Friday, January 7, 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
Character assassination, part 2
"Alberto Gonzales has been accused of aiding the Abu Ghraib crimes, of human rights violations, of promoting the torture of innocent people. All of that is false. While the issue of terrorist interrogation is a legitimate debate subject, demonizing Gonzales is wrong. Alberto Gonzales is a patriot and a role model for minority children. The left wing press should be ashamed, but it's not. It's angry that President Bush won re-election, so it's lashing out and assassinating characters all over the place. The right does this too, primarily on the radio. But in print, the defamation falls squarely on the progressives. Personal attacks are designed to hurt people, not enlighten or persuade. America is slowly losing freedom and core values, and if you doubt it, just think about Alberto Gonzales and the garbage he is going through. There's something very wrong here, and the media is 100 percent to blame."

Transcript: FoxNews.com
Top Story
Playing up No Child Left Behind?
Guest: Commentator Armstrong Williams

Conservative radio and television host Armstrong Williams was reportedly paid $240,000 by the Department of Education to say positive things about the "No Child Left Behind" legislation. Williams told The Factor his support for the bill had nothing to do with money: "It gave the appearance that I was paid to advocate No Child Left Behind. That is not true--I was always an advocate." However, Williams conceded that he is guilty of serious misjudgment. "I made a mistake, and I'm going to pay a price for it. I've learned my lesson." The Factor told Williams he broke a cardinal media rule by not disclosing he had received money from someone on whom he was reporting. "You're not going to go to jail for this, but it looks bad. You look like you're tainted."
Impact Segment
Internet bullying
Guest: Attorney Scott Bickford

Three teenagers have been arrested for cyber-stalking and issuing threats over the internet. The harassment included specific threats of violence. "I think there will be a conviction in this case," Attorney Scott Bickford told The Factor. "Clearly the threat of violence against people crosses the line from free speech." Bickford warned of a looming epidemic of internet harassment and stalking. "The problem is nationwide, and it will only get worse and worse. And unfortunately, you have the ignorance of a lot of parents at home who allow their kids to become prey."
Unresolved Problems Segment
Michael Jackson case leaks
Guest: Harvey Levin, Celebrity Justice

Both sides of the Michael Jackson child molestation case are leaking rumors. Most recently, gossip and rumor about Jackson's past sexual behavior surfaced on a web site. "Clearly this came from the prosecution," claimed Harvey Levin of Celebrity Justice. "But I'm told the cops are extremely upset about these rumors, because they wanted this information sprung at the trial." Levin also revealed that police are now searching for another boy allegedly molested by Jackson in the past. "We have found out that Santa Barbara cops are on the hunt for another alleged victim. They've been talking to this boy's relatives and to a private investigator." Regarding the latest leaks, The Factor suggested they could backfire: "This diminishes the prosecution, and I think they're making a huge mistake. They look sleazy."
Personal Story Segment
Swift Boat Vet loses job
Guest: Steve Gardner

Steve Gardner, who served with John Kerry in Vietnam, claims he was fired from his job for disparaging Kerry in a Time magazine article. His former employer says Gardner was simply the victim of downsizing. "Three days before this article," Gardner told The Factor, "the company had heaped accolades on me for a job well done. Twenty-four hours after the article my job was downsized and I was eliminated. You have to draw your own conclusions." The Factor suggested that any employer who may have a job for Gardner should send an e-mail to oreilly@foxnews.com.
Factor Follow Up Segment
Michael Moore award
Guests: Mark Simone, WABC & David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor

Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" was named best non-fiction film of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle. The Factor believes most critics engage in "groupthink," and most are on the far left of the political spectrum. "I don't think all critics think one way," argued David Sterritt of the Christian Science Monitor. "The Critics Circle includes movie critics from the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and New York Daily News, papers hardly known for their left-wing bias." Radio talk show host Mark Simone countered that most critics are cut from the same cloth: "They see these movies in screenings with other critics who think exactly the same way. I heard that in the 9/11 screening critics had tears in their eyes."
Back of Book Segment
Fixing America
Guest: Author & KLIF personality Darrell Ankarlo

Author and radio host Darrell Ankarlo has written a book called "What Went Wrong With America and How To Fix It." "We lost our vision," Ankarlo asserted. "We started off as a Christian nation, and we've moved away from it. I'm not saying we should be a theocracy, but that is the foundation we were built on." The Factor countered that those beginning years had a dreadful downside. "When the country was founded it was all white guys, and blacks were slaves. There was no diversity--all one color, all one religion."
Books Mentioned


What Went Wrong with America and How to Fix It: Reclaiming the Power That Rightfully Belongs to You
by Darrell Ankarlo

Read more...