O'Reilly Makes Sheehan The Enemy
Reported by Deborah - August 17, 2005
Bill O'Reilly changed his tone and tactics tonight dealing with Cindy Sheehan. There was no hint of sympathy for her as a grieving Mom or acknowledgement of her right as an American to protest this war that was responsible for her son's death. To O'Reilly, Cindy Sheehan is now a dangerous radical who refuses to pay her taxes; accuses the President of murder and claims the Iraq War is about oil. At one point he quipped that she'll be sending her income tax check to the terrorists in Iraq.
Colleen Rowley, FBI whistleblower and now Democratic candidate for congress, appeared tonight to talk about her upcoming trip to visit Camp Casey in Crawford. 8/17/05
At first, O'Reilly tried to make Rowley his ally by talking about the newest campaign to blame Bill Clinton for 9/11 that involves an intelligence memo but the bond was not successful. Then he told her how worried he was that she was going to taint her reputation by visiting Cindy Sheehan and the "most radical elements."
Rowley told BOR that she was going there with a Minnesota State Senator adding that the key organizer for Sheehan is a Military Officer. O'Reilly quickly cut her off before she blew his ridiculous portrayl of Sheehan as a crazy anti american radical.
Holding up some papers he claimed that he had two full pages of the radical groups with Sheehan calling them "America is a bad Country" types.Then he trashed Sheehan for not paying taxes in protest and claiming the Iraq war was for oil.
Rowley answered that she had never been a PC person and was not concerned. O'Reilly wouldn't let it go telling her how she would be ruined if people associated her with the far left. Rowley was annoyed now reminding Bill that she had aleady been demonized and called a traitor for claiming that the Iraq war would be counter productive when she was still an FBI agent.
Rowley, challenging O'Reilly, said that the groups were not far left and radical but mostly Veteran groups. He leaped in quickly with the same names he's been hawking all week, Fenton Communications, Moveon, Michael Moore, United for Peace and Justice. Then for emphasis he added a new evil force from the radical left, Ben Cohen, from Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. ( Rowley better be scared now)
Rowley was not impressed and claimed that she was independant like Sheehan and not interested in any group. This prompted O'Reilly to use a Hannity tactic which he does a lot lately. He asked Rowley if she thought Bush was a murderer and she replied that Bush was callous and had made some big mistakes. At this point, O'Reilly ended the interview proclaiming that he had made his point. Colleen Rowley was dismissed.
At the end of the show after reminding viewers that Cindy Sheehan had said terrible things, he announced the new poll question.
"Do you respect what Cindy Sheehan is doing?"
comment: O'Reilly lost the round once again but he'll be back.
