O'Reilly to Oprah: Obama Criticism Based on Policy, Not Race

While Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly thinks Oprah Winfrey is a "good person," he thinks she has a "blind spot when it comes to politics."

Winfrey recently told a BBC reporter that much of the criticism leveled at President Barack Obama is because of his race. O'Reilly disputed that, calling Winfrey's words "irresponsible" Monday on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor."

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Winfrey and others use a "racial prism when analyzing public policy," O'Reilly said, arguing that former President George W. Bush was criticized much more viciously than Obama has been.

"So, is there any anti-WASP sentiment in America?" O'Reilly said. "I'd like to put that question to Oprah Winfrey, but she has declined to appear on this program."

O'Reilly acknowledged that some people dislike Obama because of his race, but said "the number is insignificant."

"The lunatic fringe will hate no matter what, but legitimate criticism of Barack Obama is not race-centric," O'Reilly said. "It is based on policy."

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