O’Reilly Calls Rick Kaplan A “Far-Left Martinet,” Accuses MSNBC of Cheap Shots

Bill O’Reilly has been awfully defensive lately. In his “Talking Points Memo” on Wednesday, O’Reilly complained about “liberal media” groups “attacking me and Fox News.” Then on Thursday, he said this:

“In the weeks to come, ‘Talking Points’ expects even more attacks on FOX News. The Cashman case proves we can get things done. And that kind of power threatens the left wing media establishment which loathes Fox News because we hold them accountable for their selective reporting and spin. Outlets like MSNBC, a true ratings disaster, continue to cheap-shot FOX News on a daily basis. The boss over there, far-left martinet Rick Kaplan, has virtually destroyed that network as a credible source of information. Kaplan badly damaged CNN as well before he was fired there.”

Then on Friday, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann declared O’Reilly, once again, the Worst Person in the World. “He walked right into another propellor,” Olbermann said. “He has now ripped us here at MSNBC on the air for supposedly not covering the case of Judge Edward Cashman of Vermont.” But O’Reilly said nothing whatsoever about MSNBC’s coverage of the matter, NewsBusters and Johnny Dollar…

> Update: 3:01pm: An e-mailer responds: “Finish the story Brian. Stop making it look like MSNBC is attacking O’Reilly for no reason. For the record? Olbermann covered the Cashman case BEFORE O’Reilly did. He just didn’t make a cause celebe out of it as Fox has…Oh and one more thing? Newsbusters and Johnny Dollar? Why don’t you just quote the feaking RNC next time!”