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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
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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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 8)
1. 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.
And, because I didn't happen to post a preference one way or the other for pie, then Newsbloggers is now, officially, anti-pie. So if you happen to be pro-pie, well, you now know that Newsbloggers is your internet nemisis. Just because I randomly wandered to this story, and spent a couple minutes of time responding to an article.
What a sense of power! Just by writing a few lines on a blog in a comments block, I have now completely changed the position of Newbloggers into a pro-cake forum.
Unless, of course, someone else types that they like pie. Then, well, I suppose it could be said that Newsbloggers doesn't take a hard stand on the issues.
Scott at 2:22PM on Jul 17th 2007
2. I am for Bill O'Reilly anytime,he exposes people for what they are. The CEO of jet Blue, from what I saw was like all the rest of the left-wingers. I wouldn't fly their airline under any circumstances.
jane at 2:33PM on Jul 17th 2007
3. Well, you know, I know these just bizarre, totally detached from reality "bloggers" won't read this, but man...."Michael Moore gets his facts straight"?
Seriously?
The guy fudges facts, massages facts, gives his facts a nice climax before snuggling up to them late at night, and this guy thinks that Michael Moore "gets his facts straight"?
"Who's mainstream now"? You aren't. As much as you want to tout information from "blogads", the fact is this: YOU'RE A BLOGGER. That means you're the redheaded stepchild against the juggernauts of TV, Radio, and even printed newspapers.
Seriously.
"We're big!" Yeah, being a big fish in a spring shower puddle means......?
Jay at 2:50PM on Jul 17th 2007
4. I wonder if Bill O'Reilly will ask stores to ban Ann Coulter's hate-filled book. Oh wait, instead he invites her on his show. I guess hate speech doesn't go both ways.
Michael at 2:57PM on Jul 17th 2007
5. Cenk Uygur:
Bill O'Reilly is a great American. He points out crazies on the left and the right. These guys are left wing crazies, and frankly you sound like one yourself everytime I read one of your smear columns. Jet Blue is wrong to support such an outfit. Americans as a whole love their country and dont want to see crap like that. Why dont you do a story and the episode of "No Spin Zone" when O'Reilly completely took apart Michael Moore and Feirenheit 911? Moore could only sit there and laugh at the end. Bill had exposed him as a fraud and Moore knew it. He had no answers for Bill's questions. Try and come back from the left before your totally gone man.
S Tripp at 2:59PM on Jul 17th 2007
6. everything Billo-o says is either a lie or a delusion- so what else is new.....
wl at 2:59PM on Jul 17th 2007
7. BILL OREILLY IS NOTHING BUT A LYING HYPOCRITE....WHO THE HECK IS HE TO POINT FINGERS? WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THAT GIRL HE WAS HAVING PHONE SEX WITH?
SANDY at 3:24PM on Jul 17th 2007
8. Author,
In you piece, you include too many personal crisis issues and avoid the actual issue at hand-Jet Blue's actions.
The problem is not Islam, but rather the lack of condemnation for the barbarian, dirt bag murdering terrorists expressed by the so called majority- Muslim moderate, normal and civilized worshipers.
Islam’s failure to challenge the fanatical and barbaric ideas spewed by its radical elements, is the underlying problem. Appeasement represents a least a minimum degree of acceptance.
In a civilized society, the murdering of innocent people must never be tolerated. As a result of Islam’s “continual pass the buck” policies, it will continue to loose credibility.
pol diddy at 4:23PM on Jul 17th 2007
9. Author,
In your piece, you include too many personal crisis issues and avoid the actual issue at hand-Jet Blue's actions.
The problem is not Islam, but rather the lack of condemnation for the barbarian, dirt bag murdering terrorists expressed by the so called majority- Muslim moderate, normal and civilized worshipers.
Islam’s failure to challenge the fanatical and barbaric ideas spewed by its radical elements, is the underlying problem. Appeasement represents at least a minimum degree of acceptance.
In a civilized society, the murdering of innocent people must never be tolerated. As a result of Islam’s “continual pass the buck” policies, it will continue to loose credibility.
pol diddy at 4:46PM on Jul 17th 2007
10. Amen kardesim!! I totally agree with you 100%, but I have to admit these critical commentators of your blog are so harsh, it made me giggle. Why is it that when you show how ridiculous Billio was to use quotes from commentators as actual Blogs, no one has an answer?! Just that he is such a cool guy and I am determined to close my eyes to any faults he may have just so that I don't have to admit my whole republican kiss-assing life might be a complete waste of presciously scarce resources that would have been better used as jet fuel for a Jet Blue airplane!!
Side Note: Michael Moore ROCKS!! and everyone knows it. We don't need your acknowledgement, it just is.
American in Turkey at 4:59PM on Jul 17th 2007
11. If it was such an innocent blog than why is Jetblue the only one sponsoring them. I won't fly Jet Blue.
Dustin at 5:00PM on Jul 17th 2007
12. Pol Daddy,
The problem is not Christianity,but rather the lack of condemnation for the dirt bag, murdering,Cristian terrorists in the White House,expressed by the so-called majority Christian moderate, normal,and civilized worshipers.
Christianity's failure to challenge the fanatical,and barbaric ideas spewed by it's radical
elements is the underlying problem.Appeasement represnts at least a minimal degree of acceptance.
In a civilized society,the murder of innocent people
must never be tolerated.
as a result of Christianity's continual " Pass the buck " Policies,it will continue to lose credibility.
Dick Hertz at 5:20PM on Jul 17th 2007
13. All I can say is I love stupid people also. And fox news quailifies as stupid people.
Amanda at 5:25PM on Jul 17th 2007
14. JET BLUE is going down the tubes anyway what with all their delays and other shenanigans. People are already avoiding that third rate Airline anyway.I am with O'Reilly, I would not not ride on their junky airlines if it was free.Especially if it supports radical Muslim groups.I believe O'Reilly. Jet Blue is through.
audrey hobbs at 5:38PM on Jul 17th 2007
15. Gee, was I amazed to read the writer of this garbage was a Muslim! No wonder he thinks we are all descended from apes. I, for one, am a being created by God, not a primate.
JetBlue, a corporation funded a capitalist communist, George Soros, has no choice but to puppet their lord and master. Kos couldn't answer the questions because he hadn't a chance to talk to Georgie boy to find out what to say.
Yes, you will report that George has now his stocks in JetRed, but that doesn't mean he is completely disemboweled from them. Doesn't matter a whit to George or all other leftist's whether they have a fiduciary interest, they want and demand control of anything they can get their hands on.
bigdaddydon at 5:54PM on Jul 17th 2007