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

[PreacherThug]

Obama promised Billo that he would appear on his show after the primaries. He should break that promise../...

[jsinclair]

Memo to Bill O'Reilly:

That? Was no "apology"

An apology is where you say you were wrong and that you are sorry for doing it.

It is NOT an apology to say, "You misunderstood me. I'm sorry if you were offended because of your misunderstanding."

He's such an ass.

[Januarycarol]

On the other hand--it could be brilliant. No, that sounds too calculated. It could be showing the enemy what decencey is. Rising above the slime.

[KenTao]

No way! He better not break any promise. He should go on his show and blow him away. If anyone could shame Bill to his face on his own show Obama can. Yes, he can!

Earthlings Unite!

[Brixtonian]

I've read several posts re: O'Reilly- most decent people attempting a response in prose whose decency far outweighs O'Reilly's bile.

But let's speak plainly. Bill O'Reilly is a racist, though his own ignorance may not allow him to know it. This is a man who was happily surprised that African-Americans didn't act like animals at a Harlem restaurant (and had no problem having lunch with another racist, Al Sharpton- Stephen Pagones is still awaiting your call, Reverend).

And now this horrific remark about lynching Ms. Obama, ONLY if due cause. What an apology as well. Couched in a white-knight defense of Ms. Obama (not the Camelot kind of knight), lifting the lynching remark from Clarence Thomas, and too bad if we all mistook his words.

Racism is inisidious. It presents itself in overt forms and hides festering in less obvious ones. O'Reilly may not be wearing a hood, indeed would likely be appalled by overt racism. But an insidious form resides within him. And rather than confront it, he accommodates it.

O'Reilly makes his living with words. He's therefore more responsible for them- to know their import and know their effect. His words were racist and he's yet to, and likely won't, truly apologize for them by looking deep down inside himself and confronting his own demon.

[Bibbo]

Really...its just so easy to call somebody a racist and then they have to prove a negative.Did you see the item about O'Reilly in the restaurant in Harlem...MSNBC(to thier everlasting shame) tried to pin the raciast label...but Al Sharpton(was with Bill)was able to end that sillyness. You make yourself sound like a simpleton and probably also a very disagreeable personality with such personal and unfair attacks.

[ClaudiaJean]

That was not an apology, and it was never intended to be an apology. No one who actually watches Bill O'Reilly for real was offended; they watch him because they scarf up the poisonous propaganda and bullshit buffet he serves up on his TV and radio programs. They have no problem with the content and that's who BillO caters to.

The people who don't believe in O'Reilly and think he is a pathological liar and keg-of-rage about to blow, but who keep tabs on his antics in the know-your-enemy style of information collection are the ones offended (rightly so) and holding O'Reilly's ever-increasingly obscene, outrageous and delusional behavior up to the light... they are the ones O'Reilly's fake apology was pandering to. Just enough fake contrition to get the headline that O'Reilly Apologizes.

It's all a game. He meant what he said. He knew what he was doing. He knew the context. His listeners weren't offended. He said "sorry" because Mommy forced him to but he doesn't mean it for a second.

O'Reilly is a vile life form.

[glesslib]

ClaudiaJean, I couldn't have ever said it as well as you did. His fans eat this up, and that's why he says the things he says. Same with Ann Coulter. Now why couldn't he spend his time trying to get all over her, instead of bothering actual women?

[razberryberet]

hmmm...Dom Imus comes to mind. As I remember, he didn't mean to offend either, right?

[fivecard]

I'm confused--what does Clarence Thomas have to do with Michelle Obama? Thomas using the word "lynching" more than 15 years ago prompted O'Reilly to use it? That doesn't make any sense.

Not to be a sticker, but I don't think this apology quite cuts it.

[Dogma]

that was my thought, exactly; what the hell does clarence thomas have to do with anything??

[blueraven]

That's the smokescreen, all right. Where it completely loses its status as an apology is when he used "if you were offended." He's been told what he said was wrong and doubts the veracity of the claim?

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Memo to Bill O'Reilly:

Anytime you use "Black" and "lynching" in the same sentence is like putting a match to gasoline.

But, you knew that, didn't you?

[TheOtherMaven]

O'Lielly just loves the taste of his own shoeleather.

[surfcitysteven]

The apology is mre offensive than the lynching comment. Anybody who "apologizes" by saying, "I'm sorry that people were offended by my comment" is an asshole. That is the biggest non-apology of all.

[buckbuck11]

This isn't just a non-apology, it's an insult to anybody who WAS (rightly) offended. By adding the line "context is everything" he's really erasing any element of apology by saying that if you WERE offended, that's because you either didn't understand the context in which it was spoken OR you willfully took the comment out of context.

This is an arrogant and defiant reiteration of what he said, hardly a retraction.

[LeftVetPatriot]

He's real sorry.

[craneman]

Memo to the Obamas: Billo is just getting warmed up!!

[glesslib]

See, that's not realllly an apology. What he said was that he was sorry if his remark offended anyone. Not the same thing at all.

In a real apology you are sorry for what you did. In a frat boy apology, you're sorry if the other person took it in a way other than what you intended. So the onus is on the person who took it wrong.

[lobo1939]

"I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody," is not his apology for what he said. He is apologizing for the offence people took over his use of "lynching." The spin master BillO is not capable of contrition. In this statement he is being typical BillO, attributing his fault onto others. Saying, "I'm sorry I hurt you" is completely different than saying, I am sorry you were hurt." It avoids personal responsibility.

[OldBlueDog]

I hope Senator Obama is not as sensitive as the rest of Black America seems to be, if he is maybe the United States should issue a handbook listing all of the unacceptable phrases just in case he becomes president, we certainly wouldn't want to go to war because someone in another country unwittingly used an unacceptable phrase. For crying out loud do you write in every time the term is used in a western movie? Not everyone that uses some phrase you find unacceptable is thinking in racial terms.

[MacDad]

agreed - "lynching" in today's language is commonly used to say "i don't want to unfairly single someone out", I have used it in the compnay of white friends but to be honest would avoid saying to a black friend. I don't pretend to know what is in Bill O's heart but I do know what is in my heart and I am no racist. However, if I truly didn't see color when I looked at my friends I should be just as comfortable using this slang in the company of any friend, given this context.

The point here is: is it possible that Bill O doesn't see color but those that are so offended do? Wouldn't that make Olberman et. al. the racist and bill not?

[Knowbetter]

nope.

[Obama2008]

You call this an apology?

[KatherineSF]

This doesn't merit a response.

And I wasn't aware that this election was a street fight.

Most of the time, the bigger man just walks away.

[gotalife]

Obama never responded to man up and take up for his.

Weak.

Clinton would have him suspended like Shuster.

They are going to run all over Obama because he does not fight back.

The Dems will lose again running a weak candidate again.

[dairyair]

Maybe Obama is the bigger person here. What is there to fight back about. A word. Yes people have connotations attached to a word but Obama realizes the source and knows it carries no weight. People need to stop being whining crying babies. It makes me sick that our feeling get so hurt over words. Sometimes you have to consider the source and know the person is at a lower level than most people

[j0e]

Yeah, and look how the electorate is responding to your "brawler" eh? That advice is stale...