The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo & Top Story
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Benghazi Revelations
Guest: Ed Henry "The Senate Intelligence Committee has issued a report that says individuals tied to Al Qaeda groups were involved in the Benghazi attack, directly contradicting a New York Times report. That comes on the heels of a House report that said the same thing and went a bit further. The House says then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and head of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey both labeled the attack a terrorist action, and Panetta told President Obama that on the day the attack happened. So we have a major situation, but the President still has not commented on the latest reports. The Senate report also says the terror attack on Ambassador Stevens and the other Americans could have been prevented. The CIA told the State Department under Hillary Clinton that the security situation in Benghazi and Libya was getting much worse, yet the State Department did not beef up security. All of this should trouble every loyal American and politics should not be a part of it. We need the federal government to be proactive in protecting Americans from terrorists and we need to know why the world was misled about Benghazi.
The Factor was joined by FNC White House correspondent Ed Henry, who assessed the impact of the new reports. "This Senate report is explosive," he said, "because it cuts to the heart of the matter. They say the administration could have done more to prevent these attacks and maybe save these four American lives. Secretary Clinton may regret, as some people here at the White House may regret, the dismissive manner in which they handled this." The Factor also welcomed retired Navy Captain Chuck Nash, who criticized the administration's decision to have Ambassador Susan Rice claim the attack was ignited by an anti-Muslim video. "After looking at the timelines in this report and the testimony, it was known within 15 minutes that this was a terrorist attack. Half the people in Washington knew what Susan Rice said was false, but no one said anything. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta should absolutely have said something."
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Women in the workplace
Guests: Kirsten Powers & Kate Obenshain Maria Shriver, California's former First Lady, met with President Obama this week to press for economic equality for women. Republican Kate Obenshain and Democrat Kirsten Powers analyzed the issue. "I think this is a big deal for women," Powers said. "Women still only make 77 cents on the dollar compared to men. Maria Shriver made a lot of recommendations that could support women, such as government-provided child care. There are women who are still discriminated against and that should be against the law." Obenshain argued that government action would be ineffective. "This report relies on government solutions, but it doesn't talk about education and it doesn't talk about the importance of marriage. The 77 cents statistic doesn't take into account that women work ten hours a week less than men." The Factor concluded, "I want everybody to be treated fairly in the marketplace, but how much you make is subjective."
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Hate on the Web
Guest: Adam Housley African American actress Tamera Mowry-Housley has been subjected to vicious attacks on the web because she's married to a white man. Her husband, Fox News correspondent Adam Housley, laid out what his family has endured. "This has pulled a cover off of something that's been festering," Housley said. "Those in the public eye have always been criticized, but people now have direct address to anybody and that allows them to stay anonymous and to say things that are beyond comprehension. It's distressing to see your wife called a 'white man's whore.' We need to get rid of this, and the only way to do that is to point it out." The Factor sympathized with the Housleys and what they're facing: "Any celebrity in the public eye, their children see this hateful stuff. I hope you can shield your wife and baby somehow."
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The Return of Reverend Wright
Guest: Hermene Hartman To commemorate Martin Luther King Day, a Chicago teachers union hired none other than Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who proceeded to condemn President Obama for his use of drones. The Factor debated the decision to invite Wright with magazine publisher Hermene Hartman. "You've said Reverend Wright is anti-American," Hartman protested, "but that's not true. He has pointed out 'bad America' - dropping bombs on people and slavery is 'bad America.' He's not saying anything wrong. America is a great country, but has been a bad country in some instances." The Factor insisted that Wright is a serial America-basher: "If you listen to his sermons, you come away with him saying America is a bad nation. Every country has done some bad things, but according to Reverend Wright it's all bad and nothing good."
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The D-Man Sounds Off
Guest: Dennis Miller Dennis Miller began his weekly rant with the Chris Christie bridge scandal. "Here's what I know will happen," Miller predicted. "Eventually Hillary Clinton will say the reason there were no reinforcements at our consulate in Libya is because they were stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge." Miller also weighed in on the agreement intended to keep Iran's nuclear ambitions in check. "John Kerry saw that you can imperil Israel, like Yasser Arafat did, and win a Nobel Peace Prize. When you boil this all down, we're giving money to people who wish we were dead." Finally, D-Mil took a swing at A-Rod. "If he makes the Hall of Fame, they shouldn't put in a bust of his head. They should put in a plaster cast of his right buttock, which is full of pinholes from shooting the 'roids."
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The Videos Everyone is Talking About
Guest: Martha MacCallum FNC anchor Martha MacCallum analyzed the police raid on the home of pop star Justin Bieber, who was suspected of pelting his neighbor's home with eggs. Bieber wasn't arrested, but a rapper in the home was charged with drug possession. "This guy was charged with a felony," MacCallum reported, "when drugs were found in his room. He lives in Bieber's house and there was apparently an entourage there. They're up all night and they've driven the neighbors in this area crazy. Justin Bieber has a new movie that's an effort to turn around his reputation, but it's not doing well at the box office." MacCallum also reported on a viral video that fooled some news organizations. "The video shows a little drone flying around a classroom in Belgium, and it claims the students are being watched by the drone so no one can cheat. Four different outlets picked this up, but it turned out to be a hoax."
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Viewers sound off
Diane Powers, Centreville, VA: "Bill, you have to stop interrupting your guests. I wanted to hear what James Rosen had to say about the Benghazi report."
Teressa Johnson, Grand Island, NE: "Mr. O, thanks for slowing Rosen down. He seems to have 20 minutes of information to squeeze into five."
Dorothy Miller, Addison, NY: "Three cheers for Christie. At least he didn't blame Bush."
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Flying Right
If you want to know your rights as an airline passenger, pay a visit to the dot.gov/airconsumer website, which tells you what you're entitled to and how to file a complaint.
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