http://www.counterpunch.com/chretien11152005.html-snip-
Yesterday I appeared on O'Reilly's show. Predictably, he tried to pass off his comments as "satire." I told him that the people of San Francisco don't think the war in Iraq is a laughing matter, and that's why they voted by 60% to oppose military recruiters in our public schools. San Franciscans want our troops home now and don't want to replace them with more of our young people to kill and be killed in Iraq. Curiously, O'Reilly insisted military recruiters had nothing to do with the war in Iraq. When I asked him where he thought the young people who joined the military went, he started to bluster.
-snip-
O'Reilly's Al Qaeda fantasies all by themselves are not that interesting. However, I believe that he is the canary in the coalmine of the Conservative Right. Scooter Libby is under indictment, Frist and Tom DeLay are in legal hot water, and the prosecutor's sword is hanging over Karl Rove's head. Both President Bush and Gov. Schwarzenegger's approval ratings are so low that they had to fly 6,000 miles away to Asia to get some good press. O'Reilly's heroes have had it their way for the past four years, and, while it's been good for his ratings, it's been bad for most of the American people. The Conservative Juggernaut is beginning to creak at the seams.
-snip-
Towards the end of O'Reilly's show, he began ranting that he wouldn't back down from his comments about San Francisco. He took a swing at San Francisco because he believes we won't swing back. He's wrong.
I challenged him to come here and participate in a 60 minute, public debate, moderated by a neutral chairperson, to discuss two questions: should the United States withdraw our troops from Iraq and should military recruiters be allowed in our public schools. So now the ball is in his court.
-snip-
--------------------------
I made note of: " I believe that he is the canary in the coalmine of the Conservative Right."