O'Reilly Tamed By A Democrat
Reported by Deborah - July 16, 2006 -
There was a special edition of The O'Reilly Factor tonight covering the crisis in Israel and Lebanon. At a time when viewers need an objective appraisal of the dangerous situation in the Middle East affecting all Americans, O'Reilly opened the show with a combative and polarizing commentary. Instead of exploring all the conflicting viewpoints openly and objectively, O'Reilly inappropriately threatened Americans he claimed were "undermining" warning that he was going to take " a hard line" against them. The partisan finger pointing continued until Ellis Hennican appeared and somehow tamed O'Reilly with reason and calm. 7/16/06
O'Reilly named the Boston Globe and San Francisco Chronicle as far left papers guilty of "undermining" because they suggested that Israel's response might be too aggressive. When Dan Gitterman, UN Israeli Ambassador, appeared, O'Reilly pitted him against the Boston Globe suggesting that the paper had unfairly criticized Israel's response but did not show Gitterman what the paper had actually written.
Then he had a segment with quick soundbites from various people. The soundbites from the right came from Newt Gingrich, Condi Rice, George Allen, George Bush. The soundbites from undermining Democrats came from Joe Biden, Madeline Albright, Howard Dean, Chris Dodd who all found fault with the administration's foreign policy lacking diplomacy.
At this point O'Reilly was very worked up half muttering that Carter and Clinton talked to Arafat and got nowhere.
"Islamic Fascists want to kill Jews. Diplomacy is not going to change it."
When Ellis Hennican appeared, O'Reilly was complaining that the far left papers were calling Israel's response disportionate making that seem like a horrible analysis.
Hennican calmly told him that every newspaper piece he complained about opened with the premise that Israelis have a right to defend themselves. He added that as friends of Israel they were just wondering if they were being smart.
Hennican said," Friends don't let friends go off the deep end." From his tone there was the sense that he was talking about himself and O'Reilly more than Israel.
O'Reilly started to calm down as Hennican continued explaining that the people in Lebanon could be the next generation of Israeli enemies. When O'Reilly got defensive about Lebanon's reaction, Hennican reminded him that 50 bridges were destroyed there. "That does have consequences, " Hennican calmly asserted.
comment: The Hennican treatment seemed to hold for the rest of the show. O'Reilly was a changed man.Just remember, friends don't let friends go off the deep end.
