The O'Reilly Factor
A daily summary of segments aired on The O'Reilly Factor. A preview of the evening's rundown is posted before the show airs each weeknight.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The Factor Rundown
Talking Points Memo
Top Story
Personal Story Segment
Unresolved Problems Segment
Factor Follow Up Segment
Impact Segment
Back of Book Segment
Factor Mail
Book Mentions
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Comments
2,000 troops dead in Iraq
"Without a doubt the sacrifices Americans are making in Iraq are noble. The USA is truly trying to give the Iraqi people a chance at freedom after decades of oppression. Unfortunately the weapons of mass destruction fiasco and poor planning after Saddam's demise have clouded the Iraq situation. So fair-minded Americans are confronted with a very difficult decision. The intent in Iraq is noble, but the actual war is far more difficult than the Bush people led us to believe. It is also very hard to gauge success. The American press is largely anti-war, so its reporting emphasizes the negative. Thus many Americans and the world in general see the conflict as a loser. The solution lies with the Iraqis themselves - they must take over the fight and defeat the Islamo-fascists. The disgrace of Iraq is not that we are there. The disgrace is that some Americans are actually rooting for the USA and Britain to lose the conflict. That is treasonous and unacceptable. Talking Points salutes the families of all the service people who have died or been wounded in Iraq. Tyranny will be defeated - it's just not an easy thing to do."

Fox News Video: FoxNews.com

Post-Wilma chaos in Florida
Guests: Sally Sevareid, 105.5 FM & Tom Gallagher, Florida state treasurer

While electricity, gasoline, and ice are in short supply in south Florida, panic is abundant. Radio host Sally Sevareid claimed many of her fellow Floridians simply didn't listen to the hurricane forecasts. "I'm shocked and amazed at how many folks didn't heed the warning as seriously as they should have. I don't know how we could have been any clearer - telling people to be prepared to be on your own for three to five days." The post-Wilma chaos was made worse when some truck drivers bringing emergency supplies actually got lost. Florida State treasurer Tom Gallagher explained what happened. "Truck drivers did get lost - they had cell phones that didn't work. They weren't able to get instructions on where they were supposed to go to unload. All of us on the state level take responsibility for that." The Factor urged the state to demand that power lines be buried, even if it costs billions. "This is going to continue to happen in the state of Florida - the forecasts are that the next fifteen years are going to be just as bad. So you have to get the power lines underground or you're going to have this chaos continuing."

Missing honeymooners following Wilma
Guests: Parents Deb Jones & Jeanne Fender

Hurricane Wilma also devastated parts of Mexico and trapped thousands of visiting Americans. Gayle Brodie and her husband were vacationing in Cancun when the storm hit. "We had five wonderful days, then all hell broke loose. We were put into a shelter, and we had no water, no electricity, and used rain water to make the toilets flush. We did everything we could to survive. It was the scariest thing I've ever been through." Other affected Americans included honeymooners Lindsay and Benjamin Fender, who temporarily vanished. Lindsay's mom Deb Jones described her efforts to locate the couple. "We called their cell phones, the hotel, the Red Cross, the State Department, and we just couldn't find them." The newlyweds finally phoned their families on Wednesday, and were on their way home after being missing for three days.

Racial hatred spewed by professor
Guest: Opio Sokoni, KBMS

Former North Carolina State professor Kamau Kambon was hardly subtle when he recently suggested a solution to racial animosity: ?White people want to kill us ? we have to exterminate white people off the face of the planet.? Attorney and radio host Opio Sokoni, who organized the event at which Kambon spoke, somewhat distanced himself from the comments. "I don't condone extermination, that's not black people's way. White people here exterminated entire nations of Native Americans. So we're not excusing him, but at the same time we have to make sure that white people who have actually done these acts aren't excused either." The Factor questioned the wisdom of inviting Kambon to begin with. "I don't understand why you would invite a guy who is that hateful. That's like inviting Nazis on. You should be condemning those remarks, but to me it seems like you're excusing this guy."

Right-wing websites' hidden agenda
Guest: Tim Graham, Media Research Center

Tuesday's Factor examined the smear tactics used by left-wing web sites such as MoveOn.Org and Media Matters. But there's literally another side to the web, right-wing sites that go after their political opponents. Tim Graham of the conservative Media Research Center claimed his site is not a smear machine, but is dedicated to reporting the facts. "We're about reporting what was on the news last night. Yes, we have our moments when we find embarrassing things that people say and do, and we publicize that. But mainly the mission is to see if the news media fail in their mission to give us the straight scoop."

Defeating soft judges
Guest: Mark Cohen, Minnesota Lawyer

As The Factor reported previously, Minnesota Judge Thomas Schroeder allowed repeat child molester Joseph Duncan free on $15,000 bail, after which Duncan allegedly killed a 9-year old boy and molested his 8-year old sister. Attorney Mark Cohen defended the judge, claiming Schroeder didn't have access to all the pertinent information about Duncan's history. "What happened here was a complete breakdown. But it was the responsibility of the prosecutor to get information about Duncan to the judge. My question is why the prosecutor isn't your target?" The Factor vehemently argued that Judge Schroeder bears most of the blame. "As a judge it is your responsibility to know who is standing in front of you before you let him out the door. Schroeder is the guy who set him free, not the prosecutor. Why on Earth are you sticking up for this judge? He let a historic child predator out on $15,000 bail."

The case for Hillary Clinton
Guest: Fox News analyst Susan Estrich

Fox News analyst Susan Estrich has written a book explaining why Hillary Clinton should be elected president in 2008. "I think the best qualified candidate should win," Estrich told The Factor, "and I think the best candidate is going to be Hillary Clinton. She is incredibly smart, she has staked out a moderate position and is going to be unbeatable." The Factor pressed Estrich to clarify Clinton's views on various issues, but finally gave up in exasperation. "You write a book about Hillary Clinton but you don't know what she's going to do about anything. We don't know what Senator Clinton thinks about Iraq and we don't know what she's going to do about the border. This is a No Spin Zone and I'm not playing games - I want to know what the woman believes in and where she stands."

Viewers sound off
Factor Words of the Day
Many emails dealt with the segment on far left web sites such as MoveOn.Org and Media Matters, which are lavishly funded by billionaires George Soros and Peter Lewis. Some excerpts:

Diana Lovejoy, Buckfield, ME: "I equate the Bush administration with fascism. I support Media Matters."

Don Stacy, Houston, TX: "Bill, thanks for informing us that Peter Lewis is the CEO of Progressive Insurance. I have cancelled my policy."

Mary Kay, Chicago, IL: "Bill, surely you jest. The Factor and Fox News invented the concept of smearing."

Frank Gutting, San Antonio, TX: "Mr. O, the left attacks you personally because they have no constructive solutions to major problems. The smear tactics you encounter are a desperate attempt to impose radical views on this country."

Capt. Christ Dalton, San Diego, CA: "The smearing is rampant on both sides. Instead of engaging in honest debate, we the people are forced to listen to lies and garbage."

Book Mentions
Check out the books mentioned during this show.
The Case for Hillary Clinton
by Susan Estrich

Read more...