|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
| "The Conservative Political Action Conference opened its annual convention in Washington today with some of the biggest names on the right in attendance. What has bound them together so far is the bashing of President Obama. Talking Points became disgusted when President Bush was attacked every two minutes by the left. Of course there's nothing wrong with policy criticism or satire. That is a hallmark of America. But the personal stuff is cheap, and we're seeing more and more of it. There are times when people have to be called out, but most of the time you can get your points across without being cruel. Talking Points does not mean to lecture, but if CPAC makes a weekend out of bashing Obama, it will be making a big mistake. In order to regain power in America, conservatives must come up with solutions to complicated problems. And that's what they should be doing at the convention." |
|
|
| Fox News analyst and radio talk show star Laura Ingraham was the first guest. She thought it was legitimate for conservatives to focus on Obama: "President Obama is the center of the Democrat party. He is the leader of the Democratic party. So, he is the standard bearer of what liberalism today is trying to do. So you can't not mention President Obama." Ingraham and The Factor agreed, however, that some personal attacks went to far. The next topic was the upcoming bipartisan health care meeting. The Factor thought that the GOP should participate: "I think they should show up. I think they should be respectful. I think they should then come right out afterward and say 'This is what we told the president. We hope he does it.'" Ingraham didn't really see any benefit to the Republicans playing along, but agreed that they had to attend to avoid being painted as unreasonable. She was also a little worried that Obama would outshine the GOP leaders: "It's Obama on a stage versus, who? Eric Cantor? I mean I love Eric Cantor, but President Obama is masterful at what he does." |
|
|
| A new CNN poll says that only 44% of Americans say they want Obama reelected. Columbia University professor Mark Lamont Hill thought that Obama's main problem was the high unemployment rate, but he also saw another problem hurting the president: "Obama doesn't have an energized base anymore. Right now, the people who most celebrated him during the primaries and during the general election and early in his presidency are no longer excited. Afghanistan, a lack of push on gay rights, a lack of push on many domestic policy issues -- the lack of push on those issues has made his base really disappointed. And so he has no one really behind him right now." The Factor thought that Obama was getting hurt with more than just his liberal base: "I think that the perception among non-ideological Americans, not conservative or liberal, but the Independents and the people in the middle, are basically that he's not managing the White House very well. He is not managing the country very well. He's not making his case. Health care hurt him dramatically. Nobody could figure out what he was saying." |
|
|
| The Southern Poverty Law Center has singled out the "Oath Keepers" as a movement that might be dangerous. Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers joined The Factor to explain his group. He said that the purpose of the group is to encourage law enforcement figures to disobey any future orders that might be unconstitutional: "There is a thought in the minds of some in the military that their oath is just to the president. And they don't understand that their oath is first and foremost to the Constitution." The Factor was skeptical: "I don't think you can have a military or a police force if you have each officer and soldier and Marine saying 'We'll obey what order we want, because we don't think it's constitutional.' That seems to be what you're putting out there." Rhodes insisted that his group was legitimate, and was only preparing for an extreme situation: "If you obey an unlawful order, you can also be in trouble. And so, they're not just going to do do this lightly. They'll do it when it's most serious." |
|
|
| A new McDonald's ad shows retired NBA player Larry Bird stealing chicken McNuggets from Lebron James. Culture warrior Margaret Hoover explained what PETA's problem was: "PETA has just issued a letter to Larry Bird, saying 'Next time McDonald's asks you to show up in an ad, why don't you think about not doing it? Because your name is Bird and you should have sympathy for the birds.'" Gretchen Carlson thought this was ridiculous: "This is what they do to garner national attention. It's stupidity. It's totally for the birds." Hoover thought that PETA was hoping for McDonald's to use a more humane killing method: "They want you to gas the chickens rather than hanging them up and slitting their throats." THe Factor was dubious: "I don't think PETA wants you to gas the chickens. They don't want you to eat them at all. All they want you to eat is broccoli." |
|
|
| Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly stopped by to weigh in on the Iowa underage stripping controversy. She laid out how the law worked: "The Iowa law says you can't do certain things. You can't parade around with your naked breasts out. You can't use minors for sexual titillation. You just can't do any of these things, unless you do it in a theater." The judge in the case, Kelly explained, simply agreed with the argument that a strip club was a theater. Kelly took issue with that ruling: "I think the judge was dead wrong. This is not a theater. It's your classic strip club, which is not a theater. So I do think he got it wrong." The Factor was incredulous about Kelly's interpretation of the law: "Kelly, you're telling me if a 9-year-old girl wandered into this place, was then taken by an adult up on the stage, and the adult took off her clothes, it's OK in the state of Iowa to do that?" Kelly confirmed that that was the case: "Under the law as it's written right now, yes. Which is why there's a push to change the law." The Factor was dumbstruck: "That is simply stunning and shocking. And I think everybody watching tonight can't believe this is happening in the United States of America." |
|
|
| The Factor does a week of shows from Los Angeles every winter, and there have been some memorable moments with celebrities over the years. Clint Eastwood gave his strategy for success in show business: "Just a lot of perseverance. You also have to be lucky. I've been very lucky. I've taken advantage of a few breaks that came along and moved along with them." The Factor told Eastwood he didn't think of him as a typical Hollywood type: "I can't see you calling anybody babe. I just can't see that." In another interview, Sylvester Stallone had a philosophical take on Hollywood: "It's a brutal industry because you are the product. And times change, tastes change. Each generation has to define itself by discovering their own heroes." The Factor, meanwhile, was impressed by Stallone's physique: "You keep yourself in great shape. I mean, you're older than I am, and you look ten years younger." |
|
|
| Thursday's Patriot: American snowboarder Shaun White, who won a gold medal Wednesday night with an impressive routine. And the Pinhead: A British commentator who was confused by the Ash Wednesday mark on VP Joe Biden's forehead. |
|
|
Gwen Gates, Houston, Texas:
"President Obama will not learn anything from Governor Schwarzenegger's failure in California because the President is like a teenager who believes he's invincible."
Steve Thoney, Phoenix, Arizona:
"Bill, I hope I'm not being persnickety for criticizing you after you announced Lindsey Vonn won a gold medal yesterday. That was before we could even see the event. What were you thinking?"
Nancy Ann Harrison, Palm Desert, California:
"Mr. O, at first I thought you were an arrogant neotoad, but after seeing you champion Jessica's Law and calling for common sense in politics, I have changed my mind."
Jill Phillips, Houston, Texas:
"Bill, my son will soon be home from Afghanistan, so I have ordered him an American Patriot cap and shirt. We military moms appreciate your support." |
|
|