ARTICLE: “Winfrey grills ‘Pieces’ author, apologizes for backing book,” by Carol Memmott, USA Today, 27 January 2006, p. 1E.

ARTICLE: “Life on ‘Oprah,’ a Memoirist Is Kicked Out of the Book Club,” by Edward Wyatt, New York Times, 27 January 2006, p. A1.

EDITORIAL: “On Oprah’s Couch,” Wall Street Journal, 27 January 2006, p. A8.

ARTICLE: “Ms. Winfrey Takes a Guest To the Televised Woodshed: A hard-edged tale of expiation and absolution unfolds for a national audience,” by Virginia Heffernan, New York Times, 27 January 2006, p. A13.

Oprah nails it, which is why she continues to wield the power she does. She initially zigged when she should have zagged, but then she thought better and ended this charade before it went on too long, costing only her and making her misery James Frey’s increasingly obscene gain.

So Oprah takes that lying weasel out to the woodshed, dragging his illustrious publisher out with him.

Great TV. Good politics on Oprah’s part (striking more fear in the hearts of Republicans everywhere who fear she might someday run).

OMYGOD! What if Oprah ran as Hillary’s VP? Scary. Just plain scary. But eventually I really believe some bold scenario like that will unfold with Winfrey. I mean, how will she keep her interest up doing the same old, same old for another 20 to 30 years?

I’m not kidding. When the WSJ editorial board says Oprah “did what we have so often waited for public figures to do,” that’s a powerful precedent for someone of her immense stature.

Me, I would be afraid have a book picked by Oprah. To me, it’s like winning the lottery—just too much. You’d never know how much you really deserved it and how much of it was just her quirky tastes. Let poor Mr. Frey’s fate be a lesson, I say: be careful what you wish for and earn it on your own.