Wednesday, February 27, 2013
On The O'Reilly Factor...
Segment Summaries
All content taken from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. Each weeknight by 6 PM EST a preview of that evening's show will be posted and then updated with additional information the following weekday by noon EST.
Talking Points Memo & Top Story
Does the president have an obligation to tell us the truth?
Guests: Bob Beckel

"When President Obama took office his theme was a change from 'politics as usual.' Mr. Obama promised that he would be a leader we could trust. But now there is an embarrassing situation for Barack Obama. His former press secretary, Robert Gibbs, recently said he was told to 'not even acknowledge the drone program.' The drone program has been very successful in degrading Al Qaeda and other terrorists; however, the American people have a right to know what is being done in their names. President Obama chose to deceive the American people, but the left will not make a big deal of this because the President can do no wrong in their eyes. One of the few left-leaning guys who did take notice of what Gibbs said was my pal Jon Stewart. Like him or not, Stewart's an honest man, and that's what we the people should demand - not only from our commentators, but also from our President."

For a liberal perspective on the Obama administration's drone secrecy, The Factor turned to "The Five" co-host Bob Beckel. "This is not even close to being devastating," Beckel declared. "Gibbs was told to not talk about something that was a top secret operation and he didn't. There are a lot of stories about things the United States government needs to do and needs to keep quiet. And there's been more reporting on drones that virtually any other policy in this administration." The Factor again criticized the administration for not being more forthcoming: "This was dishonest because it's not right for the American people not to know generally what's being done in their names. And you have to concede that what President Obama said about being transparent isn't true."
Impact Segment
The Budget Battle
Guests: Leslie Marshall and Mike Gallagher

Some media outlets have been reporting that Americans generally favor Democrats and President Obama in the current budget feud, but other polls show that people actually want more cuts in government spending. The Factor explored the issue with radio talk show hosts Leslie Marshall and Mike Gallagher. "In a poll by Pew Research," Marshall reported, "Americans say we shouldn't cut anything other than money we're sending overseas, that we should keep other spending where it is. Everybody knows we have to reduce spending, but it's a question of how we do it and when we do it." But Gallagher disagreed with Marshall's contention that everyone wants to cut spending. "Spending is in the Democrats' DNA," he said, "they don't know how to cut. President Obama doesn't want to cut spending, he wants to increase spending. And Americans crave their 'stuff,' it's impossible to break the sense of entitlement. Some Americans don't seem to care if America goes down the tubes as long as they get their entitlements."
Washington Beat Segment
White House access for sale?
Guests: Carl Cameron

The Factor asked Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron to elaborate on reports that wealthy Democrats can obtain access to the White House if they donate enough money. "This is absolutely contrary to what President Obama campaigned on five years ago," Cameron reported. "After being reelected the President turned his campaign 'Obama for America' into a new operation called 'Organizing for Action,' whose goal is to coordinate and advance the Obama agenda. To encourage big donations, aides reportedly discussed ways of offering access to the President in exchange for contributions of a half-million dollars or more. That would be straight-up crony capitalism and it's a big deal. The watchdog group Common Cause is calling for grassroots organizations on the left to demand that President shut down Organizing for Action."
Personal Story Segment
Examining the Bible
Guests: Mark Burnett and Roma Downey

A new mini-series called "The Bible" begins Sunday on the History Channel. The Factor spoke about the show with husband-and-wife creators Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. "Bringing the Bible to the screen came with a huge responsibility," Downey said, "and it's one we took very seriously. We had a team of scholars and theologians to help us make sure we told these stories accurately and truthfully. We also wanted to make it cool, one of the goals is to get younger people excited about scripture." Burnett added that the mini-series tries to stay faithful to the good book. "This is right down the middle, telling the Bible as written, with five hours on the Old Testament and five hours on the New Testament. We made this as a beautiful and expensive drama, people will love these stories."
Miller Time Segment
Miller's Oscars Review
Guests: Dennis Miller

The Factor turned Dennis Miller loose to opine on Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony and Michelle Obama's appearance to present an Oscar. "I'm not offended, I'm bored," Miller declared. "Can I get a night off from these people, just one night? Hollywood used to 'fight the power,' but now they invite the power.' You know those first five rows of the Oscars? If you did to them what they do to Obama, they'd call in a security expert because they're stalking the Obamas at this point." Miller also mocked the Academy Award crowd for taking offense at a few of host Seth MacFarlane's jokes. "All the cool kids, which is supposed to be the Oscar crowd, have turned into the scolds. All the hipsters are now the biggest squares, you can't say anything in front of 'em. They have become everything they made fun of on their way up in the '70's." Finally, Miller took aim at the animal rights group PETA, whose new anti-fishing ad features actor Joaquin Phoenix. "This kid's a great actor, but at the end of the day what do I care what Joaquin Phoenix thinks about fishing? We're supposed to eat the party line and be happy with it."
Did You See That Segment
Food stamp abuse
Guests: Juliet Huddy

A local TV news station in Texas has reported on egregious and widespread food stamp abuse. Fox News correspondent Juliet Huddy analyzed the report and its revelations. "To get food stamps you have to be so in need that you can't afford to pay for anything," she said, "but some of these recipients are rolling up to gas stations in luxury Mercedes. There's no system for checking on this, but one state representative is trying to introduce a bill that will hopefully modify this. This is not just a unique problem to one little area." The Factor reported that many of the worst abusers are flush with drug money: "There are drug dealers who are making a lot of money they don't declare, so on paper they aren't making any money and the government gives them food stamps and other assistance. This is the biggest con and it goes on in all the border towns."
Tip Of The Day
Greatness in fairness
The best thing you can have said at your funeral is that you were a fair person.