Homeless veterans bringing their fight to Bill O’Reilly — directly

January 31, 2008

Following up on an item from a couple of weeks ago, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly told his television audience recently that John Edwards was wrong to assert that there are 200,000 homeless U.S. military veterans. He told his viewers “there’s not many of them out there,” and said he would intervene to help veterans sleeping under bridges.

On the facts, not surprisingly, Edwards was right and O’Reilly was wrong. The real entertainment came a day later, when O’Reilly insisted that Edwards apologize for using “class warfare.”

The story more or less faded from public view, but it appears poised to make a comeback. Jason Linkins has the story.

This afternoon in New York City, some of that work will resolutely continue, as a group of homeless veterans – one of the segments of the population of forgotten Americans that Edwards spoke of so often on the stump – will swarm FOX News Channel’s Studios to bring their fight to Bill O’Reilly, the millionaire celebrity host of The O’Reilly Factor. […]

Now, a group from Fitzgerald House, an “organization representing homeless veterans,” plans to bring their fight for recognition to Fox’s doorstep. They plan on visiting the Fox News Channel Studios today at 3:00 pm, and will come carrying a petition signed by 17,000 people demanding an apology from O’Reilly for his ignorance and abuse. In a press release, Brave New Films and Fitzgerald House say thay “have found that it is very easy to locate homeless veterans and are willing to help O’Reilly find them if his desire to help homeless vets is sincere.”

I have a hunch his stated intention to help was probably less than sincere, but I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.

If you’re just joining us, here was the original exchange, on Jan. 15, between O’Reilly and progressive talk-show host Ed Schultz.

O’Reilly: Well, we’re still looking for all the veterans sleeping under the bridges, Ed, so if you find anybody, let us know, because that’s all the guy said for the last three nights–

Schultz: Well they’re out there, Bill. Don’t kid yourself.

O’Reilly: They may be out there, but there’s not many of them out there. Okay? So if you know where one is, Ed–

Schultz: Well, actually, now, wait a minute–

O’Reilly: Ed, Ed. If you know where’s a veteran, sleeping under a bridge, you call me immediately, and we will make sure that man does not do it, is not there.

It wasn’t altogether clear who O’Reilly was referring to with “we,” but given the context, it sounded like O’Reilly was vowing publicly, in front of a national television audience, that either his show or his network (or both) might provide the resources and housing necessary to protect homeless vets.

Keep in mind, O’Reilly didn’t just let this go. He was still ridiculing Edwards’ claim after the fact, telling his audience, “Well, we’re still looking for all the veterans sleeping under the bridges…so if you find anybody, let us know.”

It’s a good thing O’Reilly speaks before he thinks, otherwise he wouldn’t humiliate himself quite so often.

He just said “make sure that man does not do it”; i.e. call the cops and have him busted.

  • Didn’t he later amend his “we’ll do something about it” shtick to something about bussing them to John Edwards’ house so that he could deal with the problem?

    What a classy, classy guy./snark

  • 17,000—that’s pretty much the equivalent of five full combat brigades. Maybe we should give all those guys some hammers and chisels, so they can start bringing down the concrete bastion against freedom and truth that FOX has become.

    FOX: America’s “Berlin Wall….”

  • Every time the Fox blowhards do shit like this I keep saying to myself “well that’s gotta be enough to piss off even the moronic Fox viewers”. And every time I’m wrong.

    So based on my personal experience, I predict that even if hundreds of homeless vets show up at Fox studios, the moronic wingnuts will justify O’Reilly’s stupidity with some cheesy dodge like “those people are just drug abusers and/or Democrats trying to make Billo look bad” or some such.

    The only thing I see working is to get Billo’s worst comments compiled into a nice little video, and shoot that video all over the web. Give the viewers a single point of contact and focus their collective rage at the executives at Fox responsible for generating advertiser earnings. If that guy starts getting 10,000 emails/day from people threatening to boycott Fox’s advertisers, then maybe we’ll see Billo taken down a peg.

  • The tactic O’Reilly and his ilk will resort to will likely be the “real troops” vs. “fake soldiers” game they have played before.

    Using citizens who have served in the armed forces, and from whom this nation has taken much more than can ever be repaid, for crass political gain as O’Reilly has done is beyond the pale. America needs to see the costs of war in the faces and lives of these service people so it doesn’t acquiesce to more endless war from Republicans like McCain and Romney. Supporting the troop is not hanging them out to dry.

  • Every time the Fox blowhards do shit like this I keep saying to myself “well that’s gotta be enough to piss off even the moronic Fox viewers”. And every time I’m wrong.

    You’re only wrong in the sense that you’re lumping all Fox viewers together into one amorphous mass. Some Fox viewers did get pissed by this little example of verbal diahreah by BillO – and he lost some viewers. Hopefully he lost them permanently.

    The trends on Fox News are downward and it’s for a variety of reasons. Partly it’s because of the general trend away from Republicans this election cycle. But partly it’s because every time one of these guys does something like this they lose a few viewers.

    And while they may not lose a ton of viewers from this little bit of verbal-diarreah from BillO, I know they’ve been losing the “conservatives who like to smoke pot” contingent with their constant marginalization of Ron Paul. It’s fun to have my libertarian collegues suddenly realize that Fox News actually isn’t 100% truthful all of the time, and that they really are a tool of the Republican establishment.

  • I was watching the show; Oreilly said he doubted there were very man living under bridges, but to let him know who they were so they (Fox and/or him) could get them help. He never said there were not homeless Veterans; just few living under bridges, which is accurate. The vast majority of homeless Veterans have a place to go at night and do not live under bridges…..

  • Tony J.

    No, he never said he would ship them to Edwards. Nice try. He should have said he would expect John Edwards to spend a few million helping them out instead of just expecting others to help them out. But then again, Edwards is a million dollar trial attorney apparently well capable of convincing anybody of anything if it puts a buck in his pocket.

  • Oh heers, doubtful. I just spent the last ten minutes scrolling through the archives here to find that quote./snark

    And mary, puh’leeze. Don’t you know that trolling is an artform? You can’t just deny reality straight off the bat, you have to go for misdirection first./added snark

  • NonyNony,

    Some Fox viewers did get pissed by this little example of verbal diahreah by BillO – and he lost some viewers.

    got any sources or citations to back this up? Or is this just based on anecodotal “evidence”?

  • “He should have said he would expect John Edwards to spend a few million helping them out instead of just expecting others to help them out.”

    God forbid they should get most of their help from the US government.

    You know, their former employers.

    And speaking of another worthless Fox News POS, how about that Sean Hannity and that wonderful Freedom Alliance, huh?
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/22/83020/295/652/425489

  • Troll Mary (or is it Bill?),

    Thinking individuals understand that ‘living under bridges’ is not always a literal phrase, and is a metaphor for ‘HOMELESS’. (Wonderful way to ‘Support the Troops’. Right up there w/ letting vets live in squalor at Walter Reed, and refusing to allow the VA to help veterans apply for the benefits they’ve earned and qualify for). Now, you may have difficulty w/ the concept of metaphors, but please, don’t throw your ignorance around so carelessly. It just makes you look worse.

  • When the Fox Faux News studios are overrun daily by those who have been maligned by their empty-headed blowhard hacks then maybe tubby Roger Ailes will finally find himself looking for a sinecure. Murdoch is all about the bottom line, and if the network starts to tank he’ll pull the plug, and just setup some other sensationalizing operation to pander to anyother constituency. Money is money, after all.

    The Rethugs are on track to destroy themselves, and Fox won’t be far behind. I can’t wait for the day when there’s only a test pattern on that channel. I might even watch it then. Perhpas Murdoch will take pity and establish a homeless shelter for his former propagandists.

  • Maybe we’ll get footage of Billdo cowering behind his desk, tears of terror pouring down his face and the liquid shit of fear pouring out his pants legs.

  • Bill Oreilly has triple the ratings of Olbermann STILL. Nice try losers. Nobody but one percenter losers watch MSNBC, especially bathtub boy Keith O.

  • Edo
    got any sources or citations to back this up? Or is this just based on anecodotal “evidence”?

    Well the viewer numbers are down for Fox News Channel. That is not anecdotal but you’ll have to do your research yourself. Probably Nielsen ratings.

  • Thank you Bill – you have put this issue in the national spotlight by trying to ignore it.

    You need to see the film called WHEN I CAME HOME. It’s all about homeless veterans and includes some vets who end up homeless in NY City after returning from combat in Iraq.

    http://www.whenicamehome.com

    Support The Vets!

  • http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2008/01/31/wednesdays-numbers-86/

    All the ratings are available weekly at this web site.

    Fox shows no “loss” of viewers and yes, Bill Oreilly has 3 to 4 times the viewers of Olbermann’ Countdown on most nights. Oreilly’s 11:00 RERUN even beats Olberman’s Countdown viewers.

    I just don’t understand the “Oreilly is losing viewers, Fox is losing viewers” BS when the facts are right in front of you. For 2 years lefties have been claiming Olbermann is climbing and Oreilly is dropping. LOL. What a bunch of BS.

    http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2008/01/31/wednesdays-numbers-86/

    I also love how all the left got was 4 so called Veterans at this “demonstration” and none of them had a clue what they were doing there.

  • I thought O’Reilly’s main point was the fact that they aren’t 200,000 homeless troops because of the economy, instead the majority of them are from mental illness and addiction. I thought and I could be wrong, but I thought that was the main argument. We all know there are homeless Vets and I don’t think Bill was denying that fact.

    I did see the Veterans that showed up at the demonstration the only guy that seemed to have a clue was the last one. Also, none of them seemed homeless unless it was by choice. One dude had a blue tooth in his ear the others were well dressed..

  • I love how the wingnut trolls first attempt to defend the pile of garbage wrapped in skin that is the blowhardbilowlielly is to always go for the stats as if quantity actually relates to anything.I’m sure Britney Spears has sold more albums than anything Mozart ever produced and I’m also sure that one is was and always will be recognized as a musical genius and the other well she’s something alright just no one has decided exactly what, but she does sell records.I’m also sure they sell more F-150 Fords than they do 599 Fiorano GTB Ferraris but I’m sure which I’d pick given the choice.I guess when you’re working with a POS like the blowhard you have to do whatever to try to drum up some sort of defense forthe waste of skin especially in this case.

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