Although you can hardly turn on Fox News without hearing about how President Obama and the Democrats are engaging in “class warfare,” Bill O’Reilly apparently thinks the rules don’t apply when it’s a rich Democrat being pilloried. During his “news quiz” segment last night, O’Reilly crowed about a past segment “exposing” Senator John Edwards as a “snob” who lives in an “over-the-top $6 million house” across the street from a mobile home park, “where everyday folks live.”
O’Reilly began by saying that last night’s quiz was focused on “powerful people hammering each other… We love that, right? Everybody loves that!”
At about 4:17, O’Reilly got to the John Edwards question: “Your humble correspondent… (and) The Factor exposed a U.S. Senator who was using homeless veterans as a prop for his campaign in which he said, quote, there were two Americas. Who was that Senator?” The answer, of course, was John Edwards. As proof, O’Reilly played the following clip from a 2008 Talking Points commentary:
The Factor examined how John Edwards, himself, fit into his two-America scenario. We showed you his over-the-top $6 million house in North Carolina, located across the street from a mobile home park, where everyday folks live.
That was followed by a clip of a presumably “everyday” guy saying, “I don’t know if he (Edwards) knows how to help poor people or lower-class people. He doesn’t know ‘em. You’ve gotta know something about something before you can help the problem.” O’Reilly concluded by saying, “Porter Berry could not find one, not one resident who had anything good to say about Edwards. Most consider him a snob.”
O’Reilly played this clip as proof of his own acuity and foresight into Edwards’ character. But, apparently, he didn’t think about how it kinda, sorta undercut his attacks on Democratic “class warfare.”
For example, a few weeks ago, O’Reilly stated flatly that the issue of income inequality is “bull.” In the same segment, he complained, “Now we have class envy that is being stoked by the Democratic Party.”
“Capitalism isn’t perfect or fair,” O’Reilly said last fall in a segment designed to counteract the American public’s perception that money and wealth are not distributed fairly in our country. “But the alternative is Cuba or Greece.”
Last year, guest host Juan Williams called it an “interesting point” when Andrew Breitbart said, “I’m worried about class warfare being played up into the summer.”
By the way, if O’Reilly thinks that Edwards’ $6 million house is “over-the-top,” I’d love to know what he thinks of Mitt Romney’s $12 million beach home with a car elevator. And, come to think of it, how much is O'Reilly's waterfront mansion on Long Island worth?
Kinda odd that BOR did this in that he doesn’t usually use his stupid quiz to take pot shots at his enemies. In addition to Edwards, he also took a shot at Obama via a 2008 Hillary clip. Rather tacky in my opinion.
Btw, it was very hypocritical of BOR to accuse Edwards of “using” the homeless vets issue for his own purposes considering that BOR did the same thing. After BOR realized he had totally stepped in it by denying the homeless vet problem, he did an about face and tried to redeem himself with the vets by hopping on board the movement to pass the GI Bill (being proposed by Dem Sen. Jim Webb and supported by Dem Sen. Kerry and GOP Rep. King). After they had done all the groundwork, BOR decided that he’d make the cause his and rode their coattails so he could boast about his part in it. So to accuse Edwards of “using” the vets is pretty sad considering BOR resorted to using a vet issue like the GI Bill to try and make himself look good.
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/02/07/bill_oreilly_taking_credit_for_new_gi_bill.php
http://thinkprogress.org/media/2008/01/18/18965/oreilly-admits-homeless-vets/?mobile=nc
“A rich Democrat? Those donât exist in neoconuttia.”
Not exactly true, Viz; they exist, but they’re rare — and are to be considered evil — e.g., George Soros.
By the way, if OâReilly thinks that Edwardsâ $6 million house is âover-the-top,â Iâd love to know what he thinks of Mitt Romneyâs $12 million beach home with a car elevator.
Probably the same way he felt about how Edwards’ speaking fee was $55K — but never said a word about Rudy 9/11 Giuliani’s, which was nearly twice that . . .
.
