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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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| "According to a new poll, 69% of Americans believe the nation is in decline and an astounding 83% are now worried about the country's future. Talking Points believes the folks are right, we are in decline. But why? The answer is the decline in self-reliance. America was founded on the principles of honor and hard work; after we achieved independence the federal and state governments basically stepped aside, allowing businesses and communities to grow without much interference. If you failed there was no safety net, so the folks became strong out of self-preservation. The foundation of America's growing power was a code of conduct based on honest labor and neighborly charity, and Judeo-Christian philosophy dominated the public square. But in the late 1960's the winds of change swept in; America was no longer seen as a noble nation by many of its own citizens. Since then America has evolved into a country of two minds. Self-reliance remains the key to economic success, but for those who don't want to compete or simply can't the federal government has become their lifeblood. The collapse of the family has led to massive entitlement spending on children and single moms, and the liberal belief that the feds have a moral obligation to provide for the have-nots has led to massive debt, which has weakened our economy and robbed America of power. Thus the decline that we all see. The USA needs a philosophy overhaul, we have to get back to self-reliance and away from the nanny state. Imposing discipline on the federal government will be difficult and many liberal Americans will scream all day long, but if it is not done our decline will become permanent." |
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Guest: Rick Perry
On the day that Texas Governor Rick Perry unveiled a plan calling for a flat 20% tax on income and a corporate tax rate of 20%, he entered the No Spin Zone to elaborate. "What I'm worried about is getting people back to work," Perry said, "because we have a spending problem. I'm looking at a tax process that will allow people to keep more of their money because when job creators get to keep more of their money they have the confidence to go out and create jobs and wealth." The Factor worried that Perry's plan could reduce revenue and add to the massive national debt. "I truly believe we have to grow our way out of this," Perry explained. "We have to cut spending, lower the tax burden and balance the budget by 2020. My plan calls for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution."
Returning for a second segment, Rick Perry addressed his steep decline in the polls. "This is a long way from being over," he maintained, "and we're just now laying out our economic plans. For ten years we created the most dynamic economy in America with a million jobs created in Texas, and people are beginning to focus in on who can actually get this country back to work." The Factor suggested that Perry's immigration policies damaged his campaign: "Illegal aliens and their children are getting benefits in Texas like in-state college tuition. When you said depriving those children of that education is 'heartless,' a lot of conservatives said it's heartless to take my tax money and give it to people who shouldn't be here." "I agree with you that I used the wrong word," Perry conceded, "but the bigger problem is that the federal government has been a total failure when it comes to securing our border. I've been strong on the immigration issue." Perry concluded by describing front-runner Mitt Romney as a flip-flopper. "You can't be for banning guns and then all of a sudden be for the Second Amendment, you can't be for abortion and then be pro-life. You can't be on both sides of the issues." |
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Guest: Charles Krauthammer
Fox News analyst Charles Krauthammer provided instant analysis of the Rick Perry interview. "It was quite revealing," Krauthammer said. "His tax plan has the Reaganesque quality of being a radical cut in taxes, and he should have done that at the very beginning because he needs a defining issue. But when Reagan proposed his tax cut, we were not in the debt hole that we are now. Perry wants an astonishingly radical cut in taxes and he should have some idea about how much it'll cost. He wants to cut spending to 18% of GDP, under Obama it's 24%, so this is the biggest cut in galactic history. He has to explain how he'll make up for that." Krauthammer suggested that while Perry is down, he is not necessarily out. "Given the weakness of the rest of the field, and given the obvious hunger for someone other than Romney, I think he has a shot." |
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Guests: Monica Crowley & Alan Colmes
The Democratic Party is vigorously attacking Mitt Romney for recommending that the government step back from the housing crisis, even if foreclosures rise. The Factor asked FNC analysts Alan Colmes and Monica Crowley about Romney's approach. "The federal government should not be involved in any way, shape or form in the housing sector," Crowley declared. "Romney is arguing that government intervention in the housing market got us into this mess in the first place, and that the only way we're going to get soundness back into housing is to allow things to bottom out and get houses back to sustainable levels." Colmes explained why, to the liberal way of thinking, Romney is dead wrong. "The government urged people to go out and buy homes even if they couldn't afford it, so now the government has a responsibility to fix it." The Factor reminded Crowley that Romney's approach, which she endorses, would result in "millions of Americans being kicked out of their homes." |
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Guests: Kimberly Guilfoyle & Lis Wiehl
Attorney General Eric Holder went to Alabama and blasted that state's law that cracks down on illegal aliens. Legal analysts Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lis Wiehl questioned the AG's tactics. "Holder was completely out of bounds," Wiehl said. "You should never talk about ongoing litigation, it's ethics 101 for prosecutors that you don't do that!" Guilfoyle seconded that notion. "Apparently we're just little minions in his fiefdom, and it's inappropriate that he made those comments. Alabama has the stronger argument in this case." Meanwhile, the ACLU is arguing that Florida's requirement that welfare recipients be drug-tested violates the Constitution. The Factor offered a blunt legal opinion: "The ACLU says this is an illegal search and seizure, which is insane! Taxpayer money will be wasted if you give it to people who spend it on illegal substances or gin. Don't we have the right to know you're not a junkie? C'mon!" |
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Guest: Don King
The Factor was joined by flamboyant fight promoter Don King, who was about to visit the Occupy Wall Street protest to lend his support. "I'm going to tell them that they're right to protest because that's the First Amendment," King said. "Why are we so upset about it, why are we having so much controversy about our rights? They're trying to get their message across, which is that we are Americans." The Factor enlightened King as to why the protesters are not universally loved: "When people block the Brooklyn Bridge, when they urinate and defecate on people's private property, when there's drug activity in the park, people get upset." |
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Dick Meyer, Charlotte, NC: "Bill, I am sorry that you forced Senator Rubio to say he will not accept a Vice-Presidential nod."
Bernard Helsinki, Baltimore, MD: "Mr. Bill, your promoting Rubio for a possible V.P. is juvenile. He's too inexperienced."
Tom Gibbons, Springfield, IL: "Good interview with Rubio, Bill. You asked tough questions and gave him the opportunity to answer."
Diane Powers, Centreville, VA: "Bill, I watched you on the Today Show talking about 'Killing Lincoln,' only to have that followed by Snooki talking about her book. I would pay money to see her on the Factor." |
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| Tuesday's Patriots and/or Pinheads: Bill and Matt Lauer, who engaged in some good-natured verbal jousting on the Today Show. |
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