The hosts of “The View” (Getty Images)
A heated debate between “The View” hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg and Bill O’Reilly on yesterday’s episode of the talk show culminated with Behar and Goldberg walking off set, the Huffington Post reports.
The topic of discussion? The proposed Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero, that has been characterized by some politicians and areas of the media as “The Ground Zero Mosque.”
According to the Huffington Post, the exchange became heated after O’Reilly declared a “gulf” between President Obama and the American people, because of the president’s qualified support of the cultural center.
The debate, full of exclamations to “listen to me” and “pinhead,” devolved into heated interruptions by both the hosts and O’Reilly, until O’Reilly said, “Muslims killed us on 9/11.”
Behar and Goldberg, after responding that extremists were responsible for the terrorist attacks and expressing their outrage at the statement, walked off the show’s set.
Watch the video here:
As the tension died down, “The View’s” mama bear Babara Walter admonished her co-hosts:
“You have just seen what should not happen,” Walters said. “We should be able to have discussions without washing our hands, and screaming, and walking offstage.”
Walters, also critical of O’Reilly’s statement, told the pundit that he cannot demean an entire religion for the actions of a few.
After an apology from O’Reilly, saying “If anyone felt that I was demeaning all Muslims, I apologize,” Behar and Goldberg returned to the set.
The Huffington Post also reports that O’Reilly, on his Fox News show “The O’Reilly Factor,” addressed the walk-off situation from his visit to “The View.”
According to O’Reilly, his intention was not to insult Muslims, but that he was “tired of the political correctness surrounding the 9/11 attack. The truth is that if moderate Muslims around the world stood with Americans against radical Islam, the terrorists couldn’t exist…I’m not in the business of sugarcoating harsh realities.”
Watch his response:
I’m commenting on the incident involving Bill O’Riley. Bill was wrong in making the statement that Muslims were responsible for 911 – I don’t think he believes that – I think it was said in error in the heat of the moment. If he said it intentionally, then he is a pin head! He does like to incite, and all of the ladies know that.
I agree with Elizabeth, that when the word terrorist and extremists are removed from our vocabulary, it doesn’t leave us an option for reference when we’re trying to be politically correct.
What I most object to is the mentality that Whoopie and especially Joy take all the time – that if you don’t agree with me your wrong and I’ll take my toys and go home, and Bill was right to call her out on it. For Joy to say on the View today that Bill O’Riley is filled with hate and bigotry is an outrageous statement coming from her. He has never demonstrated that – he can be divisive, and he does like to get people riled, but that’s his shtick, and they know that. Joy spouts hatred every day, and it’s especially disturbing that she has a podium from which to spew it on two networks.
Finally, I am a proud independent thinker and voter, and I wish there were more people open-minded enough to take what’s good from all political angles, and not let a party dictate what they should believe. I do have to give kudos to Elizabeth, who consistently has to hold her own against Joy and sometimes all of them to stand up for what she believes is right – she doesn’t do it with hatred, but with knowledge and the honesty of her conviction. I agree with some opinions on both sides of many issues yelled about on The View – but don’t you think it’s time to get rid of the hate monger and introduce an independent to the mix to give your audience a broader View.
This country was founded on freedom of religion.radical muslims are just as bad as radical christians that kill people at abortion clinics and neither are a part of main stream.we need to stop being so sensitive about one office building they knocked over compared to the hundreds of buildings we destroyed in the first gulf was for which this was retaliation for. and its not sacred ground, its where an office building stood.sure 2000 people died but every year 30,000 people die in car crashes alone in this country,many due to alcohol,certainly more than 2000. and we kill way more people than 2000 with our depleted uranium.its not even a mosque, its a community center that will have a prayer room.if you dont want to pray,dont go in there.lets say we did build a mosque at “ground zero”wouldnt that help us to reach out to muslims and maybe help prevent future attacks when they realize were not so different?
Go Bill…70% of Americans agree with you! Elizabeth is the only one with any common sense on this show! The rest of the women are proof that evolution CAN go in reverse. Have to admit that Barbara showed a little class. The walk off looked contrived to me! Is this a ratings month?