“you can’t be disrespectful”

Ryan Witt (Examiner.com): …. O’Reilly continually cut off the President in order to ask another question, redirect the interview, or simply make a statement. To many, O’Reilly’s actions were disrespectful to Obama and, more importantly, the office of President of the United States…..

…O’Reilly interrupted the President a total 22 times in a 15 minute interview. Many times O’Reilly did not interrupt to ask another question, but instead to insert a statement of his own. For instance, at one point after President Obama was explaining the justification behind the individual mandate in health care reform, O’Reilly stated “but you understand that a lot of Americans feel that you are a big government liberal who wants to intrude on their personal freedom.”  When President Obama tried to respond to that statement O’Reilly quickly cut him off again.

On average President Obama was given just 26 seconds to answer every question from O’Reilly. The maximum amount of time the President had to answer any question was 51 seconds. Often the President would be cut off within the first ten seconds of his answer … he asked the President whether he has changed since being elected … after Obama reflected for a second and began to answer O’Reilly interrupted after ten seconds to tell the President how others think he has changed.

…regardless of the party affiliation of the President or interviewer, the real question is  whether we really want to limit the Commander-in-Chief to a less than one minute response on the most important international crisis of the day. O’Reilly certainly did not interrupt former President Bush as often in a recent interview from last November.

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The Hill: It was “completely inappropriate” for Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly to ask President Obama about the people who “hate” him, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Monday.

Pelosi said O’Reilly’s question, during an interview before Sunday’s Super Bowl, made her wince upon hearing it again on Monday.

“Just seeing it again … I thought was a completely inappropriate question, of course beautifully handled by the president,” Pelosi told host Gayle King on the Oprah Radio network.

“To hear this used in the presence of the president of the United States — I think we all have to recognize that while we disagree with people, and may think that they are wrong,” the word “hate” should never be used, Pelosi said.

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Susan Milligan (USNews.com): Bill O’Reilly asked a very revealing question of President Obama during his pre-Super Bowl interview with the chief executive. But the revelation was about O’Reilly and modern media, and not the subject of the interview.

“Does it disturb you that so many people hate you?” Fox’s O’Reilly asked Obama.

….O’Reilly seemed almost disappointed by the answers — what did he expect, to make Obama cry? — but the exchanges, while saying little about the president’s real or imagined internal angst, said a great deal about the role of the media in exacerbating a hostile political environment. O’Reilly knows that. He is surely aware that people hate him (or more likely, hate what he says and represents), but I doubt it bothers him … it’s maddening to flame-throwers when their target doesn’t fight fire with more fire … he had to placate his viewers by presenting the nation as one divided between people who hate the president and those who don’t.

…. Obama’s behavior indicates he is unwilling to engage in petty political food fights, instead choosing to just do his job. The media might consider following suit.

fight the hate

Humbled! The blog was infested by creatures from that well known hate group, the Arizona Tea Party, today.

The target of their hatred? No, not President Obama this time, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. eg:

These delightful hatemongers are upping their campaign to destroy Sheriff Dupnik, so show the wonderful man some love:

Fight the Teabag hate and leave a supportive message here

teabagger tv

Thank you for the link Donna.

Please let this be the last time the President grants an interview to Teabagger TV, it was an insult to his intelligence to have to listen to that contemptuous piece of excrement’s moronic, clueless questions.

But hey, thank you O’Reilly for lecturing the President on Egyptian politics – yep, Teabagger TV people sure know a lot about Egypt:

And what was with him doubting that the President has any genuine interest in football?! “You’re a basketball guy.” Why can’t a “basketball guy” have an interest in football, O’Reilly? Why don’t you spit it out, you turd.

Sorry, but f**k Teabagger TV.

Okay, this sensible person at Politics USA has a much more constructive take on the interview:

“……These Fox News interviews are a Godsend to Obama politically. They are the gift that keeps on giving. Every time Obama appears for an interview with a Fox News personality, he helps himself politically. Obama is too smart to play along with the Fox News line of questioning, and he always manages to turn the discussion towards his way of framing things. This president owns Fox News, and even as the network keeps trying to trap him with biased questions, he will continue to dominate them.”

Read the rest of the post here

Here’s another angry person, especially annoyed by that idiotic “going off the reservation….” remark:

Pacificfreepress: “…the Fox News anchorman blabbered his way into history as being rude, arrogant, and demeaning and now? I can add the word, “clueless.”

As the questions were being thrown at the President, in rapid fire succession, little opportunity was given for Obama to truly answer. No, O’Reilly had to keep interrupting him and inserting his own commentary into the interview as if HIS opinions were of higher value than that of the U.S. President. Nothing surprising here I suppose.

…I tried my best to finish watching the Super Bowl pre-game show but instead, found myself here….writing angrily about a news outlet that has lost its dignity and respect amidst the American public. You interrupt and badger the President, who, amazingly, even honored Fox News with this rare interview.

Bill? …. Just shut the hell up will you?”

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All so predictable, really. O’Reilly is losing out to Beck in the Teabagger love stakes, so this was his chance to impress the freaks: by treating the President like something he found on the sole of his shoe. Classy.

I think I need some fresh air 😐

never speak ill of the dead…..

….. so, when it comes to Ronald Reagan: no comment 😐  But thanks to Debra for this reminder:

President Obama with former first lady Nancy Reagan at the signing of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, June 2, 2009

(don’t look if you’re hungry)

The menu for President Obama’s Super Bowl party:

“Bratwurst, Kielbasa, Cheeseburgers, Deep Dish Pizza, Buffalo Wings, German Potato Salad, Twice Baked Potatoes, Snyders Potato Chips and Pretzels, Chips and Dips, Salad, Ice Cream. Beverages including the following beers: Hinterland Pale Ale & Amber Ale (Wisconsin), Yuengling Lager and Light (Pennsylvania), White House Honey Ale.”

Two years ago….

Feb. 1, 2009: “During a Super Bowl watching party in the White House theatre, the President and First Lady join their guests in watching one of the TV commercials in 3D.” (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

PS You know, if things had gone another way, the President could have played in a Super Bowl …. after all, he once, um, held the Heisman Trophy:

hey, watch the lip

President Barack Obama arrives to play basketball at a gymnasium at Fort McNair in Washington, February 6