Bill O'Reilly's SmearFactor

Well, I'm a month late on this story, but it's a great one. I was aware of it, but really read up on it for the first time tonight.

The Syracuse Post-Standard publishes a little multiple choice quiz weekly, where, as in many multiple choice tests in life, at least one of the answers is far-fetched, or even humorous. Here is the quiz question that started it all:

2. Bill O'Reilly put his spin on current events as the keynote speaker for Wednesday's Boypower fundraiser for the Boy Scouts. The Fox News personality was especially critical of:

a) The American Civil Liberties Union, for pointing out flaws in the United States of America.

b) Liberal newspapers and other "secular progressives" for urging tolerance and generosity.

c) Syracuse University, for denying organizers the use of campus facilities because of the Boy Scouts' prohibition of openly gay members.

d) Former associate producer Andrea Mackris, for making him about $10 million poorer when he settled the sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against him.

The correct answers were a, b and c.

Bill O'Reilly attacked the paper in his show:

O'REILLY: Then a couple of weeks ago, I traveled to Syracuse, New York, to give a speech in support of the Boy Scouts, who had been thrown off the campus of Syracuse University after the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] complained.

For my trouble, I was smeared twice by the Syracuse Post-Standard. The villains at that paper are publisher Stephen Rogers and editorial writer Mark Libbon. These men are not only unprofessional, they are incompetent.

Over the past few years, the Post-Standard's circulation has declined nearly 30 percent. It is a disgraceful newspaper, nicknamed "substandard" by some in upstate New York.

Now, we posted contact numbers for Rogers and Libbon on billoreilly.com, should you want to speak with them.

And that is what we'll continue to do. Any media person who uses smear tactics in any way, not just on me, but any way will be featured on The Factor and inducted into the billoreilly.com "Hall of Shame."

We will keep a running list of media smear merchants on the website, in addition to our "don't buy, don't advertise" list.

As you know, we debate issues all day long on this program. I have no objection to any media criticizing my stand on any matters of the day. But beginning today, the smear stops here.

You guys want to do that? We'll let everybody know about it. That's called accountability.

Apparently O'Reilly has a problem with smearing. That's why he countered with the following smears:

• Calling the publisher and editorial writer "villains", "unprofessional", and "incompetent"
• Calling The Post Standard a "disgraceful newspaper"
• Using the nickname some conservatives call it ("Sub-Standard")

I don't have a problem with O'Reilly stating his mind, but it's ridiculous how he tries to play the "fairness" ticket. I wish he'd just admit he's a moderate-to-conservative republican so he can painlessly rant all he wants (as is his right), without attempting to gain sympathy from the American public for something he's not.

Saving the best for last, however, the publisher that O'Reilly insulted and who he told his viewers to more-or-less harass, is dead! And he's been that way since 2002! As Keith Olbermann responds after airing the O'Reilly clip on his show:

OLBERMANN: Hey, good luck with that. If Bill has actually found a working phone number for Stephen Rogers, then he's buried the lead. He's broken the biggest news story of the century, because Mr. Rogers is dead.

Thanks to the following articles/sites:

• "FOX News' Bill O'Reilly encourages viewers to harrass publisher of Syracuse Post-Standard" - News Hounds
  
• "O'Reilly gets Smeared from the Grave" - Sweet Jesus, I hate Bill O'Reilly, International
  
• "Olbermann hosted authors of Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly" - Media Matters for America