Make Bill O'Reilly Pay for Insulting Helen Thomas
, The Women's Media Center ,Feb. 11, 2009 at AlterNet.org
To recap: On O'Reilly's February 9 show, he compared Thomas to "the Wicked Witch of the East" along with disparaging remarks about her appearance and age. Journalist Bernard Goldberg was a guest, who added his own insults, and even Alan Colmes, while ostensibly defending Thomas, laughed along and didn't seriously object. This kind of verbal degradation in the guise of humor is unacceptable, and as Media Matters has documented, it's part of an on-going pattern where O'Reilly has targeted Thomas.
It was an attack no woman deserves -- including Helen Thomas, an accomplished, award-winning journalist working in the White House press corps, where women are underrepresented. The Women's Media Center demonstrated that sexist remarks went unchecked by networks during the primary season in our Sexism Sells But We're Not Buying It viral campaign. Now, as then, the WMC demands accountability.
An immediate public apology is required.
Click here to join the WMC in demanding an on-air apology from Bill O'Reilly.
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Anyway with all the problems and crisis facing the United States the Conservative & Republican spin doctors and their media talking heads spew their venom against legendary and distinguished Washington Journalist Helen Thomas.
They do not merely attack Thomas for her opinion or analysis but inevitably attack her for her age and her looks and the sound of her voice etc calling her "That old lady " or "The Wicked Witch of The West ". As Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly also do is to show that they are bothered by Thomas' appearance to the point of physical revulsion- is this the way professional journalist ought to behave that is in this childish prepubescent manner. But these characters on Fox News etc. who are just a bunch of cheerleaders for the Bush Regime which they seem to think is still in power. Their other role as spokespersons for Bush & the Republicans is that of vicious attack dogs. When they can't attack on substantive issues they attack someone's personality , their character and their physical attributes as they for instance making a big deal about in News Headlines " Obama in a Bathing Suit " or his middle name is Hussein etc.
The ideal of journalism is to be somewhat objective but this does not mean that one cannot form an opinion based on the analysis of the facts and discern between facts and spin and lies and propaganda. This also does not mean that one should not show outrage over certain events when this is the normal human response. It is merely a sign of being human to be outraged after viewing pictures of the abuse at Abu Ghraib and to know that as many as a million Iraqis have died due to an unnecessary and ineptly handled invasion and occupation of Iraq. Bill O'Reilly or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh are outraged when American soldiers are killed but they are unable to sympathize or empathize with those hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis or dead Afghans or a thousand dead Palestinians or Gazans. Their view is that only American lives count . They are ghoulish in their celebrations of more dead Iraqis or more dead Arabs or more dead Muslims since they hate them all and can't see any difference between terrorists and non-combatants.
Under the Bush Regime Lies and Propaganda is seen as a legitimate part Public Relations. The PR person tries as it were to calm the waters or to attack any who dare disagree with the policies of the US government under George W. Bush. Over and over the Media and the public were told they had no right to criticize President Bush in a time of war. As Bill O'Reilly said in a time of war if you disagree with the president's policies you should keep it to yourself and " Just Shut the F***-Up !". So what was it that US journalist were then permitted to talk about or to ask the president at a News Conference. What Helen Thomas insisted on doing which few American journalists did in the Bush years was to ask the important and tough questions.
In this clip Helen Thomas ask Obama about whether Taliban or so-called terrorists are hiding out in Pakistan. For this she is mocked by these simple-minded Bushites. Her question is really asking why Obama has sent in drones to bomb Pakistan on the one hand and on the other are his targets really terrorists- ie how does he know-
The other part of her question has to do with Israel's nuclear capability and whether the US should just admit that Israel is a Nuclear Power and if this is so then why pick on Iran or other countries that might want to build nuclear weapons. The assumption made by US presidents and the American public is either Israel does not have nuclear weapons and if it does it would not use them unless it were necessary to do so. Firstly it is an incontrovertible fact that Israel has nuclear weapons secondly who knows what some right wing government in Israel is capable of doing . I would not rule out the new government in Israel of considering the use of nuclear weapons on Iran or possibly Gaza or some other Arab country. Some of the members of the Knesset are fanatical and want to drive the Arabs / Palestinians out of the occupied territories and beyond til they have finally created what they call Greater Israel / Eretz Israel.
O'Reilly and Goldberg Mock Helen Thomas
Bill O'Reilly and cowardly Bernard Goldberg were pinheads as they childishly smeared respected veteran AP reporter Helen Thomas.
Note While insulting Helen Thomas Glenn Beck makes another stupid remark about Canadians. These ultraconservatives still think Canada should be more like America. It will take time to dumb us down to their level though.
Glenn Beck & Michelle Malkin Bash Helen Thomas!-Jan. 21, 2009
Why they Hate Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas wants to know how many Iraqis have died or been killed since the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq. This sort of question is seen as in bad taste and as UnAmerican and seditious according to the Bush Regime and their true believers in the Echo Chambers of Fox News & Bill O'Reilly,Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter , Sean Hannity and Michelle Malkin etc.
Dana Perino Spins Out of Control thanks to Helen Thomas-Dec. 05 ,2007
Helen Thomas asks George Bush about Iraq-March 22, 2006
Helen Thomas grills spokes bimbo on torture- Torture Has Not Occurred
Veteran Journliast Helen Thomas on the Worst President Ever-April 20, 2007
When Truth goes on a Holiday
Helen Thomas: "We Have an Imperial Presidency!"
On April 12, 2007, Helen Thomas shares her views on President George W. Bush Jr. She said that the war in Iraq is "illegal, immoral and unconscionable." Ms. Thomas is a veteran White House journalist and the author of four book. She spoke at McDaniel College, at the Decker Center, to a large audience. The school is located about 30 miles west of Baltimore City. Ms. Thomas said that the "imperial presidency" was aided by "Chicken Democrats," and that the White House is presently "under siege," which reminded her a lot of the "early days of Watergate."
and so it goes,
GORD.
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