Speaking on NBC Tuesday, the president said this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: First of all, I’ve got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration. I mean, that’s a pretty…
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I assume you’re talking about FOX.
OBAMA: Well, that’s a pretty big megaphone. And you’d be hard-pressed if you watched the entire day to — to find a positive story about me on that front.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, the question is: Is that true? Are we unfair to President Obama? Let’s look at it methodically.
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First of all, a study by the Pew Research Center said flat out FOX News had the most balanced coverage of the presidential campaign in the cable news world. That is irrefutable.
Secondly, the president is now moving the country left. So Reagan conservatives like Sean Hannity are going to have a problem with that. So will libertarians like Glenn Beck. There are very few conservative Republicans on TV, so that may be why the president is horrified by some criticism. I mean, everybody knows liberals own the media.
In the FOX lineup, Bret Baier seems to be neutral. So does Shepard Smith and Greta. FOX News commentators Alan Colmes, Juan Williams, Mara Liasson, Marc Lamont Hill, Ellis Henican and Bob Beckel all generally support President Obama. Neil Cavuto’s a fiscal conservative. As Cavuto said on his program Wednesday, he roundly criticized President Bush on spending just as he does President Obama.
And then there’s “The Factor.” Anyone who watches this broadcast knows I’ve tried hard to be fair to the president, often giving him the benefit of the doubt. Well, my job’s to look out for you. So when the president’s policies are wrong, in my opinion, I say it. Just as I say it when he does something right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: President Obama did the right thing yesterday by listening to his generals and refusing to release evidentiary photos of American military people abusing prisoners.
I thought that Barack Obama did a good job over there. He’s leaving with goodwill.
First of all, the president is smart to engage the Middle East and the Muslim world in general because there’s no question that anti-American feeling among the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world is a major problem for the USA.
I thought President Obama did a good job in the pirate situation last week, deploying Navy SEALs and rescuing Captain Richard Phillips.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Oh, we could go on and on. Now, if the president thinks we have been unfair to him, he’s always welcome to reply. His people can come on. He can issue a statement. I told that to the president directly, man to man, face to face.
So, I have to chalk this up to politics. There’s no question the president receives very favorable treatment from most TV news operations and maybe that’s skewing his thinking, because they love him so much, any criticism becomes a major event for him.
But there could be something else in play. In researching the president, I have found he has rarely been criticized in his life. So, the microscope he is under now, as intense as it is, he’s a sensitive guy. And when he gets criticism, he’s not used to it.
If any of you watching believe I have been unfair to President Obama, please e-mail me with specifics. We’ll put them right on the air. And again, the Obama administration is invited on any time to discuss anything. That is fair and balanced.
And that’s “The Memo.”
Pinheads & Patriots
As you may know, I was in Nashville Tuesday to introduce Trace Adkins at the Country Music Television Awards program. For me, a Yankee, this was a very interesting experience.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: Country music is part of the American landscape. I’m a Yankee, but I know it’s an art form.
NAOMI JUDD, SINGER: You’re of the people, and you’re always looking out for us.
O’REILLY: Yes, and I’m working on my “howdy.”
JUDD: It’s actually “Mighty fine and a great big howdy.” Can you do that for me?
O’REILLY: What is it? Mighty fine what?
JUDD: Mighty — well, mighty fine and a great big howdy, buckaroos and buckaroo-ettes.
O’REILLY: I can’t do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Naomi Judd is a patriot simply for putting up with me.
On the pinhead front, where is the Secret Service on the bug issue?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Get out of here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That’s the most persistent fly I’ve ever seen. Nice.
OBAMA: Now, where were we? That was pretty impressive, wasn’t it? I got him. I got the sucker.
(END VIDE CLIP)
I thought he was against capital punishment. Obviously, the fly was a pinhead.
— You can catch Bill O’Reilly’s “Talking Points Memo” and “Pinheads & Patriots” weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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