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Howard Kurtz enters No Spin Zone

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  • Description

    Media critic battles O'Reilly over NBC News' drone coverage

  • Duration 5:17
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This transcript is automatically generated

Try joining us now from Washington is journalist Howard Kurtz.

So what I -- -- do here Howard is get inside your thought process are write them and ask you a series of very foolish questions.

We can walk through this is the audience -- may not have seen your show or might show nor talk about.

First did you see the original segment I did with -- the -- there.

Well first when you were chastising me Billy -- year old Powell is very touching thank you.

I saw our live -- so what most people in America saw which is -- saying you're very -- and NBC about the drones.

All right so you saw a lot.

Do you remember how it was intro what the what was the news -- to get into -- It was clear to me that you and Bob Beckel we're talking about.

The outcry in the media and elsewhere about waterboarding during the Bush Administration.

As well as the relative silence you would say about -- I.

But -- -- but it wasn't set up that way it was set up in a different way do you remember how we set up refresh my memory.

Roll the -- -- segments and I will counterterrorism advisor John Brennan become the head of the CIA.

He -- -- tomorrow on Capitol Hill with some liberals don't like them.

Because he is the director of the drone program that kills terrorists from the sky pres Obama very bullish on the drones.

These strikes were legal.

They're ethical and they are wise.

The US government takes great care or deciding to pursue an al-Qaeda terrorist to ensure precision.

And to avoid loss of innocent life.

And -- -- discuss his moral dilemma.

Over the drone issue the coast of five Bob -- All right -- was obviously set up as a discussion with a liberal Bob Beckel.

Over his condemnation of water boarding.

But the relative silence over drones and I used NBC news analysis.

As an example of backed that up so what's your beef.

Bill I've already won this round on points because the other day -- Bernie Goldberg you said yes I guess I should have mentioned -- the NBC scoop was the elephant in the room that kick started this debate.

And on your larger point about the media and all the media being hypocritical here.

With some exceptions Newsweek New York Times -- big story last year but -- secret kill list liberal law professor now.

Picking the names -- who is to be targeted by these drones.

I would certainly be willing to say.

That the mainstream media much of it more giving President Obama the benefit of the doubt on national security issues in a way that was not true George W.

Bush.

OK number one I said to Goldberg I should have mentioned it only because it would have avoided all of this nonsense all right.

Not because it was done in a journalistic way we weren't talking about rep what pot and you just lost points.

By confusing.

Hard news reporting.

-- -- -- Drones -- is the New York Times editorial page which hasn't condemned as far as I know in any great.

Measure as they did with water -- the use of it what we were clearly talking about here 48 hours after the NBC -- appear.

Was why the left doesn't.

Condemn.

Killing.

Terrorists would draw -- unilateral killing decision making by one man with water -- it kills any.

You know and I know that it's hypocritical yet you don't engage in that you come after me it's ridiculous.

How it's just a very mild carefully chosen critique of your performance but here's -- larger point bill.

In terms of the but what you see the relative lack about -- There was a passionate.

The debate in this country about whether waterboarding is torture led in part by John McCain that was easy with a press and the commentators on the left to cover because it was so out there in the case of drones.

Wasn't an issue in the campaign that Romney didn't talk about it I hear demeanor and debates and -- the press including the commentators have been too passive in my view just like they were in the run up to the Iraq War rather than making this issue it should be an issue it should be.

I have either cleverly and then why haven't you spent the time on -- that you shoot -- hat.

-- you run a media shell and we we did we Trace back -- -- very rarely needed to cover this wind knocked.

I have done segment after segment going back to 2007 and 2008 on whether the media are too favorable to sympathetic to Barack Obama the fact that the drone issue which conservatives on and on.

-- favorable to Barack Obama it's about one thing hypocrisy.

You leftists screaming about waterboarding yet you're muted about Chile with drones because there in the tank for Obama and you know what and I know what -- sodas everybody watch.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- It probably is true of commentators who are in -- marching in solidarity -- Barack Obama but it is not true.

For many in the mainstream media who while very soft in 2008 campaign and I talked about this and wrote about the time.

Have been more diligent in covering this president.

Does -- -- -- between hard news reporting.

An analysis in my discussion with -- solely was on and the house.

We appreciate you coming on and very lively debate -- treated get a lot of email a lot -- And on your program on Sunday and with the pirates definitely be a new vision myself.

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