Doctor’s Killer Is Not Alone in the Blame, Some Say

[Fozzledick]

By BRIAN STELTER
Published: June 1, 2009

Dr. George R. Tiller had many critics, but arguably the one with the highest profile was Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News Channel host. Mr. O’Reilly, a vocal opponent of abortion, often called him “Tiller the baby killer” for performing late-term abortions and said repeatedly that he had “blood on his hands.”

Within hours of the shooting that left Dr. Tiller dead on Sunday, Mr. O’Reilly found himself under attack from liberal journalists and bloggers who accused him of inciting violence. By early Monday, some Web sites were asking, as a newsletter from the Air America radio network did, “Is Bill O’Reilly to Blame for Murder Of Kansas Doctor?”

Mr. O’Reilly responded to the critics on his program on Monday night, saying that “clear-thinking Americans should condemn” the killing. He defended his remarks about Dr. Tiller, declaring that “every single thing we said about Tiller was true, and my analysis was based on those facts.”

Finger-pointing is nothing new, but the nature of the accusations thrown at Mr. O’Reilly show the swiftness and vociferousness with which the blame game is now played.

Within nine hours of Dr. Tiller’s death, Salon magazine had catalogued references to him on 29 episodes of “The O’Reilly Factor” from 2005 to 2009. In one, Mr. O’Reilly talks about him and the lawmakers who supported his “business of destruction,” saying, “I wouldn’t want to be these people if there is a Judgment Day.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/us/02blame.html?hp

[underpants]

1. Wow a "Some Say"

we never get those

[Fozzledick]

2. Oh, don't get yourself twisted in a knot

Try reading past the headline - there's explicit details of who said what in the article, not just an anonymous allusion.

[Miss Authoritiva]

3. So many fine lines...

In a strictly legal sense, what O'Reilly and his ilk said doesn't constitute inducement to violence. However, you have to wonder about the responsibility/irresponsibility of TV and radio stations -- under what I'll call the Hey, Don't You Know There Are Crazies Out There Doctrine -- who allow their on-air people to take an extremely constroversial issue, such as late-term abortion, and focus all their attention and wrath on one individual, George Tiller. That's just asking for trouble. Someday one of these corporations is going to take a big hit in civil court, and then things might tone down somewhat. But that's about our only hope.