Last night our lead story on 'The Factor' was the Medal of Honor awarded to Navy S.E.A.L. Lieutenant Michael Murphy who was killed in Afghanistan trying to save his unit. Lieutenant Murphy's bravery is chronicled in a best selling book, "Lone Survivor," and it is truly an incredible saga.
Why then did CNN and MSNBC fail to report the Medal of Honor story in primetime last night? Easy question, disturbing answer. Katie Couric on CBS News gave Lieutenant Murphy more than three minutes, Charles Gibson on ABC News more than two minutes, Brian Williams didn't report the ceremony although he did cover the story last week.
But apparently Lieutenant Murphy was not ready for primetime on our cable competition even though they had hours to get mention of it on the air. The hard truth is that MSNBC and CNN are not going to report stories that reflect well on the American military because those people over there despise the Bush administration and believe anything positive like American heroes in war zones, detract from their negative assessment of the administration.
Thus, the military becomes a casualty of a committed left-ideology that is in play on our competition. There is no question about it. And it is ideology that is driving those people, not which stories are worthy or an effective business plan.
Here is the proof. Over the first three weeks of October, this month, the FOX News Channel has doubled CNN and tripled MSNBC in the ratings at 8:00 p.m. "The Factor" beats those two combined with about a million viewers to spare. Nobody wins that big in television.
So ignoring great stories like Lieutenant Murphy can't be based on news value or business. It is just stupid ideology.
Now, I don't want to hear CNN or NBC News say they support the troops. I don't ever want to hear that.
Lieutenant Murphy is the only person to receive the Medal of Honor for action in Afghanistan, a war zone that is directly dealing with Al Qaeda and they're Taliban enablers.
Don't insult the American people by saying you are behind the troops when you ignore their heroism. CNN and NBC News can't get enough of negative war zone stories. They run them all day long. And really, how many heroes are there these days? And you ignore, ignore a Medal of Honor winner? Awful.
"Talking Points" has said this before. There is no accountability for the media in America. No election, no oversights. Only you, the folks, can hold them responsible.
On their primetime broadcast last night, CNN and MSNBC just said no to Lieutenant Michael Murphy and his proud family. There is no excuse.
Pinheads and Patriots
Last week, Congressman Pete Stark said this about Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETE STARK (D), CALIFORNIA: You don't have money to fund the war or children, but you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, today, Congressman Stark said that this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STARK: I want to apologize to my — first of all, my colleagues, many of whom I have offended, to the president and his family, to the troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
All right. So, for apologizing, Mr. Stark is a patriot. We believe in redemption on the "Factor".
Now on the pinhead front, FOX News pays far-left guy Neal Gabler to appear on the weekends, where he loves to criticize those who support the Iraq war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEAL GABLER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I would like to see some of them, like Bill Kristol, go there without a bodyguard, walk down the street. If he does so, I will — I will make him this promise. I will attend his funeral.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Very nice. And by the way, Gabler doesn't have the courage to come in here, much less go to Iraq. For that, he is a pinhead.
—You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" 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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