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?
The fact here is that Limbaugh acted terribly toward this person and only made the smallest move toward an apology after days of consistently bad behavior when his advertisers began to flee. Trying to spin this in another direction feels like an act of right wing desperation.
Of course, I don’t see one comment below that doesn’t argue against your position, we’ll see if my comment sees the light of day in this column, and other’s treat me with respect. Before signing out, I note that I have not called anyone names, nor have I cast aspersions upon anyone’s integrity. I have asked a few simple questions.
If you would like to find me, I tweet at @Samuel_Clemons
Bill O’Reilly. Nizkor.
Because he works for the king of the hackers. And he was calling because he wanted to offer her a loofah/falafel shower.
Maybe Sandra Fluke is a normal person who got a lot of attention because of Rush Limbaugh’s extremely nasty comments about her. Maybe Rush inadvertantly turned her into a political celebrity. Maybe all those interviews Bill O’Reilly bemoans are due to the attention she was getting during the Rush scandal.
Maybe her friend Mike is the one who’s been shielding her from many of the calls and is actually just a friend trying to help her out.
Maybe she signed up for representation after all these interviews as a result of them and not as anything pre-planned. Meaning that the right wing has created their own bogeyman.
And not for nothing, but how did Bill O’Reilly get her personal cell phone number and why the heck was he calling it?
I love this insane drive to 1) Prove they are not wrong by finding something ‘incriminating’ about Fluke and 2) Keep talking about the same ideas got them in hot water in the first place.
I wish that the non-political voters could see a few commercials featuring Limbaugh’s 19th century attitude toward women.
AFGHANS: QURAN-BURNING SOLDIERS TO FACE TRIAL
http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/afghans-quran-burning-soldiers-to-face-trial/
I paid two million dollars for a few sexually harassing phone calls once and now a lodda smart women won’t come on my show. I say there’s a conspiracy amongst post secondary professors goin’ on here!
NOTE TO BILLY
You and Limbaugh have so much in common when it comes to women.
You mean “challenged” in the way that you and your little FoxNoise cohorts “challenge” Republicons and other right-wingers? Why, I can’t possibly imagine any reason why Ms Fluke should ever want to go on a show that announces its intention to “challenge” her when she can do the right-wing thing and visit friendly hosts.
