You reap what you sow.
I believe very strongly in karma (search). What goes around, comes around. For the past year, smear merchants on the left have spent tens of millions of dollars defaming people with whom they disagree. Since I have been a primary target of the smearing, I know what I'm talking about here.
George Soros (search) and his character assassins, aided by major media, like The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times have spread vicious propaganda. And prominent Democrats, like Howard Dean (search) have even used the slander in their campaigns.
Michael Moore was a hero at the Democratic convention. And Whoopi Goldberg was not denounced by the Democratic Party after her disgraceful performance at the Kerry fund-raiser here in New York City.
But now, now the left is outraged over the Swift Boat deal. For example, Maureen Dowd (search), a columnist for The New York Times, is disgusted by these personal attacks. Well, Miss Dowd, where was your outrage over the smear tactics of Soros? Where was your condemnation of the distortions in the Michael Moore movie? You have no right, madam, to say anything about this issue, and neither does the newspaper which employs you.
"Talking Points" believes the personal attacks on both John Kerry and President Bush are wrong. I agree with Mr. Bush that Kerry's Vietnam service was noble. And I believe that the president and the senator are both patriots.
But rank hypocrisy is not going to play here in the no-spin zone. I pinpointed Maureen Dowd, but there are hundreds of other media types who embrace the worst kind of defamation from the left and are now indignant about the swift boat controversy. Again, you people have no right to say anything. You went to the slander party, and it's part of your resume forever.
The truth about the swift boat deal is this. Many Americans don't want to know the truth. They just want their ideology reinforced on both sides. The Washington Post has done the best reporting on the issue. And its conclusion is we'll never know the truth about Kerry's service. Too many conflicting reports. And it doesn't matter anyway. He volunteered for combat. He got his medals. That's the record.
What Kerry did after he returned home from Vietnam is another matter. That's a legitimate campaign issue. And the senator should address it. But the left wing media has forfeited all credibility in this fight. You can't throw mud and then claim clean hands. Just go back and read the glowing reviews of the smear books and the films in your local newspapers. That will tell you all you need to know about the swift boat hypocrisy. And that's the memo.
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
It's back to school time. When I was a little kid, I hated this season. But now, many kids love school, and one of the hot items this year is a notebook which says, "I love everybody except you pinheads." Everybody's using our phrases here.
We got Travis Tritt, we've got this bunny... while we can't argue with that quotation, we can advise kids to be careful about labeling anyone a pinhead, unless they really, really deserve it. To use the expression excessively would be ridiculous, unless you're me.
—You can watch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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