Fox's O'Reilly gets pushy at Obama event

[TJ Phaserman 2]

NASHUA - No one ever accused Bill O'Reilly of being a wilting flower.

 

So when the Fox News Channel commentator and interviewer appeared midway through a Barack Obama rally at a Nashua high school Saturday, his presence was evident. Tall, with camera crew in tow, O'Reilly marched forward to get a good look.

 

Journalists have been known to seek the best angle.

 

But it was after Obama's speech that O'Reilly threw some elbows. And not so figuratively either.

 

Obama staffer Marvin Nicholson, a personal aide always at Obama's side during rope line handshakes, said O'Reilly yelled at him to get out of the way of his cameraman's shot. Nicholson said O'Reilly came around the waist-high barricade separating Obama from well-wishers.

 

"Then he grabbed me with both of his arms and tried to push me out of the way," Nicholson said after the campaign agreed to make him available to reporters.

 

A Fox News spokesman did not immediately respond to e-mail and phone messages.

 

The scene was hard to miss. O'Reilly is about 6-feet-5-inches tall. Nicholson is 6-feet-8-inches tall.

 

"I told him, 'Sir, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shove me anymore.'

 

"He called me 'low class.' He was pretty upset."

 

Secret Service agents assigned to protect Obama ordered O'Reilly back behind the barricade. At that point Obama approached him and extended his hand.

 

O'Reilly, Nicholson recounted, "said the senator was great and that he would love to have him on the show."

 

Nicholson, a veteran of political campaigns, worked as Sen. John Kerry's personal aide in the 2004 presidential campaign, acquiring the nickname "Chief of Stuff."

 

"I've never seen a member of the press lay hands on a staffer before," he said.

 

Democrats, prodded by liberal activists who argue Fox News is biased, have been avoiding the cable news network. Fox had to cancel a scheduled Democratic debate after the candidates refused to participate.

 

So how did Obama react to O'Reilly's entreaty?

 

"The senator said he would think about going to the show after the primaries," Nicholson said.

 

O'Reilly later showed up at a Hillary Rodham Clinton event in Penacock, N.H., and was acknowledged by the candidate. He stood in the audience and urged an audience member to ask the New York senator and former first lady about her plan to remove troops from Iraq.

 

When the audience began booing, Clinton said, "No, no, no. He gets at least some credit for being here."

 

thats it...i call a motion to have o'reilly fired!!!

Edited January 6, 2008 by tj_hawk

[Dabo Queen 0]

Bill O'Reilly is a tool and an insult to people who actually have a shred of journalistic integrity.

[MrPsychic 1]

Sounds like Obama did the right thing and diffused the situation. O'Reily, he just proved what an arrogant jerk he is.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I went to Foxnews to check their version - it seems the staffer intentionally stood in front of the camera to block their shot and when the camera man moved - the staffer moved again to block the shot. At which point O'Reilly did physically remove a man much taller than himself out of the way - he promises pictures on tomorrow's night's show.

 

Now, if you want to talk about arrogance - I don't watch cnn or fox because I don't have cable but I know that good parts of the population watch both. Republican candidates appeared in a cnn debate but Democratic candidates refused to appear on Fox. Which I'm guessing is why the staffer was blocking their camera. They aren't just snubbing a network - they're snubbing the people that watch it as well. To me that says that the Democratic candidates are only interested in serving a limited segment of the population and will not really consider all those foxnews fans their constituency even if they are elected. Talk about being divisive - this just furthers the polarization that hit its heyday with the 2000 elections. And to me that is a clue I should vote for a Republican candidate no matter how much I dislike him because he at least wants my vote.

 

If I were running for President of this country I would want all citizens to hear what I had to say and appeal to them - not just write half of them off as not being of interest to me. That arrogance really annoys me.

 

And what's wrong with asking Hillary about her plan to withdraw troops - isn't that exactly the sort of thing candidates should be discussing?

[Kor37 9]

And now you know..........the REST of the story.... <_<

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

Irregardless of others opinions about Mr. O'Reilly, he has a right to be heard and to hear from others. After all, this is America and there is supposed to be freedom of the press. Just because others may not appreciate his candor, doesn't mean he should be fired. I think O'Reilly was just doing his job by trying to learn more about Obama's views. Any journalist worth their salt would also go to great lengths to secure a presidential candidates opinions for their viewers. <_< Imo, O'Reilly has always given the other side of the story. I may not always agree with him, but i respect him.

[trekz 7]

I'll admit at the start that I consider O'Reilly an opinionated loudmouth and a bit of a bully. That said, NO ONE should be allowed to push people out of the way to get a story. People can get hurt that way, and no story is worth that imo. I think the Secret Service did the right thing to move Mr. O'Reilly back.

 

No one is going to know less about a candidate because of the lack of a picture. If Mr. O'Reilly wants to cover Obama and actually get his views, he can do some research, or have his staff do research, like any reasonable, credible newsman or journalist. They can also request, politely, for an interview like any newsperson can. And I'm sorry but Fox News will NOT be my first choice for objective reporting. If they discover some new angle, great, but I will expect some confirmation.

 

That said, I think the news media is giving Obama a pass on several issues and not asking the hard or detailed questions that they should or could. Most voters can't get to ask candidates questions. We rely on the news media to do it for ALL the candidates.

 

If I could ask questions, however, I would start with asking why Mr. Obama didn't support Forrest Claypool, a reform candidate, for Cook County Commisioner? Obama keeps saying that he's a reformer, yet refused to support a reform candidate over the Cook County Machine incumbent John Stroger. Claypool lost a very close race, then John Stroger has a stroke. His son Todd Stroger, a Chicago alderman, was slated by the Democratic machine to run for his father's office, something being done too often in Illinois lately imo. There were lots of complaints over this and doubts, with the Republican getting 33% of the election vote in Chicago, but Obama said he had talked to Todd Stroger, believed he'd be a reformer, and urged voters to support Stroger the night before the election. After winning, Todd hired his friends and relatives for jobs, cut health services, and wants to increase Cook county taxes to the point where our sales tax would be the highest in the nation. He is another machine person that is in office imo partially due to Obama's support. Hardly the kind of reform I would prefer. <_<

 

Next I would ask Obama about his past dealings with Tony Rezko, an indited individual who Obama has had dealings with for nearly 18 years, yet claimed a year ago that he didn't know him that well, right after having a real estate dealing with his wife. Our governor has also dealt with Rezko and is under federal probe regarding some dealings!

 

I would also want to know why Obama voted PRESENT so often in the Illinois legislature, rather than taking a stand on issues? Why does Obama think he is representing me by missing crucial votes in the Senate while running for President? If the campaign is taking such a toll, he could resign and our Democratic governor would appoint a successor.

 

I wish I could believe the message of hope Obama is touting. I want to believe, but I am old enough to be suspicious of political promises and to ask questions, and I want answers! Answers that the news media are not pushing Obama, or other candidates for that matter, to answer. Voters deserve answers so they can make an informed decision, not just be swayed by how someone looks or sounds imo!

Edited January 6, 2008 by trekz

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Really, Trekz, if every time you moved your camera and set up your shot someone purposefullly stood in front of your camera wouldn't you get just a bit testy. I wouldn't physically make contact with a person because that is assault but I could understand a less timorous person getting irritated. It certainly suggests incitement.

 

And you sure would ask a lot of questions for someone who I thought was leaning toward Obama. You should go on more prominent websites and ask those questions - maybe some one in the journalism field will pick up on it - it seems you have more insight than some others and maybe those questions should get asked.

 

There are a lot of things I'd like to ask and I've submitted several questions when Foxnews website has asked for our questions. I just sent in a couple for the Jan 10th debate but I doubt they'll get addressed. Apparently the only things of interest are immigration and Iraq and do you believe in the Bible? <_<

[trekz 7]

You have good points TUH. There could have been some incitement, on each side. And yes, if I was the photographer, I probably would have gotten VERY ticked off, but I probably, and hopefully, would have either cursed or shouted rather than getting physical.

 

I have been leaning toward Obama, but am starting to suspect there is less substance to Obama than I originally hoped. I fear his media advisor and handler, David Axelrod, is shaping his candidancy as much as the candidate is.

 

And I do want better investigative reporting. I did send an email to Tim Russert (Meet the Press) before Obama's last interview, but doubt that it was read. Most of what I'm talking about has been in either the Chicago Sun Times or Tribune, but national media are not picking up most of these stories.

 

I share your frustration at what the media ARE covering. It is too shallow and often doesn't address what I most care about - education, the environment (including our national parks), fairness in taxation, public land usage, protecting family farms, ending deficit spending, etc.....

 

But you are right: we all need to try our hardest and keep asking those questions we have! <_<

[TJ Phaserman 2]

look to me o'reilly is another conservertist (sorry about the spelling) who thinks just because he's famous and on tv, thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants. now maybe the aid didn't want him to get any shots, who knows, but you don't just go pushing people out of the way so you can get a shot of a certian person when that person is less than 1 foot away armed with secret service body guards. thats something you can get shot for if you were planning to assissanate someone. i mean look at the past presidents that were shot by someone running up to them...reagan, carter, lincon (though he was shot behind the head and myths say grant allowed lincon to be shot). i mean would you allow someone to push you around for a shot?