quote:

In a rare attack on a fellow conservative, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly tonight criticized Rep. Michele Bachmann for "playing small ball" in her recent attack on the perks President Barack Obama enjoys in the White House.

At last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, Bachmann had criticized Obama for using taxpayer money to fund "a lifestyle of excess" — including "five chefs on Air Force One...two projectionists who operate the White House movie theater...and someone to walk the president's dog." When asked about those criticisms by CNN's Dana Bash — who pointed out that Obama did not have a dog-walker — Bachmann dodged the questions and spoke instead about the attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

O'Reilly said Obama was "entitled to protection, convenience and comfort" and that Bachmann was engaged in "a trivial pursuit."....

"Now, this would be much ado about nothing, if not for the fact that trivial attacks on President Obama are obscuring serious problems in this country," O'Reilly continued. "Does the president live well in the White House? Yes, he does. Is there money wasted there? You bet there is. But every other president in history has lived in comfort, and it looks like President Bush the younger had a bigger White House budget than Barack Obama does."

"This is a trivial pursuit, and Michele Bachmann made a mistake pursuing it," O'Reilly said....

In conclusion, O'Reilly said that "Michele Bachmann is playing small ball with the president, can't back up her criticism, and actually trivializes a huge problem: irresponsible spending by the federal government. Two words: Not good."