Jamaica Estates Democrat Gary Ackerman got props for his Queens grit from conservative TV host Bill O’Reilly after the two jousted on the U.S. troop surge's effectiveness in Iraq.
"So you were wrong and you’re a savvy Middle East guy," O’Reilly said, opening Tuesday's episode of "The O'Reilly Factor."
"Well, I don’t know that I was wrong," said Ackerman, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. He argued that the post-surge decrease in violence could be attributed to several factors, and not solely the increase in troop levels.
"It could be that the Iranians aren’t providing the IEDs (improvised explosive devices). It could be the terrorists are just laying low, the insurgents are just laying low. It could be that the surge is working. It could be a combination of all or some of those things."
Beth Murtagh
The Fox News pundit then grilled Ackerman, who was against the troop surge, on whether the Congressman wanted the U.S. to win in Iraq.
"We have to win in Iraq…we have to win all over the world," Ackerman said.
O’Reilly joked that he would have gotten physical if the answer were otherwise.
"I was going to hit you with your own flower if you…" he said, referring to the twelve-term Congressman’s trademark carnation boutonniere. This exchange followed:
Ackerman: "I’m a tough guy, Bill."
O’Reilly: "I know you’re tough."
Ackerman: "I just look old."
O’Reilly: "You’re from Queens."
Ackerman is a frequent guest to the "No Spin Zone," where he’s debated the Terri Schiavo case, gays serving in the military and President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. See his appearance here.