This morning, O'Reilly has been on Regis, and then on his own radio show admitting that "this is the worst day of my life".
He continues to not rebut the charges against him, but rather frame the entire thing as an extortion attempt. Even the pre-emptive suit he filed does not rebut the charges, but rather claims the money being asked by the accuser is just too much money for the "crimes" committed. For example, from his claim:
Morelli [the accuser's attorney] also knows that there is no possible justification for seeking a $60 million settlement of his client's claims even if the alleged few conversations occurred. For example, the Morelli Firm's website boasts of major victories in employment discrimination and harassment cases none higher, though, than “$3.75 million for a woman forced to have sexual relations with her boss”, which plainly involved conduct far more egregious than that alleged by Mackris.
In the meantime, O'Reilly felt it appropriate on his radio show this morning to frame the Presidential Debate as one between "Traditionalists who want America to stay as it is and Progressives who want a new country." He sided, as he has for some time, with the Traditionalists in his strawman debate point.
If you, like O'Reilly, are a "Traditionalist" then I'm wondering how I might also join the club! Here's another nice section from accuser Andrea Mackris' claim against O'Reilly:
During the course of the dinner, in approximately May 2003, Defendant BILL O'REILLY, without solicitation or invite, regaled Plaintiff and her friend with stories concerning the loss of his virginity to a girl in a car at JFK, two "really wild" Scandinavian airline stewardesses he had gotten together with, and a "girl" at a sex show in Thailand who had shown him things in the backroom that "blew [his] mind." Defendant then stated he was going to Italy to meet the Pope, that his pregnant wife was staying at home with his daughter, and implied he was looking forward to some extra-marital dalliances with the "hot" Italian women. Both Plaintiff and her friend were repulsed, but felt powerless to protest strongly since Defendant was Plaintiff's boss and a powerful man at FOX. Defendant finally stopped after noting: "MACKRIS can't handle it."
Wow! That's some "Traditionalism" I could get down with!
BRAD BLOG's previous "O'Reilly Sex Harassment" coverage:
· "Bad Vibrations for Bill O'Reilly"
· "Big Trouble for Fox & O'Reilly"