Fox News host Bill O'Reilly used his May 19 interview with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld as an opportunity to attack David Letterman, host of CBS' Late Show. O'Reilly offered Letterman as a representative of “the left in this country” that “is so anti-Iraq war” and asked Rumsfeld, “Why does a guy like David Letterman think this whole Iraq thing is some kind of corrupt, ridiculous adventure?” and "[H]ave you ever analyzed why he thinks that way?"
O'REILLY: Why do you think the left in this country is so anti-Iraq war? Why? Is it just the hatred of the president? Or is -- do they see another pathway to fighting Al Qaeda?
RUMSFELD: This is not new. There has always been controversy.
O'REILLY: But why?
RUMSFELD: Wars are unpopular.
O'REILLY: Why?
RUMSFELD: They're bloody, horrible things. They're terrible things.
O'REILLY: But, these are Americans, too. I mean, David Letterman's an American.
RUMSFELD: Sure.
O'REILLY: OK? And he -- I go on to his program. And he goes, “What are we doing in Iraq anyway?”
RUMSFELD: Sure.
O'REILLY: OK? So why, in your opinion -- you're a smart guy. You see this stuff every day. You get a clip file. Why does a guy like David Letterman think this whole Iraq thing is some kind of corrupt, ridiculous adventure?
RUMSFELD: Yeah. Well, it isn't. And it is serious business. And the --
O'REILLY: But have you ever analyzed why he thinks that way?
RUMSFELD: Well, no. I don't know him as you do. But the fact of the matter is, we've got 300 million people in our country almost. And there has never been a war where there hasn't been controversy, where there haven't been a lot of people against it and a lot of people for it. It's -- there's nothing new about this. The shrillness of it is always unfortunate because it doesn't elevate the national dialogue on what is enormously important.
