In response to remarks penning him as a communist, UC Berkeley Professor Robert Reich has challenged conservative television pundit Bill O’Reilly to a “man to man” debate Wednesday.
The challenge was prompted by an April 20 episode of the Fox News talk show “The O’Reilly Factor” in which O’Reilly and Fox Business News talk show host Lou Dobbs made claims suggesting Reich was a communist. O’Reilly called him “a guy who secretly adores Karl Marx.”
The claims were based on a Daily Show interview in which Reich argued that public investments in education and infrastructure are necessary to the development of the U.S. economy.
According to the professor’s blog, Reich left O’Reilly a message urging him to debate the matter on O’Reilly’s show. In his blog, Reich rebutted the communist accusations, slamming O’Reilly for misinforming his viewers.
“Ordinarily I don’t bother repeating anything Bill O’Reilly says,” Reich said in his blog. “But this particular whopper is significant because it represents what O’Reilly and Fox News, among others, are doing to the national dialogue. They’re burying it in doo-doo.”
Reich also urged his Facebook followers to “tell (O’Reilly) to man up and debate (him)” via Twitter, using the “#beyondoutrage” hashtag. The hashtag is a reference to the professor’s recently published e-book of the same name.
Reich tweeted at O’Reilly:
@oreillyfactor Bill, come out of your Fox hole and debate me. Bring Lou Dobbs if you need him. I’ll do it blindfolded. #beyondoutrage.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) April 25, 2012
Reich probed O’Reilly several times via Twitter, even asking, “What are you afraid of? I’m 4’10.”
Bill O’Reilly has so far not responded via Twitter.
Damian Ortellado is the lead higher education reporter.
Comment Policy
Comments should remain on topic, concerning the article or blog post to which they are connected. Brevity is encouraged. Posting under a pseudonym is discouraged, but permitted. The Daily Cal encourages readers to voice their opinions respectfully in regard to the readers, writers and contributors of The Daily Californian. Comments are not pre-moderated, but may be removed if deemed to be in violation of this policy. Click here to read the full comment policy.
Reich often talks on TV – such as the Kudlow show.
He is self important –
and a professor protected from geting fired.
it would be kinder if Reich explained why he doe snot have socialist motives….
as he is definitely an Obama supporter
He often lacks the ability to think beyond himself
and often does not realize that the labor movement has enslaved the taxpayer.
Unions now rule our lives
versus the individual….
They have bankrupt our country
and that should NOT be….
So many people who work in the United States do not work for unions
and that is very good –
as usually the union boss does not let their members think independently.
So what is the difference between Reich and being a socialist?
It would be good to have a debate on this.
and Reich drooling over unions makes him someone who needs to be questioned.
Reich can speak for himself…
but he may want to look at the man in mirror first
and think deeply about what he is indeed teaching and saying.
In short may the debate happen between two equally thoughtful Americans…..
who care deeply about america
but have differing opinions of where the country should go.
Go Fourth Reich!!
Go Froth Reich!
Reich is not a Communist. His problem is that he is so in love with the American labor movement that he will make argue for any policy that favors unions.
Gees, penguin. get a life. Don’t you have better things to do than writing bitter conservative comments at the daily cal and liking your own posts?
Do you have better things to do than sponge off those who pay the bills in this country.
If you believe in the redistribution of property to the extent that Reich believes in, you’re functionally a communist.
One of the things I hated most about Berkeley was this charlatan pretending to be an intellectual.
Is the debate to be about Reich’s fondness for Karl Marx?
Will Reich deny he is fond of Marx?
Sounds like one of Reich’s publicity stunts to me.
Prof. Reich, O’reilly is undoubtedly the ‘smaller’ man…except for his reach to the echo chamber of Fox News, he’s not worth the breath. IFF on the other hand he does take you up on the offer, only accept on a genuinely neutral ground and give him no quarter!!
The only problem with engaging O’Really is that it gives the man (unwarranted) credibility. Treat him as a pariah and he will go away; Fox or no Fox. In fact, *all* of the clowns on Fox and elsewhere have gained notoriety not because they appear in their own narrow little world but because the MSM has given them voice.
I couldn’t agree more. I can’t see why Reich wastes his time writing such proud and chauvinist tweets.
Damn Lou Dobbs has really gone off the deep end since leaving CNN. LOL
Reich is sav
Bill O’Reilly is crazy. He has always been and there’s, unfortunately, nothing that we can do about that.