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Off the Wall: Race
and Michael Jackson
...now that he's dead (very possibly from an accidental drug overdose), Michael Jackson has become a hero. How does that happen? What kind of media con is this?

Like Elvis Presley before him, the demise of Michael Jackson has engaged the entire world. The parallels are spooky. Both Presley and Jackson lived isolated, somewhat bizarre lives, eventually destroying themselves with drugs administered by doctors on their payrolls. A proven fact in Presley's case—strong evidence in Jackson's death.

But while Elvis was mourned primarily as a great entertainer, Michael Jackson is being sold by his supporters as much more. In fact, if you listen to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, the troubled singer was the second coming of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At Jackson's memorial service earlier this week, Sharpton put forth that Michael brought blacks and whites together, teaching us all how to love.

Continue reading the full column...

Image credit: Getty Images

Here are some of the highlights you can look forward to on upcoming installments* of The O'Reilly Factor:

• Laura Ingraham fills in for Bill on Friday, July 10--she'll be talking with Sally Quinn of the Washington Post about a nasty anti-Palin column she wrote...
• Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court confirmation hearings begin next Monday--we'll have the latest with Fox News chief judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano...
• What did the folks think of Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation speech? Dr. Frank Luntz did some tests, and will share his results...

* Lineups and schedules are always subject to change based on breaking news.

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Will Obama spend us into bankruptcy?
Monday, July 6: "The polls are saying that when the folks have problems with the Obama administration," said Juan Williams, "it's about spending and the size of the deficit and the burdens on future generations." The Factor warned, "If they try another giant stimulus package, I think the Obama administration is going to hurt itself dramatically."
The Factor Flash is a summary of the most recent installment of The O'Reilly Factor. The Factor Flash archive is available to all visitors.