The O'Reilly Loufa Factor

I'm not happy that the suit against O'Reilly for sexual harassment has ended with a big pay-off (anywhere from $2-10 million) and no admission of wrong-doing. Ms. Mackris, of course, is under no obligation to be a role model.

But if this is truly O'Reilly, he really has no reason to change based on this settlement. Yeah, sure, go ahead and argue that having to pay out all that money will change him. But it won't. If he indeed brings in about $60 million a year, $2-10 million out of a peak year (as a Bush election year would be), is chump change. He isn't going to modify his behavior but Faux or someone will be very careful who they place around him and probably employ various tactics to be sure that when he pulls this nonsense again, she won't be in a position to embarrass or sue him.

So I hope Ms. Mackris spends her new-found fortune wisely and, should she have a daughter who one day experiences what Mackris says she did, that Mackris explains you're just supposed to take the abuse unless you can sue someone rich and important. I don't envy Ms. Mackris one bit. She's history in the workplace and her one claim to fame unfortunately is this.

I don't think I - and my debts rival hers right now - could have made such a decision. That doesn't make me a better person. It just means that I have high standards for myself and don't like situations where I have to go against societal interests to better my own welfare. That self preservation instinct doesn't seem to work so well for me (hence, my blog, my decision to vote against Bush, etc).