Another day, another O’Reilly attack on Sandra Fluke. As I’ve previously written, Bill O’Reilly – like his fellow Fox News host Eric Bolling – has largely ignored the giant Rush Limbaugh controversy over his misogynistic attacks on Fluke, the Georgetown Law Student who testified before Congress in favor of contraception coverage in health insurance. Instead, O’Reilly has used his discussions to attack Fluke in ways that just so happen to mimic Limbaugh. But last night, O’Reilly sounded much like his former colleague, Glenn Beck, touting a big discovery that Fluke is now represented by – wait for it! The same company that employs former Obama operative Anita Dunn! O’Reilly offered up no connection between Fluke and Obama or even any direct relationship between Fluke and Dunn. Still, O’Reilly seemed certain he was on to something!
In a segment Fox News called “Who is running Sandra Fluke?” O’Reilly never found an answer. He reiterated his theory that the Fluke controversy was “manufactured to divert attention away from the Obama administration’s disastrous decision to force Catholic non-profit organizations to provide insurance coverage for birth control and the morning-after pill.”
O’Reilly didn’t explain how the Obama administration convinced Limbaugh to go into a multi-day, over-the-top rant so as to place Fluke so much more front and center in the national consciousness. But maybe that explanation will come in time. Or maybe there’s a secret connection between Dunn and Limbaugh, too. Maybe Limbaugh’s radio talk show has all been a clever ruse to lull conservatives into believing he’s one of them so that now, just when it matters most, he can help Obama enact his socialist agenda!
O’Reilly called it “very strange” that he was having trouble tracking down “just who is sending Sandra around to the media.” Beck would have been so pleased to hear O’Reilly add, in his most conspiratorial tone, that Fluke had appeared on “eight national news programs where she was not challenged at all.” Furthermore, O’Reilly found it “very unusual” that Fluke would not return his show’s phone call inviting her on The O’Reilly Factor.
Psst, Bill. It might have something to do with the way you painted her as a slut for wanting contraception covered in health insurance. It’s true you didn’t use any of the awful language that Limbaugh used but, as I previously noted, you came across as just the same kind of prick.
“There was no other public contact” known for Fluke beyond her cell phone, O’Reilly said damningly. “A man named ‘Mike’ has booked her on a few programs but we can’t even get his last name. And Mike doesn’t provide call back numbers to those with whom he speaks. So Mike, who are you? And why the subterfuge?” I hate to break it to you, Bill, but it could be that Mike and Sandra are just not that into you.
Or it’s just one big plot emanating from the White House. All we needed was the Glenn Beck chalkboard. Maybe the Fox News producers will roll that out tomorrow night. Along with a revelation as to where George Soros and Van Jones fit in.
O’Reilly continued, “Now, late today, we found that Ms. Fluke is now being repped by the progressive PR agency, SKDKnickerbocker where ANITA DUNN (his emphasis), the former Obama communications director is the managing editor! Aha! So this whole deal comes back to the White House! At least indirectly.” Not really. By my count, there are about 40 people in the Washington office of SKDKnickerbocker. O'Reilly didn't even offer up anything to show that Fluke had ever even talked to Dunn (unless she goes by the secret code name "Mike"), much less had a connection to the White House (though Obama did famously call Fluke the other day to offer his moral support). In fact, Dunn has said she is not involved in Fluke's case.
In the end, this “connection” has all the significance of the Hannity/Breitbart exposé the night before in which President Obama was seen in a videotape hugging a “radical” law professor in 1990. Maybe O’Reilly was jealous, even though #BreitbartHasTape has become a Twitter laughing stock. As O’Reilly recapped “what we know,” he couldn’t get much more than “It seems there is a powerful presence behind Sandra Fluke and as the polls show, the controversy has benefitted the President of the United States.”
Looks like we need a new Twitter hash tag. How about #O'ReillyFindsConnection?