The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo & Top Story
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President Obama and yesterday's election
"The Obama administration has pretty much been silent about Tuesday's vote, perhaps because there is little good news for the Democratic machine. The anti-Obama forces are saying the election was a huge defeat for the President, but that may be overstating things. In Pennsylvania, Joe Sestak beat Arlen Specter big time, but Sestak is even more liberal, so the Obama administration doesn't suffer there. It is in Kentucky where the Obama administration suffered its biggest defeat, but the Republican Party lost as well. Dr. Rand Paul, son of Congressman Ron Paul, won in a landslide. Dr. Paul was backed by the tea party and he's a shoo-in to win Senator Jim Bunning's seat. The importance of yesterday's vote is that President Obama is no longer a force in electoral politics, and if a sitting president does not have any power to sway voters, that's big. It's clear that Americans are angry and want big change in Washington. It's also clear that Republicans have a big opportunity in November if they can put forth solutions to complicated problems. As for Democrats, right now it's midnight at the oasis."
The Factor welcomed Dr. Rand Paul, who won Kentucky's Republican primary. "My biggest asset," Paul said, "is never having run and never having held office. This is the year of the outsider." Paul laid out some of his positions, beginning with Iran: "Iran having nuclear weapons is a threat to the stability of the Middle East, and I think we should do everything possible to keep them from having nuclear weapons. We shouldn't take military action off the table." On abortion: "I would vote for the human life amendment and I would take all approaches to try to prohibit abortion." On financial bailouts and spending: "I was opposed to the bailouts because the same people who told us there would be a financial disaster are the very same people who didn't see it coming. The Federal Reserve created a housing boom by keeping interest rates below the market rate and it didn't take a genius to know there was going to be a correction. The only way we'll get a balanced budget is by a constitutional amendment or a law."
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Reaction to Blumenthal's inflated military record
Connecticut Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal is trying to salvage his political viability after falsely claiming he served in Vietnam. Former Senator Fred Thompson denounced Blumenthal as a poseur. "The most serious problem in this country," Thompson said, "is people's distrust for government and the people who represent them. Then somebody like this comes along and undermines that even more. Blumenthal says he 'misspoke,' but that's a weasel word." Thompson also analyzed Tuesday's election results. "People wanted Obama to succeed, but a lot has happened in the last year-and-a-half, culminating in the streets of Athens. People are seeing all these things and they're scared." The Factor posited that electing outsiders may not be the best response: "If someone has never been in office, you should learn what they really believe. President Obama didn't have much of a voting record and a lot of people were fooled into thinking he was a moderate liberal. But he's not, he's a left-liberal."
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Calderon meets with Obama at the White House
With Mexican President Felipe Calderon at the White House Wednesday, President Obama expressed his disapproval of Arizona's new immigration law. The Factor had this response: "The people of Arizona are screaming for federal help to stop the influx of illegal immigrants and narcotics. About 70% of Arizonans, including many Hispanics and liberals, support the legislation, but President Calderon hates it. He knows that if the illegal alien money sent back to his country dried up, the Mexican economy would be far worse than it already is. Calderon is fighting the good fight against the drug cartels, but he is a realist who knows his country is destitute and needs the American dollars illegals earn. We understand that, but America must protect itself and it is not our responsibility to float their economy. Thus President Calderon, and perhaps President Obama, are not looking out for us on this issue."
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Kagan makes the rounds amongst senators
Body linguist Tonya Reiman watched Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's reaction when Republican Senator Orrin Hatch showed her his award from the National Rifle Association. "Her eyes opened wide," Reiman observed, "and she tried so hard by saying 'it's beautiful.' But there was also a little negation of the head that indicated she wasn't all that impressed." Reiman also analyzed the verbal shootout between The Factor and Megyn Kelly over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "Megyn Kelly's reptilian brain kicked in," Reiman said, "and she went into dominant mode. You could see her get stronger and she did really well. She rolled her eyes and was completely contemptuous."
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Dennis Miller on Michael Posner
State Department official Michael Posner, who apologized for Arizona's immigration law to the Chinese, provided an inviting target for Dennis Miller. "This is a mid-level hack apparatchik," Miller said, "and he's apologizing to China, which periodically plays whack-a-mole in Tiananmen Square with students? I'm getting sick of them apologizing for us. Why don't we just get a 'groveling czar?'" Miller cited the incident as an example of the Obama team's worst instincts. "It took me sixteen months to figure out this administration, but I'm going to put it on the line. On his bad days, President Obama and his administration are ashamed of this country; on his best days he's embarrassed by it. Do I think he's capable of being proud of this country? I do, but only when he gets it looking exactly as he thinks it should look." Miller was also amused by Rev. Jeremiah Wright's complaint that he has been tossed aside by the President. "Guys like Wright and Bill Ayers have to realize that Obama is the space shuttle and they're fuel pods. He needed them to get him into orbit and they can officially consider themselves jettisoned."
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Did you see that?
FNC anchor Jane Skinner viewed footage of teen girls in Washington State beating and stomping one another. "One of the girl's mothers was actually egging her on," Skinner reported, "and when this video came out the mother was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. When this whole phenomenon started of kids posting fights on YouTube, we asked what's wrong with them. When you look at this video you may have part of the answer - these are their parents." The Factor urged authorities to throw the book at everyone involved: "Somebody has to be punished and the message has to be sent that this is barbaric behavior."
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Viewers sound off
April Vance, Victoria, Canada: "O'Reilly, thank you for speaking directly to the kids of America and Canada about bullying. Children have a right to live safely and soundly."
Mark Terry, East Lansing, MI: "Bill, you sound like a hysterical soccer mom. Kids are tougher than you think."
Jim Youngblood, Flowood, MS: "Ridicule is part of life. It's free speech."
Kate O'Sullivan, Babylon, NY: "I'm 13 and was cyber-bullied. I told my dad and he took action. I stood up for myself and you have made me feel justified, Mr. O'Reilly."
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Bus driver & Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana
Wednesday's Patriot: The San Antonio bus driver who hit the brakes just in time to avoid running over an infant sitting in the middle of the road. And the Pinheads: Elvis Costello and Carlos Santana, who have canceled concerts in Israel to protest the treatment of Palestinians.
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