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| 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.
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"A recent Field Poll of California says Governor Schwarzenegger's job approval rating is 27 percent -- down from 65 percent shortly after he took office. The reason for Arnold's collapse is that the Golden State is bankrupt. And here's why you should care: what has happened here in California is also happening in Washington. Tomorrow, President obama will sign an executive order creating a debt commission where a bunch of americans will try to figure out how to stop massive Federal spending. But it's mostly a waste of time. If you want to stop spending, stop spending. Why do you need some pinhead commission to tell you that? A new CNN poll says just 44 percent of Americans would vote for President Obama in 2012. As things stand now 52 percent would vote against him. President Obama should take a good look at Arnold Schwarzenegger. They have a lot in common. Arnold has failed, and if Mr. Obama doesn't see that could happen to him, he's not living in the real world."
For more on the Obama/Schwarzenegger paralells, Fox News analyst Dick Morris joined the show. Morris thought that Obama wasn't taking the Schwarzenegger example to heart: "I think that he's saying 'It can't happen to me. Democrats will stay behind me.' That's wrong. They won't." The Factor was surprised that the president wouldn't consider a course change: "So Obama's got data right in front of him that says his support is eroding at an alarming rate. And you're saying he's not going to do things differently?" Morris saw a way for Obama to save himself, but thought it would take a politically catastrophic event to cause it: "You have to move to the center. And you have to really work with the Republican party. Until Obama loses Congress, he's not going to do that." |
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| Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that tracks hate groups, was the next guest. Potok had good news and bad news for Tea Party supporters: "I don't think that it's fair to say that the Tea Party movement is a right-wing extremist movement and that's all there is to it. But what I would say is we've got a lot of evidence to suggest the movement is pretty well shot through with some fringe elements." The Factor contended that the loon elements of the Tea Party were a relatively small part of it: "There is about 10 percent of the Tea Party people who do fall under that paranoia blanket. But you could say the same thing about the Democratic party." |
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| There's been a string of good news from Afghan and Pakistan battlefields -- a Taliban leader captured in Pakistan, and a successful offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan. Fox News strategic analyst Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters agreed that the news was good, but mentioned a few caveats: "I'm positive on busting the guys in Pakistan. I'm positive about the performance of our troops in Marjah. But here's the real test question at the end of all of this. Will the Karzai government, notoriously corrupt, be able and willing to crack down on opium production?" The Factor thought that NATO would be able to help keep the situation under control: "Let's assume that NATO will keep a garrison in Marjah and the Helmand Province. They're going to keep a 1,000 soldiers or Marines there to make sure that the Afghan police don't run wild and things don't deteriorate." Peters didn't doubt that American troops would get the job done: "We can deliver. Our troops deliver. But can Karzai and the Kabul government?" |
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| Fox News analyst Charles Krauthammer was up next, previewing the 2010 elections. Krauthammer saw big losses ahead for the Dems: "There are eight seats now held by Democrats that are in play where Republicans are ahead. Of those, it's quite possible that you could get all eight going Republican. I think it will probably be seven." Krauthammer singled out a few Democrats who are particularly vulnerable: "You've got Arkansas where poor Blanche Lincoln is trailing everybody. She couldn't even beat Mussolini, although that one would probably end up in a run-off." The Factor agreed that Democrats were not looking good. But he pointed out that external events could change the landscape for them: "It's only 8 months we're talking about here until November. And it looks to me like the economy may improve somewhat. But the spending debacle is going to be in play." The Factor wanted to know if the Democratic Party could do anything to save itself. Krauthammer's advice was similar to Morris' earlier in the show: "A rational response is to go to the center. I think Democrats probably will try to do something of that sort in order to save their skin in November." |
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| Comedian Dennis Miller weighed in on the war of words between former VP Cheney and current VP Biden over terror: "I've got to tell you, Biden laid a glove on him. If it was wrong with this underwear bomber guy, it was wrong with Richard Reid. I think that was a mistake by Bush. And you know my admiration for Bush as far as acquitting the war is vast. But that was a mistake on their part." Later in the segment, Miller sounded off on the Winter Olympics. He had some advice for American champions like Lindsey Vonn: "There's a two prong thing about winning the gold now. I would tell these kids that, in addition to having that memory and that gold medal hanging there for the rest of their life, they should hang onto it, because if we devalue our currency any more, they might eventually end up buying food with that medal." "Or a house," The Factor quipped back. "Because that gold weighs a lot." |
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| Factor Producer Jesse Watters has been unleashed on the city of Los Angeles. He stopped in to tell about his exploits at a belly dancing competition: "In a sick, twisted way Osama bin Laden is responsible for the boon of the belly dancing industry in America," Watters explained. "After 9/11 American culture became obsessed and curious and fascinated with Arabian culture. And part of that culture is belly dancing. And so the last 10 years, you've seen an explosion of belly dancing take hold in America." Watters also took a camera crew to Venice Beach, where a local urged The Factor to "smoke some pot" while in Los Angeles. The Factor was amused by the video: "We're making fun of it, and there are a lot of weird characters. But there is a substance abuse problem down there." Watters pointed out that Venice was also swarming with conspiracy theory kooks, but said that everyone had been nice to him. The Factor thanked him for the work: "Jesse Watters, everybody, living large here in L.A." |
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| Wednesday's Patriot: American Airlines, which helped a Factor crew person after she hurt her leg. American was kind enough to quickly get her on board a flight home, and to help her out at LAX, which is a very intense airport. And the Pinhead: The cell phone user who interrupted singer Adam Lambert during a performance. |
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Erin Mize, Camarillo, California:
"I did not find the Family Guy joke on special needs people to be offensive, even though I support Sarah Palin. It's a cheap laugh, yes, but that's what this program does."
Sarah Lucas, Pittsburgh:
"Bill, what did you do to make yourself look more handsome? You certainly look very different in L.A."
Brenda Workman, Ocala, Florida:
"Mr. O, my husband gave me 'Bold Fresh' along with the red tote bag. But he blocked out the B in 'bold' and now the bag reads 'old and fresh.'" |
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