The Planski: The Left, Bill O'Reilly, and Madison

There seems to be some confusion about who the "radical left" is. At least, Bill O'Reilly seems confused -- now there's a news flash.

Earlier last week week, the Fox pundit inveighed against the "threat to America" represented by the "radical left" gathered in the Twin Cities last weekend for the National Conference on Media Reform. And just who were these "leftist extremists?"

Bill Moyers...
Dan Rather...
Senator Amy Klobuchar...
Senator Byron Dorgan (a known bomb-thrower!)...

... and a host of other liberals, progressives, and yes, some radicals, scores of them from... Madison.

Particularly threatening to O'Reilly (and I find this amusing) was Madison's own Sari Williams, a staffer with the

Talk about a threat to America.

Watch the segment online, and read a brief report from the center.

Let's roll out the red carpet for O'Reilly

Now, some of you will remember that Bill O'Reilly has long had a soft spot in his heart for our fair city. Not only is he now outraged by those radical Wisconsin leftists who want him to sniff their dairy-air, but he has in the past repeatedly made Madison's doings subject to Fox's trademark "fair and balanced" coverage.

There was his outrage that our Capitol building insulted Christians by housing a "Holiday Tree" as opposed to a "Christmas Tree," which, as we all know, commemorates the tree in which the child Jesus had his sacred tree fort.

Then there was the sin committed by the Madison School Board in ending the practice of compelling our youth to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. As all good O'Reillyians know, the only pledges (or confessions) worthy of respect are those made under duress -- water-boarding the kids, anyone?

And of course, there is much more that O'Reilly has missed about Madtown. Things that would surely boil his blood were they to be brought to his attention:

• The Madison Common Council has in the past declared the city a safe haven for immigrants and war resisters.


• On May Day, every year for over a decade, hundreds of Madisonians have gathered downtown, waved red and black flags, and sung the Internationale.


• There are actual communists, socialists, anarchists, anarcho-communists, communist socialists, and liberals serving in local elected office... right now... and I have the list right here, on my laptop.


• We have protectionist laws for the local farmers (commies, every one of them) that ban the serving of non-dairy creamer or oleo-margarine in area restaurants.


• Children who make the mistake of telling their peers that they voted Republican in school elections routinely get beaten up on the playground at recess (swear to G-d, it happened at Randall Elementary, 4th grade, I saw it).

The politics are so leftwing that Republicans run for office as Democrats (sorry Zach), Democrats run for office as something called Greens

Now, one of the afore-stated allegations is untrue. The rest, I freely acknowledge, are sacred fact. And as an unapologetic member of Madison's "radical left," I extend to Bill O'Reilly this olive branch...

Come in Fat Squirrel. Rent a bike from Solidarity coffee. We'll roll out the (organic, fair trade, non-child labor, hemp fiber) red carpet for you. Just don't ask for any non-dairy creamer while you're here.