By John Koblin

January 5, 2008 | 10:51 a.m.

PENACOOK, N.H.—A little after 10 this morning, Hillary Clinton hosted a rally at a high school gym here. She had an unexpected guest.

The first question in a Q. and A. session was from a young girl with red hair. Bill O'Reilly, she said, had asked her how quickly troops could leave Iraq, and wouldn't the Senator have a better answer for him than she?And standing a few feet behind the girl was Mr. O'Reilly himself.

"Bill O'Reilly!" Clinton trilled in a voice not unlike a public-address announcement, once she spotted him standing there in his black Fox News fleece.

Mrs. Clinton explained that she could start taking troops out of Iraq after 60 days.

After her response, Mr. O'Reilly left the gym with four large men. But when we caught up with him to ask him what had just happened, he said only: "New York Observer? Won't talk to you."

He turned a corner with his entourage, but was told by a police officer he'd have to exit at the other side of the gym.