Wednesday, January 2, 2013
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
President Obama's true agenda emerges
Guests: Charles Krauthammer

"The Factor has not covered the fiscal debate very much because it was a fake crisis. The deal Congress struck could have been done last August, but the politicians in both parties wanted to posture and set up phony scenarios for their own personal aggrandizement. So here's what's really going on: President Obama has succeeded in raising taxes on every working American. Those who are doing well will now pay close to 50% of their income to the feds; those making below $400,000 a year will pay a variety of new Obamacare taxes and will see a two percentage point rise in their Social Security payments. So everybody gets hit! But President Obama is not finished, he wants more from the affluent. The American people have voted for a President who wants to redistribute income, with a central government that takes and gives as it pleases. That will have many unintended consequences, beginning with the economy. If the higher tax rates slow business, President Obama's second term will be a disaster. Also, it's now clear that Mr. Obama doesn't much care about federal spending. He has not offered any meaningful spending cuts or entitlement reform and he has not offered any solution to the crushing $16-trillion debt. So now we're all in the same lifeboat; President Obama is going to take as much money as he can from successful people and dole it out. I believe this will lead to economic disaster for the country, but, as always, I could be wrong."

The Factor invited Charles Krauthammer to add his perspective to the Talking Points Memo. "You are absolutely right," Dr. K declared, "that there is not a shred of evidence that Obama has any interest in cutting spending. In fact, he audaciously said last night that we have to increase our 'investments,' the word Democrats use for spending. So he's talking about increasing spending while he's pretending to be interested in the debt. This is a man who is so ideological, so committed to undoing the injustices he sees in the country. He sees Europe and Scandinavia as far more just and good societies than ours. That's the ideal to which he wants to move the United States." The Factor theorized that President Obama won reelection partly by fomenting class envy: "He convinced the majority of American voters that class warfare is good, he demonized the wealthy, and he turned achievement into an insult."
Impact Segment
President Obama's legacy on the line
Guests: Kirsten Powers and Dee Dee Benkie

Democrat Kirsten Powers and Republican Dee Dee Benkie picked up the discussion on President Obama's tax-and-spend philosophy. "Some taxes are going up," Powers said, "and I'm willing to pay my fair share. But I am very disappointed that President Obama hasn't offered spending cuts. This is unsustainable and I am hopeful that he will tackle this in the second term." Benkie contended that President Obama was reelected because of his personality. "This was like in high school when the popular guy won because he gave away free junk food from the vending machines. He is very likeable and he was able to connect emotionally with the American public." Powers took umbrage at the notion that Obama voters simply wanted "free stuff." "This is why the Republican Party is so irrelevant right now," she protested. "They keep telling themselves lies about who the electorate is. There are thinking people who like the President for a lot of different reasons, not because they're getting free things or because he's likeable."
'Is it Legal?' Segment
Lawyer may sue state of CT over Newtown shooting
Guests: Lis Wiehl and Kimberly Guilfoyle

Attorney Irving Pinsky has threatened to sue Connecticut, alleging that state officials didn't do enough to protect students at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Legal analysts Lis Wiehl and Kimberly Guilfoyle ridiculed the lawyer and his threat. "Here's a so-called lawyer," Wiehl said, "who lost his license to practice law from 2000 to 2006. He filed this lawsuit because he can earn up to 40% of the amount. He probably reveled in the attention he got." Guilfoyle portrayed Pinsky as a low-life bottom-feeder. "We're still mourning these children and this guy is looking to make a quick buck off their backs. He got death threats and he got a lot of publicity." The Factor complained that Pinsky is just the latest example of a worrisome trend, saying, "There is a growing field of sleazy extortionists and nobody holds them accountable."
Washington Beat Segment
Did Speaker Boehner curse out Senator Reid?
Guests: James Rosen

Speaker John Boehner reportedly advised Senator Harry Reid to "go f*** yourself" during the fiscal cliff debates. Fox News correspondent James Rosen entered the No Spin Zone and verified the story. "Boehner took some statements by Reid very personally," Rosen reported. "Senator Reid said, for example, that Speaker Boehner was running the House like a 'dictatorship' and putting retaining the Speakership ahead of the nation. So when the two met at the White House, Speaker Boehner did indeed urge Senator Reid to perform upon himself a quaint anatomical impossibility." Rosen predicted that Boehner will again be elected Speaker by his fellow Republicans. "He will almost undoubtedly keep his Speakership, but what's 50-50 is whether the vote will be forced into a second ballot, which hasn't happened since 1923."
Weekdays with Bernie Segment
Do Americans care about the fiscal cliff?
Guests: Bernie Goldberg

The Factor asked Bernie Goldberg why most folks don't seem to care much about the recently-concluded negotiations. "In fairness to the American people and their cluelessness on this subject," Goldberg stated, "President Obama portrayed this as a tax issue and not a spending crisis. His stenographers in the so-called mainstream media went along with that story line, so I don't think most Americans understand that these new taxes won't begin to put a dent in Mr. Obama's trillion-dollar deficits or the $16-trillion national debt. I also don't think people have a clue as to how bad things will get if we don't get spending under control." The Factor blamed both parties, saying, "Nobody really wanted to do what was good for the folks."
Did You See That Segment
Hypocrite alert: Celebs who star in violent movies are now promoting gun control
Guests: Juliet Huddy

A new video features celebrities demanding action on gun control; in response, a pro-gun video maker juxtaposed the stars' pleas with footage from their ultra-violent movies. Fox News correspondent Juliet Huddy defended the celebrities against charges of hypocrisy. "Hollywood and the video industry are filled with violence," she conceded, "but this is the American culture. So I don't have a problem with this because they are playing a role in the movies. But the parody was pretty good and it makes you think." The Factor generally concurred with Huddy's analysis: "A lot of these Hollywood pinheads are phonies, but as an actor you can have material on the screen and it doesn't mean that your personal beliefs are reflected by that."
Factor Mail
Viewers sound off
Frank Harrison, Cranberry Township, PA: "Bill, the release of Marine Corporal Jon Hammar by Mexico speaks volumes about the ongoing commitment of you and Fox News towards safeguarding the rights of the individual. It's interesting that many of the other news agencies could not be bothered about the plight of a Marine who served his country bravely."

Lenor Ericson, Amherst, MA: "Bill, great work getting Jon Hammar released. Our family was cheering."

Linda Thomas, Walterboro, SC: "Bill, just finished Killing Kennedy. It is the best book I've ever read."
Tip Of The Day
Stay the course in '13
Factor viewers are extremely well-informed and concerned about this country, so please keep doing what you're doing because you are a force for good in America.