Bill O'Reilly Strikes Back

Jan. 12, 2005 — -- Bill O'Reilly, host of "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News, continued his fight with David Letterman on "Good Morning America" -- without Letterman. He described their interaction on last week's "Late Show" as "a culture-war conversation between a traditionalist, me, and a liberal media guy, Letterman."

"I dominate the news, and it wouldn't be that way if 60 percent of what I say is trash," O'Reilly said on "GMA."

Letterman had said to O'Reilly: "I have the feeling about 60 percent of what you say is crap."

"Did you know we have more viewers than he does in any 24-hour period?" O'Reilly asked Charlie Gibson. "More people watch us than Letterman."

But O'Reilly wasn't on "GMA" to personally attack Letterman.

"So, this guy Letterman is brilliant, I think," he said. "He's great at what he does. But if you want to get into public-policy debates, as he did, you'd better know what you're talking about with me."

Then, Gibson and O'Reilly moved away from discussing Letterman and toward the news. Gibson asked him whether he thought Samuel Alito was getting "a fair shake" during the confirmation hearings. O'Reilly responded: "Of course not."

"The Democrats are trying to make him look like an idiot, and the Republicans are trying to make him look like a hero," O'Reilly said. "The cable ratings are low, and people know this is a phony sham."

O'Reilly offered a suggestion to improve the hearings.

"Why don't we stop the dog-and-pony show and just take the man's rulings and put them up on a screen?" he asked. "Is that too much to ask? Is that too much to ask? I don't care what he did at Princeton."

"He's not running for cruise-ship director. He's running for the Supreme Court," he added. "Let's find out how he ruled in his, what, 30 years on the bench."

Then, talk between Gibson and O'Reilly turned toward the war in Iraq. O'Reilly said that he was "disappointed on how the war has been waged" and that the soldiers should have all the protection possible (in regard to the current body-armor debate).

"We have to win this campaign," O'Reilly said. "That's what's good for this country and the world."