First Olbermann goes after Rumsfeld, now he nails Fredo

Is that the same Edye Tarbox who did local news in Pittsburgh?
I didn't know she worked for Fox News.

 

Gotta give Hill props for one thing: She looks damn good to have eight kids.

 

"We haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is," Bush said during the 2002 news conference. "I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him."

 

Rubbish.
He's done it twice, both times in response to over-the-top rhetoric from the Executive branch. The rest of his show is goofy celebrity news, funny video, takes on the news of the day, and trademark segments like Worst Persons In The World.

 

O'REILLY: In the "Unresolved Problem" segment tonight, as you know, federal judge Anna Diggs Taylor says the NSA surveillance program that is listening to conversations without warrants is unconstitutional and illegal. Her decision is being appealed. The Bush administration is saying there is no criminal aspect to the program, it's purely about national defense and intelligence, and thus entirely legal. The Supreme Court will probably decide.

Joining us now from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is Tom McArdle, a senior writer at Investor's Business Daily, which has criticized Judge Taylor.

See, I don't understand Judge Taylor. Maybe you can help me. Does she want Americans to die? There isn't any criminal proceeding in this case. This is an overarch to try to get intelligence information from calls to suspected Al Qaeda overseas, not domestic. Does she want people to die?

McARDLE: Well, we at Investor's Business Daily exposed Anna Diggs Taylor more than two months ago, and it's really no mystery what's going on here. She has a long history as a left-leaning political operative. Of course, she was appointed to the federal bench by President Carter in 1979. But going back to 1964, she helped set up the Mississippi office of the National Lawyers Guild.

The National Lawyers Guild, throughout its long, sordid history, has had connections to the Communist Party and has been on the side of every enemy of America you can think of, over the years, whether you're talking about the Sandinistas in Nicaragua or Fidel Castro in Cuba. And she has been also in the pocket of the ACLU on a number of rulings, whether we're talking about national --

O'REILLY: But say she is -- and I do believe this, I know her background -- she is an activist, far-left jurist. OK. Say that's true.

McARDLE: Right.

O'REILLY: Does she want dead people in the street here in America? Because I'm sure that she would not only oppose the NSA program, she would oppose coercive interrogation, profiling at the airports. She would oppose every anti-terror measure the Bush administration has put in just because they're the Bush administration. But the unintended consequences of the opposition is death.

McARDLE: That's right. That's right. Well, I don't have a crystal ball, and none of us do as far as looking into this woman's mind and seeing what her motivation is. Does she really wish ill will upon our forces, or is it some kind of pacifistic naiveté?

All you can do is observe her behavior over the years. And she's -- as I said -- as I said -- been in the pocket of the ACLU in a number of different areas --

O'REILLY: OK, let's talk about the ACLU. You know, in my upcoming book, Culture Warrior, I label them as the most dangerous organization in the country.

McARDLE: Absolutely.

O'REILLY: I think you concur.

McARDLE: Absolutely.

O'REILLY: Again, do these people at the ACLU want the terrorists to win? Do they want another attack on America? What is it behind it?

McARDLE: Well, you just have to look at what they've been doing over the years. They're always on the side of America's enemies. Just this year in Florida, they are trying to stop a school district from preventing elementary school children from being indoctrinated by what essentially are children's books with pro-Castro communist propaganda.

I mean, I don't know if these people are dream-walking or if they really do wish ill will. You just have to look at their behavior, and there's no doubt about it. You look at this decision, I mean she's -- Anna Diggs Taylor is not just trying to shut down the NSA's program, she is dropping a nuclear bomb on the program.

O'REILLY: But she'll -- it'll be overturned. I believe it will be. Mr. McArdle, thanks very much. We appreciate it.

Plenty more ahead as the Factor moves along this evening. This man is accused of exploiting the deaths of American military people. We'll confront him. Moments away.

I say again, false equivalence. Until someone shows me where Olbermann says stuff this absurd.

Saying Olbermann is an "emblem of the angry left" doesn't make it so.

 

In a rational political universe, Olbermann would at best be a centrist.

And in the same universe, O'Reilly and his ilk would cease to exist.

 

Oh, if such a place existed, it would be so wonderful, Toto. :

 

Tough to be on the side of such a jerkoff as O'Blarney, ain't it?

 

Not really.

1. He's entertaining.

2. He calls out jackasses that most of the media don't or won't, especially when children are affected. The (now) outgoing judge Edward Cashman is a perfect example. I mean, you can fawn all over Olbermann for bashing Rumsfeld and Bush, but every Joe Blow on the street is doing that these days, so big deal.

3. When he's grilling a guest who repeatedly dodges his question(s), he'll say something to the effect of "OK, just let the record show you didn't answer my question." I *love* that. I'm so tired of politicians and other partisan hacks getting away with not answering questions, spinning off into some unrelated monologue. For example, Russert asks plenty of hardball questions, and he'll often ask an unanswered question a second time, but after that he'll just let it pass. I'd love him to use the O'Reilly line sometimes, rude or not.

 

He also mutes his guests, repeatedly mischaracterizes their positions, rips them after they're off the air, calls people "pinheads" and then whines about ad hominem references to the fact that he's a sexual predator.

 

Believe me, I watch the guy enough to know all his faults, constantly listed here. I'm just providing the balance of his good traits.

 

Yeah, maybe, but the whole War On Christmas thing is just nuts.