I've never been an advocate of firing people who are commentators for expressing an opinion. That's what they were paid to do. Juan Williams is the latest victim in a media world where you are allowed to have an opinion, unless a lot of people don't like it. especially from the left.
NPR fired Williams tonight after he made comments about Muslims on the Fox News Channel.
The move came after Mr. Williams, who is also a Fox News political analyst, appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday. On the show, the host, Bill O’Reilly, asked him to respond to the notion that the United States was facing a “Muslim dilemma.” Mr. O’Reilly said, “The cold truth is that in the world today jihad, aided and abetted by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet.”
Mr. Williams said he concurred with Mr. O’Reilly.
He continued: “I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”
Mr. Williams also made reference to the Pakistani immigrant who pleaded guilty this month to trying to plant a car bomb in Times Square. “He said the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts,” Mr. Williams said.
NPR said in its statement that the remarks “were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.”
The public radio organization said it thanked him for many years of service. Mr. Williams did not immediately respond on Wednesday night to an e-mail seeking comment.
Mr. Williams’s contributions on Fox raised eyebrows at NPR in the past. In February 2009, NPR said it had asked that he stop being identified on “The O’Reilly Factor” as a “senior correspondent for NPR,” even though that title was accurate.
Alicia C. Shepard, the NPR ombudswoman, said at the time that Mr. Williams was a “lightning rod” for the public radio organization in part because he “tends to speak one way on NPR and another on Fox.”
Ms. Shepard said she had received 378 listener e-mails in 2008 listing complaints and frustrations about Mr. Williams.
Can't get enough of Bill O'Reilly? Well, the lightning rod of hate from the left has signed a new contract with FOX News for four more years at a reported sum of $10 million a year.
"Bill O'Reilly is the most prominent and influential name in all of cable news, and his contribution to the network's success cannot be overstated," FNC chairman and CEO Roger Ailes said. "After 12 years, 'The O'Reilly Factor' maintains remarkable and consistent viewership growth, and his firmly established itself as the top destination for newsmakers to reach a wide, diverse audience."
O'Reilly said he will continue because of Ailes and because Fox is a great place to work. He also took a shot at those in the mainstream media who don't like him much by saying: "And, if I retired, I know my friends in the elite media would miss me greatly."
The former ABC correspondent has found unprecedented success at Fox, where he joined in 1996. It has been the top-rated cable news program for 94 months, with an average viewership of 4 million a night.
Meanwhile, Fox News Channel has been locking up many of its key stars including O'Reilly, Sean Hannity (who re-signed recently) and anchor Shepard Smith, plus luring CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck to anchor a 5 p.m. program.
It got nasty on "The O'Reilly Factor" last night as Bill O'Reilly and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) got into a down-and-dirty fight on the airwaves, each calling the other names. O'Reilly calls Frank a coward and the congressman responds by telling O'Reilly he's boorish. It goes south from there.
Here's the transcript:
O'REILLY: "Personal story" segment tonight, the financial chaos in this country is largely the fault of the citizens who cannot pay their obligations, banks who lent money to unqualified people, and the federal government which failed to provide oversight. Both political parties are to blame as I've stated.
Now "The Factor" has called on SEC Chairman Christopher Cox to resign, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd to quit, and House Finance Chief Barney Frank to step down from his position. That's because for the past two years, Frank and his committee oversaw Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two government sponsored lending agencies which pretty much are bankrupt. Congressman Frank was asked about Freddie and Fannie on July 14, 2008. Story continues below
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANK: I think this is a case where Fannie and Freddie are fundamentally sound, that they are not in danger of going under. They're not the best investments these days from the long- term standpoint going back. I think they are in good shape going forward. They're in a housing market. I do think their prospects going forward are very solid. And in fact, we're going to do some things that are going to improve them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Well, obviously, that statement turned out not to be true. Joining us now from Washington is Congressman Frank. And we appreciate you coming in, being a standup guy, but shouldn't everybody in the country be angry with you right now?
FRANK: No. You've misrepresented this consistently. I became chairman of the committee on January 31st, 2007. Less than two months later, I did what the Republicans hadn't been able to do in 12 years -- get through the committee a very tough regulatory bill. And it passed the House in May.
I've always felt two things about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that they had an important role to play, but that the regulations should be improved.
Now from 1995 to 2006, when the Republicans controlled Congress, and we were in the minority, we couldn't get that done. Although in 2005, Mike Oxley, of Sarbanes-Oxley fame, a pretty tough guy on regulation, did try to put a bill through to regulate Fannie Mae. I worked with him on it. As he told "The Financial Times," he thought ideological rigidity in the Bush administration stopped that. But the basic point is that the first time I had any real authority over this was January of 2007. And within two months, we had passed the bill that regulated.
O'REILLY: OK. And that's true, all of that is true.
FRANK: And then also, one other point. The Senate was dragging its feet, as often happens. And in January of 2008, I asked Secretary Paulson to put in the stimulus bill. So the earliest chance I got to put tough regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, we did it.
O'REILLY: All right, that's swell. But you still went out in July and said everything was great. And off that, a lot of people bought stock and lost everything they had.
FRANK: Oh, no.
O'REILLY: And -- yes, oh yes. Oh, yes.
FRANK: I said it wasn't a good investment.
O'REILLY: Don't give me any of that, we just heard the words. What are you.
FRANK: That's wrong.
O'REILLY: That you didn't say that? You want me to play it again for you?
FRANK: You didn't listen to it.
O'REILLY: No, I listened to every word you said. And I have the transcript right here. FRANK: No, and I said it wasn't a good investment. O'REILLY: Yes, you said going forward, we're going to be swell. For look.
FRANK: No, I didn't say swell. Excuse me, Bill. O'REILLY: .from August `07 to August '08.
FRANK: Excuse me, Bill.
O'REILLY: Don't - look, stop the B.S. here. Stop the crap! From August '07 to August '08.
FRANK: You know, here's the problem going on your show. O'REILLY: under your tutelage, this industry ...
FRANK: Here is the problem going on your show.
O'REILLY: ... declined 90 percent. 90 percent. FRANK: Yes, but. O'REILLY: Oh, none of this was your fault! Oh, no. People lost millions of dollars. It wasn't your fault. Come on, you coward! Say the truth.
FRANK: What do you mean coward?
O'REILLY: You're a coward. You blame everybody else. You're a coward.
FRANK: Bill, here's the problem with going on your show. You start ranting. And the only way to respond is almost to look as boorish as you. But here's the facts. I specifically said in the quote you just played that I didn't think it was a good investment. I wasn't telling anybody to buy stock. I said it wasn't a good investment.
Secondly, I wasn't presiding idly over this. I was trying to get the regulations adopted.
O'REILLY: Look.
FRANK: We got them adopted in May.
O'REILLY: Bottom line is you're there two years. Bottom line is stock drops 90 percent.
FRANK: Yes.
O'REILLY: In any private industry, you're out.
FRANK: No.
O'REILLY: In any private concern, you're out on your butt. FRANK: No.
O'REILLY: But not here in the federal government.
FRANK: No.
O'REILLY: You can come in and make every excuse in the world.
FRANK: I'm not making excuses.
O'REILLY: Blame everybody else in the world and then call me boorish.
FRANK: I'm not going to be bullied by your ranting. You can rant all you want, you're not going to shut me up! The problem was that we passed in 1994, in fact.
O'REILLY: Now we're back to 1994. This is bull.
FRANK: Yes.
O'REILLY: This is why Americans don't trust the government.
FRANK: No, this is why your stupidity gets in the way of rational discussion.
O'REILLY: All right.
FRANK: The fact is it was 1994 that we passed a bill to tell the Fed to stop the subprime lending. We tried to get them to do it. The first time we were in power again in 2007, we passed the bill to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
O'REILLY: Look, Congressman.
FRANK: So during the two years I was there.
O'REILLY: You tried to put a happy face on this in July.
FRANK: I'm not putting a happy face.
O'REILLY: You tried to - and now you won't take the...
FRANK: No.
O'REILLY: Look, at least Cox is man enough.
FRANK: I said.
O'REILLY: ... to say he screwed up.
FRANK: Hey, Bill.
O'REILLY: You're not.
FRANK: This manliness stuff is very unbecoming from you. I don't see any.
O'REILLY: Cox is man enough to say he screwed up. You're not.
(CROSSTALK)
FRANK: You think toughness is yelling and ranting and trying to bully. It's not going to work with me. The fact is in the very quote you played, I said it's not a good investment. I tried to get the regulations adopted.
O'REILLY: You said going forward, it's going to be swell. And people under that bought stock in that, thought it was a good investment.
FRANK: I didn't say swell. I didn't say swell. No, I said in fact in that quote that you played and didn't listen to because you're busy ranting that it's not a good investment. I said that at the time. I did think we were going to improve things going forward. Yes, we had some things that needed improvement.
O'REILLY: All right, you want to - here, let me read you your quote here. OK? OK? "I do think the prospects going forward are very solid."
FRANK: But that's not the part about it not being a good investment.
O'REILLY: Now, people bought stock when you said that.
FRANK: You are distorting it. Bill, you're lying by your words.
O'REILLY: This is what you said.
FRANK: What about the part where.
O'REILLY: Not lying. And I played it and I read it.
FRANK: What about the part where I said it wasn't a good investment?
O'REILLY: You said it's not the best right now, but going forward this is going to be solid.
FRANK: Right..
O'REILLY: People lost millions.
FRANK: .(INAUDIBLE) right now. I didn't say solid, I didn't say swell. You distort consistently. And you think ranting and raving.
O'REILLY: All right.
FRANK: You don't want to talk about 1994, like no history is relevant. The fact is that you had a problem with an administration - conservative.
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: I know, it's all the conservatives, it's all the Republicans and not you.
FRANK: Oh, come on.
O'REILLY: None on you. That's a joke.
FRANK: You won't have a rational discussion.
O'REILLY: That's a joke.
FRANK: The joke is to think I could have a rational discussion with you.
O'REILLY: No, the joke is.
FRANK: You're ranting.
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: Both parties are at fault, as I stated. But one guy Cox says yes, I screwed up.
FRANK: That's a totally different issue.
O'REILLY: And one guy Frank says it's everybody else's fault.
FRANK: No, I didn't say it was everybody else's fault.
O'REILLY: It's your fault.
FRANK: You are the most -- you don't listen at all, or maybe you are listening or you're too dumb to understand.
O'REILLY: I am too dumb, Congressman.
FRANK: The fact is that in - yes.
O'REILLY: No, you hit it, I'm too dumb. You're the brilliant guy.
FRANK: In 2007.
O'REILLY: You're the brilliant guy who presided over the biggest financial collapse in federal history.
FRANK: Oh, no, no, no.
O'REILLY: So you're the -- I'm the dumb guy. You're the brilliant guy.
(CROSSTALK)
FRANK: And the fact is.
O'REILLY: Congressman, thanks very much. We got to run.
FRANK: But.
O'REILLY: Plenty more ahead as "The Factor" moves along this evening.
Neil Cavuto got into a heated debate last night with Bill O'Reilly on "The Factor" over high gas prices and whether gas companies are gouging Americans.
Cavuto seemed to get the best of him. Cavuto was trying to explain that O'Reilly isn't giving his viewers the complete picture with the data. He kept his cool while O'Reilly kept raising his voice, at one point having to tell him to lighten up.
I'm a big fan of Neil because we went to St. Bonaventure together, and he gave me my first real newspaper job on the university paper. So I'm a bit biased in his favor, but he won last night hands down.
All three broadcast anchors, CBS' Katie Couric, ABC's Charlie Gibson and NBC's Brian Williams, made it from New Orleans to St. Paul today to switch gears and provide coverage of the Republican convention. But there was one famous commentator missing. Keith Olbermann decided to play it safe and stay in New York. Olbermann is co-anchoring from MSNBC studios in New York while Chris Matthews is in St. Paul.
An MSNBC spokesperson told TVNewser, "Since the next hurricane may hit on Thursday night, Keith will remain in New York. But, he'll co-anchor with Chris who will be on our Rice Park set."
It's pretty obvious that Olbermann didn't feel like going to Minnesota and be surrounded by so many Republicans. It's tough being in hostile territory. Quite the contrast to other conservative commentators, say Bill O'Reilly, who attended the Democrat convention in Denver.
Hal Boedeker, writing for the Orlando Sentinel, has the TV numbers for Tuesday night in Denver. Once again, NBC, CNN and Bill O'Reilly are the winners:
NBC and CNN were the big winners Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, just as they were Monday.
NBC and Brian Williams were the choice of nearly 6 million viewers for the 10 p.m. hour, when Sen. Hillary Clinton addressed the convention. The Clinton coverage lasted almost to 11:15 p.m.
CNN ran second in that time frame with 4.9 million viewers. The rest: ABC with 4.8 million, CBS with 3.8 million, Fox News Channel with 3.6 million and MSNBC with 2.7 million.
The cable news networks had a tight race in prime time, from 8 to 11 p.m. CNN was the favorite with 3.4 million viewers, followed by Fox News with 3.3 million and MSNBC with 2 million.
CNN had a strong lead in the 25-to-54 age group, the demographic so dear to advertisers. CNN was the choice of 1.3 million viewers in that age category, followed by Fox News with 823,000 and MSNBC with 785,000.
The story was quite different at 8 p.m. "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News was the clear favorite with 3.3 million viewers. In that hour, CNN had 2.2 million viewers and MSNBC had 1.5 million.
I still find it amazing that MSNBC, the most liberal-leaning network in America, has consistently been in last place for the Democratic Convention. It should have a ton of followers as this is the shining moment for politically active liberals. In addition, MSNBC certainly has been the most entertaining network with all the on-screen fighting among its commentators. It's just plain fun to watch.
Whose watching the Democratic Convention in Denver? About 22 million of you in 17 million households, according to Nielsen.
But are you really watching the convention, or your favorite pundit? Whether it 's Keith Olbermann trying to talk through the whistles of a locomotive, or an hour of Bill O'Reilly in the upper deck, most of the convention has come an gone without a clear picture of what's going on.
Sure, we all saw the big stars. Michelle Obama had wall-to-wall coverage, and so did Hillary Clinton's much-anticipated and well-delivered speech last night. But the real workings of the convention, such as the development of a party platform, has gone unnoticed by all the major media. If you want the meat of a convention, turn over to C-SPAN.
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was addressing the convention Monday, drawing a contrast between Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly was in a booth far above the delegates interviewing a pollster. O'Reilly waved in the direction of Pelosi on stage with a dismissive hand.
"Now we have Nancy Pelosi bloviating, and I say that in an affectionate way, behind us," O'Reilly said. "It doesn't seem like the crowd is on the edge of their seats."
Katie Couric and Jeff Greenfield were talking on CBS when Craig Robinson was onstage talking about his sister, Michelle Obama. During a Jimmy Carter tribute, Fox aired clips of demonstrators outside the convention hall. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill got little airtime.
"How can you cover a convention when you're talking while the main speakers are speaking?" asked PBS anchor Jim Lehrer, whose network lingered more on the speakers.
I'm sure things will be different tomorrow night as Barack Obama takes center stage at Invesco Field at Mile High. We'll see all of that. But wouldn't you just love the drama of a good old-fashioned floor fight followed by a tight roll call? Maybe a reporter being arrested on the convention floor? Ah, the good old days, when democracy would play out right before our eyes.
