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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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Guests:Charles Krauthammer
"With all the trouble over Obamacare, you would think that Republicans would be getting momentum. But Tea Party conservatives, as well as the hard right, continue to reject the moderate wing of the party. So while Republicans are united against Obamacare, they're fighting over ideology. The scorecard looks like this: The moderate Republican leadership features Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, John McCain, Marco Rubio, and Paul Ryan. The Tea Party hard right leadership is headed by Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Sarah Palin. Both sides are far apart, and the question is whether hard right conservatives will stay home if a non-Tea Party person gets the presidential nomination. There comes a point where people with strong beliefs have to make a decision - if the Republican Party remains divided, they'll be defeated in the midterm elections next year and lose the presidency in 2016. The situation is exacerbated by the media. The liberal mainstream media, which despises Republicans, encourages the civil war, while talk radio and some on cable news stoke the fires of conservative ideology by labeling people that compromise 'RINOs,' Republicans in Name Only. With President Obama on the ropes, Republicans have a huge opportunity. But that opportunity may slip away."
The Factor invited reaction from the always perspicacious Charles Krauthammer. "I think this is very much blown up by the liberal media," Dr. K said, "because it's a dramatic story. But this analysis is wrong because the difference between the hard right and the moderates is really over tactics, not over ideology and objectives. What we're talking about is whether it was a good idea to shut down the government. On objectives, tell me what is the fundamental difference between moderates and radicals? We all agree on limited government, on restoration of individual rights, on liberty being the central ideal, on the restoration of individual responsibility and initiative." The Factor reminded Krauthammer that the shutdown left both sides bloodied. "You said it wasn't a good idea, I said it wasn't a good idea, and we were attacked on the radio and in other cable news forums just for saying it wasn't good tactically." |
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Guests:Lt. Col. Ralph Peters
Western nations, the U.S. among them, are trying to reach a deal that would curtail Iran's nuclear capabilities. FNC's military analyst Lt. Col. Ralph Peters entered the No Spin Zone with his assessment. "This makes America look weak and foolish," Peters pronounced. "It's pretty clear that European and American diplomats were willing to accept a deal just to have a deal. Iran would give up nothing and we would loosen sanctions. John Kerry flew to Geneva expecting to sign the deal, but the French said, 'No, this is stupid, Iran is not giving up anything.' The bottom line is that you can not give the Iranians a free lunch just because they were willing to talk." Peters added that Israel was opposed to the deal and concluded, "President Obama doesn't care about Israel, he comes out of a milieu where the Israelis are the 'imperialist aggressors.'" |
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Guests:Chris Papst
A TV station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has been reporting on rampant welfare fraud; in one case a woman who won more than $300,000 in the lottery continued to collect assistance. The Factor spoke about that case with investigative reporter Chris Papst. "This is a major offense," Papst declared. "She could face felony charges, and she could go to jail and face a $10,000 fine. It's a very big deal when you defraud the state out of as much money as she potentially did." Papst also laid some blame on the Pennsylvania bureaucracy. "The state does not have the ability to talk among different departments. So even though this woman won the money from the Pennsylvania lottery, the Department of Public Welfare, which was paying for her medical bills and child care, had no way of knowing. The welfare department depends on people being honest, case workers are not encouraged to check to see if people are lying." |
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Guests:John Stossel
In another disturbing case of fraud, the IRS has sent an estimated $3.6 billion in tax refunds to identity thieves. The Factor asked Fox Business host John Stossel to elaborate. "People get Social Security numbers," Stossel explained, "and then they file a phony tax return that say you owe me this much. And the IRS just pays it! There was one address in Lithuania that got 500 refunds, you'd think the IRS would wake up to that. When you have big government programs handing out money, there will always be fraud. Eventually some of these people get caught and prosecuted, but it's a small percentage." The Factor lamented, "It seems like in this high tech age there should be a much more effective program." |
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Guests:
Kimberly Guilfoyle & Rebecca Rose Woodland
Legal analysts Rebecca Rose Woodland and Kimberly Guilfoyle began with Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is complaining about his treatment in prison. "He says there are excessive restrictions," Guilfoyle reported, "that restrict his ability to represent himself. He is kept in solitary confinement and all his communications are monitored. The ACLU is joining Tsarnaev's lawyer in saying these are undue restrictions." Woodland turned to director Spike Lee, who is being sued by an elderly couple in Florida. "Spike Lee tweeted an address that he claimed was George Zimmerman's parents' address," she said, "but it turned out to be the address of this couple. He admits that he tweeted that address. These poor people can't sell their house, they just want to leave!" |
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Guests:
A middle school football team in Corbett, Oregon was rewarded for a good season with an outing to a hooters restaurant. the school district didn't like that and booted the coach but the boys, ages 12 to 14, went to hooters anyway. Harmless fun on potential trouble? Monica and Alan debate it. |
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Ken Kellow, Peach Bottom, PA: "Bill, go back to Levittown. Leave the NFL alone. It's their business, not yours."
Carol Carlson, Hudsonville, MI: "Bill, I chuckled when you stopped Jay Glazer's spin of trying to explain the outrageous behavior going on inside the Miami Dolphins. You kept the Factor in the No Spin Zone."
Ron Wentworth, Nokomis, FL: "Bill, you and the Wall Street Journal were tough on the VA. As a Vietnam vet, I've been very pleased with the care I've received." |
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| Check out the selection of Factor gear and other items at the BillOReilly.com Christmas Store. In keeping with the Judeo-Christian tenet of generosity, Bill reminded viewers, "All the money I get on BillOReilly.com is devoted to charity." |
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