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.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo & Top Story
Impact Segment
Personal Story Segment
Factor Follow Up Segment
At Your Beck and Call Segment
Back of Book Segment
Pinheads and Patriots
Factor Mail
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The 'Great Satan' comes to the rescue in Haiti
"As you may know, anti-American people overseas call the USA 'The Great Satan," even though America's record would shame the devil. We have done more good on this Earth than any other nation in history, and once again the USA has responded big to a disaster, taking charge in Haiti as the American military tries to save as many lives as possible. President Obama has pledged $100 million to help the Haitian people; that's in addition to the almost $3 billion we've already given that nation since 1992. Russia has pledged one mobile hospital and twenty doctors; that great humanitarian Hugo Chavez of Venezuela sent one plane of relief supplies; and so far Saudi Arabia has pledged nothing. So you can see who the good guy in the world really is. There's no question that we Americans are the most generous people on Earth. If you want to give money to the Haitian people, I suggest the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, or the Haitian Health Foundation. So 'The Great Satan' has come through again. I remain very proud of my country and I will challenge anyone who doesn't feel the same way."

The Factor debriefed Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan, who has been reporting from the ground in Haiti. "The biggest surprise," Harrigan said, "was driving around a corner and seeing fifty women and girls naked, soaping up on the street. It made me realize that when your house is gone, you have to do everything in the street, and we've seen people doing everything in the street." Harrigan described the atmosphere as tense, but not out of control. "We've seen some scuffles at gas stations - no shots fired, but pushing and shoving. The other thing I've noticed is that how affected people are, even if they aren't injured. I keep up a pretty tough front most of the time, but I did cry off camera the other day. The thing that gets me is when a parent loses a child, there's nothing worse than that."

FNC's Jonathan Hunt, also in Haiti, expressed his personal reaction to the carnage. "The smell of death is hanging over large parts of this city," Hunt said. "There are bodies on the street, many of them simply covered by a rug or a blanket. The stench is coming from the thousands of corpses lying beneath the rubble. There are more bodies than anywhere else I have ever been, and the smell hangs over the city like a death cloud." Hunt paid tribute to "the dignity of the Haitian people," and concluded with a warning. "This is a desperate situation and it needs to be improved very rapidly if the government's own worst fears of violence are not to come true."
Factor criticizes negative response to Obama on Haiti
Some conservatives have pounded President Obama for responding far more rapidly to the Haiti crisis than to the underwear bomber. The Factor asked two conservative radio hosts about the criticism. "My listeners want to hear him talk more about American exceptionalism," said Martha Zoller. "We want to see him put his arms around the American people and say we're the best in the world at this and we're going to get it done." But Mike Gallagher denounced his more strident colleagues. "Sometimes we conservatives shoot ourselves in the foot - people should not take an earthquake and use that as an opportunity to criticize a sitting president. That is the kind of crap the rabid left pulls, and we shouldn't be doing it. The White House is doing plenty with which we can find fault; we don't need an earthquake to beat up Barack Obama." The Factor opined that President Obama has performed well: "I'm tough on people in power, but in this case President Obama did exactly what he should do."
Danny Glover's mixed-up take on Haiti
Far-left actor Danny Glover implied that the destruction in Haiti is a result of global inaction at the Copenhagen climate conference. Professor Marc Lamont Hill did his best to decipher Glover's bizarre logic. "What he was trying to express," Hill said, "is a failure of leadership in the global community towards the third world, particularly the Caribbean. He's saying the leadership dropped the ball in Copenhagen, and this is an example of what happens when leadership drops the ball." The Factor reminded viewers that Glover is an unabashed fan of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez: "Danny Glover is crazy - in his mind, Hugo Chavez is part of the solution but Bill Clinton, who gave Haiti hundreds of millions of dollars, is part of the problem."
More health care bill chaos to come
After months of wheeling and dealing, President Obama and Congress seem ready to present a final health care bill. One of Obama-care's most vocal opponents is 71-year-old singer Ray Stevens, whose protest song has been a huge Internet hit. "I've always been interested in politics," Stevens told The Factor, "but I didn't have the opportunity or the material. This song came along and I though, 'yeah, let's do this.' We the people have awakened." The Factor lauded Stevens for joining the debate: "We need all the levity we can get in this country - it's a very funny song and you do it very well."
Beck on Sarah Palin's FNC debut
FNC's Glenn Beck, who interviewed Sarah Palin for a full hour this week, entered the No Spin Zone with his impressions of the former Alaska Governor. "She's the most guarded woman I've ever seen in my life," Beck said. "I've never met anybody with more shields up - she knows she's swimming in a tank full of sharks. I've decided that Sarah Palin can not be president until I see her be able to eviscerate somebody like you. She's playing defense right now, and she needs to play offense." Beck and The Factor also announced an additional stop on their Bold & Fresh Tour - Saturday, February 13th in Pasadena, California.
The dumbest things of the week
FNC's Alisyn Camerota and Greg Gutfeld named the stupidest people and events of the week gone by. Gutfeld picked Rev. Pat Robertson, who infamously claimed that Haiti's problems result from its having made a deal with Satan. "I thought only heavy metal bands made pacts with the devil," Gutfeld quipped. "What's sad is that Robertson does a lot of great work, but people aren't going to remember 'Operation Blessing' if he continues saying things like this." Camerota poked fun at the man who invented a suitcase that doubles as a floatation device. "At first blush this seems dumb, but upon further analysis I believe it is brilliant. There is finally a device that allows you to bring your belongings with you when you go overboard."
The magic man & the pachyderm
Friday's Patriot: Magician David Blaine, who is performing three straight days of magic to raise money for Haiti. And the Pinhead: Possibly the circus that named its newest elephant "Baby Barack."
Viewers sound off
Factor Words of the Day
Stanley Lucas, Alexandria, VA: "I'm Haitian, Bill, and you asked where all the aid money has gone. The money has been stolen by our leaders. Baby Doc left Haiti with $800 million and Aristede took another $300 million."

Kathy Marrocco, Lenola, Italy: "I am on a fixed income and will not be donating to Haiti. Like Somalia, it is a lost cause."

Melody Thomas, Bay Shore, NY: "We should send American contractors to Haiti to rebuild the country. That would help them and us!"

Celina Degeytair, Lafayette, LA: "Bill, thank you for your reporting on the corruption in Haiti. I was a missionary there in the 1980's and nothing has changed in 30 years."