Thursday, February 17, 2005
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
Boycotting France... again
Guests: Fox News contributor Ellis Henican & Jean-Jacques de Mesterton, former Chirac aide

"How many times does the French government led by Jacques Chirac have to put all of us in danger before we get the picture? France has said no to Secretary of State Rice, who asked the Chirac government to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group. If France would do that, Hezbollah could not raise money in Europe. Hezbollah has murdered thousands of civilians. Even the new Palestinian leadership wants them branded a terrorist group because they oppose any peaceful solution with Israel. But Jacques Chirac won't call Hezbollah terrorists. So I am again calling for all responsible people not to buy French products, not to travel to France, and to contact the French embassy and let them know Chirac's conduct is unacceptable. Until we see the French government do something to help in the war on terror, we should consider that country hostile to our safety. And so the boycott of France is on. Spread the word--France is helping Hezbollah and other terrorists, and until that stops we're not buying their stuff."

Transcript: FoxNews.com

Fox News analyst Ellis Henican joined The Factor and opposed the idea of a boycott. "Diplomacy is a business for grownups," Henican said, "and we're not going to solve the problems in the Middle East by pandering and calling people names. If you want to change somebody's behavior, the best way is to engage them." But Jean-Jacques de Mesterton, a former campaign aide to President Chirac, countered that engagement is not possible with terrorists. "The bottom line is that you designate people exactly what they are--Hezbollah is a terrorist group, and the United States should pressure the French to designate them as such. They are murderers, they are bad news, and call them what they are."
Factor Follow Up Segment
Churchill investigated
Guest: Craig Silverman, KHOW

Denver radio station KHOW has been investigating the credentials of University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill who compared Americans killed on 9/11 to Nazis. "We have learned that Churchill did not sign an oath to uphold the Constitution," said KHOW's Craig Silverman, "which is a requirement of any professor in Colorado. Also, an elderly woman claims Churchill once spat upon her because she questioned his Indian heritage. We have reports that a female colleague was threatened by Churchill. He has a propensity for violence." The Factor wondered how Churchill got tenure to begin with. "He doesn't have a Ph.D. and doesn't even have a masters from a major college. And if the Colorado Regents find Churchill is not a Native American, he's gone. I can't imagine he's going to survive this."
Personal Story Segment
The Judge's judgment: Stewart case
Guest: Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano

Radical lawyer Lynne Stewart, who represented an imprisoned terrorist, has been convicted of passing incendiary messages from her client to his followers. But Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano feels Stewart should have never been prosecuted. "The government invaded the attorney-client privilege," Judge Napolitano said. "They didn't have a right to listen in on her conversations. We should not prosecute lawyers for speaking in private to their clients." The Factor argued that Stewart's prosecution and conviction were warranted. "After 9/11, the government has an obligation to protect us from lawyers like Lynne Stewart who would aid terrorists in killing civilians."
Impact Segment
Teens and alcohol
Guest: Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum, author

Paul and Christine Taxin face criminal charges for hosting a New Year's Eve party for their 18-year old daughter and her friends, knowing the teens were drinking alcohol. Author Marsha Rosenbaum, who has written about teens and substance abuse, said the parents should not be punished. "We know teen drinking is prevalent," Rosenbaum told The Factor. "And the most immediate danger posed by underage drinking is when teens drink and drive. These parents made a calculated decision that their children would be safer at their home than they would be if they got in a car." The Factor disagreed, saying to Rosenbaum that the parents clearly committed a crime. "They allowed their home to be a place where fifty kids were in various stages of inebriation. It's against the law to do what these parents did, and your thesis is fostering lawbreaking."
Unresolved Problems Segment
Churchill at Eastern Washington University
Guests: Josh Fahrnkopf, EWU Republican Club & Patty Chandrill, EWU Faculty Organization President

Eastern Washington University is debating whether Ward Churchill should speak on their campus. Representatives of the faculty voted overwhelmingly to invite the controversial professor. "We did it predominantly to voice our concern about the abridgment of free speech," explained faculty representative Patty Chantrill. "We have a fundamental obligation to uphold the values of academic freedom." Josh Fahrnkopf of the EWU Republican Club argued Churchill doesn't deserve a platform for his inflammatory views. "A lot of students want to see him, but I personally do not. Both because of what he stands for and the safety issue."
Back of Book Segment
Universities indoctrinating youth
Guest: Author Benjamin Shapiro

UCLA graduate Benjamin Shapiro's new book "Brainwashed" contends American college students are indoctrinated into leftist ways of thinking. "The bias is pervasive among professors," Shapiro asserted, "and it enters the classroom. At UCLA, Michael Moore's "Roger and Me" was held up as an accurate depiction of capitalism, while the Muslim Student Organization openly raised funds for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. I got involved by writing for the campus newspaper, where I was the token conservative, but I was fired when I wanted to reveal the Muslim Students Association ties with terrorists." Shapiro described the prevailing campus attitudes as anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-Marxist.
Books Mentioned


Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws
by Andrew Napolitano

Read more...
 


Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth
by Benjamin Shapiro

Read more...
 


Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens, Drugs and Drug Education
by Marsha Rosenbaum

Read more...