Thursday, March 30, 2006
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
Jessica's Law in Ohio
"The Ohio Senate has passed a bill that mandates a 25 year prison term for the rape of a child under 13. The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that 'looming over Tuesday's vote was the specter of Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly, who launched a white hot crusade ? to impeach a Columbus judge who placed a child sex offender on probation.' I don't know whether I 'loomed over' anything, but I don know that Judge John Connor's actions were so outrageous that many Ohioans demanded justice, and so the Senate passed Jessica's law because the folks wanted it, not because I wanted it. The fight in Ohio has been brutal, with much of the media siding with Connor. It's become obvious that many in the print press simply don't want tough laws against child predators, and will attack those who disagree with that stance. Talking Points predicts by the end of 2006 most states will have a version of Jessica's Law, but the left wing media are not going to like that at all. And so the struggle continues. But the good guys have won a big victory in Ohio. We are proud of all the senators there who are looking out for the kids."

Fox News Video: FoxNews.com

Top Story
Bush and Fox on immigration
Guest: Rea Hederman, Heritage Foundation

Presidents Bush and Fox met in Cancun, Mexico on Thursday to discuss border security and illegal immigration. Conservative analyst Rea Hederman told The Factor that few issues are as important to America's future. "How we assimilate the Hispanic community into the American melting pot is going to be a huge story. There are two routes America can go - we teach immigrants about American ideals, making them learn English. Or for a negative model, we can look at France and see how they've had problems assimilating their immigrants. Assimilating these immigrants is going to be a challenge, but it's one we can overcome." The Factor outlined the sheer magnitude of immigration from the south. "With millions of immigrants going to be legalized citizens and bringing their families in, you're probably looking at the biggest mass migration of any ethnic group into America in the nation's history."

Impact Segment
Child porn and MySpace.com
Guest: Anthropologist Dana Boyd

Many young people are exchanging personal information on Internet sites such as the extremely popular MySpace.com. In one case, a 16-year old Rhode Island girl was arrested for displaying a sexually explicit photo of herself. Anthropologist Danah Boyd suggested that most teens use the sites responsibly. "There are 66-million users of MySpace.com. It's a social networking site where people gather on line, write comments back and forth, and create an environment where they can hang out. Most kids are there to hang out with their friends, and ignore messages from adults." Nevertheless, The Factor wondered whether the sites are magnets for predators. "The problem is that these dopey kids get on there and give out all kinds of personal information about themselves, and then adults can get the information and perhaps meet up."

Factor Follow Up Segment
Citizen's petition audited in Ohio
Guests: Cathy Harper Lee, Justice League of Ohio & Ohio State Senator Steve Austria

A group called the Justice League of Ohio has been leading the fight to oust Judge John Connor. The organization's Cathy Harper Lee reported that the JLO has recently been subjected to two state audits. "I don't have a problem with the first audit, but now we're also being audited by the Bureau of Workman's Compensation. I have to ask why - is this just a coincidence, or is someone behind it?" Harper Lee vowed to continue the quest to remove Connor. "We have a judge on the bench who has lost his ability to remain impartial, and this could impact hundreds of victims." The Factor was also joined by Ohio State Senator Steve Austria, who sponsored the state's Jessica's Law legislation. "Thank you for all your help on this," Austria said. "We're excited about what we did in the Senate this week - we not only passed Jessica's Law, but we passed bills that would ensure mandatory minimums in Ohio for all sex offenses."

Personal Story Segment
Talk and trouble--in America?
Guest: Author Michael Smerconish

Author and radio host Michael Smerconish has written a book detailing the many things that are literally unspeakable in modern America. Smerconish cited race as the prime area where people have to be ultra-careful. "You and I live in some crazy times. My own newspaper felt compelled to apologize for running 18 mug shots of guys wanted for murder. Why did they apologize? Because there were no Caucasians represented. But at that time there were no white guys wanted for murder." Another sensitive topic, according to Smerconish, is religion. "Patrick Cubbage, a National Honor Guardsman at a military cemetery, had a habit of presenting an American flag to the grieving next of kin and saying 'God bless you, and God bless the United States.' He was fired for that. The stories in this book make you laugh, but they make you cry."

Unresolved Problems Segment
Emotions run rampant over immigration bill
Guests: Dr. Raul Hinojosa, UCLA & columnist Michelle Malkin

Anyone favoring tighter restrictions on illegal immigration may be accused of racism. In one recent example, Katrina vanden Heuvel of the far left Nation magazine compared Congressman Tom Tancredo to David Duke. Author and columnist Michelle Malkin denounced the comparison as odious. "Katrina vanden Heuvel is a shameless smear merchant, and she's also clueless. While she was smearing Congressman Tancredo, look at what was happening in Los Angeles. The open borders activists are the extremists who believe the American southwest belongs to Mexico." Professor Raul Hinojosa defended the protestors, many of whom waved Mexican flags. "The Mexican flag represents pride in a long struggle. It's exactly the way people in the St. Patrick's Day parade raise the green. It's a pride issue. " The Factor advised both sides to cool the rhetoric. "Once you get into the hatred zone, where if I disagree with you on immigration then I'm David Duke, then all rational debate falls apart."

Back of Book Segment
Obesity epidemic in America
Guest: Writer Meme Roth

Finally, The Factor was joined by Mimi Roth, a self-described "anti-obesity" crusader. "The majority of Americans is overweight," Roth declared, "and nearly 50% of children will be overweight within the next five years. Obesity is killing us." Roth also railed against what she calls "second-hand obesity." "If you're a fat parent, you're going to have a fat kid. The rest of us pick up the tab." The Factor suggested that Roth's fight resembles a jihad. "You may be going overboard. There are people who say 'I'm not going to be a Spartan, I'm going to have some food that tastes good.' They may be a little overweight, and I've got no problem with that."

Factor Mail
Viewers sound off
Many of your e-mails dealt with the ongoing immigration debate. Some excerpts:

Wilhelm Roedenbeck, Miami, FL: "O'Reilly it is obvious you dislike Latinos. Also, your use of a few Spanish words does not help - you sound condescending."

Vinay Bhatnagar, Redmond, WA: "It took me 12 years to come to America legally from India. If we legalize those who break the law, we are sending the wrong message."

Uprndra Kanda, Atlanta, GA: "It bothers me that the Senate wants to reward illegals and not people like me who waited seven years to come to the USA."

Conrado Navarro, Abilene, TX: "Where is the Latino 'O'Reilly' who will speak in favor of upholding the law and taking responsibility for our own lives? I will take that job."

Carlos Sanchez, Panama: "Dick Morris is right. Mexico might very well elect a socialist President. Any kind of punitive action against aliens would make that happen."

Books Mentioned


Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores
by Michelle Malkin

Read more...
 


Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism-True Stories That Should Be Fiction
by Michael Smerconish

Read more...