Life Of O'reilly

O'Reilly's favorite segment of the night is an expose of the Los Angeles Times's "covering up" for Bill Clinton. An op-ed page editor at the Times has edited a paragraph out of a syndicated George Will column that declares, "I think it is reasonable to believe that [Bill Clinton] was a rapist." The paper has acknowledged that it made a mistake by censoring Will's column, but O'Reilly is in no mood for mercy. The omission was "insidious! Destructive to the republic!" he cries.

After the show, O'Reilly stands surrounded by his slightly cowed-looking staff, barking orders for tomorrow. The computer screen of one of his producers shows the Drudge Report, the Internet gossip column. Drudge is trumpeting a forthcoming National Enquirer story alleging that Jesse Jackson has fathered a child out of wedlock. For months O'Reilly has been raising questions about Jackson's personal finances, broadly insinuating that the civil-rights leader has been illegally using money from his tax-exempt foundations to live in high style. The attacks on Jackson are starting to make O'Reilly's boss uncomfortable. "He can't do innuendo forever. You've got to put up or shut up," says Ailes. But with the love-child disclosure, O'Reilly feels vindicated and emboldened. "The press will have to go after Jackson now," he says. "He used tax exemptions to support his babe." (Jackson denies any wrongdoing.)

O'Reilly's bookers are having difficulty lining up someone close to Jackson to come on the show the next night. Jackson himself has always refused O'Reilly's invitations, at one point privately calling one of his producers "an a--hole." Most high-ranking Democrats--and not a few Republicans--have also balked at appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor." The Gore campaign essentially boycotted the show. The excuses vary, but some politicos come right out and say they don't want to be verbally abused on national TV. O'Reilly is well aware of the difficulty of booking big-name guests, but he hectors his staff anyway. "Get me John Kerry!" he calls, referring to the Democratic senator from Massachusetts. He imitates Kerry unctuously telling him, " 'Gee, Bill, I'd love to come on your show' "--O'Reilly snorts--"but he never does! [Former New York governor Mario] Cuomo, same thing!" He complains that Cuomo has just appeared on Chris Matthews's "Hardball" "for the fourth time. C'mon!" ("We beat Matthews 3 to 1 [in the ratings]," he crows.) Finally, he growls good night to his staff. "This was the warm and fuzzy Bill," says producer Amy Sohnen with a wry smile. "I just want to hug him."

O'Reilly's critics, not to mention his trailing rivals on the talk-show circuit, are hoping that he will burn out or lose his edge. With Bill Clinton out of office, O'Reilly may miss his biggest punching bag. But Sen. Hillary Clinton will still present a target, and the elite media are not going away. "TV's cyclical," says a top executive at another network. "Viewers will get tired of O'Reilly." Possibly, but his brand of hard-nosed, regular-guy TV talk is here to stay.

© 2001