FOX News Channel and Comedy Central political pundits Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart don't often see eye to eye. The controversy surrounding rapper Common's invitation to the White HousePoetry event on May 11th is no exception.
O'Reilly and Stewart had it out on FOX's "The O'Reilly Factor," debating whether or not the rapper's invitation was appropriate. Common has voiced his support of Joanne Chesimard (aka Assata Shakur), a member of the Black Liberation Army, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey State Trooper in 1977.
"I'm not saying he's promoting cop killing," O'Reilly says. "Celebrating a cop killer, yes"
Stewart counters, "What I think he's doing is not celebrating, but honoring someone he thinks was wrongly convicted of cop killing. I think he believes she was convicted unjustly."
"That's fine. And if Common, who wasn't even born when this crime took place, thinks that based on nothing because the evidence is overwhelming, he's entitled as an American to do that," O'Reilly fires back. "The President of the United States though, takes him into the house, thereby validating him. Come on, that was a bad decision."
Adding, "It elevates him as a poet or whatever. Do you know how many poets would have liked to be there?"
Stewart points out that there is much more to Common's career than this case, and adds that Bono, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen all fall under the same category of writing songs about convicted murderers.
Watch the war of words below. Who do you think won the battle?
O'Reilly and Stewart had it out on FOX's "The O'Reilly Factor," debating whether or not the rapper's invitation was appropriate. Common has voiced his support of Joanne Chesimard (aka Assata Shakur), a member of the Black Liberation Army, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey State Trooper in 1977.
"I'm not saying he's promoting cop killing," O'Reilly says. "Celebrating a cop killer, yes"
Stewart counters, "What I think he's doing is not celebrating, but honoring someone he thinks was wrongly convicted of cop killing. I think he believes she was convicted unjustly."
"That's fine. And if Common, who wasn't even born when this crime took place, thinks that based on nothing because the evidence is overwhelming, he's entitled as an American to do that," O'Reilly fires back. "The President of the United States though, takes him into the house, thereby validating him. Come on, that was a bad decision."
Adding, "It elevates him as a poet or whatever. Do you know how many poets would have liked to be there?"
Stewart points out that there is much more to Common's career than this case, and adds that Bono, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen all fall under the same category of writing songs about convicted murderers.
Watch the war of words below. Who do you think won the battle?
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