Huntley, Brinkley, Chancellor, Brokaw… and now Rosie.
As “Talking Points” has been telling you for more than a year, the president of NBC, Jeff Zucker, is desperate. NBC is collapsing in the ratings on almost all fronts. And now Mr. Zucker has turned to Rosie O’Donnell to prop up MSNBC. Just think about this: NBC News, once a prestigious operation with excellent news people, now wants this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O’DONNELL: You want to know why we go into Iran? For the money. That’s why we would do it.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, ‘VIEW’ CO-HOST: Do you believe that the government had anything to do with the attacks on 9/11? Do you believe in a conspiracy in terms of the attack of 9/11?
O’DONNELL: No, but I do believe that it is the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics for the World Trade Center Tower, building seven, which collapsed in on itself. It is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved.
Don’t fear the terrorists. They’re mothers and fathers.
But interesting with the British sailors — there were 15 British sailors and Marines who apparently went into Iranian waters. And they were seized by the Iranians. And I have one thing to say — Gulf of Tonkin. Google it.
Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America.
We have more convicted felons in the Army because we’re allowing them to get through.
655,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Who are the terrorists?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
We are, of course. Americans are the terrorists.
So how bad are things that MSNBC? Listen to one of their show presenters:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUCKER CARLSON: That does it for us. Thank you for watching as always. And we mean that sincerely to all eight of you. We’ll be back here Monday. Up next, “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” Have a good weekend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, at least Carlson is honest, which is more than you can say for The New York Times. Its TV reporter, Jacques Steinberg, actually wrote an article that says MSNBC is competitive with “The Factor” at 8:00 p.m.
Now Mr. Steinberg knows that is not true. He knows that’s a lie, but he wrote it anyway.
Here is the truth: In October, MSNBC had no overall ratings growth at 8:00 p.m. None. In the past five weeks, “The Factor” has beaten them by 225 percent in total audience and 100 percent in the key demo. Margins of victory rarely come bigger than that.
Again, Steinberg knows the score, but chose to deceive the public —disgraceful.
This is the same thing The New York Times did with the far-left radio network, Air America. The paper ran more than 20 favorable pieces on those loons, many of them saying how well they were doing.
Then presto, Air America declares bankruptcy. Who knew?
“The Factor” contacted Tom Brokaw today for a comment on Rosie. Mr. Brokaw had nothing to say. Tim Russert, nothing to say. Brian Williams, nothing to say.
But in the interest of truth, I am now going to dispel some rumors:
It is not true that Sean Penn will be co-anchoring the “NBC Nightly News.” That is false.
It is also not true that Hugo Chavez will become their chief foreign correspondent. Apparently, he is unavailable for that position.
And it’s certainly not true that Barney Frank will be doing the weather on “The Today Show.” Not going to happen, even if Rosie signs on.
Now all this madness is the responsibility of this guy, Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, which owns NBC. Mr. Immelt also had no comment on Rosie O’Donnell. But GE stockholders should have a comment.
On Immelt’s watch, the NBC network is in dire trouble. Coming up, “Talking Points” is spot on when we told you that NBC News has embraced the radical left agenda in pursuit of ratings. There is no doubt any longer.
And that’s the Memo.
Pinheads and Patriots
A few weeks ago, I bet Dick Morris a dinner that Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee would not reach 10 percent in the latest polls. Well, according to the latest poll, Huckabee has reached that milestone, doubling his standing in about two weeks.
So for running a determined campaign, Governor Huckabee is a patriot and I am a pinhead. And on general principles, so is Morris, but he gets a free dinner.
Also on the pinhead front, our pal Bill Moyers, the very objective PBS guy, said this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL MOYERS, PBS: Why wasn’t it news last weekend when more than 100,000 people turned out in 11 cities across the country to protest the occupation of Iraq? Los Angeles; San Francisco; Seattle; Chicago; Philadelphia; Boston; Orlando; Salt Lake City; New Orleans; Jonesboro, Tennessee.
But if you blink while watching the national news, you wouldn’t have known it was a story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
So here is my question, sir. Why haven’t you covered the improving security situation in Iraq? The surge is working. That’s a far more important story than these protests that averaged less than 10,000 people per city.
Now, my guess is that Mr. Moyers has ignored the surge story because he’s a pinhead. But I could be wrong.
—You can catch Bill O’Reilly’s “Talking Points Memo” and “Most Ridiculous Item” weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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