Bill O'Reilly Is Finally Calming Down

Bill O'Reilly, moderate voice of reason? Maybe not quite, but a profile in the Los Angeles Times portrays him as mellower these days and less inclined to meltdowns or flame-throwing interviews. He's even asked conservatives to back off the personal attacks on President Obama, a man he personally likes. "Some of the conversations are still heated, but you may not see the vein explode anymore," his executive producer tells Matea Gold.

O'Reilly himself says his big ratings—3.7 million viewers and the reason he pulls down a salary "well north" of $10 million—and the knowledge that he can "destroy lives" makes him more "cautious" before he goes after someone. Not everyone thinks he's changed, of course, and it's possible he just seems mellow relative to Glenn Beck. O'Reilly's fine with that. "More power to him, man," he says. "It takes the heat off me. I tell him, 'Be as crazy as you want.'" (More Bill O'Reilly stories.)