It's bad enough when Bill O'Reilly spreads his own toxic lies to his "folks." But when he validates his guest's lie it's even worse. Such was the case, Monday night, when Bill and one of his nasty peeps, Adam Carolla, falsely accused the Huffington Post of suggesting that Carolla is a racist. The article was a factually based recounting of Carolla's testy exchange with Democratic California Secretary of State, Gavin Newsome (Fox's Kimberly Guilfoyle's ex) during which Carolla, not even a college graduate let alone a sociologist, claimed that problem in the African-American community are due to fatherless families and lack of respect for education. Carolla suggested that blacks should emulate Jews if they want to be successful. Obviously, his analysis, is debatable but the Huffington Post didn't editorialize - although O'Reilly and Carolla claimed they did. 

Bill O'Reilly immediately claimed that the Huffington Post "scorched" Carolla by "implying" that he is a racist. In introducing Carolla, O'Reilly bloviated: "You aren't surprised that the left-wing media would brand you a racist. That's what they do to everyone who is critical of the minority community or the gay community or anybody perceived to be vulnerable. If you criticize them, then they attack you personally. You know that." This, of course, provided Carolla with the opportunity to "scorch" Huffpo and whine that "we can't solve it if you're calling everyone who's attempting to solve the problem a racist." This provided O'Reilly with the opportunity to criticize liberal politicians who aren't addressing the needs of "collapsed families" - you know, the people that O'Reilly classifies as lazy, welfare moochers who voted for Obama!  O'Reilly commented that society should be shaming men who abandon their families and teenage girls who get pregnant. (But no birth control or abortion for them in O'Reillyworld!)

Adam Carolla is hardly a spokesperson for the socio-economic problems in the black community. But that wasn't really the point of the O'Reilly segment which was to, once again, bash the liberal media and the black community. The problems in the black community are complex but for Bill O'Reilly, right wing talking propaganda is best delivered in short, biased sound bites which O'Reilly's folks take on faith alone. Rather than having a discussion with say, a representative of the black community, Bill and Adam took it upon themselves to lay blame on fatherless households (which Adam grew up in), lack of respect for education (nice broadbrush there) and black politicians who don't shame their lazy constituents because they want their vote.

Neither Bill nor Adam will acknowledge that racial discrimination in employment still exists and that inner city schools are underfunded. Neither Bill nor Adam will admit that Jews and Asians, who have suffered from racial and religious discrimination, do not have the history of slavery, segregation and the pervasive, systemic discrimination experienced by blacks. And to make matters worse, O'Reilly opposes the kind of social support services and safety net that can assist black families to get out of poverty, such as food stamps and subsidized daycare. (Not everybody has a licensed social worker to act as the nanny!)

In his latest column, he complains that this country is spending too much on education (calls it "time tested money pit education") and that if the Catholic school system of his youth could get by on no money, so should the public schools. Obviously Bill thinks that teachers should, like his nuns, work for free. And when Bill brags that the kids from Westbury did fine in their oversized classes, he doesn't realize that they didn't face the grinding poverty faced by kids in the inner city whose schools were and continue to lack the resources that more affluent white children receive.

Anyway, as far as getting "scortched," Bill O'Reilly has the biggest blow torch. But do check out the Huffington Post article which is nothing like what O'Reilly and Carolla claimed. But as George Costanza said, "it's not a lie if you believe it." And memo to Bill and Adam, if you whine about being called a racist, you just might be one...