Thursday, January 6, 2005
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
Left-wing coordination against Gonzales
"Even if you believe the left is misguided, you have to admire the passion and organization they bring to their cause. Across the country, the left wing media have attacked the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be the new Attorney General. The New York Times ran a front page torture story and two anti-Gonzales op-eds. The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune ran similar stories and editorials. If you're a casual news reader, you would think Alberto Gonzales is Dr. Evil and Mr. Torture. The Bush administration should be aggressively defending Gonzales--most Americans know the Geneva Conventions do not apply to terrorists, and coerced interrogation is necessary when killers are attacking civilians. But the left wing media don't believe that, and their message is much more effective than their opposition."

Full Transcript: FoxNews.com
Top Story
Yates conviction overturned
Guests: Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano & Chip Lewis, former Houston, Texas prosecutor

Andrea Yates was convicted of drowning her five children in a bathtub and sentenced to life in prison. But now an appeals court has overturned the conviction because an expert witness provided false testimony. Former prosecutor Chip Lewis claimed the ruling is wrong because the tainted testimony had no effect. "None of the jurors ever pointed to the testimony as influencing their verdict. There were objective facts that showed Andrea Yates' thoughts were rational and deliberate. And that's why they returned a verdict of life." Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano agreed the ruling is badly flawed. "If the government intentionally uses perjured testimony to get a conviction, the conviction gets thrown out. Was it intentional? No. The Texas State Supreme Court will reverse this and reinstate the conviction. She'll be in jail for the rest of her life."
Unresolved Problems Segment
Gonzales disagreements
Guest: Fox News analyst Rich Lowry

As mentioned in Talking Points, opponents of Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales portray him someone who condones torture and ignores human rights. "This is the liberal media herd mentality," Fox News analyst Rich Lowry told The Factor. "They conceive of the war as a domestic law enforcement action, and they think it's a mistake not to read these guys their Miranda rights." Lowry agreed with Gonzales' contention that suspected terrorists should be treated more harshly than traditional soldiers. "These are tough guys we're up against, and they're not going to talk to you if you say please. In the war on terror, Gonzales is absolutely right--the Geneva Convention is obsolete and quaint. These guys are not the members of a conventional army as envisioned in the Geneva Conventions."
Personal Story Segment
Tsunami survivor story
Guest: Glenn Watson, tsunami survivor

64-year old Glenn Watson was vacationing in Thailand when the tsunami struck. "I heard people yelling," Watson told The Factor. "All of a sudden I saw the wall of water coming, and I had to hold on to a railing. The water was so violent and overwhelming." Watson not only saved his own life--he also managed to grab and save a young boy, although the boy's mother was swept away in the rushing water. "I'll always wonder what happened to her," Watson said. "But I have no idea."
Factor Follow Up Segment
Children & the illegal sex trade
Guest: Gary Haugen, President, International Justice Mission

There are continuing reports that orphaned and desperate children are being sexually exploited in areas hit by the tsunami. Gary Haugen of the International Justice Mission has investigated and fought against child sex trafficking. "It's a global trade in rape for profit," Haugen said. "And it victimizes about a million children a year around the world. This only flourishes because local police are on the take." Haugen compared young boys and girls orphaned by the tsunami to survivors of a shipwreck. "You can just imagine right now. It's like a having whole bunch of kids in waters full of sharks, and in this case the sharks are the sex traders."

Transcript: FoxNews.com
Impact Segment
Conservative judges, activist rulings
Guests: Civil rights attorney Mercedes Colwin & Prof. Wendy Murphy, New England School of Law

Conservatives complain about activist liberal judges, but there are also activist jurists on the right. A New York judge warned a drug-addicted woman with seven children that she'll go to jail if she gets pregnant again. Another judge nullified a woman's divorce because she didn't tell her husband she was pregnant with another man's child. Professor and lawyer Wendy Murphy predicted both rulings would be overturned. "These are clearly unconstitutional," Murphy said, "because they impose on a woman's right to privacy and to control her body. The right to procreate, the right to privacy are fundamental rights." Civil rights attorney Mercedes Colwin concurred that the rulings are injudicious. "As a judge you have to be fair and balanced. If you allow the courtroom into your bedroom you're going to have problems." The Factor countered that it's perfectly reasonable to tell a drug-addicted woman not have more children. "This judge is looking out for the kids. This woman is out of control, she's irresponsible, and she's a criminal."
Back of Book Segment
Canada & Fox News
Guest: Canadian journalist Rachel Marsden, United Press International

Fox News is finally on the air in Canada, and some members of the Canadian media establishment are upset. "Fox is interesting television," Canadian journalist Rachel Marsden said. "It is everything the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is not. There's fear that Fox might grab some ratings away from other channels." A conservative, Marsden feels he is an endangered breed in the Canadian media. "In Canada there are so many more people who veer left than in the United States. Conservatives aren't represented in the mainstream media at all. Mainstream conservatives are marginalized in Canada, and I do get a lot of hate mail."
Books Mentioned


Terrify No More: Young Girls Held Captive and the Daring Undercover Operation to Win Their Freedom
by Gary Haugen

Read more...