Bill O'Reilly ate a rare slice of humble pie on Thursday when he apologized for mistakenly reporting that Republicans were not invited to speak at Wednesday's MLK "I Have a Dream" speech anniversary event.
"Wrong, that's wrong," O'Reilly admitted, pointing out that other mistakes were made as well — Republicans should not have declined the chance to speak.
O'Reilly explained that his error was due to a lack of reporting: "I simply assumed that since all the speakers were liberal Democrats, Republicans were excluded."
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It's standard practice to issue a correction or retraction for these kinds of mistakes, but O'Reilly, never one for the conventional, instead turned his gaffe into an educational tool, devoting his "Tip of the Day" to reporters: "always check out the facts before you make a definitive statement."
"And when you make a mistake, admit it."
As several outlets pointed out, Republicans were invited to speak at the event but either turned it down or were unable to attend. It was widely reported the day before the march that Presidents George W. and George H.W. Bush's health issues that prevented their participation.
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"I'm sorry I made that mistake," O'Reilly concluded. "It's very annoying because I know you guys watch the 'Factor' for accuracy."
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