Monday, July 1, 2013
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.
Top Story
Nation of Loopholes?
Guests: Juan Williams & Mary Katharine Ham
"Because I am a simple man, this Supreme Court business is way too confusing to me. So I spent a lot of time breaking it down so everyone can understand what's going on. Talking Points believes the Supreme Court has morphed into a political organization, not a body that seeks to uphold the Constitution. Obamacare and gay marriage are the best examples of how the Supreme Court has gone against what the Founders really wanted. There's no way the federal government should have the power to compel Americans to buy any product, but five members of the Supreme Court ruled that the feds can order everyone to buy expensive health insurance. Chief Justice John Roberts found a legal loophole to justify his support. On the gay marriage front, the Court actually got it right when it ruled that marriage should be decided by the individual states. California did decide it - in 2008, 52% of Californians voted for traditional marriage only. The Supreme Court heard the case and found another loophole to nullify the vote against gay marriage. It was all a big con, with justices finding a way to support their political opinions by manipulating the law. Talking Points doesn't want to discriminate against anyone; I want all Americans to have an equal pursuit of happiness. But I also want 'we the people' to decide what kind of country we should have. That means you don't find loopholes to nullify legitimate votes. The Supreme Court is now deciding issues along political lines rather than constitutional principles, and that is drastically changing this nation for the worse."

The Factor asked Juan Williams and Mary Katharine Ham to evaluate the loophole-laden Talking Points Memo. "We're a nation of laws and not loopholes," Williams declared, "and when it comes to gay marriage, there is a constitutional principle that says all Americans have equal rights. You can't vote in Texas to take away my rights." But Ham agreed with the Supreme Court's decision to let states decide the issue of same-sex marriage. "The justices have been known to thread the needle on these big public issues and there are issues here where it looks like the court is making political decisions. But on the Defense of Marriage Act it seems like the loophole they're depending on is federalism." The Factor concluded, "The Supreme Court has put aside its mandate to uphold the Constitution."
Hume Zone Segment
Immigration Debate
Guest: Brit Hume
The Senate has passed an immigration reform bill, but many House Republicans vow to derail the bill in the lower chamber. The Factor asked Brit Hume whether the GOP will be damaged if the legislation dies at the hands of Republicans. "Members of the House will not suffer much if they oppose this bill," Hume said. "The issue is giving illegal aliens legal status before border security measures are in place - there is something called a 'provisional legal status' that nearly every immigrant in America can get. Reports of the Republican Party's death if they don't pass this bill are greatly exaggerated." But The Factor argued that Republicans will pay a big price in future presidential elections: "The Republican Party in a national election will be hurt because this will be spun and perceived as an anti-Latino vote. This country is built on fairness and it's not all the illegal aliens' fault that the government looked the other way for 30 years. The House should make it a better bill."
Impact Segment
Trayvon Martin Trial
Guest: Judge Alex Ferrer
Judge Alex Ferrer entered the No Spin Zone with the latest on the George Zimmerman murder trial. "The most important testimony so far has been that of John Good," he said, "who is the closest thing we have to an eyewitness in the case. He made the defense's self-defense claim when he said he saw the white male on the bottom getting pummeled by Trayvon Martin, and he also said that he believes George Zimmerman was the one yelling for help. All these pieces are coming together to build a self-defense claim, and every day it seems like the prosecution gets one point and the defense gets one or two points."
Weekdays with Bernie Segment
More on the Trayvon Martin Trial
Guest: Bernard Goldberg
The Factor asked Bernie Goldberg to evaluate media coverage of the Zimmerman trial, particularly the assertion by MSNBC's Al Sharpton that prosecution witness Rachel Jeantel has been unfairly maligned. "Race is the wound that never seems to heal in America," Goldberg lamented, "and that's at least partially because people like Al Sharpton keep poking at it. When he talks about 'attacks' on Rachel Jeantel, he's talking about a racial attack. But what he considers an 'attack' might be considered legitimate questions. Is it okay to question her credibility or her attitude on the witness stand? Is it okay to wonder how she could not think that 'creepy-ass cracker' is a racial slur? I don't want to hear lectures from Al Sharpton, who has done more to divide Americans based on race than just about anyone else. If this were a black-on-black crime, this wouldn't get three seconds on national TV."
Factor Follow Up Segment
Edward Snowden Latest
Guest: Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters
Edward Snowden, who leaked NSA secrets to a British publication, remains holed up in Russia. The Factor asked FNC's military analyst Lt. Col. Ralph Peters to assess this international chess match. "Putin is having a great time jerking Obama's chain," Peters stated, "but he is not going to give Edward Snowden asylum. The Russians are downloading all the intelligence Snowden has, but once the Russians have that he is a liability. Snowden thought the world would declare him a hero, but he's a stateless man and no one wants him. Even the President of Ecuador is backing off." The Factor questioned Putin's motives in the Snowden affair: "I'm not sure where it gets Putin to tee off the President and the American people. We don't like Putin because he's trying to humiliate us."
Watters' World Segment
Coming to America
Guest: Jesse Watters
With the immigration debate in full swing, FNC's Jesse Watters ventured into the asphalt jungle of New York City to survey some immigrant taxi drivers from around the globe. Some of their comments: "I was illegal, but Reagan gave us amnesty and then I became a citizen" ... "This was a country founded on immigration and I would not exclude anyone." Back in the studio, Watters expounded on the changing ethnic patterns of New York cabbies. "In the 60's there were Italian and Irish and Jewish drivers, then it was Russians and West Indians. Now it's all Bangladeshis and Pakistanis and Indians. I asked them who the worst tippers are and they said the French. And the best tippers are college girls and Wall Street traders."
Factor Mail
Viewers sound off
Bradley Stockham, Philippines: "Rapper Lil Wayne's stomping on the American flag is the same as stomping on all military vets."

Linda Fox, Billings, MT: "Bill, my daughter and I drove down to Denver to see you and Miller. We just missed a tornado on I-25. But you guys were worth it! We had many laughs."

Jan Unsicker, Fountain Valley, CA: "Mr. O, I sent a check to the Independence Fund for $100."
Tip Of The Day
Get back to your roots
Wherever your ancestors may be from, try to visit that spot and learn more about your family background.