Free Republic

The ordeal of Dan Rather goes far beyond the man himself. It speaks to the presumption of guilt that now rules the day in America. Because of a ruthless and callow media, no citizen, much less one who achieves fame, is given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to allegations or personal attacks. The smearing of America is in full bloom. Weeks before the election, Kitty Kelley put out a book defaming the entire Bush family. The allegations were primarily made by anonymous people, but that didn't stop the media from gleefully recounting all the sordid accusations. Some...

As soon as I saw the tape of a U.S. Marine shooting a wounded insurgent in Fallujah, I knew there'd be trouble. The Iraqi had violated the rules of war by fighting from a mosque and was left for dead in combat. But he wasn't dead. So when a squad of Marines entered the mosque in a mop-up operation and the prone insurgent moved, a young Marine shot him dead. But the tape of the incident actually helps the Marine, because you can clearly hear him yell to his squad: "He's [blanking] faking he's dead!" Then the soldier shoots. On...

FOX News Channel host Bill O'Reilly claimed that former President Bill Clinton's newly opened presidential library gives Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) "access to money because Bill Clinton's got a checkbook that he can write anything off against that library he wants." O'Reilly predicted Bill Clinton would use library staff and funds to further his wife's alleged presidential ambitions. In fact, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), a federal agency, took over the Clinton Presidential Center, including its management and funding, on the day the library opened. NARA administers all ten presidential libraries. On the November 18 edition of...

War and the media: That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo." Millions of Americans have reacted to this video taken in Fallujah (search) where a young Marine shot a wounded insurgent inside a mosque. That Marine is now under investigation. But he is innocent, and that will be proven. Let's take it step by step. Last night, I had to make a decision whether to show you that video or not. I chose to do it and then provide context. In that way, you could decide about the controversy. You may remember I did not show the...

Tonight on The O'Reilly Factor, Bill thought that President Bush should elevate Former President Bill Clinton to the Secretary of State position, soon to be vacated by outgoing cabinet member Colin Powell.

Tune in. Bernie up next to discuss media and Bush's reelection.

Tonight... "The O'Reilly Factor" is on! President George W. Bush has been reelected to a second four year term. What made the difference for Bush?

(VIDEOTAPE OF KERRY) There he is in the Red Sox cap. As you know, the Red Sox won the series. (END VIDEOTAPE) And as you also know, the senator is the overwhelming choice of most major newspapers and the TV networks. And every news organization has a right to its editorial opinion. Certainly, we give ours here. But the trend this year is to use hard news stories to advance a political cause. That is stealth journalism and it's corrupt. In the remaining five days of this campaign, you can expect a bevy of reports on how bad Iraq is....

Watching O'Reilly last night while getting ready for bed. I kept it on because he said Newt was going to give a prediction and I like hearing what Newt says. Anyway, BO spoke with Dan Bartlett, White House communications advisor. My take - either Bartlett is the greatest actor in the history of the nine known galaxies or the internal polling on the Presidents team show a victory. This man was calm, cool, confident, relaxed, collected, smooth. He spoke like he knew it was in the bag. Anywone else see this and if so, did you get that impression. Newt...

TV talk-show host Bill O'Reilly and accuser Andrea Mackris buried the hatchet last night, settling their dueling extortion and sexual-harassment lawsuits. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but it's believed O'Reilly — and O'Reilly alone — paid multimillions of dollars. "This matter has caused enormous pain but I had to protect my family and I did," the married father of two said at the top of last night's "O'Reilly Factor," his Fox News Channel show on which he's known for telling guests to "shut up." "This brutal ordeal is now officially over, and I will never speak of it again." Outside...

Bill O'Reilly settled a sexual harassment lawsuit by his former producer last night, ending what he called a "brutal ordeal" without an apology. The Fox News talk show host also agreed to drop his extortion suit against Andrea Mackris and her attorney, Benedict Morelli, according to a statement by O'Reilly's lawyer. The deal likely involves payment of millions of dollars to Mackris, since the two sides were discussing an offer of well over $2 million when negotiations broke down, say sources close to O'Reilly. Both parties agreed to keep the details confidential, according to the statement. O'Reilly told viewers, in...

Just reported on NBC News

A legal faceoff in the Bill O'Reilly sex harassment scandal was slated for tomorrow even as the two sides were deep in settlement talks. A hearing is scheduled in Nassau Supreme Court to decide whether O'Reilly's attorneys can demand access to any tape recordings his accuser may have. But a spokesman for the Fox TV host's lawyer confirmed yesterday that talks to hammer out a deal are continuing. "Nothing has changed since Friday when they started negotiations," the spokesman said. "I can't say how close they are to reaching any agreement." But O'Reilly's lawyers still want to ask a judge...

Keith Olberman's plan to save the O'Reilly tapes.

When Andrea Mackris was dumped by her fiancé in early 2002, her boss, cable-TV host Bill O'Reilly, took her out to dinner. No longer supported by her lawyer partner of eight years, Daniel Slatopolski, the hard-working and aggressive career woman needed a shoulder to cry on — and more money. . .

Bill O'Reilly and Andrea Mackris are trying to kiss and make up — legally, that is. Lawyers for O'Reilly, who's suing Mackris for extortion, and Mackris, who's suing O'Reilly for sexual harassment, were hunkered down in talks all day yesterday aimed at settling their ugly differences, sources told The Post. "They're negotiating and trying to work it all out," said a source close to the case. Ron Green, representing "The O'Reilly Factor" host and his bosses at Fox News, didn't return calls for comment. A spokeswoman for Benedict Morelli, who's representing Mackris, maintained, "There's nothing going on. I don't...

FOX...Holbrooke couldn't answer question from OReilly, what would Kerry do in Iraq if elected president. He paused and stuttered and had a dumfounded look on his face.

At this precarious moment any distraction is a disaster for Kerry, even when it's Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment problems. Gleeful Democrats who could have been spending useful hours signing up disenfranchised minority youths to vote instead spent whole mornings poring over the Fox moralist's phone-sex fantasies. The dazzling details could be found at the Web site where mortification lives: TheSmokingGun.com.

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...

O'REILLY ACCUSER DEEP IN DEBT The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained O'Reilly accuser Andrea Mackris' financial records which show a combined debt of nearly $100,000... Developing...