O'Reilly Suddenly Distancing Himself From Past Tiller Rhetoric

On Monday, Bill O'Reilly boldly defended his vicious attacks on the late Dr. George Tiller. "No backpedaling here," he told viewers. "Everything we said about Tiller was true."

Two days later, it seems O'Reilly is, in fact, backpedaling. On Tuesday night he claimed his previous references to George Tiller as "the baby killer" were merely standard reporting.

"I reported what groups were calling him. I reported accurately." The host then went on to 'report' the number of abortions Tiller had performed and estimated the doctor's income at a million dollars a year. (O'Reilly is paid over $10 million a year.)

Watch, via Media Matters:

In 2006, O'Reilly reported that "if I could get my hands on Tiller -- well, you know. Can't be vigilantes. Can't do that. It's just a figure of speech." He has also reported, "No question Dr. Tiller has blood on his hands." In all, O'Reilly has mentioned Tiller on 29 occasions since 2005, most recently in April of this year.

Comments

[LadyLiberty1]

Bill O'Reilly is a patriot, an American journalist with traditional viewpoints and pithy, sometimes acerbic talking points. Bill is real, not a phony, and provides honest, intelligent analysis to news and current issues. O'Reilly champions the rights of children, confronts what he thinks is unfair, and always supports his opinion and contentions with facts. Regardless of whether or not you "like" him, and I'm quite sure he really doesn't care, Bill has a major influence on America, and has the most successful cable news program that remains at the top of the ratings. In spite of amazing ignorance about what really happens on the show, I see lots of Bill bashing that is based largely on distortion and ideology. Why not tune in, and learn for yourself?

[OReillyFan]

Thank you. OReilly is a TRUE American, and that's WHY the left hates him.

[ibsteve2u]

Re: O'Reilly is paid over $10 million a year.

Money may not buy you love, but hate will sure earn you money.

[OReillyFan]

"Hate" is anything the left can't stomach, truthful or not....
Fox News is more popular than any left wing show ( ooops...Air America went bankrupt) that should tell the left something.
People LIKE Bill.

[ladyvader]

Sheep like Bill and America is full of them.

[LadyLiberty1]

10 million? Well deserved, in my opinion.

[justsaynosarahp]

oh isn't this a big surprise

[trust2020]

Dr. George Tiller Tribute - Union Square Park, NYC 6/1/09

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39038726@N04/sets/72157619136003386/

[LemonMeringue]

Something tells me the bosses at Fox got a little uncomfortable over the L-word.

LAWSUIT

[lynettema]

I heard on MSM tonight that "they" are attempting to tie Operation Rescue to Roeder. I hope they do, and I hope they drive them out of business, put some of those wackos in jail and throw away the keys.

[just4shiggles]

He may be back pedaling now, but I bet he's already gathering ammo to incite another murder of someone else with whom he disagrees. There should be laws against such hate mongering on network television.

[LadyLiberty1]

According to Bill, you are a pinhead. According to me, you are naive and spiteful. GO get some fresh air!

[OReillyFan]

Show me evidence that the killer of the doctor was motivated at all by OReilly.
In fact, prove he even watched his show. lastly...even if you could show those things, it still doesn't prove your case. We don't make ppl shutup because we "may" incite some nut whom we don't even know. If that was the case nobody could be allowed to say anything. OReilly can't know the mindset of everyone that may see his shows.

[isis]

How can you make ten million dollars a year pushing lies and hate? They must be big products here in the USA.

[OReillyFan]

People WATCH his show. That should tell the left something, and that's the REAL reason for exploiting Tiller's murder, to bash OReilly.
it never fails....let a tragedy happen, and some left wing kool aid drinker will go on a tirade about how the 'right" is responsible.
You people exploit school shootings to trash the NRA, and law abiding gun owners, why should we expect the death of a an abortion doctor to be any different?
Anything to take responsibility from the REAL culprit! Fox News is watched more than twice as much as MSNBC. Polls prove it.
and that is what this is really about. A hatred for right wing views.

[LadyLiberty1]

Excellent points. Traditional Warrior the term most apropos, I believe. Bill O'Reilly has the gravitas to run for office, but his influence on our culture is better served through his show. Bill O'Reilly has merely reported on Tiller's late term abortions. This may be offensive to some, but his opinion is stunningly aligned with what MOST Americans believe - late term abortion is murder. Liberals just can't get their heads around the fact that many of us believe that destruction of life for some capricious reason is wrong. I believe it.

[LadyLiberty1]

Question: "how can you make ten million dollars a year pushing lies and hate?" Answer: There are no real lies and hate, Virginia. Only truth, justice, and the American way! LOL!

[wayicit]

The way i see it.
Billo! Why can't you just go away. I know that this won't happen, since he's so popular with the rightwing that watch his show on the FRINGE News. Just wishful thinking!

[BambooHarvester]

Indeed that true, But that don't make it right !
Oops ~ Now I remember . . .
We don't do the right thing any more in the U$A ...
Perhaps that's why so many things got screwed up!
~

[LadyLiberty1]

Bill is not going anywhere. Keith, Katy and Rachel, now THEY should disappear!

[ObamAtomic]

The smell (legal action) is at your door step,uh!
You will be served!

[LadyLiberty1]

There is no legal premise or precedent for a lawsuit, dream on. Look I also believe Dr. Tiller killed babies. O'Reilly merely reported on the facts of the case. Don't like it? Tough. But, it's true, these were VIABLE babies ripped out of wombs for no real reason. If, as you and your ilk contend, this practice serves humanity, why is it that Tiller was one of only three MD's who performed these late term abortions? It is logical and reasonable to believe that the lack of practitioners indicates the procedure is not accepted by most physicians in this country. Thank God! O'Reilly has CLEARLY stated that he thought the murder was wrong, so, let's get the facts straight, pinhead!

[Emerald1943]

WHAT A COWARD!! (caps intentional)

If this is truly what BillO believes and he is such a righteous Xtian, then he should completely stand by his statements.

When are the sheeple going to recognize this man for what he is???

[changeyougotit]

First of all he is not backing off. (lower case intentional) derr. What kind of sheep are you anyway? In 2007 only 2% of late term abortions were caused by a deformation or risk to the mother. I am not condoning what happened to Tiller, but after 60,000 abortions. Come on now. The guy was in it for the money. Now only two (2) are practicing.

[LadyLiberty1]

Had you noticed the close-ups of the man? Blank, seemingly devoid of emotion, flattened affect. For me, it was a state-sanctioned serial killing - all those babies - what a shame! And these fools are worried about water-boarding a few evil terrorists bent on our destruction? Please! What hypocrisy!

[totaldisbelief]

TOO Late BillO....we all know what you are.

[LadyLiberty1]

"We"? In what sense, totaldisbelief? LOL!

[periscope]

O'Reilly is typical of the right-wing pathogens that continue to infect our body politic with lies, hate and fear-mongering. O'Reilly doesn't give a damn about men, women or children, and demonstrates that nightly with his inane, insane and inhumane commentary.
O'Reilly's claim that he cares about what happens to a fetus is so far fetched, it makes all his millions of other lies pale by comparison.

[LadyLiberty1]

No, quite the opposite it true. O'Reilly clearly DOES have compassion for our men, women, children, soldiers, workers, and other "folks" who constitute the citizenry of this great country. Obviously, your "periscope" is out of focus. His commentary is always balanced and thoughtful, while you, my myopic friend, are simply "going along" with the blind liberal hatred, which is truly infecting our land.

[elkabong]

When Republicans call theirs the party of "personal responsibility", they mean it...for everyone but themselves.

[OReillyFan]

Speaking of personal responsibility, when will the left hold the actual shooter responsible for the murder? Nothing like a tragedy to exploit so lefties can attack the right!

[LadyLiberty1]

The left will not hold any perpetrator responsible. Since the 1960's with the onset of liberal thinking, it's usually everyone and everything BESIDES the person who is responsible. We have been listening to this truck for years. Baby boomers like myself were indoctrinated through liberal "arts" and the brainwashing began. Look, it is NOT the economy, environment, poverty, and all those liberal excuses, but rather, the individual who is responsible and accountable for their own actions. I think it started with the misguided Dr. Spock, who helped parents generally lose their way with so called "progressive" child-rearing practices. That resulted in the ego-centric ME generation, who indulged every fantasy, took every liberty, forsook all responsibility and contributed to the chaos. Thankfully, SOME of us have matured. Many are here on this site, with infantile whining of a persecutory nature. Grow up!

[RButler]

O'Reilly's tongue is loose at both ends.