Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar were so disgusted with Bill O’Reilly’s anti-Muslim comments on The View that they walked off the set of their own show Thursday.
Unprofessional? Strictly speaking, sure. Principled? That too. It’s about time someone told off that despicable bigot in the strongest possible way. And what’s a stronger statement than declaring you can’t stand to be in the same room with someone?
O’Reilly’d had the gall to justify opposition to the Islamic center in lower Manhattan by saying “Muslims killed us on 9/11,” thus calling an entire religion murderers. Barbara Walters, with more control of her temper, told him off calmly after Whoopi and Joy had stormed off.
O’Reilly then “apologized” in the weaselly way politicians do, by saying, in essence, he was sorry if “anybody felt” he was demeaning all Muslims. That’s the same way New York’s laughable Republican candidate for Governor “apologized” for recent anti-gay remarks. It’s the cowardly, sleazeball way out: not “I’m sorry I was wrong or offensive” but “I’m sorry that you took offense.” In other words, it’s your fault, and I don’t have to deny a single word of the hateful nonsense I spewed, and why should I? No one’s gonna call me on it.
Well, for once someone called one of these hatemongers on it. On national television. More power to them.