Tuesday, October 16, 2007
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
Chaos & kids: Questions surround CA law
"My new children's book 'Kids Are Americans Too' asks a key question to young people: what do you owe your country? The sad truth is, many kids never even think about their country - they're not taught much about it, they have no idea what patriotism really is. And the only way they're going to learn to be patriots is if parents and grandparents teach them, and my book will help you do that. The book is needed because kids today are being battered by terrible influences and mindless distractions all day long. If you don't believe me, take a look at a new law called the California Student Civil Rights Act. The law states that students are entitled to equal rights regardless of disability, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. Sounds great, doesn't it? But what this really means is that a student or a parent can claim discrimination for just about anything. Say 'Merry Christmas' in school and an atheist can claim a violation. Say anything about man-woman marriage and you have to give gay couples equal time. Any teacher disciplining a child can now be accused of bias. This crazy law will lead to a multitude of lawsuits and a collapse of the already-lax discipline system in California schools. Everybody who has a schoolyard beef can now sue under the new California law, which takes effect January 1st."

For an opposing view, The Factor welcomed attorney Tanya Acker. "Our public schools are public spaces," Acker began, "and in America we have a long history of opposing discrimination. What this act is intended to do is protect the nearly 400,000 kids who report being targeted for harassment or discrimination because of race. And that's just racial discrimination." But Karen England, an opponent of the law, questioned its necessity. "We have anti-discrimination laws on the books, and no one wants children to be harassed for any reason. But this bill talks about having no school instruction that reflects adversely on homosexuality, transsexuality, or perceived gender. In Los Angeles they're actually letting boys who perceive themselves as girls use the girls rest room." The Factor reiterated that the law will result in an torrent of lawsuits. "This opens the door for any kid to sue the school board, the district, the principal and teacher for any perceived bias. This will lead to chaos."

News Link: Schwarzenegger signs controversial bill
Impact Segment
Presidential candidates & entertainment venues
Hillary Clinton appeared on "The View" Monday, where she outlined her plan to "carefully" withdraw troops from Iraq. Republican strategist Margaret Hoover chided Mrs. Clinton for avoiding more challenging venues. "This is a forum where she's getting thunderous applause because, let's face it, this is a Hillary Clinton campaign on daytime television." Senator Clinton also said the 'era of cowboy diplomacy' is over, and that she will employ her husband as a "goodwill ambassador." Hoover's response: "Cowboy diplomacy has cleaned up the mess her husband left in North Korea, WMDs no longer being built in Libya, and there are pro-American leaders in France and Germany." The Factor praised Clinton for her ability to ad lib. "She's very rehearsed, but she's also able to come up with things quickly, which is a benefit to her. I think she has an agile mind."

News Link: Hillary on "The View"
Unresolved Problems Segment
When values collide: Malaysia and entertainment
Pop stars Gwen Stefani and Beyonce ran smack into Islamic values when they scheduled concerts in Malaysia, then were told to cover their bodies. Entertainment reporter Katrina Szish elaborated on the Muslim edicts. "The Malaysian government passed rules saying Western performers have to cover up from the base of your knees to your shoulders. Both of these women faced thousands of protestors who said they were promoting moral decay in Malaysia." Sefani adhered to the rules, but Beyonce canceled her performance, and The Factor added that no entertainer should be surprised. "Americans should know the sensitivities in the Muslim world, where fundamentalists are not shy about saying what they don't like."

News Link: US pop stars confront Muslim realities
Factor Follow Up Segment
Chester Stiles apprehended in Nevada
Chester Stiles, a sex offender who allegedly raped a 3-year old girl and videotaped the act, has been captured in Nevada. Former prosecutor Wendy Murphy predicted Stiles will plead insanity. "He'll find somebody to testify that he was incapable of knowing right from wrong, that he has a mental illness. That's not going work." Murphy also commented on the rash of sex crimes in Vermont, which is notoriously soft on predators. "Vermont is the go-to place if you want to commit sex crimes because they do not believe in punishment. These guys talk to each other, they know which are the best states, and they don't want to go to jail because there aren't any little kiddies behind bars." The Factor reported that children are not the only victims. "At the University of Vermont they're having a very big problem with predators going after women students. There's a permissive atmosphere in the southern part of Vermont."

News Link: Fugitive child rapist caught
"Is it Legal?" Segment
Prison for O.J. / "Girls Gone Wild" controversy
Two young women filed suit against "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis, claiming he did not have permission to include their topless gyrations in his videos. But a new tape shows the women giving their explicit permission, opening them to charges of fraud. "There's not going to be any criminal prosecution here," declared FNC's Megyn Kelly. "Joe Francis would be the victim in the case, and no jury is going to have any empathy for him." The Factor countered that the two young women are obviously guilty. "I don't have any sympathy for this Joe Francis, he's corrupt. But these two women lied You're telling me any American can lie and clog up the system and nothing can happen to them." Turning to another case, FNC analyst Lis Wiehl predicted that O.J. Simpson is likely to wind up in the big house. "Simpson's co-defendants will be put on the stand, they'll be shown to be thugs. And the prosecutor will say that's who O.J. hooked up with to do this robbery. I think he's going to be convicted."

News Link: 2 "Girls Gone Wild" drop lawsuit

News Link: 2 O.J. codefendants will testify against him
Back of Book Segment
Great American Culture Quiz
Steve Doocy and Martha MacCallum squared off again in the Great American Culture Quiz? The Factor asked five questions, including these: "Who sang the title song from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?' ... "After losing the presidential election in 1828, John Quincy Adams ran for what office?" The rivals wound up deadlocked in regulation time, but Doocy won the pressure-packed, sudden death, all-or-nothing tiebreaker.
Pinheads and Patriots
Who's helping, and who's hurting?
Tuesday's Patriot: Bruce Tinsley, whose comic strip "Mallard Fillmore" denounced left wing blogs for repeatedly lying about Bill. And the Pinhead: Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback, who refused an invitation to talk with The Factor about his proposed national apology for slavery.

News Link: Brownback asks Americans to apologize for slavery
Factor Mail
Viewers sound off
Many of you continued to write about the desecration of the Catholic Church in San Francisco. Some excerpts:

Gene Potloff, San Mateo, CA: "Shame on us Christians for not rising up in righteous indignation. Jesus did not teach cowardice."

Dennis Rhodes, Provincetown, MA: "I am so put off by those church-desecrating narcissists that I've stopped describing myself as gay. I'm back to being a homosexual."

Lorie Lasater, Quantico, VA: "Mr. O'Reilly, those people did not hurt anyone."