Even if you think that Bill O’Reilly has only the best intentions in using the death of Kathryn Steinle to mount attacks on immigration, sanctuary cities and San Francisco, O’Reilly has crossed a line in using his show to promote his own “Kate’s law.” Even worse, O’Reilly is now enlisting her parents, even promising to pay their way to testify before Congress on its behalf.

O’Reilly announced before his interview with the parents this week that Kathryn’s parents have set up a fund “that will help causes close to Kate’s heart.” And while O’Reilly did give out information for that fund, his real interest was promoting his own cause, the law that cracks down on criminal immigrants in her name. 

O’Reilly never asked what the Kate Steinle’s Legacy & Family Fund is designed to support (according to the site, the funds are for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and  PAWS: Performing Animal Welfare Society) or what those organizations do or why Steinle cared about them. Instead, he spent almost the entire second part of his interview with the Steinles promoting his own cause.

In the introduction to Part 2, O’Reilly promoted a petition to support his “Kate’s Law” for delivery to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

When the Steinles returned, they revealed that that they support O’Reilly’s law, though Jim Steinle, Kate’s father, said, “We’re an apolitical family” and “We keep up with politics because we’re citizens of the United States.” So I get the feeling that they didn’t quite realize the depth of Fox News’ manipulative opportunism. I certainly can’t blame them, in their time of grief, for not seeing underneath Fox’s showy sympathy. Even if Kate’s brother has slammed Donald Trump for sensationalizing her death and said his platform “isn’t exactly what our family believes in.” 

Apparently, the family is unaware that Fox not only supports Trump’s platform but has promoted it.

“We’re just a little tired of the finger pointing and just want to see some action and if Kate’s law saves one person than it’s all for good,” Jim Steinle said. Again, I have no problem with his opinion.

But O’Reilly is a different story. “And that’s very well said, Mr. Steinle,” he said. “Miss Sullivan (Kate’s mother), that’s exactly what I was trying to do. If it saves one American, one American family that does not have to go through, Miss Sullivan, what you are going through right now, then Kate’s law is worth it.”

It’s funny, though, how nobody on Fox ever stumps for gun control which, I suspect, could save a lot more lives.

But even worse, O’Reilly wants to meddle in the legislative process.

O’REILLY: I think what we’d like to do is bring you both to Washington to talk to the Congressmen and the Senators who are putting the law together. They go on vacation in August. I think when they come back, we’ll get you both to Washington to talk to them face to face, maybe to testify in front of some committees there and so you can have input and then we’ll report every step of the way. Because I think you’re absolutely right… you should have input into it. So we’re gonna make that happen for you. It’ll be at our expense and we’ll fly you into Washington and we’ll set up the meetings for you. …I’ll go so far as to say I’d like to get the president of the United States to talk to you as well. We’ll work on all of that.

The Steinles were thrilled. And, really, why should they or would they care about Fox News ethics, especially at this time?

“We’re doing it for (Kate), we’re doing it for you, we’re doing it for all Americans,” O’Reilly said.

Whether he is or he isn’t, does this not go beyond what even an “opinion” anchor should do?

Watch it below, from the July 13 The O’Reilly Factor and let me know what you think.