The O'Reilly Factor
A daily summary of segments aired on The O'Reilly Factor. A preview of the evening's rundown is posted before the show airs each weeknight.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo
Top Story
Impact Segment
Personal Story Segment
Weekdays with Bernie and Jane Segment
Back of Book Segment
Factor Mail
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Comments
Supporting the troops in Iraq
"As part of their business plan to woo left-wing viewers, NBC News consistently attacks Fox News. The latest NBC News indignity is trying to convince their few viewers that Fox News is negligent because we don't cover every terrorist incident in Iraq. As everybody knows, Al Qaeda's strategy is to break the will of the American people to fight the jihad. So blowing things up and getting the carnage on TV is what the terrorists want. Here at The Factor we report honestly on the Iraq war and bring reports that advance the story. As for NBC News, let's say their Iraq coverage has been questionable. NBC News analyst William Arkin called U.S. troops 'mercenaries' and disparaged the sacrifice they're making; NBC correspondent Richard Engel filed a report that said one American combat unit 'all told me it's time to end the war.' The Factor received e mails from some soldiers in that unit saying it's absolutely false. For these clowns to say Fox News is insulting military families because we don't show every bombing is dishonest in the extreme, which is what we've come to expect from that organization."
Differing views on illegal immigration
Guests: Fox News analyst Michelle Malkin & Geraldo Rivera

Michelle Malkin and Geraldo Rivera are diametrically opposed on immigration, and both entered the No Spin Zone to defend their respective arguments. Here are a few choice excerpts from their verbal clash:

Malkin: "Geraldo suffers from open-borders narcissism. It's Geraldo who has been saying that proponents of immigration enforcement are engaging in demagoguery and racist tactics. He is indicting millions of law-abiding and good-faith Americans like me who believe we should enforce our immigration laws."

Rivera: "What Michelle wants is not only enforcement of the law, she wants to turn every neighbor into a cop, a snitch and a rat. She's advocating the population transfer of over 12-million people. This is American against American."

Malkin: "If the police who stopped some of the hijackers caught speeding before the 9/11 attacks had bothered to ask their immigration status, there would be 3,000 people still alive in New York City. Geraldo, you are out of touch."

Rivera: "You can not talk about illegal aliens and crime without addressing the statistics. Illegal aliens commit crime at the same rate or lower than the population in general. Two-thirds of all illegals pay withholding taxes, and two-thirds pay Social Security taxes they will never redeem."

Malkin and Rivera returned for a second segment and presented their ideal immigration plans. Rivera fully endorsed the compromise hammered out by President Bush and some senators. "We need to regularize the lives of people who have been lured here by the promise of jobs. Opponents of immigration like Michelle would not agree to any reform that allows people who are here to remain here." Malkin, in contrast, emphasized border security. "You start with the principal that entry into this country is not a right, it is a privilege. And we have to know who is in this country. Until you can guarantee that, no guest worker plan is going to be of any use."
Angelina Jolie... out of control?
Guest: Roger Friedman, FoxNews.com

Angelina Jolie is starring in a few film about Daniel Pearl, the journalist kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. Even though her movie deals with press freedom, Jolie asked that Fox News be banned from the premiere, and demanded that other outlets sign restrictive agreements. FoxNews.com's Roger Friedman portrayed Jolie as a prima donna. "This came purely from her and nobody else. You've got these movie stars with a lot of money and not a lot of education, and suddenly they feel very powerful and try to dictate how the world is going to be."
Dick Morris' new book
Guest: Author Dick Morris

Political analyst Dick Morris has co-authored a book called "Outrage," arguing that Americans should be angry at the United Nations, politicians, teacher unions, and various other institutions. Morris told The Factor he's particularly outraged at opposition to the anti-terror measures that have saved lives. "The reason we found out about the plot to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge is because the NSA wiretapped foreign conversations with no warrant. Then, when we caught the guy who planned it, we got him to give the name of guy who was going to blow up the bridge. This never would have happened if Hillary and others had their way." The Factor complained that many groups oppose nearly every anti-terrorism initiative. "When you have evidence like that in your book, then you hear the ACLU and other far left people saying we can't have this, you say to yourself, 'I guess these groups want people dead.'"
Dan Rather/Katie Couric controversy
FNC analysts Bernie Goldberg and Jane Hall weighed in on Dan Rather's criticism of his former employers at CBS Evening News. "Dan was right," Goldberg pronounced. "CBS News did dumb down and tart up the news. But I wish that Dan, 'Mr. Courage,' would have said these things when he was still at CBS News." Hall agreed that the network is in deep trouble. "CBS tried to make the show like morning television, and people interested in serious news moved away and they have not come back." Goldberg also took a moment to harshly criticize Fox News. "All day long yesterday Fox ran video of two girls fighting. Fox and other cable stations run car chases and non-stop Paris Hilton. The networks have an issue with bias, but cable - as good as it is - has an issue with crap." The Factor defended Fox and the other all-news channels. "If I'm a producer needing to fill 24 hours and I get a piece of tape, I'm going to use it. If we had excluded something important, then there would have been something wrong."
Looking back at The Monkees
Guest: Davey Jones

Rolling Stone magazine is leading an effort to ban the Monkees, the made-for-TV band, from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Former Monkees singer Davey Jones sounded rather nonchalant about the controversy. "I haven't really thought much about it. As far as being a legitimate group, I don't really know what that means. But the Monkees withstood the test of time." The Factor contended that Jones and his mates deserve to be enshrined. "You guys sold 65-million records, and many groups in the Hall of Fame don't come close to that. You were a phenomenon and people still hum your tunes, so you guys have to be in there."
Viewers sound off
Factor Words of the Day
Many of you wrote about the notorious assembly at Boulder High in Colorado. Some excerpts:

Chris, Long Island, NY: "I couldn't believe that guy told the students using Ecstasy was fine. I was addicted to it. I wanted to die."

Mike Schilling, Arvada, CO: "Both sides missed the point about the controversy. The purpose of public education is to educate students, not to influence their moral values."

Other viewers wrote about GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson.

Kimberly Harnes, Gabbs, NV: "O'Reilly, generalizing is offensive. I'm for Fred Thompson and millions of us know his record in the Senate. Your saying the folks like him because of 'Law and Order' is all wet."

Lisa Uland, Mission, KS: "Fred Thompson is a no nonsense guy and I admire his values."