It depends on what the meaning of ‘respectful’ is

August 12, 2005

When it comes to Bill O’Reilly, expectations start low. Really low. So, when he joined the right in trying to smear Cindy Sheehan this week, it wasn’t terribly surprising. Hearing O’Reilly claim last night that he was “respectful” and “accurate” when dealing with Sheehan, however, managed to catch me off-guard.

On Tuesday, for example, O’Reilly, while speaking with right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin, said Sheehan’s protest “borders on treasonous.”

“She has thrown in — there is no question that she has thrown in with the most radical elements in this country…. And, you know, there are some people who hate this government, hate their country right now, and blaming Bush for all the terrorism and all the horror in the world.”

He went on to say that Sheehan’s complaints have “been inconsistent,” which should necessarily undercut her concerns about the war.

First, O’Reilly and Malkin’s claims notwithstanding, Sheehan has been consistent, as an excellent Media Matters report documented this week.

Second, and more importantly, O’Reilly responded to some viewer complaints about his treatment of Sheehan as only he can. From the transcript:

O’Reilly: Heather O’Neill, New York City: “I see the right-wing smear tactics have begun against Cindy Sheehan.”

Well, I don’t know where you’re seeing that. Not here, Ms. O’Neill. We’ve reported the story accurately and fairly. […]

Al Nagengast, Payson, Arizona: “O’Reilly, the savaging of Mrs. Sheehan by you and Michelle Malkin is a new low for The Factor.”

Both Michelle and I were respectful to Mrs. Sheehan, sir.

So, let me get this straight. O’Reilly lashes out a mother who lost her son in a war, equating her behavior with “treason,” and suggesting that she hates her government and her country. This, in O’Reilly’s mind, constitutes “respectful” coverage of the story on Fox News.

I’m curious — what do you suppose disrespectful coverage would look like?

Again, another code-word!

Disrespectful (adj): a pejorative descriptor applying to those who have the effrontery to question the wisdom of the president in anything.

  • Nothing seems to infuriate the Movement Right as having the victums (Military Families) of their stupidity stand up and complain.

    O’Reilly and Malkin are gutless and evil.

  • I’m curious — what do you suppose disrespectful coverage would look like?

    A stabbing?

  • Man, we couldn’t design let alone afford to buy the kinds of TV ads that get the results that the RightWingNoiseMachine’s attack on Cindy Sheehan will have in opening the eyes of America.

    Americans’ eyes/brains have been glazed over by a form of “white noise.” White noise uses sonic technology in an office or other workplace, even the dentist’s office, to mask outside noise. It allows those inside the “white noise circle” to be insulated from anything that eminates from outside that circle. White noise has been shown to improve employee productivity, cuts down on mistakes, and reduces employee stress — all because the employee has no outside distractions from focusing on their employer’s business and their assigned duties.

    Likewise, the RightWingNoiseMachine — the RNC, think tanks, BushCo, talk radio, FNC, fake scientists, etc. — creates such a consistent on-message theme that it becomes a form of “white noise” for their believers: NOTHING FROM THE OUTSIDE GETS IN. For everyone else in the reality-based community, all kinds of outside influences get into our thinking and inform both our judgment and our opinions. Not so with the Believers — the white noise created by the RightWingNoiseMachine so effectively keeps out all inconsistent and non-approved information/opinion/reports/messages, that the Believers never get to see reality.

    I suspect that the RightWingNoiseMachine will create so much cognative dissonance that even the Believers will see the reality of the disgrace being perpetrated on Cindy Sheehan and all of the mothers of dead troops. Call it arrogance, or hubris, or just a one-play playbook — but this time it will seriously disgust America in the same way America was disgusted with Schiavo and with Social Security.

    Circumstances are starting to reach a point of confluence, where the dots are connected and it all starts to come together. We have $67+/barrel oil (yeah, it just hit $67.05!!); almost $3.00/gallon gasoline; the continuing debacle in Iraq; U.S. sabre rattling on Iran, North Korea, and Syria that is too-eerily reminiscent of the build-up to Iraq; the outing of a CIA operative and the subsequent White House smear (of Joe Wilson) and the cover-up of same. And now, after the digust over Schiavo and the efforts to destroy Social Security (and AARP with it), we have Cindy. This is the last piece, the point of confluence, where Believers and the rest of the American people too busy trying to survive in the past, FINALLY start to see things as they really are (something all of at TCR have seen for a long, long time).

    So, let O’Reilly and Limbaugh and Malkin and Assrocket and the rest of the RightWingNoiseMachine continue to go after Cindy Sheehan, just like they did with Gen. Shinsecki, Joe Wilson, Richard Clarke, Michael Shiavo, Max Cleland and John Kerry — and all of those that have shown integrity and competence and thereby were a threat to the Machine. They are stoking the fires of their own political damnation. Burn, baby, burn.

    P.S. I know this is OT, but my invocation of the epithet “burn, baby, burn” reminds me that yesterday (August 11) was the 40th anniversary of the start of the Watts riots. I was 13 at the time, and less than 2 years later came the Detroit riots, less than 90 miles down I-75 from my home. It was a scary time, and eventually a catalyst for some rethinking on racial and social justice issues, but we seem to be backtracking today. I heard a short report on NPR”s “All Things Considered,” but saw almost nothing in the regular CCCP (Compliant Complicit Corporate Press) or even in the blogosphere. I was away from my computer for a large share of the day yesterday — but I did catch up this AM — and I was surprised at the lack of rememberance and reflection. Did I miss it?

  • Cindy Sheehan is dishonoring her son Casey in several ways. One way she dishonors him is by omitting what his own views on the Iraq war was and synthesizing her own personal views with his. I find it strange that she says her son was against the war in Iraq, but yet Casey Sheehen reenlisted in the army of his own volition, that just doesn’t comport with Cindy Sheehan’s statements. This is a 100 % volunteer military, there is no conscription and that begs the question as to why Casey Sheehan reenlisted in a war he opposed, if that is even true. If perhaps Casey Sheehan disagreed with certain aspects of the war in Iraq e.g..he felt maybe we needed more troops in Iraq, or more armor on humvee’s or better food for the troops etc., then that should be explained by Cindy Sheehan without the partisan hyperbole. A person can complain about particular conditions in Iraq without opposing the entire war in Iraq you know. During another interview on national television Cindy Sheehan stated that her son was killed by friendly fire, when she was pressed about that statement she then said ” well I have speculative evidence that he was killed by friendly fire.” It’s amazing that anyone could use the words speculative and evidence in the same sentence side by side and keep a straight face. Evidence substantiates an allegation, speculation is just the opposite it requires no evidence at all,to use “speculative evidence” together is a perfect example of an oxymoron. The real truth of Casey Sheehan’s death is he was killed by hostile fire in Sadr City, this was the consistent report of his death since day one, medical reports and the reports from fellow soldiers who were present at his death confirm the same fact. Casey Sheehan was a real hero of the first order, when a convoy of soldiers from his unit was attacked in Sadr City he volunteered to join a rescue force to get them out, even after his commanding Sergeant told him he didn’t have to go because he was a mechanic and not an infantryman. Casey was reported telling his officer ” I go where my chief goes.” Thats not a man who didn’t believe in his cause or his duty, thats a hero. Casey Sheehan’s family has released this statement and I quote ” We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son’s good name and reputation.”

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