Bill O'Reilly says he has no qualms about sharing the stage with a
comedian when he debates Jon Stewart at a charity fundraiser Saturday
in Washington, D.C.
"I lot of people think I am a
comedian," O'Reilly says. "I don't worry about perceptions. ... Either
you like me or you don't. Either you get what I do or you don't."
The
90-minute debate, "The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium" at
George Washington University, matches the stars of Fox News and Comedy
Central. They have been guests on each other's shows several times.
(For $4.95, you can watch it streamed live or download it later at therumble2012.com.)
O'Reilly
says there's no doubt whom the "left-wing media" will declare the
winner, "no matter what happens. Jon Stewart doesn't even have to show
up."
"I know that," he says. "What I'm going in for is a few
laughs. I"m going to have my facts. I always do. I'm going to confound
Stewart with the facts. He'll confound me with his 16 writers."
Stewart,
who often mocks Fox News on his "faux news" show, responds: "Oh, my
God, it's only been one sentence and he's already got his facts wrong."
O'Reilly
says he's not concerned about blurring lines between entertainment and
journalism: "I don't worry about blurring anything. I'm a commentator.
That's what I am. Commentators can comment in a variety of forums. Do I
worry that Barack Obama is not the president because he goes on The View? No."
USA Today