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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 7 of 8)
91. I just wonder where us moderates can go for some truth. There is very little coming from the right or the left these days.
As a former republican, I dislike Bush and his whole Karl Rove machine but that is no reason for me to lie and deceive the public. I also don't like those "not in my back yard" liberals. When the libs do come up with a good idea I will support it. When the conservatives talk out their asses, I will admit that. I may be conservative but I am rational. In my opinion that (rational) is a word that can't be used to describe either party, at this time. Both sides have gone off the deep end, and us working class stiff are paying dearly for those partisan policies.
The radical jackasses on both sides need to check their shit, before there is a revolution in this country.
Mackie at 10:09AM on Jul 19th 2007
92.
Bill O'Reilly lies and spins all the time. I am 62 years old and it is as clear as a sharp slap in the face. If you don't recognize it, you are so indoctrinated that he could tell you the Moon is made of green cheese --- insult to the Moon intended--- you would believe it.
The Pope is a primate. The original comment was just a play on words that many of you younger people must have missed during your primary ( read grade school) education.
John at 10:34AM on Jul 19th 2007
93. like ALL LEFT WINGERS YOU WON'T GO TALK TO BILL. HE IS FAIR AND BALANCED. IF YOU FEEL SO STRONGLY CALL FOX AND GET ON THE PROGRAM. THAT WAY WE CAN SEE YOUR STREGNTHS AND WEAKNESSES. THE DAILY KOS SUCKS. IT IS LIKE ALL AMERICA HATERS,LOTS OF TALK AND NO BALLS!HEY YOU FIT THE BARBARA STREISAND PROFILE! IF JET BLUE SAYS BILL WON'T BE ON THERE PLANES YOU CAN BE SURE I WON'T AS WELL. KOS IS JUST PART OF THE PROBLEM NOT ENOUGH HARD WORK, AND TO MUCH UNEARNED LIBERTY.
jake at 10:43AM on Jul 19th 2007
94. "Except Michael Moore has his facts straight before he goes in for an ambush interview."
Great sense of humor, it almost seems like you agree with that.
O'Reilly was saying that because Jet Blue was sponsoring a liberal meeting aboard their flights, for profit. The CEO was a jerk!
The first comment says "I like cake. And now that I've written that, then it must be true for everyone who writes for, works on, or comments in Newsbloggers. We're all pro-cake now. Can't spin outta that one. It's right here in black font. Newsbloggers is now, officially, a pro-cake blog."
Is he sane? Intelligent? Was that supposed to be a joke? Because it accomplished nothing other than showing his liberal bias.
O'Reilly shows the facts. I will fly Jet Blue, nevertheless, but that does not mean companies should sponsor (endorse) politics just for profit.
Tim at 11:36AM on Jul 19th 2007
95. s tripp needs to go back to kindergarten. bill orally is a degenerate. love to know why fox never reported his sexal harassment on his producer.he had to pay her money, which we know he did harass her. loofah anyone!
tannerman at 12:07PM on Jul 19th 2007
96. Listen Chunk, You say you are Muslim. I`ll assume you are a law abiding peaceful Muslim. Why don`t you concentrate on condemning the senseless, brutal slaying of innocent non-Muslim people by terrorist Muslim maniacs, who are the truly dangerous bad guys, not little Ol Bill O`Reilly. It is the only way Muslim fanatical terrorism can by stopped, by people like you using their resources to say, NO, NOT IN THE NAME OF MY RELIGION ! C`mon bud, get your head in the game. And one more thing, O`Reilly and his listeners ARE mainstream. Face it. #1 rated cable news show on TV, deal with it. YOU and other Muslims are not mainstream nor are far left Liberals.
Tony Linder at 12:18PM on Jul 19th 2007
97. I find it fascinating that when a conservative voice, which in the liberal media is generally referred to as the incompassionate and uninformed voice, speaks up about two different entitys whose values are far different than those of that conservative voice's constituency, every effort possible is made to discredit him as "buffoonish." The real truth here is that Muslim's hate voices like O'Reilly's because he exposes the truth behind your plight. You, as a faith group, are not supportive of our government in our war on terrorism (which is ALL MUSLIM) and generally like to be loud and brash about anyone who criticizes your "baffoonish" thinking. Take the temperature of the people; I mean the whole of the people and not a "spin" version of an opinion that I am sure you will try and propogate. A VAST majority of Americans despise your views and the islamic culture as a whole. Your values are primitive and your loyalty is shallowly brittle. Seriously; isn't one of Turkey's main exports T-SHIRTS! I know this; I'm an economist. That is some serious heavy hitting there guys; lord only know we could'nt survive without Turkey's T-shirt exports and much more importantly your valued social and economic philosophy.
jake at 7:03PM on Jul 21st 2007
98. Tim, on #92-
Being pro-cake shows a liberal bias? Interesting. Which other dessert food agendas show liberal bias, just so that we're all clear? Probably a good thing I didn't say that I liked ice cream. You'd probably call me a communist. And lord know what bias I would have had if I had said I like GERMAN chocolate cake.
Now if you're stating that I support honesty in reporting, integrity in journalistitc statements, and just a touch of research of the facts, specifically as they pertain to this story and the website that O"Reilly seems to have blatantly "misunderstood" as far as who actually writes the thing, and who comments on the writing , then, well, yeah, you've got me dead-to-rights. If that's a liberal bias, then slap those labels on.
But, if you just didn't get the point, let me know. I'll lend you a dollar. You can go buy a sense of humor. And some pie.
Scott at 2:42PM on Jul 19th 2007
99. What about logic do you not understand? Michael Moore never claims to get his facts straight--he admits that he cuts and pastes to make a point. So, you are contradicting him. Second, the video speaks for itself. JetBlue is an AIRLINE. If they want to support a website that (check out the front page today, which denigrates Christians) traffics in hate, which they do (not they're emails, but Kos himself and his paid minions)--they may but maybe they should be in the weapons business, not a business that purports to take human life seriously and doesn't hope people's demise. So, you're a bit shaky on your logic, but I suspect you skipped that course in college, or skipped college altogether...
Katherine at 4:07PM on Jul 19th 2007
100. Unfortunately, if there is a kneejerk taking place here, it is with folks like you rather than with O'Reilly. having read your article and watched the video, I don't see anything that constitutes fabrication or propaganda except that you take issue with his characterization of Kos as extremist.
The issue here is not whether Kos has control over it's own edirtorial content or not. You need to read it only once to clearly understand that it does not.
The issue is why JetBlue would choose to sponsor an event for a quasi-media source that is potentailly polarizing to any number of its customers who don't share the extreme and hateful political opinions to those expresed either by Kos or its membership.
This is yet another public relations blunder for a company that seems to have a special expertise in public relations blunders.
Count me among the people who have flown JetBlue as recently as this week who will not fly it again.
will at 5:27PM on Jul 19th 2007
101. No qualms with the article- thanks for presenting the truth of the matter;however, while we all dislike Fox News for one thing or the other, this piece is not helping progressive causes. Why? In my opinion, Bill O'Reilly is an arrogant loud mouth but it is equally arrogant to condescendingly to comment, 'I love dumb people' or however the commentator phrased it. That is the most elitist and arrogant statement I have ever heard. We on the progressive left cannot pretend we are shepherds with esoteric knowledge and that we have to, nay MUST, lead the 'ignorant' masses to the promised land. The majority of people in this country (USA) are not that intelligent but that applies to every other nation in the world as well. How can we all work together if we intrinsically feel better than our teammates? They are, after all, our teammates...disagreements and all. Progressive ideas would win in the marketplace if we stop selling it like we're doing 'all the idiots out there' a favor. How do you know you're not an idiot? For that matter, how do I know I'm not an idiot. Unfortunately, I'm not omniscient so I'm going to play it safe and say thanks for the truth, keep the pretense.
Keith Lutz at 7:24PM on Jul 19th 2007
102. If we all stopped supporting business that have practices that offend our sensibilities, guess what? We'd all starve and walk to our graves.
If all you liberals want to make an impact on a rotten company, stop shopping at wally world. LMAO yeah, that's what I thought, you like being treated like chit by people who don't make enough take home pay to support a gerbil, because you save (or think you save) money at wally world.
Mackie at 7:14PM on Jul 19th 2007
103. re post # 101
You sound like a moderate, don't you know that isn't popular? Besides it is kind of boring. You must get with the program, LMAO, it is drama and sensationalism the masses want!
Now in all seriousness, I enjoyed your perspective.
Mackie at 10:16PM on Jul 19th 2007
104. o'reilly likes to sexually harass his female staffers and play with their breasts. this is why he has such a big smile on his face during air time. he's nothing more than tabloid television.
lay at 3:45AM on Jul 20th 2007
105. Bill O'Reilly has Jet Blue dead to rights. Why do you think they are back pedaling? It's so simple too. It's Public Relations 101...A) A corporation should always steer clear of controversy. B) Do your homework and investigate the people you are sponsoring. As for your own blog, It's great that you're a free speech portal (Bravo!) but, as per your example, you need to be filtering out hate speech as well.
bigzee at 4:22PM on Jul 24th 2007