Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"

Mike Wallace Takes On Fox News' Biggest Anchor

(CBS)  And outside his house is no different. On Tim Russert's cable show, O'Reilly was paired with The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.

O'Reilly: You are in with the most vile form of defamation in the country. … You are pandering to it, and I resent it, sir.

Krugman: Well, we resent you, too.

But his most notorious encounter developed at a book fair, when he took on humorist Al Franken about a book Franken had written that said O'Reilly had lied publicly on a number of occasions. Franken also used a splotchy picture of O'Reilly on the cover.

O'Reilly: He writes in his book, he tries to make me out as a liar...

Franken: "No, no, no, no, no, no that's..."

O’Reilly: Hey, shut up! … You had your 35 minutes! Shut up!

Franken: This isn't your show, Bill.

Their very public battle was about a number of things, one of which was that O'Reilly had said he was an Independent; Franken showed that he had actually registered Republican.

O'Reilly: This is what he does. He is a vicious, and that is with a capital 'V,' person.

What upset him more – that Franken called him a liar, or that he proved it?

"Proves it, bull," says O'Reilly. "He's a character assassin. Why lower yourself to that kind of a discourse?"

Asked why it gets him so upset, O'Reilly tells Wallace, "Because it's dishonest, it's parasitical. And it’s character assassination. Why wouldn't I get upset?"

And right or wrong, O'Reilly likes to get upset. He was raised Irish-Catholic in Long Island, N.Y. This son of a middle-class accountant says his dad was an underachiever who came to blows with him as a teenager. But his dad made him scrappy, which has served him well in his career.

He worked his way through college painting houses. His first job in TV was in a small market, Scranton, Pa.

"Not like Maria Shriver, with all due respect to her. Nice woman who started in Los Angeles. Why? Because her name is Maria Shriver," says O'Reilly. "O'Reilly starts in Scranton, Pa., with the coal miners. I loved it. My folks."

"Give me a break," Wallace remarks. "Why are you comparing yourself all of the sudden with Maria Shriver?"

"Because I'm telling you that this road I took had to be taken," says O'Reilly. "There was no other way to do it."

For the record, Shriver started in Philadelphia as a low-level assistant. As for O'Reilly, his career took off in 1996, when the fledgling Fox News Channel bought his idea for a high-energy Op-Ed TV show. By 1998, it was a bonafide hit, must-see TV for the conservative right.

At the 2004 Republican National Convention, the "old boys club" – including Trent Lott and Newt Gingrich – welcomed him with open arms.

Some folks would expect this reception for O'Reilly, a favorite of conservatives. But what you don't expect are his views, which sound more like they're coming from a Democrat.

O’Reilly says he’s pro gun control, against the death penalty, and supports civil unions, not just for homosexuals, but "for everybody."

He says he's for gay adoptions, as a last resort: "I'd rather have nice, responsible gay home than the system for kids. What else?"

And about the environment? "Government’s gotta be proactive on environment," says O'Reilly. "Global warming is here. All these idiots that run around and say it isn't here. That's ridiculous."

And there's more. He supported President Bush on the war in Iraq, but declared that he would never trust the Bush administration again if no weapons of mass destruction were found.

[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.

[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.

[karlimhof]

***nn***

[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!

[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

[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?

[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!

[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.

[rdman218]

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

PROFOUNDLY DISTURBED!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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".

[godseyesore-2009]

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

[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.

[jeditrip]

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

[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