Escalation in the Kos/O’Reilly war…
It seems that some of the Kos folks are fighting back against Bill O’Reilly after O’Reilly led the way in getting Jet Blue to drop its name from the YearlyKos convention. Mike Stark, the guy who ambushed George Allen with the “Macaca” incident, has started paying visits to O’Reilly’s neighborhood. And it seems from some of the comments that not everyone is supportive of Stark’s efforts in this matter…
It played right into O’reilly’s hands to go off on the left and using Kos as the whipping stick.
Comment by Ripclawe — August 1, 2007 @ 1:14 am
Maybe later Stark can toilet paper Sean Hannity’s house and leave a flaming bag of poo on Brit Hume’s doorstep.
I don’t agree with BOR labeling DKos as a “hate site”. There are definitely some very angry and unhinged people there. But the majority seem to be normal political junkies on the left side of the spectrum.
Unfortunately, the loony idiots like Mike Stark really stand out. They make the whole site look like it’s filled with a bunch of wacko extremist nutjobs.
Comment by TBDave — August 1, 2007 @ 1:28 am
Mike Stark is a real loser. Enough said!
Comment by Sal Jr — August 1, 2007 @ 1:48 am
I don’t agree with this guy going to O’Reilly’s private home and airing O’Reilly’s dirty laundry on posters to his neighbors. It is hypocritical to fault O’Reilly for his confrontational interviews (we contacted (name) and he refused to comment, so we went to him) and then do the exact same thing. I don’t think this guy represents the website….rather he is a member who went off the reservation and did what he thought was appropriate.
Just to note - I was surprised that the guy who pulled the stunt took exception to the people who left comments that did not agree with what he did (see the guy’s updates to the story). O’Reilly’s assertion tonight in his e-mail segment was that the Daily Kos was a “fascist” website that shuns people who disagree with their ideology/agenda. This guy would do well to take criticism as it comes and let the website be the free speech haven it purports itself to be.
That being said, if O’Reilly wants to be fair he would note that many comments about the incident (if he even mentions it) were disapproving.
Comment by FishOil — August 1, 2007 @ 1:56 am
In regards to why this is different than when O’Reilly sends his producers out… there is a difference between public servants and private citizens. O’Reilly, while he does have a television and radio show, is still just a TV celebrity. A judge, governor, mayor, etc. are all elected officials, directly beholden to the public at large. They have a responsibility to answer questions to the public whom they represent… a celebrity has no such obligations… if you don’t like them, turn the channel.
More importantly, however, I don’t like the road this has the potential to lead down. A prediction: If KO does a story about this tomorrow (he’s interviewed Stark before) then someone from the anti-KO side is going to stalk him out at home. And from there, the path that starts to go down is a potentially very dangerous one. Once a fanatic starts messing with someone’s family and private life… things won’t end well for someone. Perhaps I’m just a worrier, but I get the bad vibes from this situation.
Comment by ImNotBlue — August 1, 2007 @ 2:18 am
I think BOR has gone after “private citizens” in the past. He went after that reporter a few months ago and he went after the CEO of JetBlue. Neither of those guys are “public servants”.
But there’s a difference between aggressively going after a news story, and trying to publicly humiliate someone. Not only was Stark trying to humiliate O’Reilly, but he went way over the line when he involved BOR’s neighbors.
Mike Stark is well know for his guerrilla-style activism. If the DKos wants to be a serious player in politics, they need to distance themselves from those type of people.
Comment by TBDave — August 1, 2007 @ 2:31 am
This ass posted O’reilly’s address. If you click on one of the pictures it will take you to Flickr where you can still see it. Stark says it’s not his address but that’s BS and he knows it.
Comment by bagman — August 1, 2007 @ 3:37 am
#7 - Yikes, I missed that altogether when I checked that out.
I don’t know about the legality of doing that, but that is completely out-of-bounds. And I thought the signs he put up were bad enough. This is inviting the results of the bad vibes that ImNotBlue was referring to. Whether you agree with the guy or not, this guy has to get some perspective….O’Reilly is just an opinionated guy on TV. We are talking about his safety and his family’s safety. This is just wrong in so many ways.
Comment by FishOil — August 1, 2007 @ 5:31 am
I dont agree with what Mike Stark did but if anyone deserves this type of treatment it is that pompous Oreilly.
Comment by alice cervantes — August 1, 2007 @ 7:53 am
Stark is an ass…This cheap little stunt isn’t funny O’Reilly has had to deal with real death threats against himself and his family so if a nut like Stark can find out about where he lives so could someone who wants to harm Bill…and Stark himself is known for his violent outbursts he got thrown out of an George Allen meeting because he tried to charge at him so he could also be a real threat to O’Reily too.
Comment by mlong — August 1, 2007 @ 9:10 am
Just wait for that Irish temper to flare and BOR does something stupid, real stupid.
Comment by Macjoubert — August 1, 2007 @ 9:14 am
In regards to why this is different than when O’Reilly sends his producers out… there is a difference between public servants and private citizens. O’Reilly, while he does have a television and radio show, is still just a TV celebrity. A judge, governor, mayor, etc. are all elected officials, directly beholden to the public at large. They have a responsibility to answer questions to the public whom they represent… a celebrity has no such obligations… if you don’t like them, turn the channel.
I’m not a fan of what Stark’s doing but if this is your rationale to separate what O’Reilly does from what Stark does, I think you need a better rationale. People on TV who are commenters and give opinions absolutely have a responsibility to answer to the public for those opinions.
Stark is entirely justified and within his rights to want to hold O’Reilly accountable for his war with Kos. I just totally disagree with and reject the way he’s gone about doing it.
Comment by Spud — August 1, 2007 @ 10:24 am
What Stark did was NOT the same was what O’Reilly did to the JetBlue CEO or other people O’Reilly sends his producers after. O’Reilly’s producers ask specific questions about a specific issue, and if the person won’t answer, O’Reilly calls them out for *that* - he doesn’t go after their personal lives. The producer did not ask JetBlue’s CEO if he’s ever had an affair or anything else that didn’t relate to the issue of their connection to the Kos website. And he didn’t go and involve the man’s neighbors.
For Stark to post O’Reilly’s address on the internet and post signs in O’Reilly’s neighborhood implying he’s a child molester is completely over the line.
Comment by Laurel — August 1, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Spud… I’m drawing a distinction between following O’Reilly… and following a judge. Yes, both are beholden to the public… but only the judge is working the public’s dime, and that entitles the public to get answers. Stark can want answers about of BOR as much as anyone else… and as a commentator, BOR should address them to keep his journalistic integrity in tact… but if he chooses not to answer, the public’s response should be to change the channel.
The difference is the same difference between a celebrity having an affair with a prostitute… and a Senator having the same affair. A celebrity doesn’t have to answer questions… a Senator gets an investigation.
Comment by ImNotBlue — August 1, 2007 @ 11:54 am
Once a fanatic starts messing with someone’s family and private life… things won’t end well for someone. Perhaps I’m just a worrier, but I get the bad vibes from this situation. Comment by ImNotBlue — August 1, 2007 @ 2:18 am
I would think Keith Olbermann would stay out this considering his own home address was recently published online.
Comment by Obama in 08! — August 1, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
I did not realize this Stark creature was the one who harassed George Allen (who I thought would be our next President), so now I’m really mad!
But what O’Reilly and his producer did re: the Jet Blue exec was done ONLY after they approached him at work and he refused to respond. And when they approached him at “home”, it was actually on a public street, in front of the building in which he lived. Further, O’Reilly et al did not go about making personal attacks against the guy, such as posting accusatory signs around his neighborhood or distributing copies of the charges against him.
This Stark guy has hit a new low. Regardless of whether you like O’Reilly or not, this is personal, and also greatly harms his wife and children. They don’t deserve this!!!
Comment by Missy — August 1, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Spud: You probably also know that locally Stark went after Lee Rogers, Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman of radio station KSFO.
Most 41 year old men are busy working, paying bills and raising a family. Apparently Stark, who claims to be a law student (for 20 years Mike?), has nothing better to do with his life than to harrass media people and politicians he doesn’t like.
Comment by Ira — August 1, 2007 @ 12:33 pm
Don’t this clown’s actions give further justification for everything O’Reilly has said about Kos?
To compare what O’Reilly’s producers do and what this guy is doing is ridiculous. O’Reilly’s people go out and try get comments for people for stories. This guy is just harassing, name calling and trying to embarass O’Reilly.
If Olbermann is smart, he stays far, far away from this one. Given his O’Reilly obsession though, it might be too tempting.
Comment by bigred — August 1, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
#20 - I wouldn’t agree that what this one idiot did validates what O’Reilly has said about the Daily Kos. If you click on the link that Spud provided to the “diary” entry, you’ll see in the comments section that there are many people who cheered the stunt, but there are also a large number who condemned it.
I agree that what this guy did was going way beyond the pale. If he had simply confronted O’Reilly and asked him a few questions to, say, prove the point that an ambush interview isn’t so fun when you’re on the receiving end, then that’s one thing. When you add to that those posters and putting transcripts of a lawsuit in people’s mailboxes (or however he exactly went about it) is just wrong.
Bottom line - if you don’t like O’Reilly, don’t watch him. If you don’t like the Daily Kos, don’t go to their website. If you have a problem with Presidential candidates going to their conference, send them an e-mail voicing your dispeasure (if you support said candidate) or don’t vote for them.
This whole thing is getting carried away.
Comment by FishOil — August 1, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
If O’Reilly really wants to get under the Kos’ skin… he’ll talk about this… and then THANK the posters who said this was inappropriate… saying that “Obviously HE’S making headway over there…”
I giggle at the thought of how mad that would make them. Is that wrong? Does that make me a bad person? Nahh… I’m great, I know it. :)
Comment by ImNotBlue — August 1, 2007 @ 3:33 pm
What Stark did was NOT the same was what O’Reilly did to the JetBlue CEO or other people O’Reilly sends his producers after.
Who said it was? I didn’t. I just said Stark was within his rights to go after O’Reilly. I never said that how he went about it was ok or the same.
And Ira, if Stark went after that raving trio on KSFO, I have no problems with that. I remember those three when they had different jobs (one time Morgan was KGO radio’s consumer reporter) and acted sane on the air. I can’t listen to them now. Just too much hate and negativity for my ears.
Comment by Spud — August 1, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Spud, you didn’t say it was the same - Stark did.
Comment by Laurel — August 1, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
Just to update - On O’Reilly’s website it says that tonight (Wednesday) he is doing a “follow-up segment” on Daily Kos continuing to “spew hatred.”
I don’t think he is going to advertise the stunt that Stark pulled, but one never knows.
But it’s clear that O’Reilly is not going to let the thing die down by dropping the topic.
Comment by FishOil — August 1, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
I look forward to hearing O’Reilly address this. If he sidesteps what we’re discussing here, he only delays the inevitable.
Comment by erljr — August 1, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
Fish & Jr. : By now I’m sure you know that O’Reilly was preempted by coverage of the bridge collapse.
Spud: The KSFO “raving trio” did a special three hour show to refute Stark and actually had him on the air to discuss his charges. IOW, they were much more “fair and balanced” to Stark than he was to them.
Comment by Ira — August 1, 2007 @ 9:06 pm