Shameless self-promotion

I recently sat down with Fox Valley writers Joseph Minton Amann and Tom Breuer to discuss their new, very funny book "Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly." As an avid, ironic fan of Bill's, I was destined to really love the book. But even if you genuinely like Bill, you might find the book funny.

Joseph Minton Amann has a dream.

He wants Bill O’Reilly to punch him in the face. On his highly rated cable news show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” if possible.

Amann could get his wish if the excitable pundit ever picks up a copy of “Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly,” a hilarious new book the Appleton man wrote with Tom Breuer of Neenah.

Spinning off a Web site started by Amann two years ago, “Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly” is positioned by the authors as an intervention for the radio and TV talk show host, a man they believe is dumb, a liar and more than a little crazy.

Amann’s dream suddenly doesn’t seem so farfetched.

The authors find plenty of support in O’Reilly’s own words. Amann watched and documented “The O’Reilly Factor” nightly for two years, and Breuer read all five of O’Reilly’s books (most of them, anyway), a hardship that left him “a little angry and ready to come out swinging,” he writes.

The point of the book, the left-leaning writers insist, is not to rip O’Reilly for being conservative, but for putting a disingenuous “no spin” stamp on his opinions. They also like poking fun at his ego, poor writing skills and splotchy skin, to name just a few targets.

A Q&A follows here.