Letterman Tells O'Reilly: "I Think Of You As A Goon" (VIDEO)

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David Letterman, who infamously told Bill O'Reilly in 2006 that "about 60 percent of what you say is crap," had his old bête noire back on his show on Tuesday night.

At the start of the show, Letterman couldn't help lashing into the Fox News host, saying "I wish I was smart enough to make him look ridiculous... He's going to come out here all puffed up."

From practically the moment O'Reilly sat down, the sparks flew along with some surprising topics upon which they agreed.

"I think of you as a goon," Letterman point-blank told O'Reilly. Then, holding up the cover of O'Reilly's book, "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity," which has a photo of O'Reilly as a boy, Letterman quipped, "I look at that and I see this sweet, adorable kid... I have a sweet adorable kid and I wonder, 'What if he too becomes a goon?'"

And Letterman launched into O'Reilly positions, such as his boycott of Sean Penn movies, giving him the ultimate back-handed compliment: "You're too smart to believe what you say."

When Letterman focused on Rush Limbaugh, implying that he's the face of the Republican party, O'Reilly alluded to the radio host's power, saying that "I don't think any Republicans or conservatives want to offend the man." And he strove to distinguish himself from Limbaugh and fellow Fox News personality Glenn Beck, claiming he's different from them because he's a journalist: "I got a degree, I paid a lot of money for... I went out, covered stories... those guys are basically entertainers... we give information"

O'Reilly also revealed that former Vice President Dick Cheney refused to come on his program, adding that he doesn't like Cheney: "We asked him a million times... he wouldn't come on."

And he laughed about the famous video of him cursing out his staff - "I have so much better stuff than that... Irish guys curse. That's in the DNA... We're loud and say bad words."

Comments

[Daniboy]

Who comes across as more intelligent-Bill or Dave? Bill picks up a few more viewers when he does a program like this-gee he isn't as radical as people say. He does do hard interviews-which some people would call good journalism. Has Oberman ever interviewed anyone with an opposing view?

[urnumbersix]

Hard interviews? What?
Inviting people on and then yelling at them to "shut up!" -?-
C'mon!

[kingbtd]

Letterman a skewed criticism? I've lived in Germany and China for a total of 12 years and I can tell you that your and Bill's 'radicalized view of individual dogmas' are as close to fundamentalist Islam as you can get. Ann Rynd is not a Godsend and even quantum physics is principled on non-finite reality - it's a paradox but it is not one that is simply destroyed and the last man standing makes 7 million dollars a year.. you live in a non reality - as defined by either your fundamentalist Christian beliefs (hedging your bets on the next life) or the paradox of the modern science you chose to criticize.­.. its time to grow up. And to no longer worship hypocritical demagogues who pray your ignorance.

[hughbetcha]

How does living in China and Germany give you any insight into radical Islam? I have lived in Egypt and worked in Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Libya, Tunisia and Syria and I can tell you that Bill O'Reilly has zero in common with Islamic fundamentalists. Your accusation is backed up with no actual facts just a lot of nonsense strung together in an amalgam of incoherence. And for God's sake, its Ayn Rand not Ann Rynd. Duh.

[andyg]

Simply answer no, Racheal has Pat on, but he a joke.

[thecommonraven]

I don't care if you got a journalism degree or not. If you start your career on "The Insider" you are not a journalist.

[ROFLMAO]

I read his comment as saying that he paid a lot of money for his degree... which is a strange thing to say unless he meant that he bribed some college official.

[hughbetcha]

Or uh maybe he meant he paid tuition which led to a degree. How about that?

[biskitdaddy]

Isn't that something like the National Enquirer?

[shamcork]

what if you start your career on Sportscenter?

[hughbetcha]

Here! Here!

[Yarrr]

Hah! I've noticed that O'Reilly always seems stiff and agitated when he's on other shows.

[amanaceo]

true, but i also think that he acts cool on his show, i.e., stiff on the inside, but putting up a show especially when he smiles at the mail he gets, crooked.

[johnqsittinzen]

Because he can't command anyone to "cut his mic, cut his mic" when confronted with things he doesn't want to hear, like, you know, reason, truth, etc...

[boatsfra]

No...that'­s all the time...sti­ff and agitated..­.that's why he is Billo the clown!

[democracydiva]

I stopped watching late night shows long ago. A life filled with entertainment is rather bleak; a life filled with fun is different. There's so many things to do in life. Anyway, I might check out Letterman because he seems to have some substance. Kudos to him.

[10towin]

put up our comments

[Travis Holder]

Whats a goon to a gobbler? LOL

[Ty90]

Bill O'Reilly is actually sort of likable when he's not screaming
and he's civilly having an argument or a debate.

[ClaraKCMO]

By virtue of his pretzel logic, Palin got a degree in communications and she was one of the worst 'communicators' I've ever seen. Having a journalism degree doesn't erase the Access Hollywood years. Many people make it through school (W, I'm looking at you); but that isn't evidence that you personally did the work and gained the knowledge. So, whatever.

PS. Don't go denigrating all Irishmen by your bad behavior.

[kepary]

letterman only shows his ignorance when talking about politics..­. he has NO clue...

[JDHART]

DOES!

[rabiddog6708]

And you show it when you post your "thoughts.­"

[editorjuno]

That make two of them -- but at least Letterman has the personal integrity to admit it!

[LeBelAge]

According to whom? Obama practically owes Letterman his victory. Thanks Dave!

[Petey131]

Letterman has more of a clue than Palin, Hannity, Rush, Joe the plumber, etc

[PatA]

Am I the only one who noticed how stiffly O'Reilly sat in his chair? Never, ever relaxed as most of guests do.......T­hat is how you sit when you were called in to the principal's office.

[Bettysdad]

I was truly annoyed that Dave didn't treat Billo like a goon, instead of just calling him one.

[ENOS]

eh.. what's the point in fighting fire with fire?

[power1]

Is Letterman still on TV? I thought his show went off the air a few years ago.

[DBtv]

Poorly done. Super fail.

[Ty90]

Not even CLOSE. Ha ha. Wow...you'­re out of it.

[DawnLA]

Have you been in a coma for a few years? Or at least through the whole 2008 Presidential campaign, McCain not showing up thing.

[editorjuno]

Ask Senator McCain.

[Texdude]

yep,he's only made tens of millions in the last "few years". and you?

[sdbsingle1]

Why does Bill O'Reilly not get tired of being ripped apart by Letterman?

[drumz]

Not surprising since you think bu$h was great.

[mongoose63124]

its like a kid hitting you, kind of funny....p­lus it sells books when he comes on

[amanaceo]

ya it is a shame that he is able to sell books writing lies

[cim wright]

Talking about kids, I believe you should be in school right now. Stay in school kid and one day you might attend high school.

[Petey131]

Billo is in to pain

[commentator101]

I surfed past this last night. I like Dave and reallyl dislike O'Reilly, so I'm glad to hear how it went. I just can't watch O'Reilly for more than about 5 seconds at a time.

[biskitdaddy]

That's about as long as I can stand listening to Hannity's rantings and ravings on his radio show. As soon as someone calls in and says "Sean, you're a great American" I have to hold my head out the window just in case I have to vomit.

[Bobzmcishl]

O'Reilly is a modern day version of Joe McCarthy and Father Coughlin. He is a pompous bully aka a "goon", just like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck.

[jayy44]

think most of the commentors on the HP may be a bit biased. youre used to seeing the special treatment the dems get and how the republicans are attacked by the media (Fox not included). Your values are skewed to think that is normal.

its kind of like when your sports team is on nationally and you dont get the homer treatment from the analysts you are accustumed to getting. You immediatly think they are against you (trust me im a philly fan). but really its just a lack of bias that angers you
you guys watch sports, right?

thats what you get with Bill. a lack of bias. and when i say he does not have an agenda, i meant political agenda, he is just trying to do whats "right".

[LittlePurpleUSA]

Your last sentence literally had me ROFLMAO.

[fredisfred]

O'Reilly has a conservative agenda (although he denies being a conservative), and he was a shill for the Bush Administration. He also tries to get revenge on people who attack him, like sending two stalkers after Terkel because she attacked him (and not the rape victim, as O'Reilly would have you believe). He doesn't try to do what's right, everything he does is in his self interest.

These are just a few of the reasons most people don't like him very much. It has nothing to do with bias, but with O'Reilly's lack of integrity, not to mention his enormous ego.

[DBtv]

Surely you cannot be that willfully ignorant.

[ClaraKCMO]

I am simply going to have to ask you to put the Kool Aid down. Step away from the table. And go outside and play.

[Techboy308]

What you said...