The video: Juan Williams appeared on Fox News last night in the wake of his firing by NPR, telling Bill O'Reilly that he was dismissed for not being a "predictable, black liberal." The news analyst lost his job at NPR after a discussion, also on O'Reilly's show, during which he admitted to being "nervous" when he saw Muslims on airplanes. He also appeared to agree with O'Reilly that the firing had something to do with a recent $1.8 million donation to NPR by the left-leaning billionaire George Soros. "Money talks," he said. Following Williams' ouster at NPR, Fox News announced that it signed Williams to a three-year $2 million contract, including a regular gig guest-hosting "The O'Reilly Factor."
The reaction: This was an "enthusiastic NPR bash session," says Dorsey Shaw at New York, and proof that Williams is now free to "admit that he finally thinks of Bill as a stand-up guy." (As if that were in doubt.) The segment "was essentially set up on a tee" for O'Reilly to launch into one of his trademark tirades, says Glenn Davis at Mediaite, and for once it was difficult to disagree. "Frankly, O'Reilly's savaging gave NPR's decision what it deserved." Here's a clip:
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