Saturday, November 12, 2005
Now That's Patriotism
Bill O'Reilly welcomes a terrorist attack on a large American city. (AP Photo)
Right-wing talk show host and Fox News stalwart Bill O'Reilly is advocating a terrorist attack on a major American city. Which city? San Francisco, California.
O'Reilly was (and presumably still is) angry at a proposition presented to voters on last Tuesday's ballot. San Francisco voters opted to urge the city's public schools to ban military recruiters on local campuses.
The measure passed with over 60 percent of San Fran's voters approving. Even with passage, schools are not required to take any action.
Here's what O'Reilly said:
"Hey, you know, if you want to ban military recruiting, fine, but I'm not going to give you another nickel of federal money. You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium, and I say, "Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds. Fine. You want to be your own country? Go right ahead."
"And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, city officials are not responding kindly to O'Reilly's remarks. San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin (whose district includes the Coit Tower) told the Chronicle, "It sounds like he's on the same medication Rush Limbaugh is addicted to, and he should go see a therapist.''O'Reilly's handlers have removed that portion of Tuesday's show from their on-line transcripts and recordings. Luckily for those on the side of truth, both are still available from Media Matters for America, a media watchdog group that makes daily recordings of O'Reilly's broadcasts.
O'Reilly began his terrorist advocacy on last Monday evening's edition of his television show "The O'Reilly Factor." On that show, O'Reilly blasted Angela Alioto, the former president of the city's Board of Supervisors.
"Why should the rest of the country protect your butt, with all due respect, OK, when it comes to the war on terror, if San Francisco is going to thumb your nose and give the big digit to the military? Why should ... why should we protect you from al-Qaida and terrorists if you're going to disrespect the military, by passing this ... even though it's symbolic ... this resolution?"
