Bill O'Reilly Owes Helen Thomas an Apology
By Bill W. Monday Dec 03, 2007 1:17pm
Monday night on his show, Billo called White House correspondent Helen Thomas a "pinhead" for saying something she didn't.
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This was a complete fabrication, aided in no small part by White House spokesperson Dana Perino's twisting of Helen's words at the podium. Notice how O'Reilly purposefully began his clip not with Helen's question, but with Perino's response to it:
O'Reilly: On the pinhead front far left Washington corespondent Helen Thomas put forth that the American military is targeting civilians in Iraq, and got scolded for it.
[video clip] Dana Perino: Helen, I find it really unfortunate that you use your front row position bestowed upon you by your colleagues to make such statements. This is. It is an honor and a privilege to be in the briefing room, and to suggest that we, at the United States, are killing innocent people is just absurd and very offensive. ...
Now check out C&L's complete video w/ transcript of the exchange (yet another reason why C&L is so much better than any Faux News channel) to see where both Billo and Perino had to put words into Helen Thomas' mouth in order to criticize her for saying something she did not. Helen never said nor implied that the military was "targeting civilians" nor "killing innocent people." What she asked was: "You mean how many more people we kill?" in response to Dana's implying that the "situation is moving" in Iraq. See for yourself.
Bill O'Reilly resorted to defaming an 87 yr old woman who was 10 times the journalist he has ever pretended to be 64 yrs ago when she started in the trade, all just so he could call her a "pinhead" in the name calling segment of his show. Even by Fox News standards this was low. At the very least Bill O'Reilly owes Helen Thomas an apology and an on air retraction to his viewers. You can email your complaints [be nice] to O'Reilly's so-called ombudman, Laurie Dhue, at DhuePoint@FOXNews.com .
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In the words of Peter O'Toole from the movie Creator, O'R is "an arsehole".
O'Loofah, of course, took the P&P segment directly from Olbermann. Idea theft, as usual.
Because I was up and awake before it is legally right to do so, I saw a rerun of his show this morning. I knew what he was about to do and when he said Helen was a pinhead, I wanted to slap his disgusting face. Glad I couldn't because I would have had to soak my hand in Clorox to get it clean.
I think we all know who the real "pinhead" is...shit-eating grin or not.
It's just a damn good thing Bildo doesn't do personal attacks.
If he did, this could have gotten ugly.
draft dodger turned, dirty novelist, turned sexual harasser, turned restaurant stereotypist always attacks anyone that isn't a Pravdaite for repubs. Him and his combover can go to Hell
spit take @ 5:
It's also good that he's in a "no-spin" zone and Fux Noize is "fair & balanced"!
It was like a tag team. Perino set Helen up and then billO knocked her down. What kind of person enjoys doing that to a person like Helen Thomas? An asshole comes to mind.
How many f*&%ing Presidents has this woman served under?!?
And these LOWLIFES masquerading as leaders in the White House have the unmitigated gall to attack a woman who's served the fourth estate and this country for DECADES with honor and integrity...something they know NOTHING about. And then they have the nerve to turn their Faux News Pravda clones, particularly Bill O'Reilly (who can't SPELL journalist much less knows how to BE one).
There are no words to describe the contempt I have for these people.
A rung in hell hasn't been built low enough to harbor these cretins.
Billo owes Helen Thomas an apology!!???? Ummm, well yea... Among many many many other things.... Good grief to start a list of brain-dead things O'Reilly needs to apologize to someone or the nation in general for would take far to long and way too much space to even begin to itemize... In short? He needs to apologize To everyone for being the 'pinhead', he claims others are... That would be a very small start on his part......Sheesh, what a maroony....JD
An Apology from Billo=Hen's teeth
BillO is so far beneath Helen that I doubt she even cares what the freak has to say. She probably learned the lesson my grandmother taught me. When you come to a mud puddle just lift your skirts and step over it. Never let it get you dirty just because it's there.
Forget Bill-O. It's disgusting that Perino thinks she has the credentials to berate Helen Thomas, who is still doing more work than most of the
stenography poolpress corps combined.Helen Thomas is almost a Saint..... I did not realize that she is in her late 80s.... and still has the passion and honesty which is lost in that "briefing room".
It is an honor and a privilege to call Bill O a high paid right wing propagandist for the Republicans... But I do not engage in personal attacks.
I cut most of my cable channels so I do not have to pay for this kind of FOX crap.
God Bless Helen!!!!!!!
We only have 400 days left of this current administration.
If anyone owes Helen a sincere apology it would be Perino. She should publicly apologize to her and also send her a personal note as well.
What? Bill's bitching about Perino's SPINNING of Helen's statements. I for one interpreted her statement as meaning the loss of all lives as a result of the invasion, including the murders carried out by Iraqis themselves.
Bill doesn't even have the confidence in his accusation to play the WHOLE clip including what Helen actually said.
Jack Damage @ 10:
Bill's parents owe US all an apology.
Oreilly owes her nothing. I'm pretty sure that 40 years of this has given Thomas thicker skin than most posting here. (myself included)
Not a Thomas fan, but I have to admit...that is a tough old bird...
“By the early 1950s…(the State Dept.) owned respected members of the New York Times, Newsweek, CBS and other communications vehicles, plus stringers, four to six hundred in all, according to a former CIA analyst….Early MOCKINGBIRD influenced 25 newspapers and wire agencies consenting to act as organs of CIA propaganda.”
- Village Voice Reporter Deborah Davis commenting on the CIA Program Operation Mockingbird to infiltrate the media
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ RANCHO/ POLITICS/ MOCK/ mockingbird.html
** Operation Mockingbird is alive and well in 2007 !
And again this asswipe o'reilly shows us he's got no brains, talent, or shame. What a shithead!!!
Why hasn't C&L mentioned the Debate with the Democrats on NPR right now? No open thread? No Reminder?
The Dhue Point link does not work. Did anyone else try to write?
xxx @ 21:
The more I hear Shillary speak, the less I find I agree with.
I smell worst person in the world
I think Dana Perino owes all of US an apology as well. Lying is lying, I don't care if the truth hurts. To suggest that Usa has had no negative impact on the people of Iraq through our actions and because of the changes we've made is on the same level as a kid who smashes a baseball through the neighbor's window and runs away. I know, I know, we have to "support our troops" but I think it's doing them a great disservice for all the hard work they've done if the executives who give them their orders don't step up and admit their responsibilty.
Time to be a man, Dana, or at least an adult. Admitting when you're wrong is more highly respected than fucking up and denying it.
I don't think O'Reilly calling an 87 year-old woman a pinhead will play well with his viewers.
22
uppity kitty Says:
The Dhue Point link does not work. Did anyone else try to write?
Maybe its spelled "Duh" ...
Bill O'Reilly owes everyone an apololgy
..or an apology
Hey- don't get me wrong, C&L is my favorite site, I always have fun with the commenting, but- for crying out loud, what planet do I have to go to in order to escape having to look at this flippin' GEEK????
I think Bill-o is trying to full Olbermanns time up with reporting about Bill-o...
Olbermann will be all over this.... right?
The first time I saw Helen Thomas, I wrote to her expressing my admiration for her. She actually answered me, saying that as a journalist she simply asks questions that others seem afraid to ask and as long as she is true to herself she is content. She truly is one great lady.
That Pinhead word is under the wrong picture... both Bill(shit) O'Reilly and (Bitchfaceho) Dana Perino are more accurately pinheads than Helen Thomas. Ms. Perino should be ashamed of herself speaking to an elder that way. As for stating Bu$h was voted in as president, she needs to go in the wayback machine to see that he actually stole the election, he wasn't voted in. Governor Poopy-pants stole both the 2000 and 2004 elections. Dana... Bill... STFU both of yous!
uppity kitty @ 22:
The link works fine for me. It opens my email program. It's an email addy, so you can just cut and paste it if it doesn't work for you.
Liberal AND Proud@17;
Agreed.....JD
"It is an honor and privilege to be in the briefing room" WTF!! When did it become an honor or privilge? It is a right of the citizens to demand accountability from their government and we would hope that they would start asking real questions instead of the fluffy whitewash BS that passes for questions nowadays! Helen Thomas is an American icon and she's got more balls than the entire rest of those sorry assed excuses for reporters. As usual she is taken out of context and "never let the truth get in the way of my opinion" O'Liely smears her.....What a suprise! I would call O'Liely a pinhead but would not want to insult pinheads. I think maybe something else might be pin sized and that might explain his aggression toward others.
Bill O'Reilly Has NO character. None. Nada. Nothing he says shocks or surprises me any more. He is pathetic and not worthy of anyoone paying any attention to anything he has to say in his reporting, or his offering any opinion. Sad. I believe Helen Thomas's deep, sound character can withstand this slur. She is one of my heroes in DC.
Did you even listen to what that dumb bitch said. And go back to everything else she's said in her 60 odd years of crappy writing. Everything she has ever said has been a lie and incindary. I was damn glad the white house guy had the balls to stand up for this country. If anyone owes an apology, it's her to the entire damn country and to our boys who are giving their lives to defend your right to promote hate and anamosity. Fuck you and all your damn secular buddies. I'd rather get my news from capitalists at Fox news than the damn commies at Communist News Network. Get your facts straight, stop lying, and stop trying to brainwash people. FUCK OFF YOU TRAITEROUS DICK!!!
Do you people even watch real news? Or do you just listen to what these pinheads say. That dumb bitch should have never said what she said, but I'll go farther than Bill and call her a traitor! Everything this dumb bitch has ever said in her 60 odd years of pretend journalism has been hateful, incindiary, and full of lies. If anyone owes an apology, it's her....to the entire damn country. But especially to the boys who are giving their lives so ill-informed people like you can spew hatred and lies. And another thing this country is democratic, capitalistic and free. Give me the patriots at FOX news over the secularist hate mongers at Communist News Network anyday. Fuck you Nancy Pelosi! Fuck You Harry Reid! Fuck You Mark Cuban! Fuck You George Clooney! Fuck You Hugo Chanez! Fuck You Michael Moore! GROW UP YOU DUMB FUCKS, form an opinion on your own!!!!!!!! You're damn right I just spread some hatered....glad to see you're paying attention!
[What's 'hatered?' Looks like someone needs a nap and a bottle, Master Zero-Sitemonitor]
Every time I look at O'Reilly I just laugh. I'm from Chicago and I know there are literally hundreds of guys who whip his fake tough ass any day of the week. People who really see him for what he is know he's a pussy.
Has Helen Thomas ever attacked another reporter?
Of course even if she did BOR, he wouldn't count.
He has mother issues.
Masterzero @ 38:
(Are you talking about yourself?)
Wow.
our unfortunate ms perino has a very poor understanding of the word "privilege"
I wrote to Helen T. And SHE WROTE BACK!
Dear Ms. Thomas-
By asking tough questions about the war of Dana Perino in the press conference earlier this week, you spoke for me and for thousands of other Americans who want this war to be over.
She said, "to suggest that we, at the United States, are killing innocent people is just absurd and very offensive." Personally, I find the killing of innocents offensive. And Ms. Perino's denials that we might ever kill innocents are frankly disgusting.
Thank you for asking. Thank you for not stepping back. Please keep asking, keep pushing, until someday the killing stops and they all come home.
Thank you.
-CL
She wrote back (or at least somebody at Hearst wrote back): "DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR KIND WORDS-HELENT"
Cool.
miss marple @ 32:
Helen also wrote back to me. She is a mensch.
The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States to consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort. This offence is punished with death. By the same article of the Constitution, no person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
And since Gitlow v New York and Abrams v United States (World War I Supreme Court decisions) people still maintain the right to press and speech during times of war.
Was Father Coughlin ever prosecuted successfully?
O'Rielly factor = the square root of -1.
Wow, Masterzero's spelling is so bad he even spelled his own name two different ways. ...
Old Billy @ 26:
True. Helen Thomas probably reminds some of them of their daughters.
Bill O’Reilly is a whore.
Fanon @ 48:
Here's a third way, Master Bates.
Someone should send falafel face a bunch of pins...
and someone to stick those pins in his flabby face.
Ahlyssah @ 16:
I noticed that too. Kinda funny in a "dear god when will this stupidity end" kind of way.
Old Billy @ 26:
Actually his chickenshit viewers eat that stuff up, most of them are too afraid to confront those they don't agree with face-to-face, even an 87 y.o. woman.
Master Zero @ 39:
Sounds like someone needs a wee bit of a attention. Awe. Here have a bottle to stop your crying, but honey we took away your toy press corps that said what you want them to say for your own good. Be sure to let us know sweety if you need us to change your reality diaper too, cause that smells like a lot of poop coming from the right wing buttcheeks.
Master Zero @ 39:
Ahahahahahahahaha!!!! Do you drink your Kool-Aid straight up or on the rocks?
[Knock it off. I am not in the mood to monitor a flame war, especially if it involves you, mrogi-Sitemonitor]
mistress Z like almost all neocon cowards your fear is palpable in every ill -conceived word you try to write. I will hand this to you , you should know all about crappy writing since it seems to be all you are capable of . Just stop being so afraid of everyone who disagrees with your brain dead leader and his newest liar in the briefing room. You could hear the fear in Miss Perinos voice too , she quakes at having to answer a real question from a TRUE JOURNALIST , as for that total fake of a man Billo he is so tough when it comes to old women and children , you cowards should stick together . If Helen comes looking for Billo I'm sure he could use some help .
Helen Thomas was interviewing presidents back in JFK and Vietnam days, and where was bill o'really?
Hiding under his bed to escape the draft.
Master Zero is living proof that Neanderthals and orangutans once mated, with hereditary regression toward the mean.
mrogi @ 57:
So we should carpet-bomb Iraq to break their will? That's a great idea!
Or rather, it would be if we were at war with Iraq.
Okay... are we seeing a trend here? So far the attacks from the right wing have focused on children and the elderly. Basically, anyone they think can't fight back for themselves. I think BillO was just trying to keep with this trend by attacking Helen Thomas. Unfortunately for him, she's not your average 87 year old. I wonder if she'll give a reaction to his comments. Hopefully...
Zero the draft dodger off his meds again?
mrogi @ 57:
Fixed yer post
Masterzero @ 38:
You ingorant bastard. FOX news thanks fools like you.
Lefty @ 60:
Why do you hate Neanderthals and orangutans?
Lefty @ 60:
He's quite the Christian though. You can tell by his liberal use of the words fuck, dick, and bitch. Just like Jesus.
57 mrogi
War requires a Congressional Act of War, something not done since WWII.
A Police Action requires an authorization by Congress after the first 90 days, and then reauthorization every six months.
Our invasion of Iraq is none of these. This was over supposed ties to 9-11 and WMD's both of which have been proven false.
Even in FDR's day he had to have such professional loudmouths like Father Coughlin who was using lightly paraphrased propaganda directly from the Nazis.
mrogi @ 57:
Wow! We have another winner of "Completely Missing the Point." Today's winner "mrogi" beat out the other right wing tools by an adept turn around by accusing Helen Thomas of missing the point that war is hell when she she was pointing out that ... you guessed it... war is hell!
Today's winner will go home with a fresh can of STFU! Thanks for playing and tune in next time!
When Clinton sent forces to bomb the former Bosnia-Herzegovina, shouldn't the reichwing loudmouths who were busy denouncing it, WHILE it was going on been prosecuted?
mrogi @57 "our country is at war"
Oh, really? and who would that be? Not you, not me. 'We' are not at war. A bunch of volunteers got suckered into invading and occupying a sovereign nation on false pretenses in the name of liberation (read OIL) and it didn't quite work out quite the way the neo-cons had hoped. The residents of that nation didn't particularly like being occupied and having their natural resources stolen from them so they fight back against the most well-funded military in the world and manage to keep us in check with their RPG's and IED's. Gee, think you might fight an occupation force with the same zeal or would you grab your .22 and blow your own brains out in mortal fear the your government won't protect you and you might be captured and waterboarded (hey, it's not torture).
If we are at war 'we' sure aren't making any sacrifices for it, no, we are leaving that for our grandchildren to deal with while we chatter away on our cel phones and lose ourselves in 'Dancing with the Stars'. I'd like to put my foot up your ass but I'm afraid your head might get in the way so why don't you run along and go back to stalking children like your other chickenshit troll buddies?
Seems to me outing a covert CIA agent who's specialty was WMD's should have a greater claim to treason, than people simply asking questions, and providing the information for an informed electorate.
Master Zero @ 39:
Master Zero @ 39:
Maybe there should be an age limit on this site. Five year olds should have to ask mom if they can post first before they are aloud to lay.
56 Dr. Acula
Ahahahahahahahaha!!!! Do you drink your Kool-Aid straight up or on the rocks?
Scotch and Novocaine.
ysbaddaden @ 70:
Great point! I remember the Wag the Dog comparisons from the right wing during the bombing of the no-fly-zone violations in Iraq and again in Afghanistan/Sudan after the embassy bombings. The people who are crying about us criticizing the war now, were the same idiots who were doing THE SAME thing 10 years ago. I think there's a genetic predisposition for hypocracy or an insensitivity to irony in neo-cons.
That should have been play.
OH MY GOD!!!! I can't wait till those smear merchants over at Media Matters get ahold of this one. Surely evil nazi colloborator George Soros is pulling their strings right now so that they can force their liberal agenda upon the American People. Why they might even take his comments out of context to try and make him look bad . . . oh wait . . . what's that? . . . O'Reily took her quotes out of context? . . . she didn't actually say anything about targeting civilians . . . ohhh . . . WHY DO YOU HATE FREEDOM!?!?!?
Oh, and Master Zero, thanks bro. Very well reasoned arguments. Were you ever on the debate team? Just one thing MZ, that "white house guy" . . . ummm, yeah, well, it's actually a lady . . . you see when a mommy and daddy love each other very much, a special thing happens where they make a baby, just like your mommy and daddy made you MZ . . .
LOL
Why does this surprise anyone ??? Far right-wing Bush apologists such as O'Reilly and his ilk know that their uneducated lemmings (Master Zero is a good example) have the critical thinking skills of a glow worm, thus the creative edit on his part of the most key part of the exchange between Thomas and Perino. The cowardly hypocrite O'Reilly is the first to scream about a site such as Media Matters supposedly taking him out of context, but look at the blatant spinning and cheap shot crap this clown dispenses almost daily. He obviously has no conscience given his track record, but what about those who appear on his show or work for him and don't call him on it?! For example, how does "ombudsman" Laurie Dhue look into the mirror everyday? She has to know her segment is nothing but a sham. ...First the Righties succeeded in turning a virtuous term such as Liberal -- with the passive complicity of Liberals themselves -- into a bad term, and now O'Reilly is blurring the term "shill" with "ombudsman". ...Only on Fox News.
How do you sleep, Laurie ?
I don't think it can be understated enough how brave Orally is behind that desk calling veteran, experienced journalists names.
What an accomplished douchebag that Fox shill is.
76 TimV
Not only that they used as part of the rationale for invading Iraq that Saddam never went after certain Al Qaeda figures in Northern Iraq under the No-Fly Zone where he had no control.
Even if he tried to help us in this case that too would have been a casus belli.
Kind of like how Pervez Musharraf refuses to go after Al Qaeda figures in the Afghani-Pakistani mountainous border while he concerns himself with shoring up his own power.
Except Perv could since he's under no fly-zone resttrictions.
TimV @ 55:
I bet you have a tiny prick.
Rev. O.J. Flow @ 80:
Do post-menopausal women like Helen Thomas even need douchebags?
“white house guy”
Excellent!
MZ certainly is a Master(de)bater
This honor coming from the greatest potent pin head this nation has today...what an honor.
Unfortunately, he's missed the mark....again. parino a pinhead...maybe. Helen Thomas...probably the most gutsy reporter this country has today. Someone who doesn't cower to this corrupt administration and the pool of sheep that toss softballs to the main monkey and nod their heads in blind compliance.
bor is an idiot. his pinhead comment is so off the wall, it's almost funny. Once again the geriatric and nazi audience who salute his radical fascist ideals think he is spot on. Scary.
TimV@ 69;
Hahahaha, 'a fresh can of STFU'....Now that's funny...hahahahah
Good one...JD
greg @ 83:
he he he... he ... Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... (snort)... he he he... ahh....
I haven't heard such a witty response since middle school. Did you have to look it up somewhere?
ysbaddaden @ 59:
Aye, there's the rub. As one should probably expect, O'Reilly does not hesitate to attack, of all people, an 87 year old wom