Bill O'Reilly Takes On Scott McClellan Over Talking Points Claim, McClellan Backs Down

Update: Scott McClellan appeared on Bill O'Reilly's radio show to apologize for alleging that the White House fed him talking points (via ThinkProgress):

The truth is I messed up. I was specifically not trying to single anyone out, including you. But the way a couple of the questions were phrased in that interview along with my response left things open to interpretation and I should not have let that happen. ... I understand why you got upset. ... You're the Big Kahuna at Fox News, and some people tried to paint in a black and white term through a preconceived notion.

Listen (via Johnny Dollar):

Original Post: Bill O'Reilly took on Scott McClellan on Monday night's "O'Reilly Factor" over claims made last week on "Hardball" that McClellan and the Bush White House would funnel talking points to the Fox News host (and his colleague, Sean Hannity).

After calling McClellan a "liar" and an "idiot" on his radio show Monday, O'Reilly promised to have some fun with the former White House Press Secretary on his TV show that night.

"Scott McClellan continues to sell his book on NBC News," O'Reilly said. "The two look to be partners in this enterprise.

"I never once received a talking point from the White House, so McClellan is NOT TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT ME!" O'Reilly continued. "Should I be angry? Nah. But I have to call a lie a lie, especially because this garbage was picked up by CNN."

O'Reilly ended his rant with a bit of bravado, saying, "By the way, McClellan would never dare say that to my face."

Watch:

From Fox News, 7/28

Watch the full McClellan "Hardball" interview here:

Comments

[arunachala]

and hey we almost started to think that scott had grown a backbone

[totaldisbelief]

HEY BILL...hav­e a heart attack or severe stroke or a very bad auto accident ...just get off our screens

[MaybeMilo]

Too bad - I had hopes that McClellan had finally seen the light.

Perhaps he realized life wouldn't be the same w/out Bill O' and his soapy luffa.

[americanalien]

KEITH OLBERMANN = W-I-N-N-E-R

BILL O'REILLY = L-0-S-E-R

KEITH OLBERMANN RULES!

[mike53]

KEITH OLBERMANN = W-H-I-N-E-R

KEITH OLBERMANN DRULES!

There..fix­ed it for you.

[luvangelHussein330]

Wow I see you sucessefuly passed the sixth grade

[DoomtoNeoCons]

53, huh? Make sure the doctor nips off all those polyps, including the big one on top of your neck.

[JiminNC]

Nope. But thanks for playing.

[BWonka]

Ooo.... Mommy must be so proud of her little halfwit.

[Bobbygoode]

The thing is, this is actually a D'UH of a non story - "Fox got White House talking points". It has been transparently obvious for years to anybody paying the least attention. They are strictly delivering the "news" (i.e. talking points aka propaganda) to the right wing freaks; or under informing the under-informed Americans. For O'Lielly to do his usual over the top rant, being "outraged: -- it's just him being him (or at least his act), bloviating and irrelevant­... and, of course, a complete tool of the White House like Hannity, Wallace, Hume and all the others. Too bad Scott didn't stick to his guns.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

OK so when is the "culture warrior" going to go after N-a-s?

Isn't N-a-s an idiot and a liar for calling Bill a r-a-c-i-s-t?

[kvet]

The Frank "Billo" Burns of FOX,,,,,,Cant Call anyone A Liar and an Idiot.....­Being,,,,,­hes the Biggest one of them All......

Along with his Lying Idiot Posse.....­.Mann Colter, Ingram, and Hannity...­..

[drvck70]

I don't know why anyone would watch Fox News either, it's much more entertaining to watch Chris Mathews spit all over the camera and succumb to spontaneous Obamagasms and watch Olbermann's ratings triggered maniacal rants.

[MsBrina]

Bill, is that you?

[Henk]

Mathews is one of yours Ducky. As for Olbermann, at least he uses facts in his rants. Ratings driven or no. And if after suffering though 8 years of wing-nuttery, taking a budget surplus and turning it into the largest deficit in history, sinking the dollar to record lows, squandering billions on a fruitless war of choice, killing 4200 service men and women, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, creating one of the worst refugee cirisis in history, ushering in an era of record high energy prices, you don't feeling like launching into a rant now and then you are not a patriotic American.

[BWonka]

You have to wonder what happened during this... 'man's' childhood to turn him into such a bitter angry old man. And what happened to make him such an extraordinary liar and tool for the rabid-right.

Whatever it was, it is obviously still consuming him and making him even uglier on the inside than he already is on the outside.

Typical mental, whiney rethuglican.

[jaschrod]

It is called money at any cost.

[Dannydel]

I'm betting that he and Hannity went to parochial schools.

[magentagreenx]

oh, you know they did. o'reilly was a high school teacher, too.

[JRandomPoster]

O'Reilly - thug and bully, through and through.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Except he has yet to ask N-as to come on his show, so that he can confront him.

When is the "culture warrior" going to confront Nas? Never? Hmm.

[DanOregon]

There is no doubt in my mind that "talking points", press releases and other info is sent to Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and the nets on a daily basis. When we heard during the primary coverage of reporters getting e-mails through the night from campaigns spouting their party lines, it was no different.
This is much ado about nothing. The cable news nets are so lousy with "special contributors" who are taking their "messages" from the two parties., I don't know why Fox is being singled out.
But perhaps Bill O'Reilly should change the name of his "talking points memo"....

[loria]

Because it is different with Fox. Don't kid yourself. Whatever CNN and MSNBC gets from the WH, it isn't the same as what Fox gets. Really, why would McClellan lie about all of this. If we think about it, we know it is true. He was in it with the WH for many years and had a revelation after he saw them twist the info on the war. You can suspect the worst from him, but I believe he is telling the truth about this corrupt administration.

[pinkyboo]

Agreed - plus their MANTRA from day 1 was "fair and balanced" What a load of S hit!

[buddydave]

"Should I be angry? Nah."

But you are, Bill. You're screaming and yelling again.

Me thinks that you doth protest too much (once again).

[loria]

Now, I don't know if I am right, but could someone please provide some information. I remember way back during the 2000 election when everything looked like a Gore win Fox was saying otherwise. I seem to remember that there was an actual blood relationship between Bush and someone who was big with Fox. Fox disputed the Gore win in Florida knowing that Florida, with Jeb at the helm, would be delivered to Bush. Not that he won it, but with all of the disqualified voters, etc. they knew it would go to Bush. That's what I remember. So, why would we be surprised if the WH gave talking pts to Fox. They did the night of that very first election.

[instagladiator]

Thanks for the refresher. Much appreciated.

[Skippy3000]

McClellan went on O'Reilly's radio show today and took back his comments about Fox news receiving talking points from the White House. He also apologized to O'Reilly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMyAuzKOSSE&eurl=http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/blog/fgx239042719.html

[whitewaterwillie]

While this might be a little bit of he said she said, anyone listening to the talking parrots at Fox knows that they are all repeating themselves, and are on exactly the same page as the WH. For anyone to say that these guys are not getting their talking points from the WH (albeit through Ailes) are deaf and blind.

[Chbronze]

I'm not sure, was it 60 months or 61 at #1 in his timeslot?

[SmootyBooty]

where is he on the radio? cable tv ratings do not make him a savant, more like an idiot...

[Darsan54]

Oh like a lot of idiots buying the swill BillO throws out/up makes him an authority.

[MarkieBee]

that streak - whatever it was - was snapped last month by Keith Olbermann.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Well, not a lot of competition on Sunday mornings at 2 AM

[EndAllWars]

Being ranked number 1 proves a lot. Hitler and Stalin also ranked number 1 in their timeslots.

[SouthpawSass]

"McClellan would NEVER say that to my face."

Oh really, O'Reilly? You think you're that intimidating? roflmao

[loria]

I know what you mean. He might yell the F word at him. Why anyone watches this dirtbag anyway is beyond me. Like Bill O is the authority on anything. He is just angry and thinks he can intimidate anyone. Didn't he have his own sex scandal like most good rep these days?

[SouthpawSass]

lol Yeah, he sexually harassed his producer ... Would call her on the phone and "talk dirty". Funny thing though is that being the arrogant idiot, he thought what he was saying was a turn on for HER, like using a loofa on herself, or something equally stupid.

You handle a phone call from a guy like that by moaning and groaning, telling him how good he is, as you polish your toenails while watching Antiques Roadshow..­.