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.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo & Top Story
Factor Follow Up Segment
Impact Segment
Personal Story Segment
Unresolved Problems Segment
Back of Book Segment
Factor Mail
Book Mentions
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Blowing the whistle on the powerful
Guests: Charles Colson, former Nixon White House counsel

"All Americans should be fighting against bad behavior, and any injustice should be confronted. Yet somehow the words 'snitch' and 'rat' are often applied to people who refuse to allow wrongdoing to go unchecked. Enter 91-year old Mark Felt, who brought down the Nixon administration by telling the Washington Post about the Watergate cover-up. Some believe Felt is a hero, others think he's a villain. But the evaluation is a tough one. It's true that the Nixon administration was breaking laws, and Felt exposed the Nixon people through the press. Unfortunately, Felt then did exactly what the Watergate burglars did - he ran an illegal FBI operation that broke into the homes of people who were considered radical. So there was hypocrisy on Felt's part, no question. Talking Points is conflicted - no President can ever be allowed to break the law, and Richard Nixon got what he deserved. Is Mark Felt getting what he deserves? I just don't know. Some cases can go either way, and this is one of them."

Transcript/Video: FoxNews.com

Former Nixon aide Charles Colson, who served seven months in prison for Watergate-related crimes, joined The Factor with his take on Mark Felt. "Felt could have gone to the Attorney General," Colson contended, "and said there were criminal acts taking place in the White House. I think Felt had an obligation to present that, or to hold a press conference on the steps of the White House to announce what he had discovered." The Factor countered that blowing the whistle on President Nixon would have jeopardized Felt's career. "That would have been the heroic thing to do, but the guy had a family. Whistle blowers are destroyed in this country."
Planned Parenthood ordered to release records
Guest: Curt Smith, Indiana Family Institute

An Indiana judge has ordered Planned Parenthood to provide the state with the medical records of patients younger than 14. Under Indiana law, any sexually active girl of that age is considered a victim of abuse. Curt Smith of the Indiana Family Institute praised the decision and condemned Planned Parenthood. "It is outrageous that they would try to hide behind patient-doctor privilege and prevent evidence of a crime from coming forward." The Factor also denounced the extremism of some pro-abortion groups. "Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and others are so fanatical - don't interfere, even if the kid is 11. I can't believe anyone is so crazed about abortion that they would allow a young girl to go through the horrendous process and not want to punish the man who raped her. It's a human rights violation."
Controversial 49ers video
Guest: Brian Murphy, KNBR

The San Francisco 49ers football team has produced a video for incoming players - it includes strippers, racially charged jokes, and other controversial footage. Radio talk show host Brian Murphy explained that the video was meant to introduce new players to the city. "It was supposed to be an in-house video, and was intended to make serious points by punctuating them with humor. But it got leaked to reporters." The Factor applauded the fact that the executive in charge was fired. "A seventh-grader would know that if you put something this egregious on videotape, you're going to pay a price. Anyone in the public eye can not be doing this stuff, even in jest. Not in America today."
Follow-up of Marine shooting
Guest: Freelance journalist Kevin Sites

In November 2004 a Marine killed an insurgent in a mosque, then was cleared of wrongdoing. Journalist Kevin Sites, who videotaped the incident, joined The Factor and expressed agreement with the military's judgment. "I am okay with the decision not to charge this young man. Booby-trapped dead bodies had been used by the insurgents." Sites contended that this incident shows America at its best. "This Marine did the shooting and my country began an investigation. That says to the world - friends and enemies alike - that this country believes in its democratic principles. I can't think of a better public relations tool." The Factor again defended the Marine and his actions. "I didn't see him going into the mosque wanting to kill anybody. He saw movement, yelled a warning, and shot the guy. There was no malice there."
Gay marriage and the APA
Guests: Dr. Nada Stotland, Vice President, American Psychological Association & Dr. Sally Satel, APA member

The American Psychiatric Association has come out in favor of same-sex marriage, asserting that legalization would be a net plus. "We specialize in medical health," explained the APA's Dr. Nada Stotland, "and there is evidence that being able to form loving, stable relationships is good for society and for people's mental health." Not all APA members agree with that stance. "We want people to look to the APA as a neutral organization," argued Sally Satel. "And this hurts our credibility because it seems we have a political agenda. We should advocate for good patient care, and we should stick to clinical issues." The Factor brought up a study showing that legalizing gay marriage in Sweden may have had unintended consequences. "The institution of marriage in Sweden has collapsed, and some people claim it's because traditional marriage has gone out the window. It's probably a good thing for people to commit to each other whether they're gay or straight. But from a societal point of view, it's not good if marriage collapses."
Douglas Brinkley's new book
Guest: Author & historian Douglas Brinkley

Historian Douglas Brinkley's latest book illustrates how President Reagan employed the heroic memory of D-Day in the fight against Soviet communism. He contended that President Bush can use the same strategy in the war on terror. "His speeches have things about liberation, democracy and freedom on the march. But he doesn't do the personal anecdotes, doesn't make the American people understand what is at stake." The Factor agreed that President Bush needs to personalize his message. "He needs to get more emotional about this war because we are a divided country and we can't be. We have to be united to defeat these terrorists."
Viewers sound off
Factor Words of the Day
Many of your e-mails dealt with the ACLU's lawsuit demanding that the government release still more photos from the Abu Ghraib prison. Some excerpts:

Aryan Sood, Los Angeles, CA: "O'Reilly, I disagree with you about the ACLU. I'll admit they are suing the government to embarrass it, but I don't think the ACLU wants America to be hated any more than it is."

Mark Frias, El Paso, TX: "There is no question that if more photos are released, more Americans will die. Can the judge who sided with the ACLU be prosecuted?"

Dorothy Hill, Hilliard, FL: "Bill, is there anything we can do to stop the ACLU?"

John Lear, Bradenton, FL: "Bill, you, sir, are a fascist. You also manipulate your audience."

Dr. Henry Suhendra, Indonesia: "Mr. O, okay maybe you are a bit rude but sometimes that's the only way things get done."

Book Mentions
Check out the books mentioned during this show.
The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the Heroic Feats of the U.S. Army Rangers
by Douglas Brinkley

Read more...