After our initial reporting, everyone canceled Churchill except University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Now, we called Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, but he is [smirks] "unavailable" as they say. But, joining us now from Madison is Wisconsin [Republican] State Assemblyman Steve Nass. [Picks up piece of paper] This just came in over the wire, Mr. Nass, interestingly enough.
You know that Hamilton College is what started this whole thing for the Factor. He was gonna speak there and we got onto the story and they canceled him. Well, the woman who invited him to speak there, Nancy Rabinowitz, has now resigned her position as director of the project that brings in these kinds of speakers. So, that's good. Um - you object to - ah - we don't know what Doyle does - the Governor's not steppin' up here. You object to Churchill. Why?
NASS: Well, quite frankly, Churchill is using very volatile language in - specifically he's talked about the World Trade Center and, when that was destroyed, the people in there and comparing that to Adolph Eichmann. He uses very divisive comments and this, quite frankly, is over the top. It is not free speech, It is hate speech. And that's where the line has to be drawn and the University needs to withdraw their invitation for him to speak.
O'Reilly: OK. The University's gonna pay him $4,000 plus expenses. They say it's private donations and student fees but student fees are student fees. Um - that's outrageous. You know, you see, I don't want to reward this kind of bad behavior. That's my big thing. I think the guy can talk whenever he wants. I don't care about that. Free speech. But, to reward ... But - ah - I'm interested in Governor Doyle. You know him. Why would he not step up as Governor Owens has in Colorado and say "We don't want this kind of stuff"? Why would he not?
NASS: I think, quite frankly, we have a Democrat for Governor who supports the University system, is attempting to maintain the funding and it's basically the liberals are on many of the campuses - not so much with UW-Whitewater, though. And I think for that reason he doesn't want to wade into this because his political base would turn around and probably bite him.
O'Reilly: See, I disagree with that. I think the good people of Wisconsin, whether they're Republican or Democrat, don't want this guy to be rewarded with a $4,000 honorarium and I think Doyle is makin' a hug mistake. I think that, you know, his office will be flooded with calls and letters after this, sayin "Hey, Governor, you know there's a sense of decency that the state of Wisconsin really should adhere to." Am I wrong?
NASS: I think you're correct. I think the good people of Wisconsin whether they are Republican or Democratic ..
O'Reilly: Yeah.
NASS: ... they do recognize this. I have a ...
O'Reilly (interrupts, overtalks 3 words): This is just something wrong with rewarding bad behavior. Now, tell me about the Whitewater campus at the University of Wisconsin. There was a big controversy there about investing in Israel. [disingenuous tone of voice] What's goin' on? Is this a radical crazy campus or what?
NASS: No, it really is not. And this is actually - this particular incident is quite shocking, quite frankly, to me. Because I would not expect that from an institution that I have two degrees from.
O'Reilly (feigning disbelief): Is that right? You - I didn't know that! You went there?!!
[COMMENT: At 8:15 PM, approximately two minutes before O'Reilly said this, FOX News aired the following in their lower third graphic: "Nass graduated for (sic) UW-Whitewater in 1978."]
NASS: Yes, Yes, I did.
O'Reilly (surprised tone of voice): Well, what;s the matter with these people?!! I mean, Hamilton cancels him. Wheaton College, another liberal thing, cancels him. A whole bunch of other colleges bail out and this is the only one left standing!
NASS: I think that what has happened is UW-Whitewater has been duped, quite frankly. An invitation was extended and now we find out that his - Churchill's - academic background is being challenged by people in his own field. He claims he's a Native American. He is not a Native American. He was invited there in part by the Native American students and I think that the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ..
[COMMENT: What people in his own field? To date, O'Reilly has only introduced criticism from a SOCIOLOGIST named Thomas Brown and Dr. David Yeagley, whose biography states: "He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin Conservatory of Music; a Master of Divinity from Yale University; a Master of Arts from Emory University; an Artist Diploma from Hartt School of Music; and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona. He was a special student (doctoral level) at Harvard, in American Studies.' These two hardly qualify as "people in his own field." Although his bio still claims he in an erolled Cherokee, there is evidence that Churchill may not be of Native American descent.]
O'Reilly (interrupts): You think they're bein duped?! I don't believe that. After all this publicity?! Let me read you something. This is the Chancellor Jack Miller. You know this guy, Miller? You know the Chancellor there?
NASS: Yes, I do.
O'Reilly (off camera, reading) OK. Easily - whe - I believe we - uh - let's see. I want to get to the pithy part of this - uh - "our Native American community in particular and countless others in general appreciate being challenged by controversial ideas." What?!! I mean - to say that some of the 9/11 victims were little nazis!! The Native American community wants to hear that?!!
NASS: Certainly not. And where I think they're being duped is that what is starting to roll out now. The University just doesn't have the backbone to say "We have found out more since your invitation was extended ..."
O'Reilly: Yeah.
NASS: "... but we are afraid to cancel your invitation."
O'Reilly: Well ..
NASS: ... and the fact ....
O'Reilly: Where - I believe, after they hear from the American "folks," (smiles) both the Governor and the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, they might get a little backbone. Let's hope they do. And we'll follow the story. Thanks very much, Mr. Nass.
COMMENT
Information not provided by FOX News about Assemblyman Nass:
In 2003, prior to running for his Assembly seat, Steve Nass was appointed to a committee whose work impacted the University system with special responsibility for the Whitewater campus. During a fight over property taxes Nass had this to say: "If Governor Doyle uses his veto pen to kill the Property Tax Limits, he will be declaring war on property owners throughout Wisconsin. The Governor must decide if his duty is to serve the taxpayers or obey the special interests groups including WEAC, public employee unions, and Wisconsin's Indian Tribes." It would seem Mr. Nass's concern that Native American groups are being duped by Churchill are a bit hypocritical.
Here is a link to an article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about Chancellor Miller's decision to allow Churchill to speak. The article notes that Miller may change his mind if security concerns arise. There are pertinent details that were left out of the O'Reilly interview.
I wonder how many Factor Terrorists will write those charming little missives threatening death and destruction to all and sundry at UW-Whitewater and to Governor Him Doyle?
When is someone, anyone going to stop this guy? You can do it - you and every single contact you have.
In the face of the utter deafening silence on the part of the mainstream media (as O'Reilly already noted) and the sparse coverage on the part of the supposed progressive organizations, it's up to our readers and your family and friends to make a statement.
And WISCONSIN readers, we need you the most!
Contact page for Governor Jim Doyle
Contact UW-Whitewater Chancellor Jack Miller
Phone: 262-472-1918
E-mail: millerjw@uww.edu
(Mr. Miller's assistant's name is Jeanne Nass, same as Assmeblyman Steve Nass.)
