Dear Barack: You're Not Really Thinking of Going On O'Reilly, Are You?

Your pow-wow with Bill O'Reilly after his shoving match and swearing out of one of your staffers was reported to result in you telling Bill that you would think about coming on his show after the primaries.

If this is true and you are seriously thinking of visiting the Fox News Factor, consider seriously what has gone before you.
 
-Chris Dodd appeared and was berated by Bill as a "propagandist" who he has "no respect for," and basically called Dodd a liar for pointing out that Bill said he was okay with Al Qaeda attacking San Francisco,

-John Edwards gets attacked daily by Bill for being a "crazed ideologue," and "charlatan" who's election "would be terrible for America."  

-Ron Paul, was continually interrupted and ridiculed by O'Reilly for trying to explain the reasons behind our wrong-headed approach to the Iraq invasion..

His objective is a vilification of the Left and Progressives since from day one and he brings on a brigade of cronies to back that up on every show.  Add his history of sexual harassment, blaming rape victims for their molestation, and multitudes of lies and attacks on any who disagree with him, and you'll realize that Bill O'Reilly's goal is not to illicit information.  It's to divide the nation, diminish the truth to an almost unrecognizable state and sell himself (and Factor Gear).  Why in the world would you want to play into the hands of one who would only be using you to further his partisan profitability?

Why don't you just meet him at Sylvia's?

You may want to appeal to as many people as possible, but why trade your integrity for an audience made up mostly of blind disciples of O'Reilly...and me.  Then again, I'm already voting for you...so far.

Steve Young, is author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" (www.greatfailure.com) and his "All The News That's Fit To Spoof" appears in L.A. Daily News opeds every Sunday(www.dailynews.com/columnists), right next to Bill's...really