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Bill O'Reilly Attacks JetBlue and Gets Grounded
Posted Jul 17th 2007 12:38PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Power Line, Media, Young Turks, Religion, Pope Benedict, Video, Bill O'Reilly
The primate error on Fox's part (the one you see in the video above) is not that big a deal, it's just funny. The real problem with O'Reilly's buffoonish attack against Daily Kos and Jet Blue is that it is based on pure fabrication, propaganda and ironically, spin! What happened, I thought it was the no spin zone?
Here's how O'Reilly spun this story out of whole cloth:
Daily Kos is a mainstream, liberal website that is the biggest political blog in the country. It is manyfold bigger than the largest conservative blogs. It is five times larger than the largest conservative blog/website, Newsbusters. It is over eight times larger than the venerable Powerline. And it is bigger than the top eight conservative blogs combined, according to blogads. Ouch. Who's mainstream now?
What O'Reilly did was take commenters from Daily Kos and pretend they were writing for the site. As you can see here, the commenters on the blogs are not the writers of the blog. They do not produce the content of the site and the site is not responsible for the crazy things they often say. Most blogs are open and allow the public to comment in any way they like, including the Newsbloggers here at AOL.
O'Reilly pretended these random, public commenters were the only thing on the site and that they spoke for all of Daily Kos. That is not only preposterous, it is a lie. Anyone who knows anything about blogs knows that's a lie.
For example, in my last post here on AOL someone commented:
"who cares...muzz on muzz killings have gone on for eons....every dead muzz is one less terrorist!!"
Does he speak for me? I am Muslim, so according to Bill O'Reilly, am I advocating my own death? Can I say that Newsbloggers at AOL argues that all Muslims (or muzzes as this gentleman so eloquently puts it) should be killed because they are all terrorists?
Obviously that's absurd and grossly misleading at best. O'Reilly does this to smear all liberal websites as extreme. It's a familiar trick. Everyone they disagree with is "extreme" or "radical" and they are "mainstream." These are clever talking points used to spin and smear. What happened, I thought we were in the no spin zone?
Then, they ambush this poor CEO coming out of his apartment and ask him absurd questions to which there are no reasonable answers. What is he supposed to say -- actually the Pope is a primate, technically speaking? This is also the height of irony because this is the same tactic that Fox News Channel has repeatedly criticized Michael Moore for using. Except Michael Moore has his facts straight before he goes in for an ambush interview.
By the way, notice that they couldn't get a real reporter to do this story. So, they had to send Jesse "Dirty" Waters, the intern producer to do it. Couldn't they find Stuttering John? Was he not available for the gag?
You can see the whole painful O'Reilly segment here. At one point, O'Reilly says he'll never fly Jet Blue again. Jet Blue should use that in their advertising. Their slogan can be: We promise you won't run into Bill O'Reilly if you fly with us.
There's no way they don't increase sales. In fact, I'm going to go out of my way to get a Jet Blue ticket next time. You can buy tickets here.
Fox News Channel has no shame. If you really want to boycott someone because they support malicious lies and hateful propaganda, you would do a lot better to boycott Fox News Channel, not Jet Blue.
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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 5 of 8)
61. Bill O'Reilly attacks JetBlue and bring a great opportunity for American people to learn about commerical airflight transportation and greater sensitive to a person who identifies as "I am Muslim" U.S. citizens who a Muslims should speak out more on Islam virtues other than jihad kill Western infidels. And, JetBlue pollution inside on passengers and outside jet fuel in atmosphere tons and tons of air pollution in higher fragil parts of earth's atmosphere.
Alan Klaus at 12:38PM on Jul 18th 2007
62. Oh no, it looks like Jet Blue might loose a few customers judging by the responses on this site. However, I'm sure they would rather not have all you right wing douchbags on their flights anyway. Anyone who doesn't see that Bill O is a hypocrite, probably did not finish third grade. If there was any justice in this world Bill would be drug into the street and beaten in front of the "folks." Now lets have it, call me a commie, pinko, or whatever makes you sorry pieces of crap feel better about your pathetic lives. Get a clue.
matt at 1:10PM on Jul 18th 2007
63. your artical is spoken like a true 19 20 something muslim ,not using the head that god gave you but the head you always seem to be using and it aint above the waist..if i spelled your muslim thing wrong, oh well, you just like to spread your garbage and think you are doing something sooooooooooooo important....if you really want to do something good, why dont you, as a muslim, stand up and say what is going on with your culture needs some serious examination....you can not force people to think the way you want them to just because they think differently than you (thank God). Using a religion as your people do for the excuse of killing is just plain stupid and ignorant..but we already know that....
mary at 1:43PM on Jul 18th 2007
64. Face it: O'Reilly is a shock-jock. That he is on FOX isn't all that surprising; the radical right does have the right to be as silly as the radical left.
As for Jet Blue, I agree that they should use this as advertising...there are a lot of us who would choose not to spend a flight with Bill O'Reilly over meeting him by chance on another airline.
He's as big a jerk as any of the Ultra-Libs.
Kyllein MacKellerann at 2:10PM on Jul 18th 2007
65. YOU YOUNG "TURKS?" OR IS THAT YOUNG "IRANIAN?" SURE
MEL at 3:18PM on Jul 18th 2007
66.
Wow! They should have changed the name of that segment to "The BIG Spin Zone"! O'Reilly spun that story so much to fit his own political viewpoint, its ridiculous!!
Here's the salient point: Web Blogs are nothing more -- or less -- than a tool of free speech. Daily KOS is, in my opinion, an literate, intelligent blog, and I would encourage anyone to check it out.
Through its sponsorship, Jet Blue isn't approving or siding with the readers who post their comments on the blog. O'Reilly should know that, shouldn't he?
Its obvious (to me) that Jet Blue's sponsorship is for the "big picture" -- the overall quality of the content on Daily KOS, not the reader responses.
Ambushing the CEO like that was a cheap and childish stunt, one that Fox News should be ashamed of!
I'm going to start flying Jet Blue as often as I can.
LA TallOne at 2:54PM on Jul 18th 2007
67. what a shock! a very liberal website taking up for another very liberal website, AND attacking bill o'reilly, calling him names again. just like a liberal. and also absolutely shocking to find out that this author is another anti-america muslim.
and what is exactly the point of this piece of crap article. is it that the almighty dailykos.com is the MOST POWERFUL INTERNET MEDIUM OF ALL TIME (except for al gore), or to get a chance to call people you disagree with names again. oh yeah, shocking that i won't be flying jetblue again either.
dscott at 3:42PM on Jul 18th 2007
68. Re: JetBlue / Daily Kos / Bill O'Reilly /Cenk Uygur
I believe before you slam O'Reilly think about all the hate mongers at the Kos site. Always on the negative when it comes to propagandizing this [our] country. No halfway intelligent person believes that all Muslim are terrorist. But, that said, many, many Liberals, especially those who Blog on the Daily Kos reek extraneous matter about America. You can't help but get nauseous and want to lash out at the people who subscribe, or support that which is detramental to this country.
Bobbi at 3:46PM on Jul 18th 2007
69. Bill O Reilly is a bully... I dont care what his politics are he is more interested in getting the last word and stroking his own ego and selling more cups and tshirts. No spin my butt...it is all spin.
John at 4:21PM on Jul 18th 2007
70. BO commented last night that he felt sorry for Sen. Vitter's wife; I felt sorry for his wife when he was trying to get into the pants of the woman from his office. Hadn't his wife just had a baby? He is one jerk!!
samjoy at 4:57PM on Jul 18th 2007
71. Well Cenk, you are the one spinning on this one. Nowhere does O'Reilly say it was anything but POSTINGS on the Daily Kos. He condemns the postings for being vicious and hateful, but does not attribute them to the staff of the DK.
Corporate sponsors of sites that invite that kind of vitriol should, indeed, expect to be called out for it, whether it is a left leaning or right leaning site.
Paul_Warren at 5:08PM on Jul 18th 2007
72. Daily Kos is a mainstream liberal blog??
Daily Kos is a far-left liberal blog and to say otherwise is just more moonbat crap. As for responsibility, Kos puts it out for the public to see, so yes, Kos is responsible for what is posted, quit crying young turkey, take some responsibility for what your kameraden post. As for the size of Daily Kos, the biggest pile of crap draws the most flies, quantity doesn't make up for quality and too many conservatives don't have the luxury of all that time to post their angst on a blog.
Hey, you're a muslim...good for you. When you going to call those of your religion who blow women and children to pieces the sadistic, hate filled butchers they are and that you declare jihad on them for what they do? That'll be a cold day in Hell won't it? Face it, O'Reilly has more credibility than a talk jock on a radio network that has more money problems than an arthritic check forger. So just give it up, if Daily Kos and our lame arguement is the best you can do, O'Reilly will continue to kick your asses in the ratings and all the Democrat contenders for the WH will stay awake thinking you are actually relevant.
Dedmanrisn at 5:31PM on Jul 18th 2007
73. LOOKS LIKE JET BLUE IS MY NEW AIRLINE!!!
KDC at 6:50PM on Jul 18th 2007
74. You go Bill! If there was nothing to hide this article certainly wouldn't have been written in such a defensive vein. Libs are finally getting a taste of their on "Media" medicine....lol
faye at 7:15PM on Jul 18th 2007
75. Nasiliniz, American in Turkey,They so love American's there. My husband, 23 years, is Turkish. I've been many times.
Way too much hatred on this BO statement blog.
They do say " Ignorance is Bliss", I think it is really intolerance and stupidity....
Outta' here..........3-2-1 and off they go to call me names (:
rhodalee at 7:24PM on Jul 18th 2007