Jewish World Review Dec. 30, 2002 / 25 Teves, 5763

Bill O'Reilly

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Consumer Reports

The villains of 2002



http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | There was no shortage of villains in this year of terror and recession, but crucifying the obvious culprits like Saddam Hussein, Cardinal Bernard Law and snipers John Lee Malvo and John Muhammad is blood sport and serves no real purpose. But exposing villainy that may not be so apparent, now there's a noble endeavor.

Is FBI Chief Robert Mueller a villain? Time Magazine is reporting that he has treated FBI agent Colleen Rowley shabbily. Ms. Rowley, of course, risked her career by informing Congress and the American people that the bureau had major blind spots in protecting us against terrorists. But Mueller has not rewarded Rowley. He did however single out FBI supervisor Spike Bowman for "exceptional performance." One problem, Bowman was the guy who fought Colleen Rowley over tapping the computer of suspected 9-11 terrorist Zacharias Moussaoui before the attack. Exactly what was exceptional about that bonehead call, Mr. Mueller? Unless you have an explanation, you are a bureaucratic moron, and a villain.

Another federal villain is INS Director James Ziglar. Under his leadership, that agency has endangered all of us, and it was done with arrogance. Our borders remain wide open, and when the accused sniper triggerman, John Lee Malvo, was designated for deportation by the Border Patrol in Washington State, INS supervisor Blake Brown overruled the Patrol and released Malvo into the custody of his mother, also in this country illegally . The rest is history. But did Ziglar say a word about it or produce Brown to explain the situation? No way. So Ziglar is another bureaucratic villain who has now resigned. Maybe he'll go back to trading bonds at Paine Webber.

It would be easy to call Pope John Paul a villain in this priest-pedophilia scandal. After all, he could have fired Law and the other villainous American cardinals months ago. But the pontiff did nothing, even after the evidence became overwhelming. The pope even refused to meet with a few victims during his visit to Canada earlier in the year. His public relations guy said he was "just too busy." WITH WHAT? This is the biggest scandal ever to hit the North American Church, and the pope's too busy?

But I believe John Paul is not calling the shots anymore. He is obviously ill, and my sources tell me that at times he is barely lucid. Apparently, his "handlers" keep bad news away from him. If you saw him at Midnight Mass last week, the pope could hardly keep his eyes open. So I am saying this: There is villainy inside the Vatican, but the pope may not know about it through no fault of his own. Then again, I might be wrong about that.

The leaders of North Korea and Saudi Arabia are obvious villains for doing everything they can to hurt America. But what about our German friend Gerhardt Schroeder? Now here's a classy guy. After the United States spent trillions bringing down the Soviet Union, which led to the reunification of Germany just 10 years ago, Schroeder sells out America to win reelection. He fires up anti-American sentiment and declares that Germany will not participate in the forced removal of Saddam Hussein, no matter what.

Nothing like keeping an open mind, eh, Gerhardt? The man is a villain and an ungrateful boor to boot.

Finally, there are legions of villains walking the hallways of the television industry, but VH-1 has become the Murder Incorporated of Tubeland. Its series "Music Behind Bars" features convicted killers and rapists playing in prison rock bands. Before almost every episode, family members of those murdered asked VH-1 not to feature the killers on television because the thought of it reopened all the old wounds. VH-1 did not even pause a beat, however, and continued to air the series even after almost every sponsor had dropped out. For this, VH1 President Christina Norman attains villain status, as does the program's host, actor Dylan McDermott. Television doesn't get any worse than this. Although I'd better be careful, 2003 is poised to hit us with villains galore. And next year, we'll be right here with the list.

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JWR contributor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show, "The O'Reilly Factor," and author of the new book, "The No-Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America" Comments by clicking here.

Up


12/23/02: Finding offense where none is intended is a form of selfishness
12/16/02: The Houston lesson
12/09/02: Somewhere Santa is weeping
12/02/02: A taxing situation
11/26/02: Talk is expensive when it comes to Bill Moyers
11/18/02: Sanity has left the building
11/11/02: The right stuff
11/04/02: The Attorney General blues
10/28/02: This ain't no game
10/21/02: It's only rock and roll, but it's brutal
10/14/02: The root of all evil
10/07/02: When children murder
09/30/02: THE TRUTH BE TOLD
09/23/02: The death of outrage
09/17/02: Singing a different tune
09/09/02: Answering my critics about the Roush case
09/03/02: Let's misbehave
08/26/02: Money makes the world go 'round
08/19/02: Long live the King
08/12/02: A friendly reminder
08/05/02: Heaven only knows
07/29/02: Blood money
07/22/02: Suffer the children
07/15/02: Reaching critical mass
07/08/02: Believe it or not
07/01/02: Charity begins at home
06/24/02: Spinning a tale and the case for "Stupid White Men"
06/17/02: Blank those Europeans!
06/10/02: What does Bono want from us?
06/03/02: On fighting evil
05/28/02: A Tale of Two Churches
05/20/02: Crimes against humanity
05/13/02: Silence of the lambs
05/06/02: Hide the children
04/29/02: 'Paul, Paul, Paul!'
04/22/02: Barbarians in the Church
04/15/02: Pray for peace, polish the weapons
03/11/02: Do no harm? Time to spank "Dr. Phil"
03/04/02: Promoting the general welfare
02/25/02: Who's responsible?
02/19/02: Lay it on them
02/11/02: Buy dope, fund terror
02/04/02: Back room deals
01/28/02: From boom to bust
01/21/02: The Fairness Doctrine
01/14/02: Hey, Paula, take it to the bank and hush up
01/07/02: And justice for none
12/31/01: All that's left
12/24/01: Santa is appalled
12/17/01: Fight the power
12/10/01: The black challenge
12/03/01: How things have changed
11/26/01: Waiting in the Bushes
11/19/01: The sign of the Cross
11/09/01: Hollyweird strikes back
11/06/01: The fear factor
10/26/01: Show me the money
10/22/01: See no evil
10/15/01: Peace, but no quiet
10/08/01: The air war
10/01/01: I don't understand
09/24/01: We are all soldiers, and we have a job to do
09/14/01: Evil on display
09/11/01: Family matters!
09/04/01: End of summer blues
08/27/01: Summertime -- and the livin' ain't easy
08/20/01: The rap on rap
08/13/01: The truth hurts
08/06/01: Amnesty for illegals: Bush's political investment
07/30/01: The big picture on Condit-Levy
07/24/01: Silence of the Shams
07/16/01: Condit, Kennedy and cable news
07/09/01: Heather needs a childhood: The unnecessary loss of innocence
07/02/01: What would have happened if Steven Spielberg had recut "Schindler's List" for German audiences so they wouldn't be confronted with "emotional issues"?
06/25/01: Freak dancing
06/18/01: Work or die
06/11/01: Soundbite nation
06/04/01: Paying through the nose
05/29/01: Graduation Day 2001
05/21/01: Accepting the unacceptable
05/14/01: The Clinton legacy
05/07/01: Kerrey's ordeal
04/27/01: Is the party over?
04/20/01: Racism in public education
04/16/01: The fleecing of America
04/10/01: People who need perspective
04/03/01: Dubya's bottom line --- and ours
03/27/01: Don't tell, don't ask
03/20/01: Greenspan with envy
03/13/01: Clinton and Jackson
03/07/01: All that's left in America
02/27/01: The Letterman experience
02/20/01: Bread and circuses
02/06/01: How the Clintons do it
01/30/01: The Bush dilemma
01/24/01: I have been investigating Jackson's finances for the past two years
01/17/01: Sifting Ashcroft's record

© 2001 Creators Syndicate