Wednesday, January 12, 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
Dishonesty in media
"As Talking Points has pointed out, the most important thing about the Dan Rather/CBS News situation was that fired producer Mary Mapes was in close contact with the Kerry campaign. Imagine if Kerry had won the election--you simply can't have a presidential vote influenced by journalistic fraud. You would think everyone in the media would get this, right? But an analyst on MSNBC blamed part of the CBS fiasco on a Fox News executive. And the Los Angeles Times editorialized against Fox News as well, suggesting Fox should have been more skeptical of claims made by the Swift Boat Veterans. There's no reason to inject Fox News into the CBS problem, and we were very skeptical of the Swift Boat tactics. So why is the LA Times misleading its readers once again? The answer is that paper and others in the far left zone hate Fox News and will say just about anything to try to marginalize us. The big picture here is the truth. How can you make an informed decision if major newspapers are flat-out lying to you? This is not the first time the LA Times has attacked Fox News, but this editorial is truly outrageous. I challenge Michael Kinsley, who runs the editorial page, to come on the Factor and explain himself."

Transcript: FoxNews.com
Top Story
Where is the money going?
Guests: Robert Woodson, President, National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise & Dr. Leslie Lenkowsky, Indiana University

Americans are remarkably generous, but can they be sure their contributions are actually reaching tsunami victims? Professor Leslie Lenkowsky said donors can generally be confident. "There are a lot of ways to identify worthy charities," according to Lenkowsky. "It's going to be very difficult in an incident like this one in Asia, but by and large most of the organizations working there will do a good job of getting the money where it's needed." Community activist Robert Woodson argued it's reasonable to be wary of how money is being spent. "You can injure with the helping hand. Over the past forty years the government has spent a trillion dollars on programs to aid the poor, yet 80 percent of those dollars don't go to the poor, but to people who serve the poor. It has created a poverty industry. So there is a reason that Americans are leery about where our money goes."
Factor Follow Up Segment
West Coast weather
Guest: James Lee Witt, former FEMA chief

The National Flood Insurance Program will reimburse many Californians whose homes have been destroyed by the floods and mudslides. James Lee Witt, former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency defended the program as sound. "If you have a home in a flood plain," Witt told The Factor, "you're required to have Federal flood insurance. The program is self-sustaining through premiums, and there is no taxpayer money appropriated by Congress." Witt feels communities can do a better job of building homes that are more resistant to natural disasters. "We have a tremendous amount of homes that were built before building codes and flood mapping. We can build better and safer communities."
Children at Risk Segment
Bad behavior in sports
Guest: Boomer Esaison, football analyst

Both on and off the field, some athletes are behaving in ways that could have a negative effect on impressionable kids. Last week NFL star Randy Moss pretended to "moon" opposing fans in Green Bay. Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason said Moss is the proverbial bad apple that spoils the barrel. "Players say they want to be treated like men, but they often do childish acts. But for every Randy Moss and Ron Artest I can point to a hundred athletes who respect the game and have had a positive effect on their communities. It's players like Randy Moss who unfortunately put a stain on the entire league."
Impact Segment
Felony abortion
Guest: Attorney Miranda Massie

A 16-year old Michigan boy has been charged with a felony for intentionally aborting his girlfriend's 6-month fetus by hitting her with a miniature baseball bat. The boy's attorney Miranda Massie argued that he does not deserve punishment. "These are gentle and great kids," Massie said. "You don't prosecute two desperate kids who are already traumatized." Instead Massie turned the episode into an indictment of anti-abortion activists. "We can provide teens with access to safe and legal abortions and access to intelligent information about sex, or we are going to see more back alley abortions like this one. Parental notification laws and abstinence-only sex ed(ucation approaches) add up to desperate acts like these."
Personal Story Segment
Thinking about Judgment Day
Guests: Authors Dr. Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have written the best-selling "Left Behind" series, which deals with the cataclysmic events described in Revelations. "We believe Judgment Day is coming and the Bible is clear about that," LaHaye told The Factor. "We want to teach what the book of Revelations says, and also make it an interesting book to read." Co-author Jenkins expanded. "We believe there will be a rapture someday, but we don't know when. Christ will return and take all true believers to Heaven with himself. We believe judgment will come, and we want people to be ready."
Back of Book Segment
Hollywood's revenge
Guest: Actress & author Carrie Fisher

Actress and author Carrie Fisher, daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, was born and bred among the Hollywood elite. She talked about left-leaning Hollywood's reaction to President Bush's re-election. "I wouldn't say everyone is running around stunned. But there were a lot of people who were disappointed." The Factor suggested Hollywood might exact revenge by awarding Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" a Best Picture Oscar nomination, but Fisher took issue with that notion. "Doesn't that sound silly? Actors and actresses aren't that stupid. There are actually smart people in Hollywood."
Books Mentioned


The Best Awful
by Carrie Fisher

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The Left Behind Box Set: Books 5-8
by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

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The Left Behind Box Set: Books 1-4
by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

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