As we've been reporting, the press in America is in big trouble. Standards are collapsing. There's no presumption of innocence for any accused person. And ideology has replaced factual reporting in many outlets.
An example, the American Conservative Union has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against MoveOn.org and The New York Times over that "Betray Us" ad that ran last week. The complaint states that The Times gave MoveOn a $100,000 corporate discount that is really illegal soft money because MoveOn is a partner to the Democratic party. We'll have more on the complaint coming up shortly.
But there is no question that the Democratic presidential candidates are getting hammered because, with the exception of Senator Biden, they refuse to criticize MoveOn. Listen to Senator Clinton.
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JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Do you want to distance yourself from that ad?
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Well, I've never had that opinion. And I have said publicly on numerous occasions, including at the last hearing, how much I respect General Petraeus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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CHARLIE ROSE, PBS ANCHOR: Did you think the MoveOn.org advertisement about General Petraeus was either appropriate or necessary?
CLINTON: You know, I think that we should focus on what the problem is here. The problem is a president, who has a policy that flies in the face of reality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Uh, uh, uh, not answering the question. Clearly, Mrs. Clinton will not criticize MoveOn because she fears being attacked again by the far left.
So in effect, the far left media is blackmailing the Democratic candidates. "Talking Points" repeats this is very dangerous.
On the social side, you are now guilty in the press if you are accused of anything. Rarely does the media question any arrests or accusation. There's no presumption of innocence. And the Duke rape case is the best example of that.
And even the O.J. Simpson situation, as loathsome as the man is, demonstrates the media's frenzy to destroy famous people.
It seems apparent that Simpson was set up by convicted felon Thomas Riccio, who sold a secret tape of the incident to TMZ. We will have details on that coming up as well.
The bottom line here is that the media in America is out of control, dangerous, and deceptive. There's no oversight and no way to right wrongs, except if the public turns against a dishonest enterprise.
The good news is that does happen. Five years ago, the stock price for The New York Times hit $53 a share. Today, it closed at $20.
And that's “The Memo.”
Pinheads and Patriots
Time now for "Pinheads and Patriots", as we told you in the "Talking Points Memo", the American press is not to be trusted any more. And one of the biggest media con games is misreporting television ratings. That is, trying to prop up certain programs for ideological reasons.
But if you go to the Web site, TheCableGame.blogspot.com, there it is [up on the screen]. That's a long web site address, TheCableGame.blogspot.com. It will give you accurate information about how many people are watching "The Factor", as opposed to other news programs. So you might want to check that out.
And for that, the people running that Web site are patriots.
On the pinhead front, say it ain't so. Barry Manilow.
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O'REILLY: Puff Daddy's favorite artist.
Anyway, Barry refused to appear on "The View", because he doesn't like Elisabeth Hasselbeck, of all people. Apparently, Barry Manilow is friends with Rosie O'Donnell — oooooh. But that does not excuse his behavior.
Barry Manilow, according to us and Marlena Thompson of Falls Church, Virginia, is a pinhead. Thank you Marlena, for that suggestion.
—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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