Len Deighton novel -- which it ain't -- and second, he needed a juicy target for his annual ritual, the "War on Christmas" and its associated nonsense. So he went out and found Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, a moderate Republican, to be his patsy.

BillO has been running stories about the Rhode Island holiday tree story, in case you've had the good fortune to miss it.

A beaming Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee calmly weathered a cross-country Christmas controversy yesterday, standing by his PC pronouncement that the 17-foot spruce in the State House rotunda is a “holiday tree” as outraged residents cried foul. Taking the Christmas out of the tree is in the Rhode Island spirit, Chafee said, invoking the 1663 Colonial charter and the legacy of state father Roger Williams. “I’m just continuing what other governors have done,” Chafee told the Herald after dedicating a separate tree to soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I just want to make sure I’m doing everything possible in this building to honor Roger Williams.”

O'Reilly has been pining to get the governor on and he finally agreed to join him on The Factor. The first part of the video is Bill's talking points segment, which features Bill rambling on about secular progressives and atheists and so on. Then on comes Chafee, giving BillO the launching pad to ratchet up his patented "War on Christmas" hysterics on the governor.

Chafee made the case that it's a publicly funded building where the tree is located and he feels that these times-are-a-changin'. That's not music to Bill's ears -- after all, we know he sees his white dominant America slipping away -- and he kept pounding away. Chafee used as an analogy about how forcing students to say Christian prayers in public schools was the same thing, since not all the students were Christians -- but Bill wasn't buying it.

Chafee: Of course you can't ask non-Christians to say a Christian prayer in public school so these controversies, you generate them here, but they really shouldn't be controversies. It's a public building paid for by everybody...

O'Reilly: I think you're conflating two different issues.

Chafee: No, not at all.

O'Reilly explained that the Lord's Prayer was a religious act, but claimed that a Christmas tree is a secular symbol. Huh?

Governor, the Lord's Prayer is obviously a religious expression, a Christmas tree is secular.

OK, let's ask my Jewish friends about Christmas trees.

Near the end of the interview the Governor was getting tired of the attacks and pompousness and he loudly proclaimed for this holiday season that O'Reilly and Fox News are just plain angry all the time.

O'Reilly: You're making people unhappy. Everybody's unhappy with you.

Chafee: Merry Christmas

Governor, you know I'm right in your heart you know I'm right.

Chafee: No, your show -- Fox News, you guys are too angry. This is an angry network.

O'Reilly: I'm not angry, Governor. Look, I'm a happy guy.

Chafee: Listen to yourself, you're yelling.

O'Reilly: I want our traditions to be respected, that's all.

Chafee: Well, Merry Christmas.

Snap! BillO got played. Listen to yourself, O'Reilly. Way to go, Gov. Chafee. You didn't buy into his idiotic argument and you made him appear small, petty and angry all at the same time. Bravo.