Bill O'Reilly said on Thursday that he was "sorry" that he accused guest Alan Colmes of "lying."
O'Reilly lost his cool on Wednesday night while debating President Obama's attitude towards spending cuts. O'Reilly's temper flared when Colmes claimed that Obama said that he would cut entitlements, including Medicare. The host slammed his fist on the table and told Colmes, "You are lying here."
O'Reilly addressed the exchange on Thursday. "Lots of folks talking about my shootout with Alan Colmes last night where I asked him what specific — specific — budget cuts President Obama has proposed," he said at the start of the show. “Colmes hemmed and hawed saying the president’s promising to cut Medicare, or something. But the truth is Mr. Obama has not put forth any specific federal spending cuts. It's all a bunch of general nonsense and so Colmes and I got into it. Even though I’m sorry I said Alan was lying — I should not have used that word — I'm glad the exposition occurred."
He went on to lament the nation's rising debt and what he called "economic madness," saying that he raised his voice "to get everyone's attention" about Obama's stance.
"The president of the United States is not looking out for the country right now,” O’Reilly said. “He is hell-bent on destroying the Republican Party and he does not seem to care if the nation collapses as a result."
Later on in the show, O'Reilly faced off with guest Kirsten Powers over the issue. Powers echoed Colmes' argument, telling O'Reilly that Obama has proposed spending cuts. She held up a piece of paper which she said detailed $400 billion in health care cuts that the White House wanted to make. "You need to admit you are wrong," she said. "You are wrong about this and now you’re playing a game."
O'Reilly argued that Obama has not offered "specific" cuts. "This is where you and I will never agree," he said.
“Because I use facts?” Powers shot back. She said that O'Reilly was "one hundred percent wrong," and that Obama's plan for spending cuts was online for anyone to see.
"You and I will never reach détente because you don’t understand the word specific," O'Reilly concluded.
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