BILL O'REILLY

It takes guts to appear on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News talk show, where the guests struggle to get a word in edgewise, and the only star is the one behind the anchor desk. As the pundit goes into his seventh year hosting The O'Reilly Factor, he takes a break from tormenting the powerful and pompous to give his no-spin take on his desire to sing like Jim Morrison, a confessed penchant for alienating people, and his admiration of R.F.K.

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Seeing little kids having a great time.

What is your greatest fear?

Failure.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Robert Kennedy. My mother comes from the Kennedy clan, and R.F.K. had the fire of a reformer and the determination to get things done. He was one of the few politicians who actually got angry at social injustice.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I am impatient and intractable at times.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Cowardice.

What is your favorite journey?

Tahiti, especially Bora Bora.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Conformity—it destroys the creative spirit.

On what occasion do you lie?

To protect the feelings of others in trivial matters.

Which living person do you most despise?

Osama bin Laden.

What is your greatest regret?

That my father didn't live long enough to see his son take the fight to the bad guys. He would have loved the crusading aspect of The O'Reilly Factor.

Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to sing like Jim Morrison.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My penchant for alienating people.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?

President of the United States.

What is your most treasured possession?

My family—although I don't possess them. Worldly possessions don't much interest me.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Drug addiction.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Irish temper, but it's not my fault. You can't fight genes.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Sense of humor.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Sense of humor about sex.

Who are your favorite writers?

James Lee Burke, James M. McPherson, Washington Irving, Graham Greene, James Ellroy, Mario Puzo.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Dirty Harry Callahan.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Jesus of Nazareth, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Winston Churchill, Eliot Ness, Paul Newman, and Nathan Hale.

What is your motto?

"Embrace good, confront evil.