Sunday, September 25, 2005
Sorry to Have Missed This on Fox (gasp!)
Not for the first or last time, to be absolutely fair and balanced about it, but Bill O'Reilly this week hosted a guest -- Phil Donahue -- who wasn't going to let him get away with the usual one-sided No-no-no-no! shoutfest. News Hounds has a transcript, together with a link to the video on Crooks & Liars.
Excerpt:
[By the way, the Jeremy Glick who's referred to several times in the transcript had himself been a guest on The Falafel Factor.]
Excerpt:
DONAHUE: Excuse me. Twenty-one Democrats in the Senate voted against this war as well as Jeffords, an Independent, and- may the Lord shine His blessings down upon Lincoln Chaffee ..."Billy": heh.
O'REILLY: Alright. I'm gonna say something and I'm gonna ...
DONAHUE (louder, refuses to be stopped): I'm almost finished, Billy!!
O'REILLY: I'm gonna give ya' the last word.
DONAHUE: I'm almost finished!
O'REILLY: Alright.
DONAHUE: Lincoln Chaffee, the only Republican in the Senate to vote against this war. We should be building statues to all these people. October 2002 ...
O'REILLY: Alright;
DONAHUE: ... they stood up to as President and they knew that, first of all, only Congress can declare war. Why is that unimportant to you, Billy?
O'REILLY: Listen. It's not - I'm not ...
DONAHUE: Become the patriot that your loud voice proclaims you to be ...
O'REILLY: The loud voice ...
DONAHUE: ... and stand behind the Constitution and insist that we never go to war again without the approval and the consent of the United States Congress.
O'REILLY: Alright . That's why we have the Congress. If they want to take action, they can take action. Now I'm gonna say somethin' then I'll give you the last word. The Iraq War is not something I embrace.
DONAHUE makes surprised sound.
O'REILLY: It absolutely could be a tactical error.
DONAHUE: Well you should ...
O'REILLY (louder): Just listen.
DONAHUE: It's hard to know this.
O'REILLY (louder): Listen ta' me ..
DONAHUE: It's hard to know this.
O'REILLY: ... and I'll give you the last word. Not something they embrace. Could be a tactical error and we have not waged it the way I had hoped we would wage it.
DONAHUE: But, what?
O'REILLY: But ...
DONAHUE: You want to send more kids ...
O'REILLY: The war on terror ...
DONAHUE: ... to die.
O'REILLY: We're in a war on terror. Our cause is noble.
DONAHUE: It has nothing to do with the war on terror.
O'REILLY (louder again): Yes, it does. And if you don't understand geopolitics, if you don't understand Iraq would be a terrorist state if we pulled outta there...
DONAHUE (loudly): It's a mistake.
O'REILLY: ... then you don't know anything. Go ahead.
DONAHUE: It was poorly planned ...
O'REILLY: Go ahead.
DONAHUE: ... and poorly executed but Bill O'Reilly wants to send more kids to fight and die. We've already had two thou - almost thousand - (gestures for O'Reilly to hold off) - just let me have the last word. In the last year two things have doubled. The number of dead American troops in Iraq has doubled and you know what else doubled, Billy? The price of Halliburton stock.
O'REILLY (upset): Alright.
DONAHUE: From $33 to $66. That doesn't shame you? That doesn't make you wonder ...
O'REILLY: I'm not upset by Halliburton stock.
[By the way, the Jeremy Glick who's referred to several times in the transcript had himself been a guest on The Falafel Factor.]
