March 14, 2005
I'm doing O'Reilly tonight on the Nichols aftermath
I'm going to be on Bill O'Reilly's show on Fox News Channel tonight, as part of their coverage of the aftermath of the Nichols shooting here in Atlanta.
The angle that tonight's show is going after is the history of corruption and incompetance of the Fulton County Sheriff's Department, first under prior sheriff Jackie Barrett, then under recently elected sheriff Myron Freeman.
The other guest in my segment will be Dick Williams, moderator of WAGA/Fox 5's The Georgia Gang and a writer with the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The segment is set for somewhere between 8 and 10 minutes past the hour; The O'Reilly Factor airs tonight at 8 & 11 ET.
UPDATE: O'Reilly's producer just called and told me that the segment has been bumped up to the top of the hour -- they want to hit this straight out of the box.
They tape at 6, so hopefully, I can get back home in time to watch my ugly mug on the tube...
UPDATE (after the fact): I made it back in time to watch on the tube.
I was a little nervous -- partly (at least as I can see it) because I was in a different studio than I usually am when I do these things.
Overall, the segment came off OK. Though the point I was trying to make at the end was a bit rushed, and didn't come across completely. My point was that the people here seem to rush to find someone black to lead to the exclusion of finding someone qualified. It should be the other way -- find someone qualified. There are plenty of QUALIFIED blacks who can lead. Don't stop with the first black person you find simply because he is black.
Posted by mhking at March 14, 2005 02:12 PMYou know, time and time again I forgot where I parked my car in a garage. I don't see how we can fault fifty or sixty law enforcement officials and detectives working together who somehow manage to overlook a vehicle in the garage next to the scene of the crime.
Oh, and by the way, NOT!!!!!
Posted by: Laurence Simon at March 14, 2005 02:58 PM^^^ Hilarious! :-D
Or bother to check the exit gate video to see which way he was headed (doh!), or ponder how he managed to get out in a vehicle without a ticket/parking card or money (or did he have those?).
Posted by: RD at March 14, 2005 06:08 PMMr. King,
I saw you on O'Reilly tonight. Good job!! I'll be checking online to see what else you have to say.
Posted by: Carrie Griffin at March 14, 2005 08:22 PMGreat job King.
Posted by: Beck at March 14, 2005 08:54 PMFor your last point, how do you know they tried to find someone Black?
Posted by: DarkStar at March 14, 2005 09:48 PMPar for the course for Metro Atlanta.
Posted by: mhking at March 14, 2005 09:51 PMCongratulations on the air time! I hope to catch you on it. Better to see your mug on the tube than a lot of others...
Posted by: Chap at March 14, 2005 09:56 PMCaught the show tonight. As a native Atlantan, it pains me to watch the decline of this wonderful city. I fully agree with your assessment and add that this is part and parcel of the democratic machine at work in this city. It is part of the legacy started by Maynard Jackson and accelerated by Bill Campbell who usually fired anyone who displayed a modicum of competence instead of cowtowing to the machine (remember Angela Giddens).
Keep it up.
Posted by: Stephanie Key at March 14, 2005 11:33 PMSaw you on O'Reilly. Good job. You sounded thoughtful and well-informed.
Posted by: Evon at March 14, 2005 11:37 PMGreat job. Sorry to be so slow, but I didn't know that you were with Project 21. I discovered it in the late 90's.
Posted by: mj at March 15, 2005 02:01 AMOne more thing: I thought Chicago was corrupt...it's well-run compared to Atlanta.
Posted by: mj at March 15, 2005 02:03 AMGreat job on O'Reilly, Michael!
Posted by: Fausta at March 15, 2005 10:25 AMSaw it... loved it... you made O'Reilly look like a stiff.
Posted by: DANEgerus at March 15, 2005 06:12 PMI missed it due to another commitment. Does anybody have the segment online?
Posted by: D.C. Thornton at March 15, 2005 06:54 PMSaw it. Almost forgot O'Reilly was on and was greeted by your wonderful face when I turned to it :D Great job.
Posted by: Jade at March 15, 2005 10:10 PMGood job mate.
Posted by: Todd at March 16, 2005 12:37 AMWon't be watching. Heard O'Reilly on the radio yesterday. He disrespected the lady who got Nichols to surrender himself. Said he didn't know if her story was good and mocked her use of a passage in Purpose Driven Life. Won't ever give him even a second of my eyes and ears again.
Posted by: stan at March 16, 2005 09:57 PM