It looks like Fox is trying to stir up a new Jeremiah Wright controversy by attacking President Obama for where he attended Easter services this year. Apparently it is completely unacceptable in Fox world to go to a church where the pastor a year before said some bad things about Fox "News" and called out Rush Limbaugh and right wing talk radio for being racist. Gee, I wonder where the hell someone might have gotten that idea?
I'm sure Limbaugh and his "Barack the Magic Negro" song had nothing to do with that assumption.
But Bill-O wants to challenge him to a debate:
BILL O'REILLY: Finally, as you may know, Mr. and Mrs. Obama attended Easter services at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington. Here's the problem. The pastor is a guy named Wallace Smith, who is a race activist. Here's what he said in a speech last year:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE SMITH, PASTOR, SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH: When you look at what's going on, it may not be Jim Crow anymore. Now Jim Crow wears blue pinstripes, goes to law school and carries fancy briefs and cases. And now Jim Crow has become "James Crow, Esquire," and he doesn't have to wear white robes anymore because now he can wear the protective cover of talk radio or can get a regular news program on Fox.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Pastor Smith apparently believes that the American establishment, including some media outlets like FNC, is racist, designed to keep black Americans down. That is an outrageous charge unless you can prove it, and Pastor Smith cannot prove it. He's bloviating, stirring up alleged bias for absolutely no reason.
So the question becomes: Why would the president sit in a church run by a guy like Wallace Smith?
I can't answer that question, but I'm offended by the pastor's statement about Fox News. I've been here 15 years. I don't know anybody in this organization who's racist, and if Pastor Smith wants to debate it, he's welcome here anytime. But I predict he will not show up on "The Factor" because he can't back up his racially charged statements.
Again, does the pastor deserve being legitimized by the president of the United States?
O'Reilly should talk since he certainly knows a thing or two about bloviating. As Media Matters has documented, Fox has a long history or race baiting, but of course Bill-O and Crowley are going to pretend they don't. Racism, what racism? How dare anyone call Fox or right wing radio racist. The horror!
And just to add insult to injury, Monica Crowley uses this ridiculous supposed controversy they drummed up here to justify the birther nonsense we're all sick of hearing about. Crowley claims Obama somehow brought the birther crap on himself by doing things that are un-American. Yeah sure Monica.
I give some kudos to Alan Colmes for pointing out the obvious during this segment. If this is the sort of B.S. that the GOP wants to run on in 2012, good luck with that.
