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Friday, January 6, 2006

Honest to Christ, Letterman Rules!

Posted by on January 6 at 15:06 PM

I didn’t see this exchange between David Letterman and Bill O’Reilly a couple of nights back, and I know O’Reilly is already basically a joke, but it’s pretty great nonetheless to watch Letterman—who, in his little way, has been the only politically neutral TV figure to consistently call bullshit on the current president—hand O’Reilly his own entire demagogueriffic ass.

It’s also gratifying that video blogs like Hammer of Truth exist for those of us too dumb or lazy to figure out a Tivo.

Hooray for Gratification!


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I thought Dave was an ass. He waits tell O'Reiley is on his show to get courage and show his political leanings. Right. Dave is the man, don't get it twisted. But Jon Stewart is much better and more respectful in dissing O'Reiley without looking like a chump, like Lettermen did. And i am a Letter man fan. Also O'Reiley watch. I tell you Sean, Left needs to find another way to take on those who disagree with the, O'Reiley rant about xmas is stupid, grat yeah on that, but 2.7 mil a night still say something about the voice/concern he brings up. O by the way...FOX and STRANGER at least can claim to have radicals on both sides represented.

In the name of Christ SPELL CHECK, man!

Well I saw it, and I thought letterman was awesome. Way more of an abrasive jerk than John Stewart, which was fun to watch.

Whatever the politics, Letterman doesn't abide guests who his show to attack or smear someone's mother. O'Reilly was an asshole for taking a cheap shot at Cindy Sheehan (the antiwar activist whose soldier son died in Iraq), and Letterman was quick to defend her:

O'REILLY: "....Cindy Sheehan called the insurgents 'freedom fighters,’ we don't like that. It is a vitally important time in American history. And we should all take it very seriously. Be very careful with what we say.”

LETTERMAN: “Well, and you should be very careful with what you say also.”

O’REILLY: “Give me an example.”

LETTERMAN: "How can you possibly take exception with the motivation and the position of someone like Cindy Sheehan?”

O'REILLY: “Because I think she’s run by far-left elements in this country. I feel bad for the woman.”

LETTERMAN: “Have you lost family members in armed conflict?”

O’REILLY: “No, I have not.”

LETTERMAN: “Well, then you can hardly speak for her, can you?”

Mr. Nelson: HOW THE FUCK can you watch that Letterman/O'Reilly clip and conclude that Letterman "handed O'Reilly his ass"?!

I HATE O'Reilly and when I heard this was going down, I quickly tuned in to catch the entire conversation. But oh my GOD, I was SO EMBARRASSED by Letterman's LAMENESS! I mean WTF! Sure, he got a few digs in (and they look much better and more effective in a transcript than they did live on the show), but O'Reilly didn't back down hardly at all and ended up making Dave look like a clueless boob who just wanted to whine the same liberal whine. If Letterman was going to do this right, he should have used all those f'ing interns he traipsed out right before O'Reilly to have done some decent opposition RESEARCH! He ended up just backing down and getting talked over and bullied by that loofa-lovin' blowhard. Letterman even cowed to O'Reilly at one point "well I admit I've never seen your show".

It could have been SOOOO MUCH BETTER if he'd only prepared a little.

That's all i'm sayin....

So yo, all of the blogs are freaking out about David Letterman bringing Bill O'Reilly on his show for the sole purpose of slamming him Green Lake-protester-style, with most declaring Letterman the victor.

Although the other night marked the first time I watched Letterman since age 7, I discerned the following about the incident:

1. It legitimized old anti-war white dudes such as David Letterman as uneducated liberal wanks to the show's audience of tired Issaquah housewives.

2. It legitimized journalists (which Bill O'Reilly says is his trade) as monsters to the show's audience of tired Issaquah housewives.

How come no one else saw it this way?

"Politically neutral" my ass. From the beginning slam on O'Reilly's "Inside Edition" days, this was a freakin' ambush. And so, so, so unfortunately, they *both* ended up making themselves look bad.

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