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NEWSWEEK

From the magazine issue dated Jun 30, 2008

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Bill O'Reilly is mad at us. Last week NEWSWEEK mocked his new book's title, "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity," and O'Reilly went on air to denounce our editor, Jon Meacham: "NEWSWEEK has really gone off the rails with its far-left posture," he said. "For destroying a once fine magazine, Meacham is a pinhead." Far left, we would debate. Pinhead? Well … Still, having started this literary discussion, we feel duty-bound to offer more-constructive criticism. Hence, these alternate titles for O'Reilly's book:

'A Big Steaming Lump of Male Vanity'
'A Deep Barking Voice of Inanity'
'A Large Bag of Gas Who's No Hannity'

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Posted By: roediger316 @ 07/08/2008 12:56:17 PM

It must be a banner day, because I never thought I would live to see something that Bill O'Reilly and I might agree on. But he and I do agree on this: Jon Meacham's leadership has not made Newsweek better and, in significant ways, has made a "once fine magazine" worse. From Newsweek, I want news of the week. I turn elsewhere for commentary, and it may be that he and his colleagues have gotten too comfortable with their role as pundits and resident remarkers on PBS and televised talk shows. The shift to more ponderings from Meacham and staff has tipped the balance away from what I want covered in my newsmagazine.

What galls me most? Mr. Meacham's presumption that my niece made a mistake during her recent magazine fund-raiser for the high school band that he has sought to correct by providing me with a religious weekly instead of Newsweek. Mr. Meacham, if I'd wanted to read about all things Christian, I would have subscribed to Christianity Today. I don't understand why I even KNOW the faith of my newsweekly's editor, but I do not share his interest in anything remotely resembling "matters" of faith.

The good news for me? Bill O'Reilly and I might find Meacham a poor editorial leader, but O'Reilly will hate my reasons for it.
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Posted By: SEAS004 @ 07/06/2008 2:40:18 AM

If Newsweek went too far to the left then O'Reilly went too far right.... As usual. I have NO problems with RESPECTFUL conservatives who can at least CALMLY CONSIDER the views of those who do not agree with them. BUT those are rare. I agree with the comments
"O'Reilly has the emotional control of a 3 year old.": I could not have stated it better myself.
"Bill wouldn't have anything to talk about if he wasn't mad at someone.": Exactly!

And finally: "The fact that a so called "news magazine" would respond with this kind of infantile drivel only makes O'Reilly's point." This one is quite correct. The more attention one pays to an immature, emotionally misguided, incredibly biased indvidual the more validation one if giving. Honestly, Newsweek should have ignored his comments... like many of us do.
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Posted By: cheerios @ 07/01/2008 3:13:10 AM

Since Newsweek didn't like it, I guess O'reilly's memoir isn't full of fabricated episodes stuffed with grotesque sex & violence & language that would make George Carlin blush. I guess I can save my money now.