White house is busted.

dirtpoorchris · 08-07-08, 10:27 PM

YouTube - Fox News Busted

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Ex-White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan exposed Fox News as a propaganda tool for the White House on Chris Mathews Hardball.

Fox in the White House: It is one of those things you kind of assume to be true all along... and yet are shocked when hard confirmation actually comes. Our fourth story tonight, from the former White House press secretary himself, word that the Bush White House routinely sent--and as far as we know, still sends-- literal talking points to Fox News for its primetime propagandists, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and others... to spout, as if ventriloquist dummies, as if they had thought of it themselves, as if they had come to those opinions independently, as if there had been a process either fair... or balanced.

Lerxst · 08-07-08, 11:13 PM

As if we needed Scott McClellan to tell us this. Good on him, and the others. Soon we will see a full scale "swift boating" of Scott.

Well, it's just more confirmation about the nature of the Bush Whitehouse and their relationship with Faux Nooz.

Ahhh....welll....hmmm....how anti-climactic.

P/N · 08-08-08, 01:43 AM

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Originally Posted by JeffMerriman

As if we needed Scott McClellan to tell us this. Good on him, and the others. Soon we will see a full scale "swift boating" of Scott.

Well, it's just more confirmation about the nature of the Bush Whitehouse and their relationship with Faux Nooz.

Ahhh....welll....hmmm....how anti-climactic.

Hey, if you believe that, I've got some ocean front property in Iowa to sell you too! You do realize that McClennan is trying to sell books don't you? I'd give this a 50/50 shot at being true. And of course, Olbermann only has one guest in the clip to discuss this - Rachel Maddow from Air America. No one right of center to discuss it, someone from the far, far left. Maybe FOX News is more fair and balanced than MSNBC? Oh wait, they already are. And I loved how McClennan said that Matthews was an "independent minded guy" - that was funny as hell.

Now, there is a chance that this is true (highly unlikely, but a chance). If this was happening, it is a shame. I watch O'Reilly and I occasionally watch Hannity & Colmes. I don't believe O'Reilly took any talking points from the WH and used them, but it's tough to make a case against Hannity not accepting them if they were handed out. Hannity is rarely, if ever, critical of the Bush Administration whereas O'Reilly is. Some of the things that come out of Hannity's mouth seem to be nothing but regurgitation of what we hear out of the WH. I don't see or hear that from O'Reilly. So if it's true, it's horrible, but we get the same crap out of the media from the other side as well, just not at that high a level.

Hatuey · 08-08-08, 04:00 AM

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Originally Posted by P/N

Now, there is a chance that this is true (highly unlikely, but a chance). If this was happening, it is a shame. I watch O'Reilly and I occasionally watch Hannity & Colmes. I don't believe O'Reilly took any talking points from the WH and used them, but it's tough to make a case against Hannity not accepting them if they were handed out. Hannity is rarely, if ever, critical of the Bush Administration whereas O'Reilly is. Some of the things that come out of Hannity's mouth seem to be nothing but regurgitation of what we hear out of the WH. I don't see or hear that from O'Reilly. So if it's true, it's horrible, but we get the same crap out of the media from the other side as well, just not at that high a level.

Out of curiosity what has O'Reilley criticized the Bush administration on?

DarkWizard12 · 08-08-08, 04:03 AM

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Originally Posted by Hatuey

Out of curiosity what has O'Reilley criticized the Bush administration on?

immigration.

Hatuey · 08-08-08, 04:09 AM

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Originally Posted by DarkWizard12

immigration.

Could you provide an excerpt of his criticisms of the Bush administration regarding this issue?

P/N · 08-08-08, 04:09 AM

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Originally Posted by Hatuey

Out of curiosity what has O'Reilley criticized the Bush administration on?

You obviously never watch the show. Immigration, the WOT, the Iraq War, Rumsfeld and others. I'm 99.9% confident that O'Reilly doesn't get talking points from the WH. Hannity, a different story - I can see how this might be the case. FOX News as a whole - seriously doubt it. I think McClellan needs more help selling books. There is motive for him to say something like this, and it's in his best interest if he does.

Hatuey · 08-08-08, 04:19 AM

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Originally Posted by P/N

You obviously never watch the show.

If I did I wouldn't ask. Now settle down before I change tones too.

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Immigration,

Provide some excerpts of his criticisms?

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the WOT, the Iraq War,

Supports both. What exactly is he criticizing? Since when did O'Reilly become a critic of the war?

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Rumsfeld and others.

Jumped ship like every other right wing anchor/commentator who subscribed to the 'We'll be greeted as liberators' school. Rumsfeld was a scapegoat for the immense failures of the administration as a whole.

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I'm 99.9% confident that O'Reilly doesn't get talking points from the WH. Hannity, a different story - I can see how this might be the case. FOX News as a whole - seriously doubt it. I think McClellan needs more help selling books. There is motive for him to say something like this, and it's in his best interest if he does.

I find this very interesting of right wingers. McClellan is trying to sell books, George Tenet was trying to sell books, Collin Powel was a disgruntled employee. I find it amazing that so many people who worked with the former administration are all just trying to make a quick buck. Not a single person. Not even the high ranking officials have any truth behind their claims. They're all just trying to make some money. What a simple world we live in.

P/N · 08-08-08, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatuey

Could you provide an excerpt of his criticisms of the Bush administration regarding this issue?

YouTube - The O'Reilly Factor on Illegal Immigration (9/6/07)

This was just one. I'd search for more, but I watch the show with somewhat regularity and he does give Bush a much harder time that most will give him credit for.

DarkWizard12 · 08-08-08, 04:23 AM

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Originally Posted by Hatuey

Could you provide an excerpt of his criticisms of the Bush administration regarding this issue?

Politics of Bill O'Reilly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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In an interview with commentator Bill Maher, former CBS News anchor Dan Rather accused Fox News Channel of receiving "talking points" from the Republican controlled White House. O'Reilly criticized Rather heavily, saying he (Rather) did not offer any evidence to support the claim. O'Reilly cited his defense of Rather during the Memogate incident:

"As you may remember, I defended Rather in the Bush National Guard debacle. I said Rather did not intentionally put on a bogus story. He just didn't check it out, he was too anxious for the story to be true. Now many of you criticized me for that defense, but I'm a fact-based guy. And there's no evidence Dan Rather fabricated anything. It was sloppy reporting that did him in. But now the fabrication word is in play again. If Dan Rather has evidence of White House dictums coming to FOX News employees, he needs to display that evidence. We are awaiting his appearance. We'll let you know when it is.[73]"

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Oil companies

O'Reilly has been critical of oil companies, claiming their record profits are evidence that they have price-gouged Americans with artificially high gas prices.[110] and has said he is personally boycotting products by Exxon-Mobil.[111] He has often taken an opposing point of view to conservatives such as fellow Fox News analyst and commentator, Neil Cavuto.[110]

O'Reilly claims that the United States is not doing enough to make itself independent of foreign oil, stating that "If Brazil can develop an ethanol industry that makes it completely independent of foreign oil, then the USA can".[112] He said blocking Brazilian ethanol imports was "awful" and has criticized both the Bush Administration and the Clinton Administration for not doing enough to stem the cost of oil from "foreign predators"

And if our mind is still not made up:

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Immigration and border control

O'Reilly has supported stricter border controls, including placement of the National Guard troops on the US-Mexican border and has criticized President George W. Bush for not allocating enough resources to make border security effective. He also criticized Ronald Reagan's act of amnesty, claiming that it made the illegal immigration problem worse.[17] In an interview with former Mexican President Vicente Fox, O'Reilly blamed Mexico for not providing a good economy for Mexicans to work in and how they would rather stay in Mexico than come to the United States. He also blamed the U.S. government for not enforcing immigration law.[18] O'Reilly separates the distinction between criminal illegal immigrants and non-criminals by saying that criminal illegal immigrants should be deported immediately. O'Reilly criticizes the lack of cooperation between local sanctuary cities and the INS.[19]

[edit]
The Iraq War

O'Reilly initially supported the invasion of Iraq. On March 18, 2003, O'Reilly appeared on ABC's Good Morning America and said, "If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again."[20][21][22] On February 10, 2004, he appeared once more on Good Morning America, stating:

"My analysis was wrong and I'm sorry. I was wrong. I'm not pleased about it at all.... What do you want me to do, go over and kiss the camera?... I am much more skeptical of the Bush administration now than I was at that time."[20]

O'Reilly has questioned the U.S. invasion of Iraq in hindsight, in particular the performance of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. However, he maintains that the United States "did a good thing by trying to liberate a country".[citation needed] O'Reilly says the war effort should continue as long as progress is being made. He has also said that some anti-war activists are actively rooting for the United States to lose:

Do I win now? =)