vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

5.12.2007

The O'Reilly Factor

O'Reilly, as in Bill O'Reilly from Fox TV, became a factor today in the Statehouse as the Legislature moves toward adjournment.

A four-person camera crew from the O'Reilly show came to the Statehouse early Saturday morning, found Rep. Bill Lippert eating his oatmeal in the cafeteria, and grilled him with questions about supporting sex offenders. Legislators described it as a very aggressive, when-did-you-stop-beating-your-wife-type interrogation.

Lippert's fellow legislators jumped to his defense and shouted the crew out of the Statehouse. Amid trying to settle education funding legislation, the state budget and the other business of the Legislature before today's planned adjournment, this has legislators riled.

O'Reilly's hot on Jessica's Law, which requires 25-year minimum sentences for sex offenders. Vermont doesn't have Jessica's Law, but Friday night passed a law that would require untreated sex offenders who "max out" of their sentences to follow a stricter registry that requires treatment. If they fail, they can get 5 years-life.

Lippert is not alone in the Legislature thinking that law, combined with last year's law requiring indeterminate sentences for sex offenders as of this year, is more effective than Jessica's Law.

Lippert is alone, though, in being openly gay and being in charge of the House Judiciary Committee. Somehow, the idea that he supports sex offenders, gets wrapped up in his sexual orientation, and when the confrontation was over, Lippert beseeched his colleagues to step up and declare that his being singled out that way was not OK.

They're working on that. A resolution condemning O'Reilly is in the works. In between, they are having a hard time getting everybody on board about education financing. Adjournment? Whew, hard to say.

- Terri Hallenbeck

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 12:24 PM |

Comments:

Forget the "resolutions". O'Reilly will do what O'Reilly always does and ridicule. He'd ridicule the Gettysburg Adddress. So get over it. Better to just ignore them. The Capitol Police will move the FOX idiot crew out of the way if they're bothering or making a scene. It's obviously not the Vermont say. But lest Madame Speaker think some useless "resolution" will solve ANYthing, please, think again.

And Bill L: sure it's understandable you'd be shaken, or pissed, or both. But just ignore it. It's the price of public service from time to time.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:14 PM, May 12, 2007

I agree. You're just giving O' Reilly the attention he craves.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:18 PM, May 12, 2007

Bill O'Reilly may be abrasive but is one of the few investigative journalists left to bring the truth to the American people; Lippert is pathetic and deserves to be "outed" as a defender of pedophiles and weak on sex crimes. Why he is head of judiciary is symptomatic with what has happened to Vermont in recent years. GO BILL!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:01 PM, May 12, 2007

This story is a perfect example of why Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corporation owns Fox News, should not be allowed to get his hands on Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal. If Murdoch ends up owning Dow Jones, within a few years the Journal will be no different from Murdoch's other papers such as the New York Post and the Sun and the Times in London. Harold Evans, former editor of the London Times, has written a book showing how Murdoch destroys newspapers for the sake of making money out of controversy.

I've been reading the Journal for more than 20 years. While I find its editorial page too conservative for my taste, the news coverage of national, economic, and business news is first-rate, and the editorial opinion stays on the editorial page, more than can be said for a lot of newspapers.

The three papers in the US with the most national impact - the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal - are all family-owned. These families see their papers as a trust worth preserving indefinitely, not an asset to be milked for short-term profit. Here's to the Bancroft family, the controlling owners of Dow Jones, in their continued attempt to resist the "Foxification" of the Wall Street Journal.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:54 PM, May 12, 2007

O'Reilly is one of the most offensive people out there, and right up there with Peter Shumlin in terms of credibility and honesty.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:25 PM, May 12, 2007

What ever happened to the leftist love of whistle blowers? If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:45 PM, May 12, 2007

I find it kind of selective when someone knocks Murdoch for what someone on his payroll reports, then blubbers all over the NY Times. The owners of the Times have actually ADMITTED their goal is to destroy the Bush administration, have purposely not printed articles unfavorable to liberals/dimocrats and because of all the scandals involving Jason Blair and others have NO credibility left when it comes to journalism! And you whine over a reporter that balls enough to expose child molesters!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:51 PM, May 12, 2007

Bill O'Reilly is an offensive jerk. He shows up suddenly at the end of a legislative session and ambushes a legislator?

This has nothing to do with whether Cashman's sentence last year was right or wrong. I say it was wrong. But you can disagree with what Cashman did and also recognize that O'Reilly's a right wing jerk. It's not Cashman or O'Reilly. It's not one or the other. It's not black or white. O'Reilly is a complete jerk and his presence here is a gift to the ultra Left wing. He should do us moderates a favor and stay the hell away. Thanks to Bill O'Reilly, the Left here just got more sympathy.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:07 PM, May 12, 2007

Bubba, you realize that everything that Reilly, and other right wing media figures such as Limbaugh, are completely counterproductive to the cause of conservatism. Their goal simply is to be as controversial as possible to get the most listeners/viewers so they can get more ad money. Limbaugh admits as such.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:02 PM, May 12, 2007

Bill Lippert is a great man.

He's devoted his life fighting people who abuse other people.

That Faux News is going after Lippert is just another feather in his cap.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:03 PM, May 12, 2007

Sadly, in Vermont, that's probably true. The rest of the country seems to like Fox, don't they?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:31 AM, May 13, 2007

I'm proud to be a VERMONT Republican, which puts me at odds with Replicans in places like Kansas and Texas.

People like Bill O'Reilly are offensive and cause unecissary harm to the reputation of the many good Republicans in our great state.

It is sad to see these people scaring so many rational, moderate Vermonters to vote for a party that is running this state into the ground.

I wish people could draw a distinction between the Bill O'Reillys of the world and the many good things that the Vermont Republican party stands for.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:57 AM, May 13, 2007

Huh? Last I knew (or thought I knew), Vermont Republicans were for a Jessica's Law to force left-wing judges to start putting this scum away. At least that's what REAL Republicans in Kansas and Texas (as well as Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Colorado, etc. etc.) are for. Sounds like the last anon is a closet dimocrat.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:42 AM, May 13, 2007

This notion that Bill O'Reilly has any idea of what might be good for Vermont is ridiculous. As a Hinesburg resident, I'm proud to be represented by Bill Lippert. Bill has always been a thoughtful, reasonable and very patient man even when he is attacked over and over again. Although I don't always agree with Bill, I vote for him because I know that he will fairly hear out all sides of an issue and move through legislation that he thinks is best for Vermont and his constituents.

And as far as supporting pedophiles, anyone with an ounce of sense knows that is crazy. Vermont law may not carry the label "Jessica's Law" but it does work to protect youth and adults from sexual assault. Laws like "Jessica's Law" don't work to protect communities, something that women's and youth organizations like the Vermont Network for Sexual and Domestic Violence know very well. If our expert advocacy organizations don't support Bill O'Reilly's crazy ranting, then I'm glad that our legislators are paying attention to Vermonter's opinions and not FOX news.

Thanks, Bill, for all your hard work. Hinesburghians got your back!

CKI
Lyman Meadows, Hinesburg

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:43 AM, May 13, 2007

Bill Lippert is a hero.

Keep doing what you're doing Bill! And THANKS !!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:51 AM, May 13, 2007

I am moderate Democrat (no friend of Gaye and Pete). I am in league with moderate Republicans (Aiken, Snelling, Jeezum Jim) in recognizing the "Vermont Way" and despising dividers/haters like O'Reilly.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:22 PM, May 13, 2007

I guess being politically correct in Vermont is more important then the welfare and safety of our kids.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:29 PM, May 13, 2007

FACT:

Bill Lippert helped write and pass a law that requires a lifelong maximum sentence for sex offenders.

THANK YOU BILL LIPPERT !!!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:22 PM, May 13, 2007

Amen to the moderate Democrat's comments above.

This is not about being politically correct. This is about treating people with respect.

I'm proud to be a moderate Republican; a Vermont Republican. Bill O'Reilly DOES NOT represent mainstream Vermont Republicans.

In today's Times Argus, there is an article quoting Steve Adams, the leader of the House Republican Caucus. Rep. Adams made it very clear that O'Reilly's people were out of line, and he made it known that he was not pleased by their actions.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:22 PM, May 13, 2007

A LIFETIME maximum sentence? As worthless as the leftist that sponsored it - when the hell did anyone EVER get a "Maximum" sentence in Vermont for ANYTHING! Lets look out for the transexual freaks before the welfare of the kids.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:15 PM, May 13, 2007

Bill O'Reilly represents Vermont Republicans like "Bubba." Unfortunately, Bubba pollutes this blog site with the same shallow, idiotic rhetoric that O'Reilly spews. I wish more moderate Republicans like that above would weigh in, and that Bubba would crawl back under the rock he came out from under.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:18 PM, May 13, 2007

The only freak here is Bubba.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:22 PM, May 13, 2007

It isn’t right but, at one time or another, every truly great and courageous American has been picked on, yelled at, spat upon, beaten up and abused. Bill Lippert is no different.

Future generations of Americans will read about the courage and greatness of Rep. Lippert.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:02 PM, May 13, 2007

"Future generations of Americans will read about the courage and greatness of Rep. Lippert."

LOL.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:34 PM, May 13, 2007

Bill O'Reilly has nothing to do with the welfare of the kids.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:47 PM, May 13, 2007

Is this the Free Press or Outright Vermont?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:00 AM, May 14, 2007

Apparently Bubba thinks this is a Klan rally.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:45 AM, May 14, 2007

Bubba is Paul Beaudry.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:02 AM, May 14, 2007

I was thinking Bubba was John Poole.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:57 AM, May 14, 2007

We won't know who Bubba is until somebody takes off the white bedsheet that he wears as a white hood.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:32 AM, May 14, 2007

Someday, Chris Hanson will expose Bubba on national television.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:51 AM, May 14, 2007

House Republican Leader Steve Adams said:

"I think the bills we did last year and the bill we did yesterday certainly protects the public from violent sexual predators,"

Even Steve Adams thinks that Bill Lippert passed effective legislation against sexual predators.

WTF does O'Reilly want?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:07 AM, May 14, 2007

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:07 AM, May 14, 2007

Steve Adams should tell the governor the same thing. I know at least one legislator who was targeted for defeat by the GOP in the last election. Douglas appeared in a photo on a challenger's campaign literature which called the incumbent a coddler of predators for supporting the legislation put forth last year. Douglas is as slimey as O'Reilly if you ask me.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:50 PM, May 14, 2007

O'Reilly wants to make $$$. Nothing matters more to him than that. The rest is just a means to his end of getting richer.

And he's happy to create scapegoats if that's what it takes. He doesn't care about anyone's welfare more than he cares about O'Reilly's.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:21 PM, May 14, 2007

O'Reilly is soooooo insecure. All that posturing and blustery rhetoric. You know this guy is compensating for a certain "shortcoming."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:38 PM, May 14, 2007

I'm a Republican and I think O'Reilly is a piece of crap.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:48 PM, May 14, 2007

The postings above purported to be from Steve Adams are in fact not from me. However, they do correctly portray my sentiments on the incident and H-148

The real Steve Adams

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:54 PM, May 14, 2007

I guess the "phony" Steve Adams is from the same "moderate Republican". Of course these are all from the same pro-pedophile "lobbyists" that have their talking points written for them by the leftist apologists for Lippert and company.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:23 PM, May 14, 2007

Bubba,
Looks like the real Steve Adams disagrees with you.

I guess you'll need to work to get him to the next Klan meeting.

-BBL

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:53 PM, May 14, 2007

Apparently the liberal loonies in Vermont now equate concern for the protection of children with membership in the Klan. But then we now have "protected" classes of people in Vermont that cannot be critized for ANYTHING! I doubt if O'Reilly knows or cares about anyone's sexual leanings - only if they are really trying to get molesters off the streets. That's what is important.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:42 PM, May 14, 2007

Something tells me that Bubba Beaudry at one too many soggy biscuit in the Army.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:50 PM, May 14, 2007

Bubba, by steadfastly defending O'Reilly, and calling Vermont legislators "pro-pedophile," you're losing anti-socialist, anti-Progressive, anti-Gaye, anti-Shumlin, pro-business Vermont moderates like me. There is no victory in being completely isolated in your supposed purity.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:09 PM, May 14, 2007

Did anyone see O'Reilly? I haven't seen it. Did they use any of their clips of Lippert or Vermont? Did they talk about it on the show?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:49 PM, May 14, 2007

If you can't protect the innocent FIRST then the rest doesn't really matter. "Moderate" republicans cherry pick the moral issues they feel doesn't inconvenience them; liberals have no morals so anything is O.K. if it's self-serving.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:51 PM, May 14, 2007

Vermont (and Lippert) just passed one of the strongest bills in the country against child molesters.

Even the Republicans agree.

To say otherwise is just ignorant.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:05 PM, May 14, 2007

Congratulations, Bubba. I'd be on your side on some issues, but you absolutely couldn't resist alienating me. Congrats. You're entirely on your own. You will live entirely in your own little pure world of your own beliefs and no one else, even those who might partially support your agenda, will be with you. That does not advance your agenda and is therefore counterproductive.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:11 PM, May 14, 2007

I'm glad the press are exposing our "weak on crime" politicians. Politicians are public servants and it is their duty to explain their positions & answer for their actions. They do not deserve time to prepare a liars response! When confronted by the public, they need to answer & account for their actions honestly, regardless of consequence. If they make a mistake, they need to say so and work to correct it! Otherwise stand by it and take the sword, if necessary. - M.DeAngelo

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:24 PM, May 14, 2007

If you're interested, you can see the O'Reilly smear job online at http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/

Just to the right of O'Reilly's photo there is a section called "Videos". Click on the "Watch Talking Points" link under that. It will bring up a pop-up window with video options. The first is titled "The Truth about Vermont"

Cringe at your own risk.

Oh - he's not just bashing Lipert, he went on the offensive against Vermont and even took a swipe at Jim Douglas for being a "weak" Republican.

Pathetic. This jackass has done almost as much damage to the Vermont Republican party as George Bush. I'm glad to see that Steve Adams (head Republican in VT) took a stand against this creep.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:45 PM, May 14, 2007

Glad to see O'Reilly getting an audience! I'm sure it was painful for some of the NPR-brain dead crowd, but hey, it's a new day, and you've got the Vermont media to put you back into your liberal stupors.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:45 AM, May 15, 2007

Bubba, as your good pal O'Reill himself would say: "shut up."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:12 AM, May 15, 2007

This just in:

The Caledonian Record Editorial page has disowned a "Mr. Bubba," solidifying his standing as an isolated jackass.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:43 AM, May 15, 2007

To hell with any political party! The heart of the discussion is protecting our children. Judges like Cashman have shown us that we need mandatory prison terms that are long enough to send a message to these creeps that if they prey on children, they will pay dearly. If people do not feel protected by the judicial system, they will look for other means to get justice. We certainly don't need that! Lets get tough and protect the innocent.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:25 AM, May 15, 2007

The problem, as most people recognize now, is that if you have mandatory sentences that are very long, you will never be able to get any plea bargains out of these people, and you risk losing the case when it goes to trial, which is a real risk because of the inherent problems with child witnesses.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:48 AM, May 15, 2007

Where is Snarky Boy in all this?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:41 PM, May 15, 2007

Lots of vermonters are in the middle - no Shumlin but no Douglas.
We all still want sexual predators to be put away!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:44 PM, May 15, 2007

I know that House Speaker Gaye Symington made a wonderful speech in support of Rep. Bill Lippert, and the rest of the House unanimously voted to print her kind words in the record. And the House gave Bill a couple of standing o's.

Did the Senate ever do anything to formally express their support for Rep. Lippert?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:52 PM, May 15, 2007

Is Copley (a.k.a. Snarky) on vacation? If he's not, he must really enjoy that landscaping video--and believe we all do too.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:48 PM, May 15, 2007

Who was the little dweeb O'Reilly sent up here to do his dirty work? That kid still had acne. Not old enough to know any better yet. At least he's a boy, so maybe (stress maybe) O'Reilly won't make obscene calls to him.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:49 PM, May 15, 2007

Snarky Boy is either on vacation or in jail. Who's office did he protest in this time. Name's Mike Colby not Copley. Sure do miss his posts lambasting Shummy and Symington. Could it be that the paint fumes have finally gotten to him? I do remember his saying that he was going to redesign his blogosphere...Snark we all miss you..come back ASAP

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:58 PM, May 15, 2007

Shummy and Symington have gotten to be too easy a target. Please replace Symington as Speaker!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:36 AM, May 17, 2007

There's only two ways to get a new Speaker: 1. There's 150 members in the House, so vote 76 Republicans into office as state reps. 2) if the Democratic majority shrinks significantly in the next election, she might be forced to step down as Speaker. Either way, there's another full session (January to May, 2008) before the House faces election again, so she has another opportunity to try to repait the damage she caused this session and maybe salvage her Speakership.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:36 AM, May 17, 2007

She should quit and help the cause.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:34 PM, May 18, 2007

Gaye rocks!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:19 PM, May 18, 2007

I would respectfully take issue with the comment that "Gaye rocks." She has presided over two sessions of a complete zoo because she is unable or unwilling to decide on a short list of achievable priorities for the session and exercise serious discipline over her members to focus and accomplish something on those priorities. In two sessions, the most serious issue before her was property tax reform. Last year we got bills against the trimming of dogs' ears. This year we got global warming, and even that is going down to defeat.

What we DIDN'T get in two sessions was a serious, thoughtful bill on reducing our property tax crisis. What we didn't get was anything to make Vermont more affordable for working Vermonters, as opposed to transplanted limousine liberals. What we didn't get was anything to stop the hemhorhage of businesses and jobs leaving Vermont.

Thanks, Gaye!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:47 PM, May 18, 2007

Limousine liberals?

What about our lattes? Please don't forget our lattes.

I prefer mine half-caf, half-decaf.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:05 PM, May 19, 2007

Gaye Symington does NOT rock!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:21 PM, May 19, 2007

Actually, I checked. And she does.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:23 AM, May 20, 2007

Only in her own mind - not in the minds of voters.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:57 AM, May 22, 2007

I would not say Gaye Symington "presided" over anything.
With Democrats in control nothing got done.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:08 PM, May 22, 2007

Fair point. But whether she "presided" or not, the zoo called a Legislature that we've had for the last couple of years is her responsibility.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:25 PM, May 22, 2007

That is her job. And what does she have to show for it?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:44 PM, May 22, 2007

Nothing. Nothing but a global warming bill that will be vetoed because of the unfair funding mechanism. Virtually nothing else at all.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:53 PM, May 22, 2007

Is anybody paying attention to that or is everyone so excited that Shumlin is grandstanding that they don't care what goes on in the house?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:31 AM, May 23, 2007

now that another child has lost their life to a sexual predator, that Vermont "cured"through treatment, will Vermont toughen their laws against sexual predators.

How many children will forever have to be damaged, before people realize sexual predators can not be cured?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:41 PM, July 03, 2008