People Get Last Word on O'Reilly

Bill O'Reilly.

Fox News Channel, nearly untouchable, no matter how skewed or vile the reports and commentary on some of its programs, has met its match.

Wednesday, parent company 21st Century Fox dismissed Fox News’ biggest star, Bill O’Reilly.

Fox followed not devotees of the News Channel in making its decision against O’Reilly but the broad public — the people.

These regular folks buy the products of advertisers who left “The O’Reilly Factor.” They overwhelm O’Reilly watchers in number.

The advertisers acted as the people’s proxy by boycotting the show in protest over five cases accusing O’Reilly of sexual harassment or other foul action. The cases were settled with payments of about $13 million from O’Reilly and Fox, reports The New York Times.

Fox would have you believe that O’Reilly’s departure was a joint decision.

In a one-sentence statement Wednesday, 21st Century Fox said, “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel.”

O’Reilly denies wrongdoing.

DAMNING REPORT

The people arose after an April 1 report by The New York Times. The article detailed accusations in each of the five cases.

Rachel Witlieb Bernstein was a Fox News junior producer. O’Reilly screamed at Bernstein, witnesses say. She left the network. Fox settled with Bernstein in 2002. The amount is not public.

Andrea Mackris was a producer for “The O’Reilly Factor.” She filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against O’Reilly. He settled with Mackris for about $9 million in 2004.

Rebecca Gomez Diamond was a Fox Business News host. She recorded conversations with O’Reilly. As a result, he settled with Diamond in 2011 for an amount that is not public.

Laurie Dhue was a Fox News anchor. She made sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly after she left the network in 2008. Fox settled with Dhue for more than $1 million.

Juliet Huddy presented and co-hosted various programs for Fox News. She accused O’Reilly of making sexual advancements in 2011. Fox settled with her for $1.6 million in September.

Two additional women have spoken about inappropriate behavior by O’Reilly, The Times reported in its April 1 article. They have not received settlements.

Wendy Walsh, who made guest appearances on “The O’Reilly Factor,” said O’Reilly made an advance and offered to arrange a Fox News job for her.

Andrea Tantaros accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment in a 2016 lawsuit against O’Reilly and former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Fox fired Ailes in July, following allegations of sexual harassment that led to a company investigation. Fox paid Ailes $40 million upon his departure.

Although Ailes and O’Reilly were forced out following complaints of a similar sort, the manner differed.

Even though Ailes was a founder of Fox News, he did not hold the popularity with viewers that O’Reilly did.

Fox had known about complaints against O’Reilly and had taken part in financial settlements with employees for more than a decade. Yet, for so long, the company took no action against its star commentator.

Only when advertisers left O’Reilly’s show out of concern over customer reaction, and protests sprang up among those beyond the Fox News faithful, did the company bear down on its No. 1 host.

In the end, the people drove 21st Century Fox to remove O’Reilly from Fox News Channel.

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Syria Strike: Big League Cost

The USS Porter launches Tomahawk cruise missiles April 6.

On the order of President Donald Trump, the Navy fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syria’s Shayrat Air Base last week. The missiles exploded their 1,000-pound bombs on buildings and airplanes at the base.

“On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children,” Trump said on the night of the April 6 strike.

The cost to replace each Tomahawk cruise missile is $1.869 million — a total of $110 million for the 59 missiles.

The president’s order to attack Syria stirred questions and discussion worldwide.

Trump’s decision demonstrated that the U.S. is willing to intervene when a country gasses its citizens. Bombing the air base from the launch site of Syria’s chemical weapon attack was appropriate.

On Aug. 21, 2013, Syria struck residents with chemical weapons. That gas attack was substantially larger than this month’s, with more victims. President Barack Obama considered military action.

Trump spoke strongly in opposition on Twitter.

On Aug. 29, 2013, Trump wrote: “Let the Arab League take care of Syria. Why are these rich Arab countries not paying us for the tremendous cost of such an attack?”

On Sept. 7, 2013, Trump wrote: “President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your ‘powder’ for another (and more important) day!”

Building an international coalition to oppose a heinous government by using isolation, political pressure and diplomacy is just as reasonable as a military strike.

BUSINESS CASE

One question has been mute: Was last week’s attack an efficient use of governmental funds?

This is important in light of Trump’s long campaign to reduce the cost of government.

Here is how he framed the issue in a 2000 interview: “I have made the tough decisions, always with an eye toward the bottom line. Perhaps it’s time America was run like a business.”

Was the cost of $110 million in cruise missiles — excluding the cost of operation and related materiel — a good deal?

Besides the air base limping back to use the day after the attack, the damage caused by 59 tons of precision-guided bombs showed the missiles’ limits.

In a Pentagon news conference Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said, “I think it’s around 20 aircraft were taken out.” This corrected his Monday statement of 20 percent of Syrian Air Force craft.

Department of Defense photos above and below show bomb damage at Shayrat Air Base in Syria.

Photos released by the Department of Defense showed that a prime target of the cruise missiles was high-strength concrete aircraft shelters. Two airplanes can be berthed under each.

The annotated photos show that seven shelters were damaged and that only one was destroyed.

An independent analysis by ISI, a satellite-imaging company, said that bombs hit 13 aircraft shelters 23 times. Some targets were hit more than once.

Bombs hit 10 ammunition depots, ISI said, along with seven fuel depots, five workshops and five SA6 motorized missile launchers, one of which was destroyed.

Despite a total of 44 targets hit by bombs, ISI said, “it seems that the overall damage to the base is limited.”

Cruise missiles are unlike rocket-powered missiles that shoot upward, then dive to their targets. Tomahawks are maneuverable airplanes with small wings and tails, and powered by jet engines. They fly an evasive course, close to the ground, guided by GPS and have remote operators who can change direction.

The Tomahawk’s precision aiming is renowned. The 59 cruise missiles’ failure to knock out a modest Syrian base is a disappointment.

Bottom line, the decision to bomb Shayrat Air Base did not produce a businesslike gain.

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