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

[commissaris]

The O'Reilly doth protest too much, methinks.

[Redrover666]

methinks you doth soundith silly.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Wow, what an unoriginal piece of s**t you are! Congrats on being the biggest F***ing d***he bag that has ever posted here!

[jfor]

Oreilly is such a joke, He truly is pathetic. If you took his show away he would be the guy wearing dirty underpants screaming about the end of the world at your local traffic interchange.

[Redrover666]

Sorry, but that guy sitting in his underwear screaming that the world is coming to an end is just repeating liberal speaking points. Something I'd have thought you'd appreciate.

[wmg57]

Oh shush. If you can't make an intelligent point don't say anything at all.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

So, why are you screaming liberal talking points? And for Godsake, why aren't you wearing PANTS!?

[Redrover666]

Sorry, but that guy you describe, sitting in his underwear screaming that the world is coming to an end is just repeating liberal speaking points. Something I'd have thought you'd appreciate.

[jfor]

What is a Liberal? Would a liberal be a President who expanded the size of our government? Or would it be a President who ran up a deficit of over 400 billion in just a few years? Or is it the President who wants the government to make choices for you regarding mariiage and contraception?

The liberal is not me my friend, the liberal is anyone who pulled the lever twice for Bush and now is lying for McCain. I am a lover of liberty, freedom and small government. Everything Oreilly, Hannity, and Limbaugh are against.

[mamacat]

The cat is out of the bag, Bill-O, and it's not going back in.

[Twentylaws]

Truth or not the Truth is irrevelant! PERCEPTION rules the day!

[kasinca]

The documentary "Outfoxed" outlined this practice of the WH giving talking points to Roge Ailes of FAUX, years ago. Check it out.

[sarahaw]

Methinks he doth protest too much.

[gcallaghan]

I love the smell of rightwing @sshats ripping each other apart in the morning.

[justaskinman]

O'R's argument is one big red herring. Of course the Bush Admin didn't send talking points directly to Bill and Sean. They got on the phone with Roger Ailes, who issued his talking points top-down through the network. Ailes' policy memos or emails are pretty widely confirmed... so Bill, STFU.

[truthyguy]

No use stating the obvious. When everyone on Fox starts using the same phasing as the White House on the same day, it is rather obvious that the word went out and Bill O, being the good little munchkin he is, dutifully spewed the party line verbatim.

[AzRealProgressive]

You watch FOX way too much. Everyone here refers to those who watch FOX as low information, low intelligence people or voters.

[Redrover666]

That's really interesting!

Give us some examples.

[mimsnpips]

Exactly! So O'Reilly throws his sweaty nightcap in the air on a technicality all the while knowing what really happened and that McClellan is correct. 2 year old kid logic. And his sheeple believe him. What a piece of trash.

[Twentylaws]

OOH...snap! Could this be a "guilt by association" moment? KARMA! Obama got to be loving this!

[zacher2005]

McCLELLAN: We sent out a lot of talking points to a lot of people. And certainly there were people that--pundits and commentators--
O'REILLY: But not me.

McCLELLAN: Other people that--

O'REILLY: Other people I don't care about, Scott.

McCLELLAN: I know--that were friendly and were sympathetic to us.

O'REILLY: Fine, then you deal with them as you want to. But I never received the talking points, correct?

McCLELLAN: I never said you did...

O'REILLY: Getting them talking points, Sean and Bill.

McCLELLAN: But there were people, there were people. Not you. Not you. But there were people.




HA! I WONDER IF OLBERMANN WILL ADMIT HE LIED AGAIN.!!!!!

[pinkyboo]

Where did you get that? What the heck are you talking about ? and I bet the people who work on BOR's show got those talking points - producers and so forth so maybe BOR can technically say "he" never got them but the were used on his show. Same freaking difference!

[mamacat]

When the facts are inconvenient, invent some of your own.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Please. What is this? If Olbermann took McClellan at his word, why should he apologize if scotty lied to him?

OReally is a bully, Scott is a pu$$y.

[Witchitalineman]

What half way intelligent people would even listen to Bill O'Reilly!

[in4success]

answer: NONE -- only ideological morons

[TrueIndependent]

....and there are no ideological morons on this site....pleeease.

[Redrover666]

The majority of cable news watchers.

Course, we're not nearly as clever as you.

[indypete]

I think the question mentioned halfway intelligent.

[WaspStings]

Sorry, majority is a lie. It's just a plurality of fools. CNN + MSNBC out draw False news.

[BlackWidowPilot]

The average age of Bill O'Liar's audience is seventy (70).

Shhh! Don't wake Grandpa! He's asleep in front of the TV again...

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[Gma11]

BO gives me the creeps.

[greylox]

**Silly woman. The creeps give you BO. (makes you all sweaty like).

[suziq]

Maybe billo is mad cuz he DIDN'T get the talking points!! What's wrong with those repubs? Don't they know how important billo is? Just ask him....

[BlueEyes08]

For BO to make these statements it shows his high intimidation IQ and his ability to ambush others. But all this Bull are rooted in a rage based and insecure personality. How scary the picture of a tall man walking freely on the streets with Talking Points from the WH in his pocket and a microphone in his hands.

[Dialogue]

That is why the MSM is losing viewers and various other outlets are gaining in stature. The majority of people are losing interest because: "A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel." Proverbs 15:18 (NIV).

After working a 9 or 10 hour shift, who wants to come home and watch a caldera go off on a willing or unwilling vicitim, with confrontational and interogative tactics, designed to prevent a rational give-in-take conversation.

Let those type of shows talk amongst, and with themselves, and after a number of years, things will work themselves out naturally.

[mimsnpips]

"By the way, McClellan would never dare say that to my face." The man would have to stomach looking at that face a couple of feet away. O'Reilly you are a one sided bigot and would never give the man a fair chance. You're not qualified to scrub the toilets at a real TV Network.

[AzRealProgressive]

I would happily scrub toilets at any MSM outlet for the pay Oreilly gets. Or even half, and on prime time if they asked.

[MikeDu]

"I never once received a talking point from the White House"

He must think we're fools. When, on issue after issue, the same carefully crafted catch-phrases show up on all the pundit outlets at once are we supposed to suspect the right wing has ESP?

[Einstein44]

These STOOGES ( Limbaugh,Savage,O'Reilly,Beck, and Hannity ) should be taught a very big lesson. Expose these phonies to the maximum level..These sub-humans,as well as their followers are a disgrace to our society..Hate has become the poison for the Republican Party..And the establishments that protect these psycho-idiots are no better...God help us.

[Redrover666]

You need to take a few breaths. Those folks you just mentioned seem like happy well adjusted people. It's you who seems just a bit unhinged with anger and hatred.

Just saying.

[pinkyboo]

Happy and well adjusted???

Hmmm... I could list example after example of homophobic, racist, sexist "hate speech" that passes for news on FAUX - but I know all too well that I don't have to tell you redrover that's like preaching to the choir - just saying.

[mookworthjwilson]

On what planet are they well adjusted?

Limbaugh-Pill popper

Savage-Well we know he's nuts from his irrational statements about gays, muslims, and kids.

O'Reilly-Falafel, "We'll do it live!!!"

This is just off the top of my head....

And all of them obviously overeat to satiate some sort of missing element in their lives...

[mimsnpips]

You should be banned for your profile alone which shows you are the one full of anger sparky.

[LiberalBuzz]

You mean like "Wide stance Larry" or any of a host of others who have suddenly developed "healty, happy well adjusted" leaves of absence to spend more time with family after they get out of rehab?

THOSE happy well adjusted people?

OR the red staters who have the highest divorce rates, lower education levels, highest numbers of obesity, and listen to Fakenews?

THOSE happy well adjusted people?

Just saying...ya know?

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Funny thing about insane people. They're the only ones who don't know they're insane.
I'd say (LimbaughSavageO'ReillyBeck), and Hannity fit that description.