Clinton and O'Reilly target Jeremiah Wright

BY CRAIG GORDON | craig.gordon@newsday.com

May 1, 2008

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton and conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly don't agree on much.

But last night they both threw a little red meat to their target audiences - as Clinton took to O'Reilly's show to denounce comments by Barack Obama's former pastor in hopes of keeping that controversy alive.

"I take offense at it. I think it's offensive and outrageous," Clinton said of remarks by the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., who has said the U.S. government brought 9/11 on itself and suggested it created the AIDS virus to kill minorities.

"I sure don't believe the United States government was behind AIDS," Clinton said. "I happen to think that it is just totally off base. It's so far out, it's hard to even understand and take seriously."

Clinton's appearance was her first visit to "The O'Reilly Factor," and she agreed just this week to go head-to-head with the liberal-baiting host on his top-rated Fox News Channel show.

Not a bad time for Clinton to end her years-long standoffishness with the O'Reilly program - sort of the television equivalent of her shot-and-a-beer moment in Indiana, where the primary is just days away.

And not a bad place to reach out to some of those all-important blue-collar voters, so-called Reagan Democrats and independents she needs to win - some of whom undoubtedly are O'Reilly fans.

The blunt-spoken O'Reilly, who reminded viewers he grew up in Levittown, L.I., left no doubt where he stands on Wright, saying he actually felt sorry for Obama that "some loony guy" was derailing his campaign.

Clinton at first was coy on Wright but, after being prompted three times by O'Reilly, lit into the fiery Chicago minister with some of her harshest language yet.

She noted Obama on Tuesday had "finally" tried to put some distance between himself and his pastor of 20 years - though polls suggest the controversy is eroding Obama's standing in the eyes of some voters.

"Well, I think he made his views clear, finally, that he disagreed. And I think that's what he had to do," she said.

Clinton took some hits for appearing on Fox from liberal bloggers - and the pro-Obama moveon.org said the interview "does nothing more than legitimize a network that will then use that credibility to smear Democrats and progressive ideas in 2008." Obama himself ended a two-year standoff with Fox by appearing on "Fox News Sunday" this week.

For the most part, Clinton took the jibes O'Reilly dished out, like when he accused her of pushing a "socialist" tax plan and planning to bankrupt the country with Hillary-care.

"You're a more polarizing personality. You're like I am, and I hate to say that, with all due respect, and Obama is such a nice guy," O'Reilly said. Clinton didn't flinch. "That's the way our system is. They take shots at me. You've got to be tough," she said.