I've also heard him rail against SUV's.
But, on a positive note, he does take on corruption--Clinton, Rev. Jackson, border issues, etc. And he tackles head on high taxes and goernment waste.
But while I find O'Reilly's hard-hitting style interesting, I do not particularly find it entertaining. He rarely displays a sense of humor.
Rush does all O'Reilly does, but much better and with a great sense of humor. What first hooked me on Rush was his sense of humor. In the past six months, since encountering his hearing loss, he has even been funnier.
BTW, this Is recycled news. Drudge first reported it at least a month ago and O'Reilly had a cow--O denied it and raked Drudge over the coals for reporting it. Now, if it proves out, O's credibility will have sunk several notches in my book.
Congratulations! Someone's finally been able to figure out what Freepers are "for." After three years of mostly lurking here it certainly escapes me. But it's a lively and interesting place and I learn a lot so I keep coming back, despite serious anger about some of the censorship I see here. But I'm a guest after all.
As for O'Reilly, he does something no one else is doing. He's a muckraker. He attacks the entrenched and powerful, especially in government that no one else seems motivated to (or able) to take on. He clearly is protected by Roger Ailes and perhaps even Murdoch so he doesn't have to worry about his back.
Unlike the original muckrackers, mostly socialists like Lincoln Steffens and Upton Sinclair who targeted the excesses of Big Business, O'Reilly goes after targets on the Left that have been mostly untouched by post-Watergate so-called "investigative" reporting. That is a very good thing. He also seems to be the only major figure in America other than David Horowitz who is really going after the mavens of Political Correctness. Who could not love someone who goes after the likes of Jesse Jackson, the N.O.W. Gang and countless others among the powerful, and actually gets results? As a former journalist myself, I love it! I certainly don't agree with O'Reilly all the time but I appreciate the fact that someone is bringing these stories to the public's attention and laying out the issues. This type of investigative reporting died a politically-correct death after Watergate when all the new hires wanted to "change the world" by distorting the news instead of reporting it. O'Reilly makes me crazy sometimes, especially on the issue of "global warming," but he's doing an important service.
As for him taking on Rush, especially now, that's a tough one. Rush has done a lot for the conservative cause but has made himself vulnerable to competition by concentrating on becoming rich and social-climbing instead of fighting the good fight. I've been having trouble staying interested in his show for several years now. He has occasional important things to say but his ego has become insufferable even to allies like me. But he is the consummate "radio guy" and there's a big question in my mind if O'Reilly will have the same appeal.