O'Reilly's lawyers give to Democrats

Bill O'Reilly of "The O'Reilly Factor" fame might not know this, or even care for that matter, but the principal members of a Manhattan law firm defending him in a $60 million sexual harassment lawsuit have close ties to the Democratic Party and have been generous contributors to various candidates over the years, among them Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Nita Lowey and Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano.

This is mentioned here in the interest of full disclosure (call it the "O'Reisman Factor") since O'Reilly's legal team has oddly accused plaintiff Andrea Mackris' lawyer, Benedict P. Morelli, of being such an ardent Democrat himself that he has a political agenda against their client.

In case there is anyone out there who somehow remains blissfully ignorant of the O'Reilly phenomenon, the combative Fox TV personality is a self-styled populist with right-of-center leanings and, as such, is a bete noire of the political left.

The charge was spelled out in what amounted to a pre-emptive lawsuit against Morelli and Mackris, a Fox producer, that was filed on O'Reilly's behalf by the firm, Epstein, Becker & Green.

"It is apparent that Defendants' outrageous monetary demand is motivated by their greed and also by Morelli's political connections. Morelli, his firm, and his wife, Arlene, are known supporters of and contributors to the Democratic Party, contributing to the campaigns of U.S. Senators John Kerry, John Edwards, Tom Daschle, and Charles Schumer, among others. He perceives Fox and O'Reilly as politically conservative and supporters of the Republican Party."

I alluded to the above in Sunday's column, which described O'Reilly's embarrassing difficulties in the context of a lackluster guest appearance I made on "The O'Reilly Factor" a few years ago. On a muggy, late summer day in 2001, the subject de jour was the salacious case of the stripper who was hired by a dopey husband-wife team to entertain their teenage son and the entire Horace Greeley High School football team in Chappaqua.

Without excusing the Chappaqua incident in the least, I noted that O'Reilly has made a handsome living out of loudly telling people how to behave and now, ironically, faces a set of X-rated allegations of his own. One wonders how O'Reilly would cover the story if someone else, say, Al Franken, had been accused of demanding phone sex from a subordinate while cooing the erotic possibilities of a loofah.

The O'Reilly team has vigorously attacked Mackris in the tabloid press as an extortionist and something of a kook — all of which may or may not turn out to be true. But the suggestion that the lawsuit was also politically motivated struck me as indicative of a man driven by paranoid fantasies and delusions of grandeur.

And now it has come to light that his lawyers are Democratic Party bankrollers, too! In the supposed "no spin zone" world of O'Reilly, it's enough to, well, make your head spin.

According to federal and local financial disclosure reports, Jeffrey Becker, who lives in Chappaqua (how's that for coincidence?) and is one of the partners in Epstein, Becker & Green, gave a total of $3,000 to the Friends of Schumer between February 1999 and June 2004. He's given a total of $4,000 to Nita Lowey for Congress; $1,000 to former Sen. Robert G. Torricelli of New Jersey; $1,000 to the senatorial campaign of Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana; and $4,500 to the Friends of Andy Spano in 2001.

Becker has also given lesser amounts to Republicans — a total of $1,500 to former New York Sen. Al D'Amato and $300 to Robert D. Franks, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Senate in New Jersey.

Becker's partner, Ronald M. Green, is also listed as giving $4,500 to Spano. Green's wife, Maxine Green, was a member of the New Castle Town Democratic Committee but resigned after the couple sold their Chappaqua home (yikes, another coincidence) last summer. Maxine Green currently works for the Schumer campaign in New York City.

She did not return a phone call yesterday. A spokesman for Epstein, Becker &Green returned a phone call to take a message but did not follow up with a comment later. Morelli also did not return a call.

But what can anyone say? You could say that this is a matter of disingenuousness, or perhaps just another a case of the proverbial pot calling the kettle black.

Or you could say this: In the volatile mix of sex and politics, money always talks louder than ideology and love. Oh really? you ask.

Oddly? Let's look at item 11 in Mackris' lawsuit, filed by Morelli:

11. At all times mentioned herein, Defendant Bill O'Reilly was and is the host and "star" of "The O'Reilly Factor". The "O'Reilly Factor" is broadcast on cable television ....(not readable)... Westwood One and Bill O'Reilly utilize this forum to preach the principles of the so-called "compasionate conservatism" espoused by George W. Bush and the Republican Party. The Defendants also use this forum to preach their belief in family values and to emoan the moral decline of politicians and others in positions of power.

Looks like a political agenda to me.

Besides having called for bizarre and uncivilized punishments for accusations without evidence against men who are divorced by their wives,...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1225900/posts

Ad Renews Charges of Bush-Saudi Ties
"She [Vice President Dianne Brandi] also turned down the latest spot from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth because it 'accuses Kerry of treason, a crime punishable by death.'"

And from the thread under it,...

"O'Reilly states he is pro-gun control, against the death penalty, for civil unions, for gay adoption (as a last resort instead of state custody) and mindful of the environment. But when asked if he would vote for President Bush, O'Reilly left open the possibility he would vote for John Kerry."

"I've known Kerry for 25 years. He's a patriot. I'm listening to what he has to say," he tells Wallace

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml <--
CBS News | Bill O'Reilly: 'No Spin' | September 23, 2004

News Corp. President Endorses Kerry
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1185129/posts
"According to the Kerry for President campaign, News Corp. President and chief operating officer Peter Chernin has endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate. News Corp. owns Fox News Channel."

O’Reilly read a statement from Mark Hyman of Sinclair Broadcasting that said, if Kerry would agree to appear, they would halt the airing of the documentary. O’Reilly noted that this “seems like blackmail to me,” and “I don’t think it’s fair unless they give equal time to the Kerry people“ and “this is unfair” and that the producers of the documentary are “gonna nail him to the wall.”

"...on ABC's (All Bought by Corporate) Good Morning America to justify dissing the French. O'Reilly told Charles Gibson that a woman's decision to seek an abortion is "a private matter," and he wouldn't presume to
tell a woman not to get one."

"Bill, those people weren't right wing when they were buying your books and making your show Number 1, why are you calling them right wing now?"
--Laura Ingraham

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=28892
A 'faithful fanatic'
Posted: September 10, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Stephen Bennett
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

Excerpted Quote:
I was invited as a guest on Sept. 3 to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" to discuss my commentary – "The Gay Spin Zone" – dealing with the media, the promotion of homosexuality and its devastating effects on America's children. I was also on to discuss what many are dubbing "The O'Reilly Shocker" – Bill's disturbing September interview in the national homosexual publication "The Advocate," where he proudly and unashamedly embraces and supports many aspects of the "gay"-rights' agenda.

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