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O’Reilly’s Reluctant Apology Over Supreme Court Health Care Ruling

Posted by Ellen -7842.60pc on July 02, 2012 · Flag

Bill O’Reilly was less than gracious tonight as he addressed calls to honor his pledge to “apologize for being an idiot” if the ObamaCare mandate were to be upheld by the Supreme Court as a tax. In the wake of the Supreme Court doing exactly that last week, let’s just say that O’Reilly did not exactly take his own medicine like a man. In fact, he behaved so childishly, he got a lecture from Bernard Goldberg to apologize, "smile and move on."

O’Reilly introduced the segment by saying, “The far-left smear site, Media Matters, making a big deal out of this.” He then played the now-infamous clip of his pledge.

“I’m not really sorry,” he said. “But I’m a man of my word so I apologize for not factoring in the John Roberts situation. Truthfully, I never in a million years thought the Chief Justice would go beyond the scope of the commerce clause debate and into taxation. I may be an idiot for not considering that.”

Then, it was time for Fox News’ media critic, Bernie Goldberg.

O’Reilly began the interview with, “So, some far-left kooks on MSNBC running with that clip, also our pal Howard Kurtz and CNN – who once again does the bidding of Media Matters. And you say?”

Goldberg’s surprising answer:

I say that you may be many things, Bill, but naïve isn’t one of them. You should have seen this coming. You’re a big name in the culture on a big network and you made a big, loud prediction. So of course they were going to go after you. But not for journalistic reasons. This is trivial, as far as journalism is concerned. You made a prediction and you got it wrong. That’s no big deal. Everybody made a prediction. They’re going after you for entertainment reasons…

You gave them the ammunition. It comes with the territory. My advice is, accept it, smile and move on.

O’Reilly said he had. But then he immediately moved on to attack Howard Kurtz – after a swipe at MSNBC and the left-wing bloggers (“we don’t really care what they say”). “But Kurtz does the bidding of Media Matters… but this disturbs me a little bit... He empowers them,” O'Reilly said. He wasn't smiling.

“I think you’re being too sensitive,” Goldberg replied.

Then the conversation shifted to comparing Media Matters to the Media Research Center. You can probably guess which one got the favorable rating. “The difference is the Media Research Center does numbers,” O’Reilly said. “The Media Matters people, they want to hurt you personally.”

If O’Reilly was referring to a little embarrassment over his faulty health care prediction as an example of the kind of “personal hurt” Media Matters tries to create, it’s hard to feel too sorry for him. Because this is a guy who has deliberately caused a world of hurt for lots of people – not the least of whom was the abortion provider Dr. George Tiller - assassinated after years of being demonized by O’Reilly as “Dr. Tiller the baby killer.” Plus, there was Professor Ward Churchill , who lost his job, and Think Progress’ Amanda Terkel (now with Huffington Post), who was stalked and ambushed by an O’Reilly producer, to name two more. A little hurt pride seems minor in comparison, don’t you think?

But as far as Media Matters not using numbers – Bill, you’re wrong again. Media Matters crunches lots of numbers: In April, they did a study of climate change coverage, in January, a study of the XL Pipeline coverage, and their April post correcting Hannity’s misinformation about insurers’ discrimination against women has enough numbers to make anyone’s eyes glaze over.

So you might want to be a little more careful about what you say about Media Matters, Bill. Or you might wind up being forced to apologize to them next.

 

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Bob Roberts commented 2012-07-03 14:05:19 -0400 · Flag
To Bill-O, the apology and what he said isn’t the story. The story is that Media Matters called him on it. And Kurtz and some hosts on MSNBC (who don’t need Media Matters to do their research) also called him on it. Why, the MRC and Brent Bozell are as pure as a Southern belle. It’s that evil, hate-filled MM that is out to viciously attack our humble host through lies and smear.

We all saw the tape. Just man up and apologize Bill-O. Say I got it wrong. I’m getting real tired of this fake Irish tough guy act.
Anne-claire Souza commented 2012-07-03 12:52:05 -0400 · Flag
I wouldn’t call Biles apology a apology,he was trying as usual b assing his way through this.
His pontificating with the Kraut and MK and Juan was a typical classic Bile segment.Then the asskissing Goldberg tried to gently keep him in check.I really think Bile is in panic mode these days,he seems very out of sorts to me,close to a nervous breakdown perhaps.
truman commented 2012-07-03 10:54:52 -0400 · Flag
@doors 17. Good one. And make my Scooby snack a double please. Being slightly intoxicated is the only way I can watch Fux Noise.
d d commented 2012-07-03 09:53:23 -0400 · Flag
LOL, doors17 – love it! Wish this commenting system had a “like” or thumbs up button ‘cause I’d definitely give you one for that.
doors17 commented 2012-07-03 09:46:32 -0400 · Flag
Bill would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for those meddling kids (Media Matters) and their dog (News Hounds)

What do say we all celebrate with a Scooby snack?
d d commented 2012-07-03 09:23:39 -0400 · Flag
Geez, talk about a non-apology mea culpa. Once again, BOR is full of excuses and now places after-the-fact qualifiers on his pledge. Lame and dishonest. It also says a lot about BOR’s own biased ideology against the left and his lack of moral character that he would believe that folks expecting him to keep his pledge amounts to nothing more than lefty partisanship. Come on, BOR, you made a pledge and should keep it no matter who it is that’s holding your feet to the fire. BOR’s painting this as nothing more than some lefty-driven thing reveals to us is that even he realizes that his pledge is worthless crap and that he is not a man of his word. BOR and his ego went into self-defense mode instead of doing the right thing. Typical BOR. And BOR’s complaining that people are trying to hurt him personally is completely laughable considering he routinely picks targets and does his best to ruin them. Pot, kettle, black, BillO.

Poor BOR, MM fact-checks his bloviating ass and points out where he is wrong (without name calling and stooping to personal attacks) and they become a smear merchant. Yet, whenever MRC comes up, BOR automatically defends what they do even if it means misrepresenting what MM does in comparison. Gee, I wonder if the fact that MRC has the same political leanings as him and doesn’t bother to fact check him has anything to do with his defense of them? LOL!

And, why is it that whenever a discussion of MRC vs. MM comes up on FOX “news”, it seems that Newsbusters is conveniently left out of the discussion? Aren’t they the more MM-esque arm of the MRC (as in Newsbusters goes after what they see as liberal misinformation)?

Btw, whenever BOR says "we don’t really care what they say”, he’s a damned liar. BOR is obsessed with what they say they about him and we’ve seen time and time again how he goes after those who dare to criticize him. He’s too thin-skinned to not care.
truman commented 2012-07-03 08:48:46 -0400 · Flag
Poor little Bildo’s personal feelings are hurt by a tiny bit of justified criticism. He should just rub it with a large loofah and all will be better.
Michael Desantis commented 2012-07-03 08:41:58 -0400 · Flag
He’s weasle, and a baby.
doors17 commented 2012-07-03 07:18:33 -0400 · Flag
With apologies to the late and legendary Groucho Marx…

Bill here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you, he really is an idiot.
radpat_USA commented 2012-07-03 06:52:41 -0400 · Flag
Jay Diamond …..in their very contrived reality, they are decent, thus the source of the problem.
mj - the same one commented 2012-07-03 01:45:10 -0400 · Flag
Another non-apology apology. Move on, nothing to see here . . .

.
Jay Diamond commented 2012-07-03 01:31:56 -0400 · Flag
It would be an earth changing novelty if any one of these right wing lying, smearing, shills, ever recognized plain decent accountability.

It will never happen. Their lives are premised on getting away with murder.
Janet Tuhey commented 2012-07-03 00:51:52 -0400 · Flag
I wouldn’t call his “apology” manning up. He’s still deflecting as he always does.








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