If folks didn’t see this clip from Monday night, it’s a beaut. Not
only does the reliable O’Reilly backstop Juan Williams eagerly assure
the host that he was right toattackSalon
editor Joan Walsh for having “blood on her hands” for
defending murdered abortion provider Dr. George Tiller (don’t ask), but
Williams also managed to liken anti-abortion crusaders with civil
rights protesters from the 1950’s. (Because how many civil rights
marchers were ever charged with murdering their political
opponents Juan?)
In fact, this ispreciselywhy NPR bossesinformedWilliams
in February that he was not allowed to be identified as an NPR
contributor when making his O’Reilly appearances. They did it because
Williams was embarrassing NPR, plain and simple.
But that’s bullshit and half a loaf, and maybe I should have raised this in February but I was busy with important LOLCAT-related program activities or eating Indian food or something BUT: Would Juan Williams be on O’Reilly to offer his opinions on politics if he hadn’t become a political source in connection with his work on NPR? That’s what makes him someone worth talking to. Without his NPR job he’s Juan Williams, Dude With An Opinion, so telling him he can’t say three letters of the alphabet doesn’t really make any sense.
Better to say, “Bitch, you already HAVE a job, and it is on NPR, and if you feel the need to mouth off on O’Reilly’s show (or even Rachel Maddow’s) you should go get paid for doing that and take your salary off our books because in case you haven’t noticed we’re hurting for money along with the rest of the world. You want to be on right-wing gasbag TV? Go be on that TV. But don’t come around all pretending to be a serious journalist Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then pull this shit Tuesday and Thursday. It’s classless. Do you not earn enough money working for us? Would you like a raise? How about you stop sucking so much and we’ll talk.”
A.