O'Reilly Defends Calling Helen Thomas "Wicked Witch Of The East" (VIDEO)

Bill O'Reilly's top story tonight on his Fox News show was devoted to defending remarks he made calling legendary White House reporter Helen Thomas the "wicked witch of the east" and suggesting that if he were Obama, he "would've poured water on her, and she'd dissolve."

One group which criticized him was the Women's Media Center, and a representative for the organization, Courtney Martin, appeared on the "O'Reilly Factor" to explain her criticism.

O'Reilly defended himself by saying it was clear he was just joking and making fun of her voice, which he believes sounds like that of a wicked witch. Martin replied that he was using an old cliche, women as witches, to be funny, and that the sexist charge still applies because Thomas is about as serious a reporter as one can be, and her voice is irrelevant in any kind of criticism of her work.

The lengthy debate turned to Saturday Night Live and Sarah Palin, with O'Reilly accusing Martin and her organization of being hypocrites for coming to the aid of Thomas but not Palin. O'Reilly, who managed to restrain himself for most of the interview, let loose near the end, yelling that Martin and the Women's Media Center "are being used by the left to do this nonsense."

Watch the debate between O'Reilly and Martin below.

Comments

[itmustbesimple]

YOU LIBS ARE OBSESSED WITH CONSERVATI­VES...I LOVE IT!.......­..........­..Why don't you morons spend time with your family or community?

[JustLeftOfRight]

It's also quite funny to watch Bill O' use the word hypocrite. He really doesn't get it, but that's the beauty of him I guess. What would anyone find appealing about how show though? Wow.

[JustLeftOfRight]

Well I will agree with Bill 'O on one thing: his show IS a joke.

[ptsd6869]

THAT'S SOMETHING, COMING FROM THE "D###LESS WONDER OF THE NORTHEAST". HAS ANYONE EVER MET MRS O'REILLY OR IS SHE LIKE ROCK HUDSON'S WIFE?

[MM216]

If Thomas is "the wicked witch"....­what does that make O'Reilly?
(I don't think we could even print that here, LOL)

[Einstein44]

Another diversion by O'Reilly,yet he was guilty of a hush-hush sexual harrassment that was kept underneath the rug...Hmm, I wonder if the tables were turned on him,would he react the same !

[nobozos]

Lightning will probably strike me as a flaming liberal...­.but O'Reilly is sort of a guilty pleasure of mine.

Kind of like the song "Kung Foo Fighting".

[Itsmyland2]

I hope a house falls on him......

[whosyourdaddy]

I've come to expect so little from the left, that I'm not the least surprised that someone like you would wish such a thing on another human being.

[hjfraser2002]

If you expect so little, why do you bother to come here and post?

Isn't it just a waste of time.

[nobozos]

My daddy ain't you....not with your lack of humor or wit.

[MM216]

Awwwww, aren't your widdle feelings hurt, daddy-o?

[ericdolphy]

It surprises me to see that so many are offended by what O'Reilly said. Who cares? If I see a show that offends me I turn it off. That's the beauty of freedom. No one forces you to watch it. Let's not sacrifice freedom of speech because Courtney Martin was offended.

[hjfraser2002]

You can turn it off and ignore the hatte for so long. Eventually turning the other shoulder leads to bad things.

[whosyourdaddy]

So sport. Since you find his freedom of expression so offensive, what do you suggest that you tolerant open minded folks ought to do about it? Would you like to hurt him? Or perhaps "reeducation" or confinement to a mental facility would be more appropriate? Both coincidentally are hallmarks of far left regimes.

[drewziGNY]

Billo saying that Helen Thomas should have water poured on her like the Wicked Witch of the East goes to show that nobody at the "Factor" (or as I call it, "Fictionor") seems to really do much research there, if any at all. Billo you dckwd, it was the Wicked Witch of the West that got the water....i­f he's gonna insult somebody more respected and more intelligent than he is, he should learn to get his mean spirited anologies right.

[FEARTHETRUTH]

There are no words to describe this buff oon's idiocy. I thought of a$$ but that would be insulting all the useful donkeys in the world.

[drewziGNY]

And "tool" would be an insult to my chainsaw, it's sensitive.

[zippywpinhead]

so Bill O is saying that his show is no more a legitimate news show than SNL and not to be taken seriously as such?

I can agree with that...

[GreenDayJohn]

Those on the right can only attack looks and personality, rather than substance and fact. They cannot defend their rabid ideologies with substance/­integllige­nce.

Newscorp is going down!! Hopefully the gov't. won't bail them out!!

[x004Ronin]

The difference, in case Bill O'Reilly isn't smart enough to figure it out:
Sarah Palin came out swinging by accusing Obama of wanting to surrender, being a novice, etc. in her first national speech, which was at the Republican convention a few days after she was picked by McCain.

Therefore, when her supporters started crying foul about Palin getting attacked, most people recognized the hypocrisy: a candidate can't call her opponent an unknown, unpatriotic crook who pals around with terr.orist­s, then cry when people accuse her of being an idiot just because she doesn't read newspapers/claims to read all of them.

Helen Thomas, on the other hand, doesn't go out and insult Bill O'Reilly, so he had no right to insult her.

See Bill, that wasn't so hard.

[thebatgirl]

Well Sarah Palin was on SNL, making fun of herself.
Duh!
Was somebody supposed to defend her against herself.
Oh that is right the liberal so and so's infiltrated her brain and made her do it, it wasn't I am a candidate and I am desperate for your votes. Besides, you and Elizabeth on the view did your best, not to mention the whole Fox network. By the way I don't watch your show, but did you , or any of your collegues defend Michelle when she was being "attacked"? Just a question.
You go O'Reilly.
The day Ms Thomas goes on SNL, and lampoons herself, then you are entittled to make fun of her.