New Yorker author Hendrick Hertzberg's made a powerful enemy: Bill O'Reilly! O'Reilly selected Hertzberg for the honor of an ambush by that smug "producer" who ambushes people mostly because Hertzberg wrote something mildly critical of O'Reilly that was easy to take out of context and also in terms of imaginary powerful "liberal elitists" to battle, you can't do better than a political writer for The New Yorker. The sadly anti-climactic video of the ambush, attached.


So Hertzberg wrote about how Bill O'Reilly's interview with Newt Gingrich went completely nuts when Gingrich began babbling about "gay and secular fascism in this country" that "is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion." Hertzberg called this "bigotry," though really "mendacious scary-sounded nonsense" is maybe more accurate. Then it was time for a visit from the ambush guy, little smug-face! He seems to know he doesn't have much ammunition beyond the accusation that calling someone a bigot is bigotry, or something, and Hertzberg just seems befuddled and annoyed, and then O'Reilly says, "and that's all you need to know about The New Yorker," which is maybe true.

Anyway! Remnick dignified O'Reilly with a statement, and Hertzberg says he was never actually invited on the Factor, despite O'Reilly's customary "we invited him on to explain himself" bullshit.