Bill O'Reilly on the Daily Show

He and Jon Stewart have an enjoyably affable rapport, there is no denying it. But I found O'Reilly to be less worth watching this time than in his past appearances. He wasn't really debating Jon, just spouting talking points in a mechanistic fashion (Solyndra! $16 muffins! Job creators!). Meh. But he did say one thing I found interesting, namely that he wouldn't mind paying a 40% tax rate if the federal government would just stop wasting so much money. That's where Solyndra and the muffins came up, and of course, he's wrong/lying about both of those on the merits. But I think the argument is interesting in and of itself, because it suggests that it's not actually about economic incentives at all.

Common

I just watched the interview where Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly argue about whether the rapper/poet known as Common ought to have been invited to the White House. Basically this debate strikes me as inane, insane, and silly, so I haven't bothered to write anything about it, but I was just struck by this thought hearing Bill'O's arguments. The crux of his argument seemed to be that President Obama should have known that to invite someone who had written lyrics or made statements or gestures that seem kind of controversial from a left-wing black radical perspective to the White House for a poetry jam would be controversial and get him, President Obama, a criticism he doesn't need. Never mind that right now I don't think Obama is really worried about his "oh no, people think I'm an anti-American Muslim radical" flank. O'Reilly's criticism of Obama is that he should have known this action would lead to criticism. Like the criticism O'Reilly was making. "You shouldn't have done that, because I am criticizing you for it and you should have known I would." It's just silly: if his only problem with it was that it would get Obama criticized, then maybe he could try, I don't know, not criticizing Obama. Then he wouldn't have a reason to criticize Obama for doing the thing that would get him criticized, because it wouldn't have gotten him criticized.

Oh wait, he's on FOX. I believe there's a clause in his contract saying that if he ever passes up a chance to criticize President Obama he gets fired.