Spin This, Mofo

Tonight should be a very special episode of The O'Reilly Factor. Not because Bill, while traveling in Los Angeles, finally fesses up to his own self-proclaimed unnatural urges for aquatic animals and/or the McGuire sisters, but because of his guests.

They include Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, who will discuss funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which O'Reilly fears (read: prays) is promoting the "homosexual way of life." And Lisa Snell, education director at Reason magazine's sister organization, Reason Public Policy Institute. Snell will be talking about fraud in free school lunch programs and the bad effects it has on education, especially for poor kids. You can read Snell's 2001 critique of the school lunch program here and her blast against George Bush's phony education reforms here.

O'Reilly airs at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on Fox News.

Comments

[Fat Tony]

I didn't say O'Reilly was dead. I said he sleeps with the fishes.

[Swamp Justice]

As a Reason subscriber, I'm glad to see "Reason-able" people appearing on O'Reilly. I think O'Reilly's audience of "no spin, common sense folk" may prove to be sympathetic to libertarian causes, if the speaker "speaks to the people" instead of the rude libertarian tinfoil hat society. The last time I saw someone from Reason on O'Reilly's show, his mic was cut off because he talked over the other guests. :-

[nobody]

I don't know that populism and libertarianism have a whole lot in common. O'Reilly is often right and just as often he is spectacularly wrong. What he isn't is consistent. And he sees "secularism" as the new scourge of mankind.
Hardly reasonable.

[Hydroman]

Damn, I`m gonna miss O`reilly again tonight, i`ve
gotta watch the paint dry on the barn.

[Marc Scribner]

Swamp Justice,

I believe you are referring ("The last time I saw someone from Reason on O'Reilly's show, his mic was cut off because he talked over the other guests.") to the author of this post.

I can understand his talking over the other guests, as shows like O'Reilly -- no-spinness aside -- pander to the sound bite by attempting to dumb down complicated issues into a four minute clip. I'm disappointed Mr. Gillespie isn't one of the Reason guests. It's always an interesting debate when he's on.

[SteveInClearwater]

I watched. Always good to see a fellow on national toob.

It seemed that OReilly was poking Jacob with questions that might get him to defend some of the anti-Christian or 'pro-gay' types of art that get funding, but it didn't work, because Jacob took no stance on any of the art, but simply stated basic philosophy as it relates to the topic of NEA.

Good show for Liberterian principle, no-show for 'controversial interview'. WTG, Jacob.

[Kevin Carson]

I agree, Steve. O'Reilly wanted an excuse to demonize a "libertine" for defending pornographic art, and instead he got a good statement of principle on why taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing ANY kind of art.

[shane]

O'Reilly is a populist. He'd probably like to see "proper" art funded.
Nice job Mr. Sullum.