"A Gallup poll says 66% of Americans believe President Obama did the right thing by not raising taxes on anyone. But if you read and listen to the liberal media, you wouldn't know that because their focus is on the far left dissent from people like Senator Bernie Sanders, who called the plan a 'moral outrage.' Mr. Sanders could not be elected anywhere but Vermont, but the New York Times, the cable arm of NBC News and other far-left outlets avidly promote the belief system held by Sanders and others like him. Just 20% of Americans identify themselves as 'liberal,' and the far-left fringe is much less than that, but those people have influence in some powerful media operations. Sanders and others like him believe the affluent don't have the right to their own assets; they want the money to impose 'income equality.' Sanders does this in the name of 'social justice,' but if you really want to be honest about it, he's a thief! There's no fairness in seizing assets. So why are we listening to people like Bernie Sanders? Talking Points believes it is time to call these far-left people exactly what they are - harmful to America."

To answer the rhetorical question posed in the Talking Points Memo, Fox News analyst Karl Rove explained why we listen to folks like Bernie Sanders. "You have to pay attention to them," Rove said, "because there are so many of them in the Senate. This afternoon I visited with a senior Republican in the Senate who told me there are probably only a dozen Democrats who are supportive of this tax compromise. So there are a lot of people like Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party, but they don't represent a majority view." The Factor reported that at least one Republican also objects to the compromise. "Senator Jim DeMint, a very conservative guy, doesn't like it because the compromise extends unemployment benefits for another year and it's unfunded." Rove predicted that the tax compromise will pass, but just barely.

A liberal organization called The Agenda Project had its followers swamp the White House with calls yesterday to protest the tax deal. The Factor spoke with the group's founder Erica Payne. "We thought it was important," Payne said, "to make a point to President Obama that people from a wide swath of the left didn't think we should be extending tax cuts to people who make over $1 million a year." Payne outlined her basic taxation philosophy. "We have created a capitalist system that allows people to succeed beyond most places, and in order to rejuvenate that we need to contribute. So the better you do in society, the more you should pay back to society. I personally think that for people making $1 million a year it's very reasonable to go back to the Clinton-era tax rate of 39%." The Factor reminded Payne that she is at odds with the folks: "40% isn't crazy, but most people have come to the conclusion that it would hurt the economy. Your group is diametrically opposed to the rest of America, you're in the fringe."

The Factor asked political strategist Dick Morris to predict the fate of the tax compromise. "I think it'll pass," Morris said, "but if it fails the Republicans can come in on January 2nd and pass whatever they want. The administration and the establishment want to sell the idea that this is a 'compromise,' but this was a surrender and Obama's minions are trying to spin it as a compromise. Obama didn't move to the center, he fled to the center and he's done himself permanent damage with his party." The Factor put forth a more nuanced view of the deal: "It wasn't a total surrender because of the extension for a year of unemployment benefits that will add $150 billion a year to the deficit. So I'm not buying your argument here."

University of Washington professor Amy Hagopian called military recruiters "predatory" and compared them to pedophiles. Geraldo Rivera aimed his verbal artillery at the radical prof. "I think what she said," Rivera declared, "is dishonorable, disgusting and demonstrably false, and a spokesman for the university even called it 'extreme and absurd.' To suggest that military recruiters, many of whom save children stuck in the ghetto, are luring teenagers into a life where they're going to be committing suicide is really something that goes beyond exaggeration. But she has the right to say it." The Factor denounced Hagopian as unfit for the classroom: "She is absolutely misguided, not telling the truth, and the University of Washington owes it to their students to have some kind of standard. We called Ms. Hagopian and she hung up on us."

Dennis Miller, who interviewed President Bush on his radio program Wednesday, gave his measure of the man. "I admire Bush," Miller said, "because he's a strict adherent to the Sicilian concept of 'omerta' as far as presidents go. Carter's out there every day rapping and he never shuts up, but Bush shuts up about the new president. I think he's an honorable man." Miller also expressed gratitude to Bush for ousting Saddam Hussein. "I thanked President Bush for croaking that pig in Iraq and his two pig sons before it got to the Kristallnacht point. People can call Bush 'dumb' all they want, but he looks at history and he gets it. We also joked a bit - I told him that Obama's so conciliatory now that he replaced Biden with Cheney and they went bird hunting together." Finally, Miller gave credit to President Obama for the proposed tax deal. "He made a pragmatic decision. The fact is that over the past two years he and Pelosi and Reid built a jenga tower out of b.s., and when that 9.8% unemployment came in last week, that was the last piece that tipped the tower. He had to do something."

FNC's Juliet Huddy watched a TV interview with a Long Island woman who was fined by local authorities for putting up thousands of Christmas lights and decorations. "When I was a little girl," Huddy recalled, "my mom and dad took me around to see the Christmas lights and it was wonderful. But this woman has been issued two summonses. The town needs to lighten up a little bit - she does this for charity." Playing the Grinch to perfection, The Factor argued the other side: "Her intention is good, but imagine if you lived next door to this woman - you'd be blinded and you'd have to get a German Shepherd to lead you around. A compromise can be reached and maybe one or two gingerbread men can be moved away."

Albert Stokes, Lone Star, TX: "The Democrats say that extending tax cuts will increase the deficit. NOW they're worried about the deficit?"

Jim Wolfson, New Zealand: "I believe the far left fears the supply side tax code will work. That would threaten their main reason to exist."

Steve Ross, Ventura, CA: "President Obama made the right call. Maybe he is learning."

Theodore Rossendahl, Whitefish, MT: "Julian Assange is a patriot for allowing people a glimpse of how the U.S. government spins the truth."

Wednesday's Patriot or Pinhead: 72-year-old Jane Fonda, who is promoting exercise for older Americans. Is she a Patriot or Pinhead? Cast your vote here on BillOReilly.com.