Ok, maybe, just maybe, O'Reilly has a point this time

I'm desperately trying to remain open-minded about the upcoming election. In this glorious quest I keep track of several different major and minor network and cable shows, pundits and print jockeys including Hardball, Countdown, the O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, George Will, Michelle Malkin, John Carpenter, Steve Hammer, and of course, John Stewart and Steven Colbert, and try to hit both sides of the political spectrum. This even includes Michael Moore and Ann Coulter. (Synopsis and summary: He's funnier; she's better looking.)

Bill O'Reilly constantly rants against the corrupt mainstream media, its accused liberal bias, and the not-so-covert cheering for Barrack Obama and while I don't normally agree with Mr. Opportunism, I also follow the words of the Godfather and try to "keep your friends close but your enemies closer".

On Sunday night, I watched 60 Minutes on CBS since I had heard that both Clinton and Obama would be interviewed. As the race on the Democratic side is a dead heat, I hoped to see them both in a level, if not a tough-questioning, environ. Can't hurt to hope.

Steve Kroft led off with Obama. It wasn't anything new but did have some policy questions and at least one decent query as to the fundamental difference between the boyish Barack and the battle-hardened Hillary. There was a fluffy question about down time to which Barack added to March Madness by saying that he played pick-up roundball every day to release the tension and keep in shape. The question was short and upbeat and so too, the answer. Not a bad interview. Obama handled himself well and Kroft looked professional if not Mike Wallace-like.

Next Katie Couric sat with Hillary Clinton. The tone of the interview was immediately and whinily different. Katie asked if Hillary had any doubts that she would win the nomination. Hillary replied that she was sure of victory. Katie re-asked the same question throwing in something about the slightest of doubt. Hillary again replied in the positive of her campaign. Katie thirdly asked if Hillary had even a little bit of doubt in her deepest thoughts. At this point I'd had it and screamed "Dammit Katie, asked and answered already! Geez, get on with it!" Katie then turned to hard hitting questions such as since the campaign is so long and tiring, how do you possibly do it (at your age)? Apparently Katie was hoping Hillary would agree that it was tough to be a candidate who was also a woman and start crying. Instead the conversation focused on diet drinks and water that keep Hillary hydrated and going all day and then Katie asked the burning question of whether Bill would be helping with any decisions at all during her presidency, as if the former President, with all his good-and-bad experience, would ever be asked to do anything more in-depth than choosing the pattern for the White House china...or thinking up duties for interns. I'm sure there must have been some good questions asked sometime during the interview but I at this point, I wouldn't have noticed if both women had been naked.

On commercial, I suddenly remembered Bill O'Reilly and his assertion that the major networks were all really pulling for Obama. This was just one small example, CBS, and one show, 60 Minutes, but in this segment it seemed like the cards were indeed stacked in favor of the Senator from Illinois. Dang, I hate it when O'Reilly's credible. It's like finding out that 2 + 2 is occasionally 5.