Bill O'Reilly Apologizes For Michelle Obama "Lynching" Remark

First, there was the offensive remark. Then, the producer's defense of the comment, followed by the requisite Olbermann weigh-in. And, finally, the apology: on his show last night, Bill O'Reilly apologized for saying, "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence." O'Reilly's exact words:

"While talking to a radio caller, I said there should be no lynching in the case, that comment off Clarence Thomas saying he was the victim of a high tech lynching (he said that on 60 Minutes, you may remember). I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody. That, of course, was not the intention. Context is everything."

Watch:

Comments

[RobBob]

Sorry, Bill. It's time for you to go. If Imus got fired for "nappy-haired ho's" then you gotta get canned for threatening a lynching. It's that simple.

[realpolitic]

Yes, but we have heard so little of this outrage in the media.

[cube3u]

Bill should be fired for this. Period.

[nomobull]

contact sponsors stop watching give him the IMUS TREATMENT.

[buckbuck11]

If this is an apology, I'm the Queen of England.

[realpolitic]

You just may be the Queen of England. Who knows?

[JonStewart4President]

So context matters when Right wing hacks, who make their living through their ability to speak, say clearly offensive things. But context doesn't matter when poltical spouses who are relatively new to the glare of the national spotlight, say possibly stupid things.

Hmmm. Interesting double standard there. But I would expect nothing less from BillO.

And what a nice non-apology, apology.

[Tankan]

Yeah Bill! Your slip is showing!

As if we didn't know you already!

[byrdland49]

Deep. Heartfelt. Apologetic. That's our boy Bill.

Uh-huh....

[Evanrules]

oh please he meant every word..Bill O Reilly is a racist and a war monger who could only get a show on Fox News and no where else.

[stanblack]

"Context is everything" O'Reilly is not only a racist POS, but, he's a chicken S as well. Come on O'Reilly apologize like it is something you actually mean.

[DLSteinhardt]

"I'm sorry if" isn't an apology.

He knows people are offended. Anytime you know people are offended and say "I'm sorry if," what you're really saying is,

"I'm not sorry at all, but I'm under pressure to apologize."

[moodyring]

People have to stop adding that asinine statement "if [I] offended anybody". Yeah, you did offend someone. At the very least, you offended one person - Keith Olbermann - although I'm sure there are others who were equally, if not more, offended. So either apologize, or don't. But don't further insult people by throwing in an "if", "unless"* you want to seem like more of a numbnut than you already are.

(*by Bill'O's reasoning, the unless clarifies that I didn't just call him a numbnut, right?)

[tbone99]

Yeah- it's like their apologizing for you .

[DLSteinhardt]

"I'm sorry if" isn't an apology.

He knows people are offended. Anytime you know people are offended and say "I'm sorry if," what you're really saying is,

"I'm not sorry at all, but I'm under pressure to apologize."

[Rys4k]

Wow, wasn't that half hearted.

[ScandalousCandice]

Shuster apologized and they still suspended him. I think O'Reilly needs to be suspended too. This is not his first offense. The Harlem remarks was quite bad.

[czarlos]

Bill O'Reilly has really crossed the line this time. What a vile human being...

[lungfish]

As usual, Bill O has no sense of contrition and really has no clue what was offensive about his comment.
Clueless and unapologetic... its all form and he has no idea what he has actually done and does not care.
Many "personalities" have suffered severe disruptions in their careers for such commentary, why should Bill be exempt?