O'Reilly Ambushes Hendrik Hertzberg (VIDEO)

Update, 4:20 pm

Michael Calderone at the Politico has posted a response from Hertzberg:

New Yorker writer Hendrik Hertzberg told Politico that he had never been invited to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor," as host Bill O'Reilly said last night on-air.

"That's an outright lie," Hertzberg said.

Read the rest of Hertzberg's response here

***

On Thursday night's show, Bill O'Reilly showed footage of when he sent a camera crew to ambush New Yorker writer Hendrik Hertzberg, who he called a "far-left zealot" for something he wrote about Newt Gingrinch and gay marriage after an appearance Gingrich made on O'Reilly's show.

After some confusion and several bleeped out words, Hertzberg stood his ground, refusing to apologize for anything he wrote.

WATCH:

Comments

[drhoffman216]

I've always had a little crush on Hertzberg because of his stellar columns in the NYer. Now, it is blossomed into full-on love.

[middlemarch]

Oh, me, too. What a gasbag O'Reilly and Gingrich are. Who is Gingrich anyway these days? Some guy who comes on whatever show Hannity and Bill want him to. He's got a career????

To my friends at Fox: Hertzberg is a brilliant writer with deep empathy. And, be still my heart, I just love the guy.

[FatherKindly]

Iit is hard for me to believe that I am a citizen of the same country where O'Reilly is seriously considered by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to be a reliable source of news and political judgment.

I find him and his program deeply troubling.

[Twinklestar]

I went to read Hertzbergs blog on The New Yorkers site after this and liked the final exchange between the producer from FOX and the editor of The New Yorker.

"Update: One more exchange between Ron Mitchell, the O"Reilly producer at Fox, and David Remnick, from late this afternoon (Friday, December 5th).

Mitchell to Remnick:

Much has been said about all this over the last few days. I just still want to make sure that you are comfortable with the whole situation. If you think that you have not been treated fairly, please let me know, and we can do something with you on the air.

Remnick to Mitchell:

Dear Mr. Mitchell,

Thanks for your courteous note. It"s an interesting contrast in tone with the the fantastical on-air description of Rick as a left-wing zealot, the nonsense that he had refused a real interview before sending a crew to his apartment building, and the sneering descriptions of Rick, me, and the magazine from Mr O"Reilly on air. Quite a performance. So while I appreciate your note, you"ll forgive me if I pass in wanting to engage this any more. What I said at the start stands: I thought Rick"s piece, considering Newt Gingrich"s language, was, as you might put it, fair and balanced.

Respectfully yours, David Remnick"

[GoodScout]

Just remember as Olbermann taught us: Keep referring to the loofa, Peabody Awards and hush money payoffs in your on-camera responses and he'll never use a second of the tape!

[Twinklestar]

Can they even show this after he'd already refused to come on the show? There's very few people I dislike, but I can in all honesty say if I ever say Bill O'Reilly in the street I wouldn't be able to help punching him in the face.

[mikemedeiros]

Thanks Bill I didn't think I could LOVE The New Yorker anymore than I already do-I was wrong. An 80 year old magazine that remains literate, educational, entertaining and fiesty.

[ConcernedAmerican]

Has Rush Limbaugh pointed out that O'Reilly seems to be the only member of the media who ever does these types of "drive-by" ambushes?

[shelobo]

Bill is looking for a STORY,since Obama won ,Fox nutz have NO stories or lies to spew on air,so if Bill can score a public fight with Hertzberg ,Bill gets some rateings,pretty desperate measures by bigoted Bill and his sidekick Newt.

[miamia]

I have a feeling most of these guys are closet gays themselves.

You never hear republicans up in arms about homosexuality in prisons.

They are in favor of imprisoning large numbers of young men for non-violent crimes and exposing them to prison rape.

Yet, they say they are against the gay agenda.

Whatever.

[Horus]

I found part of your comment odd. You say, "They are in favor of imprisoning large numbers of young men for non-violent crimes and exposing them to prison rape. Yet, they say they are against the gay agenda."

Are you saying that prison rape is equivalent to the gay agenda?

[Bullwinkie]

Masterminded by the far right. hmmm

[JohninFL]

Wow someone wants to "impose it's will and views and values", gee where have I heard this before?? I know the far right of O'Rielly and Gingrinch!!!!!!
Wow when they do it, it is just them being moral and christian, but when others do it they are radical!

[tiradintim]

Sorry to sound simple, but if both sides stopped screaming at each other for a while, they might be able to hear what they are saying. In other words, this is not a mature dialogue

[Bullwinkie]

has billO ever had a mature dialogue? I think not.

[billofatlier]

billo holding his little dog looking into his basement pit: "It puts the notion on its kin!...IT PUTS THE NOTION ON ITS KIN....NOW!

[pbh493]

OMG - that is an hilarious visual image! Thank you.

[rshrink]

This comment is pending approval and won't be displayed until it is approved.O Really continues to provide a distraction from actual problems that the Republican party has, namely wholesale incompetence due to focusing on issues which they neither know anything about and certainly do not know how to possibly view those issues. While doing that, they are ignoring the real and growing concerns Americans have about staying employed, ending the war, getting healthcare, cleaning up the environment and much much more. I don't think O Really is likely to wake up, but when will people learn to quit watching the idiot. If that happened, at least he would go away.

[rshrink]

O Really continues to provide a distraction from actual problems that the Republican party has, namely wholesale incompetence due to focusing on issues which they neither know anything about and certainly do not know how to possibly view those issues. While doing that, they are ignoring the real and growing concerns Americans have about staying employed, ending the war, getting healthcare, cleaning up the environment and much much more. I don't think O Really is likely to wake up, but when will people learn to quit watching the idiot. If that happened, at least he would go away.

[Athirson]

All anyone has to do to protect oneself from an ambush by Orally's goon squads is to use the words "loofah", "falafel", and Andrea Mackris" repeatedly. This guarantees that Orally has no usable footage, as showing it will only embarrass him.

[Seeitmyway]

Excellent! Spread the word.