O’Reilly blasted for ghoulish comments

When John McCain announced he had a brain tumor last year, condolences and support came alongside the whispered speculations: How would the death of the Republican senator from Arizona change the political calculus in Washington?

The cycle repeated itself on Saturday. The Supreme Court announced Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 85, had two malignant nodules removed from her left lung – prompting conservative bomb-thrower Bill O’Reilly to offer what some have called a crass analysis.

‘‘Justice Ginsburg is very ill. Another Justice appointment inevitable and soon,’’ O’Reilly wrote on Twitter. ‘‘Bad news for the left.’’

McCain’s daughter Meghan McCain took notice, and it appeared her father was on her mind in a stinging rebuke for the disgraced former Fox News host.

‘‘There’s really nothing more gross and ghoulish than people in the media pontificating on a public persons health and the hypothetical political ramifications of their death,’’ McCain, an ABC News contributor and co-host of The View, wrote in a tweet quoting O’Reilly’s original remarks. ‘‘Join me in praying for RBG to have a speedy and healthy recovery – we are Christians, aren’t we Bill?’’

Meghan McCain and O’Reilly could not be reached for comment.

Ginsburg does not appear to be in any grave condition despite O’Reilly’s assertion. She is ‘‘resting comfortably’’ and will remain in the hospital for several days, court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said in a statement. The nodules were discovered in exams after she fell and broke three ribs in November.

O’Reilly lorded over a popular Fox News program for two decades. While his commentary brought huge numbers of viewers, he brought chaos behind the scenes for most of that period.

Fox News and O’Reilly settled five sexual harassment accusations against him over a 15-year period. – Washington Post