Bill O'Reilly Wants To Take His Ball And Go Home

After failing to win a lawsuit against writer/comedian/radio host Al Franken and then starting an all-out war of words, Bill O'Reilly has decided to try getting Franken in trouble with the Federal Exchange Commission. And now he also wants Keith Olbermann fired and replaced with Phil Donahue!

The lawsuit against Franken, instituted by O'Reilly and filed by Fox News, tried to get Franken to remove the phrase "Fair and Balanced" from the title of his 2004 book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right because Fox believed it was a trademarked phrase. The case was thrown out, Franken was allowed to keep the phrase in the title.

Since that time, O'Reilly has made a point to take cheap shots at Franken and Air America Radio, the radio network that hosts The Al Franken Show, whenever possible. He has claimed on numerous occasions that the network was running out of money, its ratings were dropping, etc. He has consistently downplayed the network's (and Franken's) popularity, often referring to them as "far left" and "hate-mongers".

O'Reilly's latest bid against Franken is an attempt to have him investigated by the FEC for possibly getting an advance on his salary sometime in the near future for a Senate bid that Franken hasn't even announced! This, in O'Reilly's distorted view qualifies as money laundering.

According to a Newshounds article, here is O'Reilly's argument:

1. The Democracy Alliance is MAYBE going to donate $8 million to keep Air America Radio on the air through the 2006 election. (O'Reilly used the words "is reportedly going to donate," clearly indicating that he has absolutely no idea whether or not such a donation is going to be made.)


2. Al Franken's salary is paid by Air America Radio.


3. Al Franken may or may not run for the Senate in Minnesota.


4. Al Franken "will borrow against his Air America salary to launch his Senate race" until he can pay it back from donations (a common practice used by many who wish to run for office).


5. Since Al Franken MIGHT POSSIBLY get a salary that MIGHT POSSIBLY come from funds donated by the "Democracy Alliance," then Al Franken MIGHT POSSIBLY be guilty of election fraud.


6. Therefore, outraged citizen that he is, O'Reilly stated that he is going to file a report on this with the Federal Election Commission.

The whole point of O'Reilly's argument is based on a reference an August 7th, 2005 Washington Post article that talks about the group's plans to donate $80 million "to fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups to compete with the potent conservative infrastructure built up over the past three decades." But O'Reilly didn't get his information from the Post article. He got it from a Boston-based blogger named Brian Maloney, who dug up the article because, apparently, he's got a lot of free time on his hands and wants to be just like Bill when he grows up. (Sorry... No link to Maloney's site. It's not worth my time. If you want to see it that badn, Google the guy's name.)

Now, moving on the MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, O'Reilly has decided that he cares about MSNBC's rating. In fact, he cares so much that he's sponsoring a petition to get Olbermann replaced with the previous host, Phil Donahue. The petition, directed to NBC Chairman Robert Wright, reads as follows:

February 22, 2006
Chairman Robert Wright
National Broadcasting Company
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112

Dear Chairman Wright:

We, the undersigned, are becoming increasingly concerned about the well-being of MSNBC and, in particular, note the continuing ratings failure of the program currently airing weeknights on that network at 8:00 PM EST.

It is now apparent to everyone that a grave injustice has been done to the previous host for that time slot, Phil Donahue, whose ratings, at the time of his show's cancellation three years ago, were demonstrably stronger than those of the current host.

Therefore, in an effort to rescue MSNBC from the ratings basement and to restore the honor and dignity of Mr. Donahue, who was ignobly removed as host three years ago, we ask that you immediately bring Phil Donahue's show back at 8:00 PM EST before any more damage is done.

Suddenly, O'Reilly is so concerned about the ratings at MSNBC? Why do you suppose that is? It couldn't be because Olbermann has ranked O'Reilly "Worst Person In The World" numerous times on his show, could it? Or maybe it's because Olbermann consistenly points out O'Reilly's line of bull? (Here's a good - not to mention funny - example of that, where Olbermann smacks down O'Reilly on numerous lies.)

This feud between O'Reilly and Olbermann has been going on since at least last year, and Olbermann's former co-worker, John Gibson (who worked at MSNBC before going to Fox, and Olbermann considered a friend at one time) has been right in there fighting alongside O'Reilly. (Gibson joined O'Reilly in the ridiculous "War On Christmas" campaign that, it turns out, was completely fabricated by Fox, according to a former producer from the network.)

And it just continues... Recently, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof challenged O'Reilly to visit Darfur in Africa and see the continuing genocide, which O'Reilly had all but ignored. After Kristof suggested that O'Reilly wasting his time on his "War On Christmas", O'Reilly shot back, calling Kristof a "left-wing idealogue."

In a response from his column, Kristof issued the challenge to O'Reilly, who claimed he couldn't do it because he had a radio show and television show to do. Again in response, Kristof, showing the kind of initiative that a good reporter should, started a pledge drive to raise enough money for O'Reilly's trip, as well as a state-of-the-art satellite phone so O'Reilly could continue to do his show.

What started out as a half-joke has now garnered so much support that Kristof has raised $727,568 in pledges to send O'Reilly to Darfur. According to an article at the Editor&Publisher website, Kristof has been "deluged by 6,675 pledges, averaging a bit more than $100." With the amount of money pledges, Kristof says, "Mr. O'Reilly will be able to fly first class with the very best satellite phones and fill his water bottles with San Pelegrino." I assume that it also would cover a return ticket, although I am by no means insisting that there should be one.

O'Reilly's response was typically cowardly, attempting to change the subject. Kristof, he says, "couldn't care less if I travel to Darfur. He should direct his ire at the U.N."

The next obvious question is, who will O'Reilly piss of next?

Stay tuned.

All the best,
Derek
(DCF)