The Print Press Strikes Back

To watch "The Talking Points Memo" in the Screening Room click here.

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly, reporting tonight from Miami. Thank you for watching us.

Well, it snowed today in New York, and it's April.  So enough's enough, and we fled down here to The Factor southern command post.

In just a few moments, our analysts will tell us about the hunt for Saddam and the reported chemical weapons discovery.

But first, the Talking Points Memo, the print press strikes back.  You may remember last week I chastised both The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times for shading their hard news coverage negative on the war.  Almost immediately after that scolding, both papers tempered their headlines, but we knew there would be a payback, and it's here.

In The New York Times article today, with the headline, "Murdoch's Global Empire Marches to His Political Drum," the FOX News Channel and your humble correspondent are portrayed as right wing puppets.  Now, I can't speak for anybody else, but I can tell you Newscorp CEO, Rupert Murdoch, has never once said anything to me about my news analysis, not once in six and a half years.

In the body of the article written by David Kirkpatrick comes this:  "After other networks reported setbacks to American and British forces, the FOX commentator Bill O'Reilly denounced its competitors as 'liberal weenies.'"  One problem:  I never said that.

To his credit, Mr.  Kirkpatrick admits he made a mistake.  The Times is supposed to issue a correction.  I appreciate it.  What I don't appreciate is the attempt by The New York Times to marginalize the FOX News Channel.  This network's coverage has been accurate, and our ratings are enormous.

And here's a flash for The Times -- it's not just conservative Americans who watch.  That's the reason The Times and other newspapers are furious.  They know they are losing power to this network.

In Sunday's New York Times, a notorious left wing hit man, Frank Rich, compares me to Ann Coulter in another attempt to diminish The Factor in the eyes of non-conservative viewers.  Anyone who watches The Factor knows that my presentation and Ms. Coulter's are completely different.  And Frank Rich knows that, too, but he is a cheap shot artist and always has been, with all due respect.

Finally, The Tribune Company which owns The Los Angeles Times lashes back.  I criticized the L.A. paper for its incredible one sidedness in the beginning of the ware.  So, Chicago Trib' writer, Steve Johnson, analyzing TV war coverage, says "Bill O'Reilly is so full of hot air, he has to be tethered to his chair."  Very good, Steve.  Very incisive.

And since you're carrying water, carry this bucket back to your bosses.  You can call me any name you want, but it won't change what the L.A. Times did, and many Americans are not going to forget it.

And that's The Memo.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"...

Matt Drudge is reporting that Senator Hillary Clinton has not turned in her manuscript and it is overdue.  Drudge says Simon & Schuster executives are, "dismayed,"... But who knows?  Mrs. Clinton received almost $3 million in cash up front and is due to receive a whopping $5 million more if she completes the book.

Since she isn't writing it, a ghost [writer] is, I don't know what the problem is, and I say this from my experience.  I'm writing my new book now, and it's a huge pain in the neck, and there is no ghost [writer].  But I will turn it in on time, and Senator Clinton, as always, should follow my lead.  To not do so would be ridiculous.