| 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.
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Guest: Author Bob Woodward
The Factor devoted the top of the program to an extensive interview with author Bob Woodward, who makes some damning allegations in his book "State of Denial." Woodward defended his basic assertion that the Bush administration has been in denial about Iraq. "The evidence going way back shows that when people issued warnings about Iraq, it didn't get through and the administration didn't act on it. And now, when there are secret reports saying the insurgency is going to get worse in 2007, the president gives speeches saying the insurgents are in retreat. I know soldiers who have returned from Iraq tell me they know how bad it is." The Factor told Woodward that his book is ammunition for virulent Bush-haters. "The problem with your book is that the people who want us to lose in Iraq, and there are far-left people who want us to lose, and the media which despises the Bush administration, have taken what you've reported out of context. I think this is an important book, but it is being used by elements that want us to lose, and that is troubling."
Returning for a second segment, Bob Woodward advised President Bush to tell Americans the truth and the whole truth. "Any president is strongest when he's the voice of realism, and the American people like straight talk. The president could give a speech saying that Iraq has become a monumental task and much more difficult, and we need to continue with this task. His approval ratings would soar." The Factor pointed out that part of any president's job is to rally the American people. "I don't think the Bush administration at this juncture can say this is a debacle. We couldn't do it either, if we were in charge of 150,000 lives and a fledgling government that is trying to survive. I'm praying that the United States of American can win and stabilize Iraq and make it a bulwark against the Iranians, because that's who we're fighting." |
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Guest: Dr. Michael Scheuer
More than five years after 9/11, the Clinton and Bush administrations continue to point fingers at one another for being unprepared for the attack. The heat has been turned up by former CIA agent Michael Scheuer, who has accused President Clinton and his aides of lying about their efforts to hunt down and kill Osama Bin Laden. "The documents will show," Scheuer told The Factor, "that President Clinton, Sandy Berger, and Richard Clarke had numerous opportunities to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden. To deny that they had the opportunities to do it is a lie." Scheuer also gave his opinion of how to handle the war in Iraq. "The ultimate solution is simply that we don't have enough troops there to win the war, and we have not been brutal enough. We have not conducted the war aggressively enough and have not annihilated the enemy." The Factor added that this enemy is unlike any we've faced. "Al Qaeda is motivated by hatred, they just want to kill people. They think Allah is commanding them to do it and they're going to do it. They're homicidal maniacs." |
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Guests: Former pages Tyson Vivyan & Courtney Fine
The Factor spoke with Tyson Vivyan, who once worked as a Congressional page and was the recipient of unwanted messages from disgraced Congressman Mark Foley. "After I left the page program," Vivyan reported, "I got instant messages from a screen name I didn't recognize, and almost immediately the messages turned sexual. I was 17 years old. When I figured out it was Congressman Foley, I was not entirely surprised because there had been rumors about him. He was known to pages as 'FFF' - Foley the fag from Florida." Courtney Fine, a former page who also trained others for that position, claimed that improper relationships are exceeding rare. "When I was a page these kinds of things never happened. You do work in close quarters, but never did these things happen. If something like that had happened, you would have immediately gone to your work supervisor." |
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Guest: Author Ann Coulter
The conservative Washington Times has called for the resignation of Speaker Dennis Hastert, claiming he should have done more to avert the Mark Foley scandal. Conservative author Ann Coulter argued that her party is too defensive. "It's a ridiculous overreaction by Republicans, and it's preposterous to think Hastert knew the details of this. And this is an example of the Democrats overplaying their hand. They won't let us wiretap calls from Al Qaeda - did they want us to tape Foley because he's gay?" Coulter also predicted steep GOP losses in November. "This is going to be a bad year for Republicans, but it has nothing to do with Iraq and nothing to do with Foley. This is going to be the Democrats' year because it's a mid-term election. Republicans can't keep winning." The Factor excoriated Mark Foley, but wasn't ready to blame the Republican leadership. "I'm going to give Hastert the benefit of the doubt, but if he knew the extent of this, he should resign." |
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Guest: Greta Van Susteren
Finally, Greta Van Susteren joined The Factor with the latest on Charles Roberts, who went on a murderous rampage at an Amish school in Pennsylvania. "I actually hate him," Van Susteren admitted. "He lined the girls up against a chalkboard and executed them. This guy, according to all reports, was perfectly normal. His wife didn't notice anything unusual, and then an hour later he's executing little girls." Van Susteren also worried about the media's coverage of these stories. "My nightmare is that there is an element of copycat to this. One of the things we do in this business is cover these things. We covered school killings in Colorado and Wisconsin, and now this happened. When they happen so close together, any thinking person would have the fear that there is a copycat nature to it." The Factor described it as "the most incomprehensible crime I've ever seen." |
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Many of you wrote about the interview with former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, who claims he was misrepresented in Bob Woodward's book. Some excerpts:
Leif Jensen, Prescott, AZ: "O'Reilly, you pushed too hard with Andrew Card. Woodward's book is all spin and you did not slow it down."
Nancee McVey, Arvada, CO: "All I want to know is how much the GOP is paying you, O'Reilly. I'm embarrassed for you."
Ron Milch, Edmonton, Canada: "When will the powers in Washington realize that reporters are not their friends?"
Other viewers wrote about the Texas minister who informed the entire congregation of a church member's extra-marital affair.
Linda Juhala, Alameda, CA: "The pastor was only trying to save the woman."
Christopher Graves, Baton Rouge, LA: "The pastor is correct. Christ taught through Matthew that sinners must be confronted."
Nina Behee, Jacksonville, FL: "Bill, your instincts are correct. Matthew 18:15 tells Christians to help the sinner, not humiliate the person." |
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