Bill O'Reilly, Barney Frank Face Off On Detainee Abuse Photos, Health Care Reform, Housing Crisis (VIDEO)

Congressman Barney Frank and Bill O'Reilly squared off again on "The O'Reilly Factor" and discussed a wide range of issues, including President Obama's decision to not release photos showing the US torturing Guantanamo detainees, how to pay for the very large price tag of health care reform that would include a public plan, and their old favorite topic: who is to blame for the housing crisis and letting Fannie Mae and Fannie Mac become so bloated with bad subprime loans.

I say discuss because this lengthy interview was remarkably more tempered than their previous exchange in which they faced off over the two housing giants, and by faced off I mean yelled at each other. Sure, O'Reilly interrupted Frank several times and the Congressman indignantly insisted that O'Reilly stop talking over him, but it was fairly civil, and thus far more substantive. The two even managed to agree on a couple things. For example, they both favor cutting parts of the military budget (Frank in order to pay for health care; it's unclear if O'Reilly supported it for that reason as well).

Watch the (slightly) heated exchange below.

Part 1 Part 2

Comments

[littlepuffycloud]

Did Bill 'do it live'???

[TaxDayMan]

All the Lib excuses for why Fox is Number 1 in cable news shows Liberal "contempt" or I dare say "hatred" of the majority of Americans?

[hmmmmmer]

Please, less than 1% of the population of the US watches Faux News.

[klaatu1951]

The majority of Americans watch FOX news? They get over 150 million viewers a day?
I want some of what you are smoking.

[TaxDayMan]

I didn't say a "majority of Americans" watch Fox just that LIbs have "contempt" for a majority of Americans! Gallup poll shows 75% of Americans are Center-Right (40% conservative, 35% moderate, and only 21% liberal)! Don't here that in the liberal media and HuffPo, do you?

[socalcde]

What the heck are you talking about?

[paganmist]

Sorry, but the majority of Americans do not watch Fox News.

[Hailey73]

All he said is Fox was the number one rated cable news channel. Actual "liberals" do not make up the majority of this country. Typical libera,l removing context from statements.

[runnerin1]

Shows you the propaganda machine is working.

[Lilith33]

No just comtempt for fox viewers.......rightfully so.

[deutchs]

It's good to know that we have at least one honest politician fighting for the American people. Hip hip hurray for Barney Frank.

[cheisdead]

I just love satire....

[Blufftonian]

Zing!

[polson]

What? No apoplectic screaming from Bill-O? He must not have needed the ratings boost he derives from sheer volume.

[1dogs2]

Naw -- they just got his meds adjusted correctly.

[Genep34]

Barney Frank is brilliant and level headed.

[Rope-A-Dope]

Can someone tell me why any Democrat willingly appears on Fox? I think politicians have a duty to answer to the people, often through the press, but Fox itself tells us they are not news, they are commentary and opinion. The GOP appears there to stoke the embers and feel loved...why do the Dems do it?

[timmmahhhh]

See my comment below. This time Frank was able to get out his message to a demographic that otherwise wouldn't hear it. I agree FOX is not news but the fact that Frank was able to get his points in w/o Bill-igerance.

[timmmahhhh]

Okay, without enough Bill-igerance to drive Frank off the show.

[marley22]

I agree with your first statement about 'his message to a demographic...'. That's the whole point that O'Reilly tries to make. The other networks rarely have the courage to have opposing (conservative) views (other than Chris Matthews).

By 'FOX is not news', you must mean 'not spoon-fed liberal mantra'.

[JaneDoeHere]

For those who like to throw on the table the fact that Bill is number one in the ratings- understand why.
Bill, Joe, Glenn- they are not newscasters. Even though they are, under Fox, jumbled in there with the whole fair and balanced news channel- they are not newscasters. They are likened to the clowns that come out in a bullring to assist the true bullfighters. Many clowns, one fighter.
America watches because America thrives on entertainment. Look at newspapers vs magazine circulations. More people subscribe and buy entertainment magazines than newspapers. 2 million people read US magazine, and 2 million people read USA Today or the Wall Street Journal.
Yes, you can say Bill is the number one guy watched- but he is watched more so for his act. I hate the guy, and I watch him from time to time. Simply because I had a good day, and like to get riled up every so often over babbletalk.
So does this boost his ratings? Of course it does- but it has nothing to do with fair and balanced. Nothing. Each of the channels leans a certain way- we know which way Fox leans too- but the fact is- they lean. Hard. "Leaning" and "Balanced" go together like oil and water.
So yes- Bill/Fox does kill in the ratings- but not because they are a fine example of quality news reporting. They should have their own catagory.
Suggestions for a new Fox catagory name?

[TaxDayMan]

Is it some how different over at Chris "He sends a chill down my leg" Mathews and MSNBC?

[JaneDoeHere]

Nope- no different. Fox has just built a network around it.

[Brett Hanshew]

Yes, it is different, because MSNBC makes no pretext of being 'fair and balanced!'

[Gmoney1]

People want to be entertained - they want one liners and the facts be gone - they can't bother with the details because it requires listening - they are an attention deficit people - after two sentences - they are lost - that's why O'Reilly throws out controversial one liners and responses from his guests are constantly interrupted by him - his smirks, gestures and rudeness is his entertainment act -

[Twopennygal]

I can't watch BO. It's too hurtful. And the way he talks over his "guests" is apalling.

That's why I watch Rachel Maddow. She gives her guests a chance to have their say, even if she disagrees with them. And one thing I particularly like is that after she has introduced them with her commentary, she lets them correct/rebut it if they feel the need.

Last night, one of her guests actually told her that he thinks she's the best interviewer/commentator on the tube. Cool!

[John Horner]

Rachel has developed into a class act. She often gives a preamble to an interview, then starts the interview by asking if there is anything she has gotten wrong or misrepresented. Then, she lets the interviewee answer! Brilliant, letting the guest answer.

[Wombaticus]

Well stated!
Posts like this are an argument for HuffPo to institute a thumbs up/thumbs down rating system.

Category that Fox SHOULD fall into?
News Satire, along with the Daily Show and Colbert.
Political Nit Picking + Crude Comedy + Simplistic Name Calling.
Fox is just the single eyebrow cousin to the more intelligent Comedy Central shows.

[marley22]

I said this on another post but I'll repeat here:

"O'Reilly and Fox's domination of the ratings is simply evidence that the media is OVERWHELMINGLY liberal-biased. People that lean conservative need a place to get news; liberals have EVERY OTHER NETWORK. And, like it or not, the country is fairly divided liberal and conservative. So, if the half that is conservative only has one outlet, that network is going to dominate the ratings."

[DrLogic]

I have no problem with differences in political ideology. However, referring to anything on Fox as News is delusional. Think MSNBC is liberal? Believe that MSNBC distorts the facts? Fine, don't watch it. But you can't very well say that's why you watch the puppet show that is Fox.

We live in a 24 hour news cycle. People want entertainment, even if they've convinced themselves they're getting news. This is why everything is blown out of proportion and bombastic: it's more entertaining that way. If you can stretch a 5 minute story out to occupy 15 minutes, you've done your job as a "news man" these days. Fox is more willing to do this.

I'm not defending MSNBC or anyone else for that matter. What I take issue with is referring to Fox as anything but more of the same. It's been shown time and again that they take things out of context, edit video to support their positions, pass off opinion as fact with very little evidence to support their claims, and promote fear, uncertainty, and doubt. To say otherwise is simply dishonest. Watch it if you like it but don't say it's unbiased. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows otherwise.

[rcozad]

In all fairness I will admit that I am a big fan of Rep. Frank! That said i also never see the O'Reilly program as broadcast other than on the Huffington post. Of all the Democrats in the Congress he , and possibly a few others, is the only liberal that ought to appear as he has the mental tenacity to pierce the talking over and shouting down that O'Reilly subjects most of his adversaries too. He simply will not be sidelined and ambushed by the dismissive asides for which O'Reilly is justly famous! Does Rep. Frank enjoy these exchanges? Clearly yes, does O'Reilly ? Not so much.

[slarabee]

I wish that politicians would stop legitimizing Bill, Sean, Glenn and Rush.

They are not worth the time of day.

[timmmahhhh]

I agree with you, but it was good for Barney Frank to come on. It is dumbfounding he did when you look at the previous interview they had! You have good argument that Frank could had legitimized O'Reilly, but I feel the best thing about Frank coming on is that it potentially helped legitimize Frank and the Democratic Party among FOX viewers.

Before you jump to responding that I'm saying it converted people, no, I'm not saying that. We all know the vast majority of programming there sets forward Murdoch's agenda. But let's give credit where it is due.

Frank was patient with Billo and while Frank could had ended the interview with Billo's interruptions his patience with Billo this time allowed Frank to get out his opinions to an audience that would ordinarily not care to listen. And showed all again what an exceptionally skilled debator Frank is.

[TaxDayMan]

Yeah, Frank should stick to MSNBC where they won't ask the tough questions about Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, his involvement with Fannies' Moses, etc, etc. etc. Libs, LoL!

[wewin]

Advice: At the age of 40, don't try and relive the past and go on a camping trip with your college friends. Two small tents, and the misery of old men snoring and tooting all night. Never again!

[mathme]

Huh, too bad they didn't take care of themselves.

[marley22]

Now those are words to live by!

[timmmahhhh]

HAHA thanks for the laugh and reality check. :) No doubt things change a little once college is over.

[mahayana123]

I can't believe how ignorant O'rielly and those at Fox are!

[TaxDayMan]

Which is worse to be "ignorant" or get "buried" in the ratings by the "ignorant"?

[DrLogic]

Being ignorant is far, far worse. Willingly remaining ignorant is off the charts.

[John Horner]

Being popular and being well informed are often not the same thing.

[TuoulumneFlower]

I finally figured out what's missing from O'Reilly's show - a laugh track.

[pepa]

a previous commenter is right. It's all bread and circuses. They distract from the bigger issues. Buried amongst the Sanford scandal yesterday was evidence found that the Saudis funded Al-Quaeda. Where's the coverage on that?

[desertman]

Spot on!

[freddiefreeloader]

Everyone knows that their funding Al Qaeda, How many of them were on the planes on 9-11? Were are the Bin Ladens from?

[LiberalForever]

What ever happened to Limbaugh? Did the Repugnicans ask him to shut it down for a while?

[pepa]

Fair and balanced huh? Is that why during the weeks leading up to the sanford scandal while he was talking big about turning down stimulus money (he lives in a mansion) They showed the banner w/his name and an R next to him, but yesterday at his press conference while confessing to leaving his taxpayer funded elected position to get some booty in Argentina, the FAUX news criminals put a D after his name. (Not the first time they've done this) You can love Fox all you want, but they think you're stupid.

[DrLogic]

It's not the first time they've switched the R for a D when a scandal breaks...