Homeless Vets Prepare To Block O'Reilly's Shot

UPDATE: The homeless vets got turned away by Fox News and O'Reilly. We've got full video of what went down (and Keith Olbermann's take) here.

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Wednesday afternoon, John Edwards suspended his candidacy for President, vowing to "never forget" the poverty-stricken Americans he so passionately stood up for, and beseeching the remaining candidates - indeed, all Americans - to continue the work that he termed "the cause of [his] life." This afternoon in New York City, some of that work will resolutely continue, as a group of homeless veterans - one of the segments of the population of forgotten Americans that Edwards spoke of so often on the stump - will swarm FOX News Channel's Studios to bring their fight to Bill O'Reilly, the millionaire celebrity host of The O'Reilly Factor.

O'Reilly, who regularly defamed Edwards as a phony, has a lot to answer for. In attacks on the former North Carolina Senator, O'Reilly has repeatedly belittled his compassion, issued inflammatory statements and mocking attacks, and denied both the "existence and significance" of homeless veterans. As recently as January 16, O'Reilly took to the airwaves to rain ridicule upon Edwards, saying, "Well, we're still looking for all the veterans sleeping under the bridges,...so if you find anybody, let us know." As we reported two days later, Robert Greenwald and his crew at Brave New Films did exactly that.

Now, a group from Fitzgerald House, an "organization representing homeless veterans," plans to bring their fight for recognition to Fox's doorstep. They plan on visiting the Fox News Channel Studios today at 3:00 pm, and will come carrying a petition signed by 17,000 people demanding an apology from O'Reilly for his ignorance and abuse. In a press release, Brave New Films and Fitzgerald House say thay "have found that it is very easy to locate homeless veterans and are willing to help O'Reilly find them if his desire to help homeless vets is sincere."

Of course, the last time we checked in on O'Reilly, he was in New Hampshire, bullying Obama aides, and snarling about how "nobody blocks a [camera] shot" on the "Factor." Well, we'll see about that.

Comments

[sammy333]

Mr Bill Orally provides his his oral political services to Mr Murdoch with energy and confidence. ... pays the bills ...

[Cheath]

O'Reilly! As a Korean war vet, I say GO TO HELL O'REILLY!! If you were even a fraction of man that we vets are you wouldn't be sitting there spilling your vomit on the airways. Have you ever done an "HONORABLE" thing?????????

Cheath

[NeverRepublican]

Is this Joke still on tv? You're just a punk Bill...but Fox thanks you for your clown antics.

[KansAmerican]

If O'Rielly weren't a liar and hypocrit he wouldn't have any character or personality at all.

[cmj1981]

Quit Blocking The Shot!

[rh654]

Bill is another example of the ChickenHawk Brigade in action.

These people are so damn scared of having to really fight that they run down the very men and women who have the guts to fight.

Sure Bill comes across as a big man - but only while running his mouth - when he had the opportunity to put on an American Military Uniform - but in 1969 he was 20 years old and somehow just didn't seem to find his way to the recruiters office.

Hell has a special place for men like O'Reilly.

[kcgeezer]

They should call it "The O'Reilly Sphincter" as that seems to be what he talks out of most often. He is a clueless right-wing bloviator that panders to the fringe goons that make up his audience. No compassion, no comprehension.

[SubparDude]

:
Put the creep under a bridge...

...back to the 12th Century.
:

[LawrenceL]

"Mr." O'Reilly considers himself to be an entertainer/commentator, not a journalist.

That means that there is no reason to take at face value (or believe) *anything* he says, since he disclaims any tight linkage between facts/reality and His Opinions.

After all, he is not reporting facts. He is giving you his (usually hateful) opinion. His opinions deserves as much...or little...serious consideration as anyone else's. Most people don't know what they are talking about; he falls in "that" category.

[MNCurler]

I watched Bill's show. The clip he played from Edwards speech showed Edwards talking about not forgetting the 200 homeless people he saw under a bridge. One bridge. Bill challenged Edwards exaggeration by saying if Edwards could show him that bridge he would personally go there to help these people. I saw the show. All of you idiots probably never watched the show and are venting based on the mis-information written in this post. And yet you constantly challenge the conservative to think for themselves and not act like sheep with everything they hear in the news.

Yeah-right.

[TekBoss]

Hi hope O'Reilly tells them to "shut-up" and these veterans kick is ass!

[GeoNorth]

O'Really is a bully. He's a got a TV show and you don't, don'tcha know? Here's another angle of Billo: The other day, he and his bevy of brainless models Fox calls newcasters were ridiculing Brattleboro, VT for their inducting Bush and his band of idiots for the Iraq War. Bill went on about how Vermont is a state full of nuts and has nothing to contribute, etc. He went on to say how George Bush should never visit Vermont (doesn't bother us) but that Dick Cheney should go hunting in Vermont, ya know, and maybe take out a few Vermonters.
Let's just keep in mind that Vermont has contributed more of our War Dead in Iraq than any other state per capita. The next time that Billo wants to insult Vermont, I hope he remembers our dead brothers and sisters who served in the cause for a few imperialist jerks.
It brings to mind the sign I saw in front of a house. "Support the Troops...until they all come home." That's just what we're doing. We suppport then while they do Bush's bidding. Once they come home, then we can trash them.

[Buddysingh]

My question is where are all the Generals and veterans from the Defence forces of this country whose brothers are being subjected to such inhuman conditions. Why are these guys not speaking up against this administration and against this buffoon, O'Reilly. Most of the army, marine and airforce personnels are Republican and support this adminsitration and the likes of Reilly and Limbaugh. How come they do not raise their voices and unison and shut these guys up? These veterans fought for this country's - is this the way to thank them? They are not failures because of a lack of effort but because of illness, sickness and no support system.

[ObamaEdwards]

You will never cause a genuine change in someone like that. He has no soul. He is a cynical, angry man who wanted to be exalted and revered on the network of his choice. Instead, he was fired. He makes a ton of money, but nothing will make up for the slight he feels at not being recognized as the genius and the superstar he believes himself to be. So, in his own distorted mental state, he thinks all of his actions are justified because he is both SO important and SO unappreciated.

When his network finds a younger, more attractive version of him, they will drop him like a bag of poo.

[realpolitic]

I think I have more hatred for Bill O'Reilly than any other conservative commentary. His attempts to claim he is independent, his denial of previous statements which are on record, his changing of the facts whenever it suits him, make me nauseous.

If only his head would one day explode on air!