News shocker! O'Reilly gets Obama tip, decides to verify first!

What in the world is going on in talk radio when someone wants to make an unverified slur on the air and the host, the notorious confrontational and not very shy Bill O'Reilly, won't let them say it until he checks out the details?

Is some kind of irresponsible responsibility creeping into the nation's chattering airwaves in an emotional election year? Has something called fairness reared its ugly head in a world usually bereft of nuance?

It all has to do with what Michelle Obama said or didn't say about being proud of her country earlier this week. What she said at a Monday rally was, "For the first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of my country." The "really" part got dropped in some versions, which changes the meaning considerably and allowed all kinds of people who don't like her anyway an opening to criticize her and, by extension, her husband, the presidential candidate who's annoying some people by pulling ahead in the Democratic delegate race.

But who cares about individual words at a time of intense political passion? Well, it looks like O'Reilly does. And so, as it happens, do we.

Much of the current online attention to this incident on his....

Tuesday show has focused on O'Reilly, who is also disliked by many for his success, and on his bold use of the word "lynching" in regards to a black woman, as in, "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels."

What's even more interesting, however, are the O'Reilly words that came after that. This caller, O'Reilly referred to her as Maryanne from Woodbury, Conn., said she has a friend who allegedly had direct knowledge of Michelle Obama who reportedly called Obama "very angry" and a "militant woman" and...

But O'Reilly cut her off. No, really. He wouldn't let her continue. And this is what he said: "I want you to stay on the line. ... Because it's not fair to Michelle Obama for you ... because we don't know who you are, and we don't know who your friend is, but we want to know. We want to know, OK.

"But it's not fair at this point for you to say, 'My friend said X and Y,' because we just don't know. But if you would give us your information, we would like to talk to your friend. And then whatever your friend tells us, we'll track it down. We'll do it in a fair and balanced and methodical way."

Later O'Reilly added, "If indeed Michelle Obama is angry about something, if she has a history, we would like to know that, and then we can put it into some kind of context so that we can be fair to everybody."

But then, get this, the czar of no-spin added: "You know, I have a lot of sympathy for Michelle Obama, for Bill Clinton, for all of these people. Bill Clinton, I have sympathy for him, because they're thrown into a hopper where everybody is waiting for them to make a mistake, so that they can just go and bludgeon them.

"And, you know, Bill Clinton and I don't agree on a lot of things, and I think I've made that clear over the years, but he's trying to stick up for his wife, and every time the guy turns around, there's another demagogue or another ideologue in his face trying to humiliate him because they're rooting for Obama.

"That's wrong. And I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down."

Stay tuned, it seems. But the question right now is, whose medicine is O'Reilly taking these days? Next thing you know in this topsy-turvy political world, Rush Limbaugh will be threatening not to endorse the Republican Party's presidential nominee.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photos: Gino Domenico / Associated Press and Scott Olson / Getty Images

Comments

[Marks]

People dislike O'Reilly because he's part of Faux News He's a spectacle, look at him kind of person.

Look at him say lynch, in the same reference of the Tiger incident for effect.

The jerk wants this distributed and discussed everywhere because now it's about him and less so what Michelle Obama said.

She was misquoted here and so have other media. Reactionary media is the problem, because the story is not sourced properly.

He's a blog on TV. His outrage is fake propaganda.

"The woman who called" probably someone on his staff to set the bit up. His staffer is originally from Woodbury, Connecticut.

[Jabari Woods]

Pres. Bush on lynching, White House Black History Observance, Feb 12:
"The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history. The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice. Displaying one is not a harmless prank. And lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest. As a civil society, we must understand that noose displays and lynching jokes are deeply offensive. They are wrong. And they have no place in America today."

[Angry African]

Is Obama the American Mandela? Obama brings a message of hope and change to a country at the crossroads. It is choice between the past and the future. But is Obama the American Mandela who could inspire Americans to a better future at home? And a future where America takes it rightful place at the global table? Is he the one? The question of whether Obama is the American Mandela is discussed in my blog Angry African on the Loose at http://angryafrican.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/is-obama-the-american-mandela/

[Guy]

I feel America has flaws. Does that mean O'Reilly is coming after me with a lynch mob? Or am I safe as long as I'm not black?

[Mr. Unite Us]

Unless ?? !!

Oreilly should be suspended.

"That's wrong. And I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down."

[Puttss]

She said It's the first time in MY ADULT LIFE. that I have felt REALLY proud of my country. Has everyone forgotten that she has been an adult for all of 7 years? How many people have had anything about this country to make them REALLY proud of it?

Wake up, Boobs. She's right, and you all know it.

[Tom J]

My take? Fox News is going to offer the kinder, gentler Huckabee a job after his presidential campaign ends, and Bill O'Reilly wants to make sure it isn't his.

[Gavin]

MICHELLE OBAMA SEEMS VERY CONTENTIOUS AND ANGRY AND PERHAPS IMPULSIVE...

I'm NOT SUPRISED she said such a stupid thing...

I'm sure all of this egomania & arrogance is poisoning her mind just like it has her husbands

and no doubt, O'Reily (who hates Clinton) will defend her....What a joke!

Then again he does work for the FAKENews network.

I'm all about Hillary Rodham Clinton this primary 2008 !!

[Micah]

Gavin, how is your attention span? Suffering from ADD?

This is probably the shortest article you can expect to read and yet you lacked the patience to finish reading it.

Bill isn't "DEFENDING" Obama! What kind of silly statement is that? He wants to go on a 'lynching party' against her.

[Robert Pickett]

What disturbs me about this story is the comment by the writer that some people dislike O'Reilly because of his success! I can't stand him because he is a stupid idiot! His so called success is because people who are afraid to think believe that someone who says something against anyone they disagree with must be right.

[Pablo Jaime]

Bill O'reilly's use of the word lynching was on call for and racist.Fox tv should apologized immediately for his comment and banned him from bashing people for their color,race or origin.Bill should keep his racist views personal and not allowed to be disperse on national tv

[sam]

Well, if you are a political guru who sees life through a liberal agenda, then I would think there are millions of people who feel the same way also. What is the big deal here?

Are conservatives that afraid of Obama, that under the guise of Michelle's statement, it's fueling the notion that minorities who have "non-Western" last names "really" don't love this country?

[Sharon]

Bill O'Reilly is probably one of the reasons Michelle Obama can't honestly say she's proud of everything about America.

Like "pimping" Chelsea Clinton, "lynching party" for Michelle Obama is a poor choice of words.

[wakeup123]

Fox news should fire Bill O'reily or whatever his name is, he's a die hard racist, fox news is the worst news with the most racist news reporters that I have ever seen, all the the people who support this network should wilthdraw their support, fox news why won't you fire that sucker!! shame on you

[Mr. Unite Us]

Radio Show host talks about Lynching Michelle Obama

Talk radio show host Bill O’reilly spent the last two days generating hate calls against Michelle Obama.

Yesterday Bill Oreilly said on his radio show.

"I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama UNLESS there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down."

That's a vieled threat against the wife of presidential candiate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRD-zBhE1xM

ACTION PLAN

Call to cancel Bill Oreilly’s two appearances in Los Angeles today

Tell them you want his appearance canceled because he talked about lynching Michelle Obama

The Jay Leno Show

KNBC

1-818 840 4444

The Brentwood Theatre
11301 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90073
(310) 479-3003

Call the RADIO STATION

KABC Office: 310-840-4912

Show 1-877 966 7746 9-11 pst

Call the FCC

1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)

Using the public airwaves to promote hatred or violence especially against women is unacceptable.

During this year’s Black History month event at the White House President Bush said.

“The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history. The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice. Displaying one is not a harmless prank. And lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest. As a civil society, we must understand that noose displays and lynching jokes are deeply offensive. They are wrong. And they have no place in America today. ”

www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/02/20080212-3.html

www.withoutsanctuary.org

Note the number one weapon Hitler used against Jews was the radio microphone.

No one complained and things got worse and worse.

Call and spread the word.

uniteusnow@yahoo.com

__________________
It's time to Unite Us

[simonB]

I can only assume that a speaker or writer of the English language in 2008 who uses the word 'lynch' or 'lynching' does not know the definition and connotation of the words. Perhaps Mr. O'Reilly will give some air time to a scholar of U.S. history who can help him understand why using this word as he did is offensive and vile.

[Ernest Terrell]

Mayne this story would have gotten more coverage if
it refered to a another ethnic group.Had Bill said Mrs.
Lieberman shoulde be thrown in the gas chamber people
would see how this kind of comment hurts and you they
would realize the kind of person Bill O'reilly and what he
stands for is!
Ernest

[boilermaker5]

"For the first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of my country."??? .... Funny, for nth time I've never been more ashamed.

[HateAllTheStupidPeople]

People who get upset over using the work lynching and a black person in the same sentence are STUPID. It was clearly not used in a racist fashion. I could understand if the comment stated lets lynch her due to the comment, but that is not what he said. You people are a bunch of uneducated democrats who have NOTHING better to do with your time. You are attaching O'Reilly in the same manner she is being wrongfully attacked.

[Chrissy E.]

I must say that O'Reilly was incredibly ignorant to say something like that, really, and even to reference the word lynch and attribute to Michelle Obama was not a smooth or thought out move, even if it was, that still isn't excusable. I know O'Reilly crossed the lines countless times, but he honestly needs to be taken off the air. I don't think he realizes how many people he offended, regardless of free speech, this is just bigoted and shameful...

[Derrik J.]

This should be a bigger story, whatsup with the MSM? Imus got into all kinds of trouble over the nappy headed ho incident, why is O'reilly above such criticism? Sometimes I think the mainstream media is completely incompetent. Another story that should be big is the lapse in security at the Obama rally in Dallas but so far no one is talking about it except Drudge which I find to be quite ironic.

[Uhuru]

Malcolm X once said "I'm not a politician, I'm not a Republican, nor a Democrat, nor an American, and got sense enough to know it." It is extremely humorous in 2008 that many people of all nationalities really are ignorant of history and arrogant enough to believe they have the right to tell African people how they should see America. Considering the truth of how America has exploited Africa and her children for centuries, you better get down on your knees and give thanks that we haven't burned this place down to the ground by now.

[Steve Garramone]

O'Reilly was quoting what she did say, not the cropped up version which is negative. What she did say was not negative.

In this way he's doing the right thing

[p0s3r]

You people are so stupid I almost can't believe it. Almost. This whole faux outrage schtick by the American Left has outlived it's shelf-life.

[Sharon J.]

I'm an African-American woman, who finds Bill O'Reilly to be a bit of an annoying windbag. However, I feel that his comments about Michelle Obama are being taken out of context. I heard his comments on You-Tube, and I believe he was speaking in her defense. Some of the people making a big fuss about her so-called lack of pride in America do come across as if they would like to lynch her.

As a public figure O'Reilly understands that sometimes comments made by celebrities are twisted. So he showed sympathy for both Mrs. Obama and Bill Clinton. This is much ado about nothing.

[Vive la France]

Give me 3 words from an individual and I will have him
hanged. Voltaire
That sums up the despicable attitude of those condemning
Michelle Obama AND Bill O'Reilly. Stop the stupid and
vicious spinning.

[Kristen for president!!!!!!!]

To: Uhuru
Hey Mr Nice ! For what amount and to who do we make
the cheque to ?
PS ( 1000 Zlotys max.)

[Ezra CaKalovitch]

Angry African,
Obama is no Mandela, and Santa Claus has left the
building already.