Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"

Mike Wallace Takes On Fox News' Biggest Anchor

(CBS)  This segment originally aired on Sept. 26, 2004.

Who is Bill O'Reilly? Is he a patriot? A blowhard? A braggart? A bully?

Well, it turns out, there's a lot more to him than any of that. Since Mike Wallace sat down with him in 2004, he has maintained his domination of cable news, competitors have tried to copy him, and four nights a week, perhaps the ultimate flattery, Steven Colbert parodies him on Comedy Central. But Wallace found the man, talking about himself, full of surprises, and he began with one.

---

"You know, you're responsible for this O'Reilly deal," he said to Wallace. "And I always tell everybody, 'You got a problem with me? You call Mike Wallace. He's responsible for the O'Reilly deal.'"

"What are you talking about?" asks Wallace.

"When I was growing up, I didn't care about the news at all. I had no interest in the news. But my father liked you," says O'Reilly. "And I said, 'That guy, he's pretty interesting because he's giving people a hard time.' Which is what you did. So then, when I got older, there were three guys that I watched: you, Howard Cosell … and Tom Snyder, because Snyder knew how to work that camera. You were the three. So you’re responsible."

Wallace called O'Reilly on his constant finger pointing. "I can't stop," says O'Reilly, who does a lot of pointing on his nightly Fox News Channel program, "The O'Reilly Factor."

Does O'Reilly enjoy the arguing? Does he enjoy taking on people on his show?

"Sure. It's a battle of wits, who's the quicker draw intellectually," says O'Reilly. "I enjoy the joust. And I think people enjoy watching the joust – one of the reasons we're real successful."

"The O'Reilly Factor" is the highest-rated hours on any cable news channel. O'Reilly told Wallace that over 20 million people a week watch the show. But there are millions more who hear him on radio stations.

He's also a syndicated columnist and a best-selling author – all of it made possible by the enormous success of his cable show.

The concept was simple enough: bring the Op-Ed page to television. "The O’Reilly Factor" is all about opinions: O'Reilly's opinions.

And the Factor Formula works. It's made him incredibly popular and incredibly unpopular, too.

"When I tell people I'm gonna do a profile of O'Reilly, 'Oh, wonderful, wonderful. Don't let 'em off the hook. Go get 'em. Bring 'em down. You're the guy who can do it,'" says Wallace on reaction to his interview with O'Reilly.

So why do they want to bring O'Reilly down? "I don't know who you hang around with," says O'Reilly. "I suspect they're 'pinheads,' but I don’t know for sure."

People dislike O'Reilly because of statements like these:

"I'm more angry about it than you are!"

"What about George Bush? He had nothing to do with it."

"Why did you have to tell them you were an atheist if you didn't have any trouble reading the oath? Why didn't you just shut up?"

"That's not an interview," Wallace remarks. "That's a lecture."

"Oh, I lecture, where I'm a commentator. We went back and did research on the last six years of 'The Factor.' Do you know how many times I told people to shut up? Six. Three times in anger and three times just, 'Ahhh, he didn't want to shut up about things,'" says O'Reilly.

"My program, my house. You're disrespectful in my house, you're putting things out there that are defamatory in my house, you're gonna get taken to the cleaners."

[oberton1]

Mike,

In reference to your Sunday evening interview%u2026.Bill O%u2019Reilly doesn%u2019t need to self promote any longer, you did it for him.

John Oberton
Perkasie, Pa.

[cwayne7]

Well O'R has demonstrated again that his arrogance has no bounds. This man is so disgusting that I turned off 60 Minutes during this segment when this is the only weekly show that I always watch. Like my high school buddies used to say - Bill could screw up a ball bearing. What a jerk. He reminded me why I refuse to ever watch fox.
Wayne

[ktower11]

Dear Mike Wallace, I do NOT consider what you asked Bill O'Reilly as "hard hitting" or combative. It was clear that he buttered you up and made you feel special from the very beginning and colored your interview. Why didn't you expose his hypocrisy.....such as his continual lambasting of Bill Clinton over his affair with Monica...and his "undisclosed payoff" of his sexual honey? You were seduced by O'Reilly along with his viewers. Shame on you.
Kris Tower

[cbswiz]

What a pathetic waste of air time. Make that "hot air" time. O'Reilly's viewership and listner numbers have crashed. He got caught for sexual harassing his producer, Andrea Mackris, and had to pay big bucks to shut her-up. You lazy *** didn't even do an update. Shame on 60 Minutes for airing such out-dated and erroneous drivel.

[garykearns1]

Thank you 60 minutes, my perception of Bill was squewed by Al Frankin. I still like Al. He is entertaining and he made a valid point. Bill also has some individual and rational perspectives on America and where it's headed. You may not agree with his style but, he has some intersting and valid points. I've never seen this side of Bill until tonite.

[pknonna]

So, O'Reilly considers his brainless ranting 'intellectual' jousting? I can't be angry with him anymore. I just pity his delusions.

[ron30252]

What a JOKE!! Your interview of O'Reilly was a total waste of time. It appeared to be more a promotion for Fox News than anything elsa. Next time, Mike you should have your son from Fox News on the show.

[kmitnick]

Not long ago, David Letterman told O'Reilly that 80% of what he said was ***.

Letterman has always been the master of understatement.

Watch out, O'Reilly, Olbermann is gaining on you.

Mike - getting a little more gentle these days? You had a great opportunity to show the world what a jackass this guy really is. But Larry King would have been proud with a softball interview like this one. What a missed opportunity.

[crc11661]

Why air a dated piece on O'Reilly which contains known falsehoods (e.g. number of times he has told guests to shut up)? How about an actual investigative piece? Start with his remarks about Shawn Hornbeck.

[jmg310]

Well, Mike I have to agree with the consensus, you did let the enemy go. Nevertheless, his comments and boldness was toned down quite a bit. Maybe his ratings are going down and he needs to lighten up. I respect Jeremy Glick immensly. He showed so much restrain and composure during that famous interview. Had it been me in Jeremy's seat, I would be in prison right now.

[furrrburger]

you cant be independant and have any kind of celeb status. independant status should not be reconized with politcal things! look at the "***"tionary or what is suposed to be a maverick! if its news lets here what the big wigs have to say, if not don't blow it up to make a paycheck and run this country into the ground.

everybody is free to think but to much thought creates weapons of mass destruction

grow a garden not a gein

[jeditrip]

i would rather watch paint dry than watch bill o'reilly.

[ademeyer]

Please tell me the era of the right wing talk show is almost over and a crop of honest, thoughtful, intelligent, ethical, substantive young journalists is arriving to take over.

[godseyesore-2009]

Can't understand why proven liars are given such way. Us 'mericans shore is dum.

[nellyjames]

O'Reily reminds me of *** Cheney, schoolyard bully wannabes, that have their listen to me attitudes because I'd guess nobody wanted them at their birthday parties lecturing or threatening. Keep pointing that finger, because your other three fingers are "Back at YOU".

[pdtrich]

Please tell me the era of the right wing talk show is almost over, is right! They are paid millions to lie and brainwash people and never look back. I hope that all of the Republican millionairs realize that when they destroy the middle class, they will no longer have anyone to pay their way. Also, remember, what goes around comes around. I don't know how Bill and Bush sleep at night.

[imahaingtia1]

A puff piece on Bill O'Reilly! No mention of the obscene comment this self-described "journalist" made about a kidnapped boy enjoying his years in captivity by a pedophile! No mention of sexual harasment of employees. It's time to put Mike out to pasture. How can I ever trust Mike Wallace or 60 Minutes again? I can't.

[imahaingtia1]

A puff piece on Bill O'Reilly! No mention of the obscene comment this self-described "journalist" made about a kidnapped boy enjoying his years in captivity by a pedophile! No mention of sexual harasment of employees. It's time to put Mike out to pasture. How can I ever trust Mike Wallace or 60 Minutes again? I can't.

[imahaingtia1]

Unbelievable! A puff piece on Bill O'Reilly! No mention of the obscene comment this self-described "journalist" made about a kidnapped boy enjoying his years in captivity by a pedophile! No mention of sexual harasment. It's time to put Mike out to pasture. How can I ever trust Mike Wallace or 60 Minutes again? I can't.

[pebofoot]

What a pastry fest!
Chris' daddy tossing softballs to his buddy.
Hell, I was left wondering when they were going to kiss?
What happened to Mike Wallace the professional interviewer?
This piece was the the biggest farce in the history 60 minutes.
Come back to us Ed Bradley.

[imahaingtia1]

Unbelievable! A puff piece on Bill O'Reilly! No mention of the obscene comment this self-described "journalist" made about a kidnapped boy enjoying his years in captivity by a pedophile! No mention of sexual harasment. It's time to put Mike out to pasture. How can I ever trust Mike Wallace or 60 Minutes again? I can't.

[rdman218]

Just two words for this pathetic O'Reilly character...

PROFOUNDLY DISTURBED!

[orms1]

Please. That was an interview piece worthy of "Inside Edition". Not only were no facts presented, but there were not even any hard questions asked. Let me guess, O'Rielly's staff previewed, approved and maybe even wrote most of these questions before he agreed to be interviewed. Not worthy of 60 minutes.

[bshane229]

Bill O'Rielly's show is generally "fair and balanced". All the blow h%4ds raging on about this interview and his show are only used to the constant brain washing that the 3 major networks do on a nightly basis. If you watched his show he is equally hard on conservatives as he is on liberals. It is just the liberals are a just a bunch of brainless "pinheads" most of the time. Anybody that calls out the ACLU is my hero!

[zendigity]

Anyone ever wonder if maybe the media just wants us to bicker back and forth rather than look any deeper into the reasons why our country wants us to be devided?

[dragon4455]

The way I see it is that Wallace had a great chance to put O'Reilly and didn't Why? Because that is the way the media treats media. IF you listen to what the media says about the way America is and the way the world is going then you should not have a say so in anything. Read and listen to everything you can and then make up your own mind and do not let these self appointed godlike figure heads tell you what to think. Everyone one of them is told what to say and how to say it by thier owners of the stations they work for and they do not care what you or I think about. They never have and never will. IF they can blow up an event to suit THIER need and rating then they will do it. And that is the bottom line

[usamerican76]

Americans: The News tells stories of half truths!
I have a son and daughter, 4 nephews,and son-in-law who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan! The stories they tell are a lot different from the stories on the news! They tell of soccer games with Iraqi kids! And the smiles of the kids when they give them school supplies! Of the people in the produce markets giving them fruit, as the walk by! Please help the soldiers do their jobs, and take what the news says with a grain of salt!

[karlimhof]

***nn***

[vstar-guy]

Bill O'Reilly.... the Morton Downey Jr. of the %u201800%u2019s! He's controversial, egotistical very intelligent .... well maybe not %u2026..%u201Dvery%u201D, opinionated and very very rich. Does he care about his image?.... not really .... he must cry all the way to the bank. He loves being controversial or so he says. Does he provide quality journalism.... don't bet on it. He%u2019s more fizz than anything else. Bill O'Reilly %u2026.. the perfect bully.As we all too well know, bullies are basically scared weak people who constantly have to validate themselves at the expense of others. I once saw Phil Donahue bring him down a few pegs. Donahue caused the %u201Cno spin%u201D guy to "melt down" on his FOX show. It was like watching a highly skilled speaker humiliate and almost cause %u201Cno spin%u201D to get physical. How?%u2026why?%u2026.. Donahue simply spoke the truth in a very calm methodical way %u2026. he was almost %u201Cpriestly%u201D in his delivery. He backed it all up with cold hard facts. Of course having Donahue call O%u2019reilly %u201CBilly%u201D certainly didn%u2019t help the situation either.

[vstar-guy]

Bill O'reilly -- continued

In a way it was kind of sad seeing this big strapping ex-Marine fall apart on his own show. I learned something that day. I learned that Bill O%u2019Reilly is like a very loud drummer in a very small band. As most good drummers know "anybody drummer can play loud". What "O'Reilly" lacks in professionalism he tries to make up with intimidation. Eventually he will fade away while the Lou Dobbs and the like will enjoy the longevity they truly deserve.