The O'Reilly Spin: The Hornbeck Factor
By Doug Edelman (03/19/07)
After hearing Bill O'Reilly speak at an event last Friday in St Louis, I went back and reviewed video of O'Reilly's exchange with Greta about Shawn Hornbeck. I wanted to get it straight from the horse's mouth, and not rely on my own memory and certainly not depend on the St Louis Post dispatch for an accurate recounting. - I wanted to lay his comments there against his original statements.
You can view the video yourself at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ho0aEMeaw&mode=related&search
I was disappointed to see that while he's toeing a more appropriate line now, (i.e. Shawn was abused unspeakably, and Devlin doesn't deserve to continue to breathe...) O'Reilly STILL has yet to retract, explain or apologize for the original January 15 statements about Shawn. Not even at the KFTK radio event last Friday! It was a nice dance... nevertheless it was still a clintonesque dodge.
In the clip from January 15, O’Reilly DID say he thought that there was something Shawn LIKED about being with Devlin – and he also said "If I'm wrong, we'll play this tape..." He should follow through and do so. He should plainly retract the statements he made with Greta that day.
As a "no spin" guy, Bill really ought to stand up and say "I spoke too soon, I didn't have the facts. Now I do, and I was wrong. I apologize."
After that, O’Reilly can tout the "child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome" all day long, and try to regain the status as a champion of the kids against predation that he had held previously thanks to his laudable promotion of Jessica's Law.
Until and unless he comes thru with a direct retraction of his earlier statements - his credibility as a defender of the kids, as a culture warrior, and as a “No Spin” person remains diminished.
Copyright © 2007 by Doug Edelman
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