By Bill O'Reilly
In a very coordinated effort, the far left in America is once again trying to marginalize the Tea Party in the eyes of non-ideological Americans, which is most of the voting public.
You may remember that the radical left tried to brand the Tea Party racist, but that attempt failed, as the election last November demonstrated. Now the uber-left legions are at it again, equating the Tea Party's staunch opposition to a debt compromise with terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
STEVEN RATTNER, "MORNING JOE" ECONOMIC ANALYST: It's like a form of economic terrorism. I imagine these Tea Party guys are like strapped with dynamite standing in the middle of Times Square at rush hour and saying either you do it my way or we're going blow you up, ourselves up and the whole country up with us. So you tell me how those kinds of standoffs ends.
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, SOCIOLOGIST PROFESSOR: Once having been successful at blindfolding the American public, putting a gun to the president's head, forcing him to read into law or to sign into law this extraordinary act of, I think, unpatriotic and irrational frenzy, I think that now they are emboldened.
VAN JONES, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: Any faction in America that would put a gun to the head of 310 million people and say if you don't do it our way we will blow your dreams away, we will blow a hole in the American economy, that is un-American.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
Notice the nearly identical language used by those three individuals. There is no question that the designers of far-left propaganda are well coordinated.
Another example: In a New York Times column on Tuesday, Joe Nocera writes: "The country has watched in horror as the Tea Party Republicans have waged jihad on the American people. Their intransigent demands for deep spending cuts, coupled with their almost gleeful willingness to destroy one of America's most invaluable assets, its full faith and credit, were incredibly irresponsible."
Jihad? As Bernie Goldberg astutely pointed out Monday night, many on the far left refuse to even mention jihad when real Muslim terrorists strike, but now the terrorist label is all over the Tea Party. That is wrong.
As you may know, I disagree with the Tea Party on occasion. Some BillOReilly.com premium members even canceled their memberships because I said Michele Bachmann and other politicians were being too rigid on the debt deal; that although their cause is just, controlling government spending, their methods were causing harm both to them and to you. But branding Congresswoman Bachmann a terrorist is disgraceful.
Are far-left politicians like Senators Bernie Sanders and Tom Harkin terrorists as well? They voted against the debt deal. Hey, far-left fanatics, is there a difference when your side refuses to compromise? Apparently there is.
The bitter political divide in the USA is disturbing. Using words like terrorist and racist to brand opponents is simply unacceptable. I think maybe President Obama needs to give another speech like his Arizona appeal. Some of his most ardent supporters obviously did not get the message.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
The troubled actress Lindsay Lohan apparently needs money, so she signed on to promote the country of New Zealand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a beautiful island. Fashion, glamour, movie star, and I know you're loving the jewelry.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So inside this case, a gift for you. It's glamorous jewelry from New Zealand. Open it up. Take a look.
LOHAN: Oh, wow. You didn't have to do that. Thank you. They're beautiful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's no problem for you. And don't worry, they're all paid for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Making light of her theft conviction may qualify Ms. Lohan as a pinhead, but we're giving her a break. She needs the cash.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.
