Williams signs new contract with Fox News

Video: GOP’s top dogs pounce on NPR

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   MATT LAUER, co-host: Now the fallout over National Public Radio 's decision to fire news analyst Juan Williams over a remark he made on another network. He says he was just speaking his mind. NBC 's Norah O'Donnell is in Washington with the latest. Norah , good morning.

   NORAH O'DONNELL reporting: Hey, good morning, Matt. NPR is now under fire for dumping Juan Williams after his comments about Muslims on Fox News and the right has declared war on NPR . Bill O'Reilly , Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee all want to starve NPR of the limited public funding that's part of its budget and Newt Gingrich wants Congress to investigate.

   Unidentified Reporter: Juan Williams fired by NPR .

   Mr. KARL ROVE: They have to cast him now in a particularly, I think, vulgar and pitiful way.

   O'DONNELL: On cable TV Thursday night...

   Mr. GLENN BECK: It's insanity.

   O'DONNELL: ...an angry chorus defending fired news analyst Juan Williams .

   Mr. BILL O'REILLY: Juan Williams was not giving an opinion about Muslims on airplanes, he was simply stating what he felt.

   O'DONNELL: Williams , a long-time fixture on cable and radio, was fired from his NPR analyst gig for these comments he made about Muslims on Monday.

   Mr. JUAN WILLIAMS: I mean, look, Bill , I'm not a bigot, you know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country, but when I get on a plane, I've got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb, and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims , I get worried, I get nervous.

   O'DONNELL: Williams is unapologetic, calling it political correctness run amok.

   Mr. WILLIAMS: The fact that here I am engaging you, Bill O'Reilly , right...

   Mr. O'REILLY: Right.

   Mr. WILLIAMS: ...and we're having an honest discussion. This is what America should be.

   Mr. O'REILLY: OK.

   Mr. WILLIAMS: People having a real debate.

   O'DONNELL: In a leaked internal memo, NPR boss Vivian Schiller says they fired Williams because "news analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues."

   Ms. VIVIAN SCHILLER: His feelings that he expressed on Fox News are really between him and his, you know, psychiatrist or his publicist or take your pick, but it is not compatible with a news analyst.

   O'DONNELL: Schiller later apologized for her psychiatrist comment. But Williams has been offering his opinion for a decade on Fox and his firing unleashed fury on the right, which has long accused NPR of liberal bias. Sarah Palin tweeted, " NPR defends First Amendment right but will fire you if you exercise it." But there was also support from the left. Whoopi Goldberg , who stormed off " The View " when O'Reilly last visited, agrees with him on this one.

   Ms. WHOOPI GOLDBERG: In all of our opinions, it seems, the firing of Juan was a total mistake and sends the wrong message.

   O'DONNELL: Williams is just the latest TV personality dumped for controversial comments about race and religion, like Rick Sanchez and Helen Thomas .

   Ms. MATEA GOLD (Tribune Washington Bureau): Any time there is this kind of public intersection of debate about the role of Muslims and terrorism, it is a real fear in our society right now.

   O'DONNELL: Now Williams is no worse off after his firing from NPR and Fox -- in fact, Fox has announced it is expanding his role and giving him a fat raise, a new three-year contract for nearly $2 million. Matt :

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