As we know, Ingraham and the rest of them at Fox News will defend any bigoted statement made by a white person who shares their warped view. Yesterday was no different. The following transcript was provided by Media Matters.
O’Reilly guest Ingraham: “They’re treating you like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the U.N. … This is an attempt to shut down political speech.” Discussing the incident on the October 14 edition of The O’Reilly Factor. Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham called The View walk-off “an attempt to intimidate others” and a “sideshow”:
INGRAHAM: But what they’re doing — I just want to be very clear so people listening understand what’s going on. What they did today was an attempt to intimidate others. They know they’re not going to intimidate you, but it’s really — it’s very disturbing to me because people who say that they’re for free speech, and Barbara Walters usually does a pretty good job of moderating that — I mean, to come back and say that you are the pinhead after they embarrassed themselves walking off their own set, that was embarrassing. They’re treating you like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the U.N., and you’re a lot taller than Mahmoud, Bill. So, I mean, it’s ridiculous. This is an attempt to shut down political speech.
O’REILLY: But I didn’t take offense at Ms. Walters. I have to say I didn’t take offense at Barbara’s –
INGRAHAM: Well, you should have. You are not a pinhead. Well, sometimes you are a pinhead, but not this time.
O’REILLY: She sees it — sincerely sees it that if you say Muslims attacked America on 9-11 –
INGRAHAM: That’s ridiculous.
O’REILLY: — you are somehow denigrating an entire people. I don’t see it that way. It’s as simple as that. I will give you the last word.
INGRAHAM: Bill — Bill, here’s what’s — here’s what’s really happening is that I think a lot of the gals on The View, they’re kind of freaking out, right? Because the hope-and-change thing and Obama and insignia and the star power and all the celebrities and all the Hollywood people who loved him, all of that has resulted in anemic approval numbers and Republican conservative Tea Party resurgence.
O’REILLY: All right.
INGRAHAM: And they don’t know what to do. So they’re trying to, you know, create these sideshows, and I think you did just fine.