In an honor newspapers around the country are coveting, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly ((KTTH m-f,9-11p) named the dear old Seattle P-1 as the "worst paper in the country" and designated publisher Roger Oglesby a "pinhead."
Oglesby could not be reached for comment, but a P-I source told BlatherWatch, "He'll be going out to lunch on this one for a month!"
The Seattle Times' "Scion Ryan" Blethen is said to be "bummed."
"Under the leadership of publisher Roger Oglesby," O'Reilly intoned at the weekdaily Great Umbrage Ceremonies, "the paper insists America is a big torture country and should be condemned all over the world."
The honors were handed out for this short graf in a P-I "virtual editorial:
The truth may set us free, but it can just as easily be embarrassing and, yes, inconvenient. That's a lesson Canada is learning the hard way – publicly – after putting the U.S. on the list of countries connected to "possible torture/abuse" of prisoners. It turns out others see the "harsh interrogation techniques" allowed by the Bush administration. Of course, in a rush to maintain diplomatic relations, Canada is working to remove the U.S. (and maybe other countries) off the list.
"Oglesby is beyond pinhead," O'Reilly said, but that description will have to fit for now."
O'Reilly sent his weasel-y producer, Jesse Watters to Seattle in November to ambush Post-Intelligencer publisher Roger Oglesby at his Capital Hill home to ask him do-you-still-beat-your-wife questions about some of editorial columnist Dorothy Parvaz's blogly blasphemies, and the paper's refusal to publish some pictures of some alleged Middle Eastern men who were alleged to be taking pictures on the ferries last summer.
Don't know about the publisher, but the first part of headline: "..Seattle Post-Intelligencer is the nation's worst newspaper.." may very well be a true statement. I lost confidence in that newspaper and it's investigative techniques (or lack thereof) years ago. Fish wrap!
Posted by: Duffman | January 24, 2008 at 05:30 AM
I somewhat agree w/O'Reilly. I don't know if it's the worst but it's near the bottom in my opinion. Newspapers should be non-bias. But as we all know they're not in most cases. The P-I is a "far left/liberal" paper. The Times is "left" leaning but not as progressive as the P-I. Years ago I used to read the P-I but not anymore. The P-I will never be up there w/the Seattle Times, as you can see with the circulation comparisons. The Times sells far more papers. But to the P-I's credit, it does have a good sports page.
Posted by: DD | January 24, 2008 at 06:19 AM
O'Reilly is must see TV every day at 5:00PM. Billo dominates cable TV ratings because his confrontational style is always compelling; it dont matter if you love him or hate him. He kicks Olbermann's ass every single night.
Posted by: abob | January 24, 2008 at 06:46 AM
...and exactly what do you think that says about America's cable television viewing public?
Posted by: Duffman | January 24, 2008 at 06:49 AM
The PI deserves credit for investigative stuff over the years. Their 'conduct unbecoming' series last year was very good & took guts. It was so good that Sheriff Rahr tried to squelch it by filing a bogus complaint with the WNC.
I stopped buying the PI after the Trent Lott/Strom Thurmond birthday party controversy. They printed bunches of stuff painting the whole R party as racists, nothing in response. I submitted a letter and doubtless many others did, but none were printed.
Of course, when Chris Dodd made an almost identical remark about Robert Byrd last year, it was ignored by the MSM, including the PI.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 09:06 AM
Ditto with me wutitiz, they even went a step further. In a 'letter to the editor' that I'd submitted, even tho they published it - they in fact 'edited it' so that some of the thrust of what I was trying to say was impacted. That did it for me.
Posted by: Duffman | January 24, 2008 at 09:16 AM
Yeah Duffman, I've had something similar happen both with the PI & Times. They insert a spelling or grammar error into my letter that wasn't present in my version as submitted. Maybe it's their way of trying to make me look dumb because I disagree w/ them--can't know for sure.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 09:25 AM
The PI is a worthless rag but this lets me retell a really funny story kind of about the PI...
My Dad is a retired police officer, 25 years with a local P.D, 6'3", 250 pounds. It is safe to say he is a tad on the conservative side. Growing up our family subscribed to the Seattle Times, which Dad considered a liberal rag but it was better than the alternative. Our paperboy was a kid named Blake. He was the best paperboy in the history of newspaper delivery and he was also the youngest son of one of my Mom's best friends. We were not going to switch from the Times to the P-I.
One day, while we were eating dinner, we get a knock on the door. My Dad answers the door and its a teenager asking if we would be interested in subscribing to the P-I. My first thought was this could get ugly. My Dad says no thank you and starts to close the door. The kid literally puts his foot in the door and continues with his hard sell. At this point I am thinking just walk away kid and nobody gets hurt. Once again my Dad says no thank you and goes to close the door and once again the kid puts his foot in front of the door and continues. At this point I am stunned the kid still has a foot. The kid starts his speech again and this time Dad cuts him off with "listen kid...". Here we go... Dad tells him in a very firm voice, "see that house across the street? I do not want my neighbor getting up in the morning, looking across the street and seeing that piece of shit sitting on my front porch". Without blinking, the kid looks at my Dad and tells him, "I can deliver it around back".
Posted by: AndrewsDad | January 24, 2008 at 10:51 AM
I much prefer the PI over the Times, just as I choose Olbermann over O'Reilly.
BillO is quite literally a buffoon. He contributes mightily to the dumbing down of America. You really have to question the intelligence level of anyone who would faithfully view such tripe.
Posted by: Upton | January 24, 2008 at 11:10 AM
The Times is on its way down, the PI, due to the deep pockets of the Hearst Corp., and its superior Web sense is on its way up. The PI online has passed The Times readership now for 3 quarters running. The Times has announced draconian budget cuts for this month.
Olbermann has been gaining on and sometimes beating O'Reilly, who has trending down for nearly a year.
Posted by: sarge | January 24, 2008 at 11:17 AM
I, like the rest of you with fully functional brains have no use for the PI. I got real tired of the people at that rag twisting the news to meet their political agenda. Please God, make it go away.
And Duffy, no way in hell would I ever let that rag contaminate my fish. Not even to take spoiled fish to the trash let alone fish I intend to feed my family.
BillO' is right on this issue.
Posted by: chucks | January 24, 2008 at 11:20 AM
The PI is not going away. The Times is going away. They are selling their building. The news is going to the web and the PI is winning that race. There is money coming in from Hearst, Sarge is right, the Blethen's and the Times are hurting. Far left my ass. It's just a medium lib paper who sides with labor, and skews Democrat. Wish it were a little less "mainstream." You guys should try reading it again,it's changing. It's flushing the oldsters like Joel Connelly, rebuilding the newsroom and hiring bright young people.
Posted by: Mars | January 24, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I'd hate to see one of the few locally owned papers left in America - The Seattle times - go away. Even if it is a slow-moving and the editoiaral page is quirky and schizophrenic. We are also lucky to be a two paper town, that's rare these days and a fucking shame.
Posted by: Michael Manfredi | January 24, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Good story, & well told, AD.
I used to buy both papers everyday and still would if not for the infuriating practice of surreptious editorials in the news pages.
I offer this one example and invite any liberals to defend it.
Sen. Trent Lott said at a party for Sen. Strom Thurmond:
"When Strom Thurmond ran for president we[Mississippi] voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."
Thurmond of course had been a segregationist at the time, and a massive media firestorm ensued. Lott stepped down from his Senate leadership post.
Sen. Chris Dodd said about Robert Byrd last year:
"I do not think it is an exaggeration at all to say to my friend from West Virginia that he would have been a great Senator at any moment. Some were right for the time. Robert C. Byrd, in my view, would have been right at any time."
Of course, Bryd's history of being a KKK leader and recruiter are well known. Dodd later apologized for a 'poor choice of words.' But there was almost zero media coverage, and I would bet that most haven't heard about it.
So here we have two almost identical situations, with the only difference being the first involves an 'R' and the second a 'D.' Yet the media treatment is 180 degrees different.
How can anybody trust or respect anything put out by this MSM???
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 12:11 PM
The Blethens are no liberals, don't see how one confuses the Times as a "left of center" paper.
I remember high profile strikebreakers like Mindy Cameron and Nicole Brodeur crossing the picket line during the last strike as scabs and then acting confused when they got the cold shoulder at work. Let's face it, the Times never recovered from that and Frank Blethens took it personally.
Sez one quoted in the Stranger from 2001: "Employees at the P-I are having quite a different experience. No jobs have been cut or changed; no grievances have been filed. "A lot of people are saying to each other in the hallways, 'God, I'm glad I don't work for The Seattle Times," says Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild President Ruth Schubert, who is also a P-I reporter. "That has not always been the case."
The Times also attempted to violate the JOA in an effort to freeze out the P-I and it backfired as the court ruled against the Times. Too bad, so sad. Under a separate deal between the companies, Hearst is first in line to buy The Times if it's ever put up for sale.
Posted by: coiler | January 24, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Interesting stuff, coiler.
Posted by: Duffman | January 24, 2008 at 12:28 PM
The Times has a few blind spots in its liberal outlook, such as the estate tax, but is almost always reliably left of center. Over the last 15 yrs. I can recall exactly 3 right of center columnists--Malkin, Carlson, & Ramsey. The others, and there have been quite a few, have all been left-leaning, even down to former gossip columnist Jean Godden.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 12:40 PM
For that matter even the Times sports guys are left-wing. I remember Ron C. Judd, who used to do outdoor coverage in the sports section, couldn't get through a hiking boot review without some snide remark about Bush. And I think it was Percy Allen who criticized former Sonics coach Paul Westphal over being buddies with Limbaugh. And Steve Kelly's a big-time lib.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Anyone who thinks the Seattle Times is left-wing, must be a "far-right loon," as O'Reilly would say.
Posted by: Mars | January 24, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Correct on Brodeur, coiler, but Cameron was management.
Posted by: sarge | January 24, 2008 at 01:02 PM
Yeah, I know she was the editorial czar, but I threw it in as she was as shrew as Linda Smith at an abortion rally when confronted about it.
Posted by: coiler | January 24, 2008 at 01:12 PM
Mars, then would you care to offer an explanation for difference in handling of Lott vs. Dodd as outlined above? It was just as much in evidence at the Times as at any other MSM outlet.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 01:22 PM
At this point I am cancelling both the Times and PI. The Times, still carrying a grudge from the strike 5 years ago, is laying off their entire union transportation department (truck drivers and garage shop) and outsourcing to Hertz Pensky (which may or may not be union). The teamsters stood up to Frank Blethen and won the short term battle, but lost the war because he carried a grudge. It will cost him MORE to have Pensky distribute the paper, and will keep loosing money and eventually sell to Hurst.
As long as Blethen produces the Times and PI, I am buying the Herald.
Posted by: edawg | January 24, 2008 at 06:55 PM
"Olbermann has been gaining on and sometimes beating O'Reilly, who has trending down for nearly a year."
Prove it - I don't believe that has ever happened in head to head competition. Olberdouche is out of control and mentally deranged. It's not so much that I am defending O'Reilly - it's that I loathe Olberdouche - he insults my intelligence and is a mediocre sports reporter masquerading as an editorialist and comes across as a left wing loon. The Times is fair but the P-I is the consumate dead fish wrapper.
Posted by: KS | January 24, 2008 at 07:03 PM
Sooooo, O Reilly is in control as compared to Olbermann?
The Times is 'fair'but the P-I is not?
Prove it!
Posted by: coiler | January 24, 2008 at 08:43 PM
Duffman, there is no thrusting allowed in newspapers. Will somebody think of the children??!
Posted by: LeeAnn | January 24, 2008 at 08:51 PM
Neither is fair, and here's another example which, as with the previous example defies defense.
When Tim Eyman was caught misappropriating campaign funds, there were 3 above-the-fold headlines in both papers the week the story broke. It was a media firestorm that everyone still remembers, even apolitical average joes. Tim was hit with headlines, op-eds, cartoons, letters--the whole nine yards.
But in about the same time period there was a more serious misappropriation of funds violation by the WEA (teachers' union). They paid $680,000 in fines and penalties, vs. I think about $50,000 for Eyman. The WEA got no headlines & no nine yds. Few remember it today.
This is how both Times & PI do it--surreptitious advocacy slipped into the news pages.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 24, 2008 at 09:24 PM
But Eyeman was caught on TV raiding his PO Box, then crying about it like a spoiled brat. That photo op launched the investigation and made for a far better story as the "man of the people" The WEA made no such claims and moved on. Eyeman never apologized and his arrogance cost him his credibilty.
Posted by: coiler | January 24, 2008 at 09:29 PM
I actually agree with O'Reilly on something. I have very little use for the reactionary lesser seattle politics of the PI, but at least you get the weather and the sports from it.
Posted by: neo-realist | January 24, 2008 at 09:32 PM
I actually agree with O'Reilly on something. I have very little use for the reactionary lesser seattle politics of the PI, but at least you get the weather and the sports from it.
Posted by: neo-realist | January 24, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Coiler: in your words it was "his P.O box."
How does one "raid" one's own P.O. Box? I mean WTF, Coiler!
It's funny you mention that, because one of the envelopes he pulled out that day was a check from me. Apparently some reporters saw it and got my cell number, which was printed on my check. I was at work and got 3 voice mails from TV reporters wanting interviews. One desperate-sounding lady offered to drive out to my job. I returned none of the calls, but it goes to show how crazed they were over the story.
Anyway, photo-op or no, the WEA story should have been bigger, because it was a much bigger violation. Just going by the fine it was 10 times bigger, yet I'm sure it got under 1/10th the coverage.
And BTW you've got one thing backwards--Tim did apologize, WEA Pres Charles Hasse did not, instead he offered excuses.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 25, 2008 at 03:38 AM
Well, he thought it was 'his ' PO Box after he found 'marks' like you to 'aqquire' 'loans' from folk like you. How did the reporters 'get a hold' of Eyman's mail? or was it supposed to be the 'peoples mail" Ooops si daisy! Timmy may have apologized but I don't feel sorry that the press contacted you. Never said the WEA apologized, just that people seem to like the teacher's union over Timmy, it shows by the number of campaigns that Pyeman lost since then. Lets face it Whatitis, he lost any of the good intentions he manufactured by being a "champion of the people" It's the reporters job to sniff out a good story and find another angle including suckers like you who bankrolled his personal savings--they want to know how you feel about being a sucker. I think it's damn funny you wrote a check to him and you're one of those who thought his intentions were true. Can I sell you futures in oil rights from sagebrush? LOL
Posted by: coiler | January 25, 2008 at 09:04 AM
The next person who is ambushed by Orally's gofers needs only to look into the camera, smile, and say
"andrea makris" "loofah" and
"fallafal" to be guaranteed that not a second of footage will be acknowledged by Billo.
Posted by: sparky | January 25, 2008 at 09:34 AM
Spot on sparks...the guy is a low life in my book; I thought he'd be relegated to significantly lower ratings after that despicable episode...so I guess no accounting for cable viewers.
Posted by: Duffman | January 25, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Coiler, just based on what I've saved in car tabs alone, the ROI on donations to Tim have been good. If your sagebrush can match it I'm in lol.
Anyway, I don't think you've made the case. The PI & Times both use underhanded stealth to stick advocacy in to the news pages, and that's what this thread's about.
They did it with Tim & the WEA, and they did it with Dodd/Lott, an example which I noticed nobody even attempted to lamely dissect.
And why can't they come up w/ a decent local columnist between 'em? I mean, Brodeur, Jerry Large, Paynter, and friking Jean Godden!!! They make Frank Shires look like golden talent. There are half-dozen posters here, such as Merci, Joanie, and even you that could outwrite these brain-bereft slugs.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 25, 2008 at 05:31 PM
Thiel is a columnist...
Posted by: coiler | January 25, 2008 at 05:44 PM
One of the two papers should use Mr. Hood as columnist. He's 1000 times the writer of any of their losers. I doubt he'd want to have anything to do with those two sinking ships, however.
Posted by: leif-gard swanson-monson | January 25, 2008 at 06:10 PM
You know I agree with that. Without trying to suck up to the host, I really think Bla'M could/should be writing for one of our newspapers. His writing is impressive, and that's a fact. :)
Posted by: Duffman | January 25, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Want proof that Bill O'Reilly is correct about the PI? I watched/videotaped PI reporter Neil Modie getting in a pushing match with Tim Eyman several times at the King County Courthouse in Seattle! The PI is so biased! http://battlesoftim.com/btrep.htm
Posted by: Paul Fraser | January 25, 2008 at 09:33 PM
Neil should have pushed another pie in his face. Timmeh looks good in whipped cream.
Posted by: LeeAnn | January 25, 2008 at 09:45 PM