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Fox News talk-show host suggests U.S. shouldn't stop terrorists from blowing up Coit tower
Conservative talk-show host Bill O'Reilly is ready to scratch San Francisco off the map of the United States. Gone. Coit Tower? Terrorists can blow it up, and the rest of the country shouldn't care.
The Fox News talk-show host and one-man conservative media juggernaut has concluded that the United States and San Francisco just don't go together anymore. Voting to oppose military recruitment in public schools and to ban handgun ownership, as San Franciscans did Tuesday, means the city should be cut off from federal dollars. And then some.
"You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium and I say, 'Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds,' " O'Reilly said Tuesday on his radio show as San Franciscans were approving the two measures. Perhaps, he didn't realize that he'd be speaking mostly to foreign tourists and suburbanites if he were standing in Union Square.
"Fine. You want to be your own country? Go right ahead," O'Reilly went on. "And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."
San Franciscans might be offended by this invitation, or perhaps even threatened, if more of them visited Coit Tower.
On a cool gray Thursday afternoon, the San Francisco landmark was filled, as usual, with tourists from Ohio, Texas and other states where TV's "The O'Reilly Factor" and its syndicated radio companion, "The Radio Factor," pull better ratings than in San Francisco.
When visitors were told of O'Reilly's remarks, several had the same question: "Why would he say that?"
The few locals found at the tower had another: "Who's Bill O'Reilly again?"
More
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/11/COIT.TMP
"You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium and I say, 'Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds,' " O'Reilly said Tuesday on his radio show as San Franciscans were approving the two measures. Perhaps, he didn't realize that he'd be speaking mostly to foreign tourists and suburbanites if he were standing in Union Square.
"Fine. You want to be your own country? Go right ahead," O'Reilly went on. "And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."
San Franciscans might be offended by this invitation, or perhaps even threatened, if more of them visited Coit Tower.
On a cool gray Thursday afternoon, the San Francisco landmark was filled, as usual, with tourists from Ohio, Texas and other states where TV's "The O'Reilly Factor" and its syndicated radio companion, "The Radio Factor," pull better ratings than in San Francisco.
When visitors were told of O'Reilly's remarks, several had the same question: "Why would he say that?"
The few locals found at the tower had another: "Who's Bill O'Reilly again?"
More
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/11/COIT.TMP
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http://mediamatters.org/items/200511100008
O'Reilly was foaming at the mouth Tuesday on his nationally syndicated radio show as San Francisco residents were voting on proposals to keep military recruiters out of public schools and to ban hand guns in the city. Media Matters has the audio, but here is what this reckless right-wing fool said:
" Hey, you know, if you want to ban military recruiting, fine, but I'm not going to give you another nickel of federal money. You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium, and I say, 'Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds. Fine. You want to be your own country? Go right ahead.'
"And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."
In its story in Friday's editions (November 11, 2005) the San Francisco Chronicle made light of the matter, noting that if al Qaeda blew up Coit Tower, it likely would kill only tourists.
O'Really, however, was not positing that al Qaeda blow up only the tower. He insinuated that the entire city should be left open to terrorist attack. That's not funny.
This is worse than O'Reilly saying that he wished United Nations' headquarters would be flooded and he wouldn't rescue the people there.
This is worse than Pat Robertson saying the leader of Venezuela should be assassinated.
This is worse than John Gibson wishing a terrorist attack on Paris.
This is inviting the nation's enemies to murder thousands of Americans.
It's time for O'Reilly to go.
Here are numbers and emails for the relevant people at Fox News. Please let them know you've had enough of Bill O'Reilly.
# Bill O'Reilly, O'Reilly Factor Host : Phone: 212-301-3320; Email: bill.oreilly [at] foxnews.com
# John Moody, Sen VP News : Phone: 212-301-8560; Email: john.moody [at] foxnews.com
# Ian Rae, Exec. VP News : Phone: 212-301-8552; Email: ian.rae [at] foxnews.com
http://www.newshounds.us/2005/11/11/oreilly_invites_mass_murder.php