Wednesday, September 13, 2006
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
Why is Debra LaFave on TV?
Guest: Attorney Michelle Suskauer

"After being convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old boy, the 25-year old LaFave received a cushy plea deal in Florida. Judge Wayne Timmerman sentenced LaFave to just three years house arrest, then 7 years probation, when she could have gotten 30 years. That ridiculous sentence was rejected by Judge Hale Stancil who said it undermined the justice system. Stancil is absolutely correct but Timmerman got the last word and even alowed LaFave to appear on NBC to discuss the crime. LaFave went on to blame her criminal activities on being bi-polar and being raped at age 13 by another 13-year-old, a charge she cannot prove. But the tragedy of this situation is that Debra LaFave should be in prison, not making excuses on national TV. The villains here are, of course, LaFave and Judge Timmerman. The situation reflects the continuing problems the American justice system is having protecting children. While the country has made great strides over the past year in passing Jessica's Law, there are still far too many judges like Timmerman who do not take child sex crimes seriously and there are ten states that flat out will not get tough on child molesters. For far too long, we in America have cut brutal child predators far too much slack. Debra LaFave is the poster woman for shameless behavior. Instead of counting herself lucky to get such a light sentence from Judge Timmerman, she parades herself in front of the nation, trying to get sympathy."

Fox News Video: FoxNews.com

The Factor discussed the case with criminal defense attorney Michelle Suskauer, who said, "I'm offended by the fact that women and men are treated so differently. If this were a man, there'd be no question. We wouldn't even be hearing about this. This person would be in prison. I don't think she did herself any justice by going on TV. She really just sounds like an incredibly selfish, self-absorbed person, who's in denial that she actually did anything wrong." The Factor took a stern view of the situation: "For all of you guys who are going to write letters going 'I wish my 23-year old teacher had done that to me when I was 13 or 14' this kid, according to the mother, this kid is really screwed up. And this woman goes on, "I'm bipolar, I got raped when I was 13," you know, lady, you're responsible. There are millions of bipolar people in the country who do not molest children. All right? So that goes flying right out the window."
Impact Segment
UVA student pub attacks Virgin Mary
Guests: UVA students Grayson Lambert & Amber Ver Valin

A cartoon for the University of Virginia newspaper grossly assaulted the Virgin Mary; the Factor debated it with UVA students, asking, "If next week I write a cartoon offensive to blacks... do I get the same reaction from the administration?" UVA student Grayson Lambert said, "I would tend to doubt that. We've had a history of difficult racial relations, obviously, back from the time of Mr. Jefferson forward to now. Clearly, I think that the nature of that situation would be much different. There would be outrage; there would be student protests. The administration I feel very certain in saying would step in. They haven't done that here. But then again, it is a First Amendment issue. They have a right." The Factor didn't understand the difference. "But is it a First Amendment issue if they attack Muslims, or blacks, or Hispanics, or anybody else where, you're right, there would be a major thing. What is the difference? It's the same kind of freedom of speech issue." Another student, Amber Ver Valin, said, "I think, if you look back, a lot of the comic strips that have portrayed a similar theme, you can clearly see that they also don't have any point. They're quite frankly a lot of very pointless, stupid, humorless cartoons." The Factor said, "the alumni of the University of Virginia should not give any money to the school until this paper is forced off campus. That's my opinion."
Personal Story Segment
Rosie O'Donnell on Christianity
Guest: Political analyst Laura Schwartz

The Factor discussed Rosie O'Donnell's comment on The View that "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America." Democratic strategist Laura Schwartz said, "You know, I love Rosie O'Donnell. I think she's a great champion of gay and lesbian rights, foster parenting, and a great child advocate. That's why I was absolutely so disturbed by what she said. And the only thing worse than what she said was the fact that that audience applauded that." The Factor talked about today's entertainers: "Now you got a lot of bomb throwers on the far left. But the entertainment community is increasingly radicalized. The entertainment community that supports the Democrats are increasingly radicalized. And they're all presenting this point of view that America is screwed up. Now you believe it's going to dovetail back on the Democrats?" Schwartz said, "When it comes from someone like Rosie who's a pronounced Democrat, yes, I think it can. Because all those people may be on the fence or those Independents watching 'The View', they hear something like that, they think well if that represents the Democratic party, I may not vote with the Democrats this fall."
Unresolved Problems Segment
Arianna Huffington
Guest: Author & political commentator Arianna Huffington

The Factor talked to Arianna Huffington about the differences between liberals and conservatives when it comes to the war on terror. The Factor asked: "There is a biter divide between liberals and conservatives in America on how to wage the terror war. I can't find anybody to tell me what the left wants to do to protect us against terror. Do you know specifically?" Huffington tried to dodge: "Looking at the solutions to the war on terror in left-right terms is completely obsolete. It doesn't help us find solutions. There is more agreement across partisan lines." The Factor wasn't buying it: "All I want to know from Hillary Clinton or from whatever Democrat gets the nomination is what are you going to do differently than President Bush is doing? And I cannot get the answer to that question. All I get is Bush is an idiot, he's wrong. And I get nothing else!"
Factor Follow Up Segment
Red Hot Chili Peppers... torture?
Guest: Laura Ingraham

The Factor continued to debate the "torture" question with radio host Laura Ingraham. On the question of what is and what is not torture, Ingraham said, "In my mind, even using the word "torture" really has become meaningless, because I think the question is will the tough techniques that are used, the harsh techniques, are they useful? Are we getting useful information? The important point is that we got critical information from Zubayda about other al Qaeda targets, including the 9/11 hijackers." The Factor said the endless drumbeat from the left over "torture" was hurting the US abroad: "Here's the damage that's been done. Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and Al Gore have gone all over the place saying we torture people. We, the United States, torture people. It's picked up by all of the newspapers overseas, in the Arab world, and when it goes to the Arab world they're not talking about Red Hot Chili Peppers there. They're saying 'they cut off his feet. They cut out his eyes.' That's what's torture over there. We've been diminished as a country. We have been diminished by this debate."
Back of Book Segment
Anna Nicole Smith's son dies mysteriously
Guests: Child psychologist Caryn Stark

With regard to the mysterious death of Anna Nicole Smith's 20 yr old son, the Factor asked, "Whether or not Ms. Smith's lifestyle had a deleterious influence, I don't know. But I need to know, if parental conduct is over the line -- drinking, taking drugs, swearing in the home, things like that on a regular basis -- does that always affect the children?" Child psychologist Caryn Stark said, "Always affects the children. Because if you take a look at it, what role models do children have? Unless you provide some other kind of stabilizing influence, they're going to follow their parents. And if parents even go ahead and say, which they often do, "You know, you do something different than what I'm doing," they lose their credibility, because kids are smart. Children understand." The Factor said, "A guy like this young Smith man, his mother poses for 'Playboy'. All the kids know in the high school that he goes to that she's a model and does this. She's on television. She's in all kinds of, you know, situations that a normal mom wouldn't be in. So you expect this kid to be screwed up because of that."
Factor Mail
Viewers sound off
Tons of mail about the torture report we did.

Jerry Moore, San Jose, CA: "O'Reilly, the Human Rights Watch lawyer really set you straight. It is a known fact that torture doesn't get information and if you think sitting in a freezing room listening to loud music isn't torture, let them do it to you."

Gary Houston, Bedford, PA: "Thank God the lawyer and her group are not running this country."

Bill Kinnarid, Sydney, Australia: "Bill, you are wrong on the torture issue and seem to think you are an expert on things. Here we call people like you 'tall poppy' and would cut you down to size."

George Bretherton, New York, NY: "Bill, asking the lawyer how she would interrogate terror suspects is an incredibly fair question. It is not surprising that she didn't have an answer."

And on "Girls Gone Wild"...

Barbara Buchman, Malone, NY: "I know a young gal who was photographed while drunk by the 'Girls Gone Wild' group. She is now on cable TV all the time and is quite embarrassed."

Nancy O'Neal, Jacksonville, FL: "O'Reilly, it is hard to believe that someone pushing hard for 'Jessica's Law' could say that these girls are partly at fault. What say you?"

Josh Brown, Kansas City, MO: "The camera crews for 'Girls Gone Wild' don't just show up to some bar. They advertise for weeks that they are coming. The girls know what they're getting into."
Books Mentioned


On Becoming Fearless: ...in Love, Work, and Life
by Arianna Huffington

Read more...