Conservative author slams Fox News ‘cheerleading’ tea parties

By Stephen C. Webster
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 -- 9:37 pm
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bernardboldberg Conservative author slams Fox News cheerleading tea partiesIn his books, conservative author Bernard Goldberg rails against left-wing bias in U.S. media. But, as evidenced by a recent appearance on Fox News, he's still got an eye for overt right-wing slant.

Speaking to Fox editorialist Bill O'Reilly on Tuesday night, Goldberg slammed the network's "cheerleading" of tea party protests and expressed opposition to those who pretend to be journalists while twisting facts to promote their opinions.

"There are some programs on Fox that are not only not 'Fair and Balanced' -- they're commentary shows, they don't have to be -- but they brag about how 'Fair and Balanced' they are," Goldberg said. "They don't cover rallies and tea parties, they cheerlead for rallies and tea parties. And as a journalist, I am totally against that."

O'Reilly responded by equating pervasive Fox News bias with newspapers' editorial pages, usually a properly labeled, set-aside portion of the paper devoted exclusively to opinion.

"What's the difference?" he demanded of his guest. "Come on, it's a big question, Bernie! What's the difference?"

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"Don't pretend that you're objective -- and I don't mean you, I mean others on this network," Goldberg replied. "Don't go on the air and say these tea parties are a cross section of America. They are not a cross section ... Don't pretend to be a journalist if you're not a journalist."

While O'Reilly seemed indignant at Goldberg's criticism of his host network's practices, he concluded at the end of the segment, "That's legitimate and should be criticized."

This video is from Fox News' O'Reilly Factor, broadcast Sept. 29, 2009.

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Story comments are below...
  • Guest
    OH piffle! Who cares? Someone has to cheer for the good guys!!! LOL
  • cire60
    Teabaggers are just a bunch of dumb suckers.
  • NotConvinced
    TeaScrotes need guidance. They don't have any ideas. They just repeat what they hear. It's not like they understand what they're saying.
  • joedee1960
    Bernie is the man. I watched that last night he was right and so is this:

    http://americaspeaksink.com/2009/09/calm-conser...
  • chickenbonewill
    Fox News:
    We Jerk Off, You swallow
  • johnhkennedy
    “Don’t pretend that you’re objective " by a rightie, about Fox News. Finally, some on the right are waking up and realizing that their own people are dragging their party over a cliff.

    The pressure from the Left works. We can stop many of these extremists if we can some of them prosecuted for the Federal Crimes they commit, starting with Torture.



    Get out in the streets in front of your Congressional Representative's office and raise hell.

    Start your own "prosecution" protest group.

    KEEP ASKING ALL POLITICIANS AT ALL PUBLIC EVENTS
    "WHY DO YOU SUPPORT TORTURE?"
    If they aren't actively calling for enforcement of our Federal Torture Laws, They DO Support Torture and a dual standard of Justice.

    SIGN THE PETITIONS
    Demanding
    prosecution for all those leaders
    in Bush's Administration that Conspired to Torture at ANGRYVOTERS.ORG

    http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG

    Only Prosecution Stops Torture,
    Abuse of Power, our Constitution, & Rule Of Law
  • anarchisto
    The republican right co-opted the tea-party movement and Fox has attempted to use Glenn Beck to appeal to the anarchistic right by using Alex Jones' Infowars talking points.
    Anybody who listens to Jones sees right through the Fox impostor.
    Now Bernard Goldberg speaks out against the move, because he knows that the Jonesites are anti-war, 911 truth and suspicious of big government everywhere.
    Goldberg is a neo-con fascist and doesn't want people to look behind the curtain and find out about
    the radical Alex Jones.
  • DownriverDem
    The folks that need to see this never will. They are too busy reading right wing propaganda.
  • LosGatosCA
    Teabaggers, what thumb suckers!
  • fieldingjhurst
    Beck can't have it both ways. Act like a journalist, then claim "I'm just a clown".

    FJH
    http://conservativesagainstglennbeck.blogspot.com
  • thepoliticalcat
    He doesn't "act like a journalist." He *pretends* he's a journalist. There's a difference, and we need to state that up front.
  • darin29
    the truth got out on FAUXNEWS - the falafel show?! I thought Billo taped the show so they could edit out anything not overtly right-wing enough for the daily flock to consume.
  • texasaggie
    You didn't see what was edited out, did you? If this is what's left, what stayed on the cutting room floor? You can only edit so much if you want to fill a certain number of minutes.
  • genep34
    Tea baggers are the laughingstock of America. Steele is a tea bagger. And together they are the new face of the republic party.
  • Bill W.
    I'm no fan of this guy but credit where's credits due. As with Potter (the insurance guy) everybody is capable of epiphanies. Paul Craig Roberts is another example. Give the guy a break. His compatriots don't.
  • SugarPlumFairy
    Good article but for the fact Goldberg is not a "Conservative author" - from the beginning he's said he's a Democrat. He just tries to be fair. Something so-called journalists on ALL the networks have forgotten how to be.
  • shockedbysocialism
    Wow well spoken commentary from the far left here. See you in line for free healthcare, carbon credit rations, lollypops and hugs from Big Brother. You lefties are a funny lot. The 1960's brought turn off, tune out and down with The Man. Now the left can't wait to have The Man tell them what to do. Good luck with that.
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