O’Reilly Factor Goes After Katie Couric: “Elite Left Wing Liberal”

“Culture wars” are a common topic on the O’Reilly Factor, but rarely does it get so personal as to call out fellow news anchors — but not last night. Monica Crowley, subbing for host Bill O’Reilly, quickly reminded viewers why she’s so popular with her conservative base. Last night, she went after Katie Couric, asking if Couric’s comments about an “angry nation” represented and “elite left-wing media looking down on Americans.” And that was just the beginning.

Crowley aired a clip from December 22 in which Couric shared her opinion about the mood of America, referencing both economic hardships and a bitter partisan divide that fueled an angry and polarized nation. Crowley took great exception to Couric’s comments, and had a sympathetic listener in guest Tim Graham, Director of Media Analysis for the Media Research Center, a self-described conservative group.

Transcript of the exchange:

Monica Crowley: In the personal story segment, CBS News anchor Katie Couric seems to think her viewers are, well, kind of cranky.

Katie Couric: I think the economic situation in this country, I think when people are struggling, that sometimes they need a place to vent their rage and to channel their rage and I think — I feel like right now, in many ways, we’re a very angry nation and whenever I think it’s not going to get more polarized, it seems to, but it all seems to be expressed through a prism of anger and disgust and disrespect, which i find really, really troubling.

Crowley: Way to attract more viewers Katie. Is this another example of the elite left-wing media looking down on Americans or is Katie right about the mood of the country? joining us now, Tim Graham, analyst for a conservative group, media analysts. So Tim, I’m wondering, whatever happened to dissent is the highest form of patriotism, which we heard for eight years when President Bush is in office but now it seems the left wing is saying, dissent now is the lowest form of anger or racism or whatever?

Graham: It reminds me a lot of 1994. When Democrats start to lose, then we have to worry about the angry Americans. Yeah, obviously, channeling anger at President Bush was not something the networks, you know, were against, it was something they stoked on a nightly basis. I think it’s one thing to say the country is angry. I think that’s fair. when she goes on to talk about how there’s too much disrespect, that’s when you’re beginning to see that whole idea of how unfortunate that we would have people who would so publicly and angrily disagree with President Obama.

Crowley: I’m wondering, Tim, where Katie Couric was and if her concern about an angry nation when the left was crucifying President Bush as a war criminal and Hitler, when Code Pink was in Condoleezza Rice’s face, when there are wall-to-wall, left wing, vicious attacks. Where was she in that concern? I guess that’s making your point.

Graham: We knew what it was back then. That was every piece of dissent, every Cindy Sheehan, every code pink, everybody with red blood painted on their hands, those were things they cheered for. They were all conscience and idealism and right now, she’s saying, I hate to be idealistic here but you people are angry and cynical. And that’s the sort of, yes, disdainful tone that people can pick up, we’re calling it Facebook fit.

Crowley: You know it seems to me that anybody who is an elite left wing liberal, whether they are in the media like Katie Couric or nor, they are intent on smearing or tarring anybody who might disagree with the liberal agenda. And I also think to our own government, earlier this spring, the Department of Homeland Security, under the Homeland Security Director, Janet Napolitano, issued a formal report that basically said if you own a gun, if you are pro-life if you go to church if you have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, you might be a volatile nut who could pop-off at any moment and you need to be watched. Then we’ve got this speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi, in September saying, I saw this kind of rhetoric in the 1970’s in San Francisco and she’s crying about that, former President Jimmy Carter is saying any opposition to President Obama has to be based in racism. Have they lost their minds or is this pure arrogance?

Graham: When they start talking about a climate of anger leading to a climate of violence what they’re trying to do is intimidate people out of speaking, that’s what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to suggest the Tea Party protests or whatever are dangerous events, not that they’re great events where people stand up for liberty, but they are dangerous events that are tantamount to wishing Obama assassinated. These are what they say on television or on radio, on blogs like The Daily Kos. We can say angry talk, ugly talk, we’re getting a lot of that out of the media and it never stops when it comes to Conservatives. They are always seen as cynical, angry, and encouraging violence.

Crowley: Tim, do you think that the liberal elites don’t understand the average American out there and that they consider us the unwashed masses who need the guidance of the elite liberal vanguard and come to us because we know better? Is that how they treat the average American?

Graham: Well, it depends on whether they’re winning or losing. When Barack Obama wins, the American people are wise people. They are creating history, and you like the American people. Then when the polls go south, and the polls on this Health Care bill are not good at all right now and the Democrats are shoving it through anyway, suddenly the people are angry and not very smart.

Crowley: It just shows the tactics of the left, arrogance and desperation. Tim thank you very much. Merry Christmas.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!