O’Reilly at Sylvia’s: O’Reilly and Sanchez comment…
The Washington Post’s Paul Fahri talks with both Bill O’Reilly and CNN’s Rick Sanchez…
O’Reilly was still simmering last night. “They’re making it something that it isn’t,” he said in an interview by phone from New York. “Anyone who listens to the tape [of the radio show] and is fair-minded will tell you this was an intelligent conversation about race. . . . Aren’t they supposed to be in the business of honesty over there” at CNN?
His point, he said, is that “some whites fear blacks based on irrational notions. They’re afraid to go into Sylvia’s, they’re afraid to go to Harlem. But there’s nothing different in Sylvia’s than any other place in the U.S.”
The flap — which CNN’s Rick Sanchez covered again in prime time last night — has faint echoes of the controversy that drove TV and radio host Don Imus from the air in April. In that incident, the Washington-based Media Matters was the first to note Imus’s comments about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, and Sharpton was prominent in condemning those remarks.
_______________
Sanchez, in a phone interview, said O’Reilly is perpetuating racism by using “the Mandingo argument” against black rappers. “The idea [is] that there’s a big, bad African American out there that we all need protection from,” he said. “It’s a dangerous way of looking at racial relations. The African American community is extremely complex. The thinking that black culture is confined to guys sticking their underwear out is just wrong, and many African Americans resent it.”
I listened to that talk by O’Reilly and there is absolutely nothing in the way of racial animus in it. I, too, would simmer like Bill.
CNN is making an issue out of this to bump up its ratings, which are woefully way, way down.
And speaking of Sanchez, he is another myrmidon for CNN whose argument against O’Reilly is so absurd it does not deserve any response. Another shameless race merchant who should be doing something better to make a little name for himself. Back off, rascal!
Comment by RGL — September 27, 2007 @ 9:37 am
“another myrmidon for CNN”
myr·mi·don - a loyal follower; especially : a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously
O’Reilly will love that word!
Comment by Grandpa D — September 27, 2007 @ 9:56 am
Sanchez is making exactly the same point as O’Reilly. Oh, wait, he wouldn’t know that because he didn’t bother to listen to the whole conversation before he started running his mouth!
Comment by Laurel — September 27, 2007 @ 10:24 am
Sanchez is the race baiter here, as we’ve see in his discussions with Lou Dobbs. He wants open borders and wants all illegals to remain here with impunity, and anyone who disagrees with him is a racist!
And now he’s desperate for ratings (since he’s temporarily up against BOR), so he’s in full attack mode. Forget about the truth; sensationalism sells.
Comment by Missy — September 27, 2007 @ 10:45 am
Laurel, you are absolutely correct. What Sanchez has said, it exactly the same as what O’Reilly was saying.
Incredible.
Comment by ImNotBlue — September 27, 2007 @ 11:31 am