By Bill O'Reilly

On November 3, 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama said this on the campaign trail:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself; I'll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But so far President Obama has not fulfilled that promise. He is staying out of the Wisconsin brawl, and there is a good reason for that.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Kimberley Strassel nails it: "President Obama is the boss of a civil workforce that numbers up to two million … Those federal workers cannot bargain for wages or benefits … In 1978, Democratic President Jimmy Carter, backed by a Democratic Congress, passed the Civil Service Reform Act. It severely proscribed the issues over which employees could bargain, as well as prohibited compulsory union support."

So federal workers don't have the union rights that Wisconsin workers have. The only thing the federal union can do is negotiate personnel matters. That's why President Obama can't go to Wisconsin. His guys don't have many union rights thanks to President Carter, and Mr. Obama hasn't advocated for any change.

According to a new poll by WisconsinReporter.com, a non-partisan group, 71 percent of Wisconsinites believe that Gov. Scott Walker's union cutbacks are fair. Seventy-one percent. And 69 percent of Wisconsin residents believe state workers have better benefits than private sector employees.

Early Friday morning, the Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill that would pretty much put the state workers union on the par with the feds. But it cannot be voted on in the Senate because 14 Democratic senators have fled the state, as you know. So that's where we are right now.

Next week, Gov. Walker is threatening to lay off thousands of Wisconsin state workers. But no matter what happens in this very important labor controversy, emotions are now getting out of control. Here's what occurred in the Wisconsin Assembly during the vote early Friday morning:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are 51 ayes, 17 nays. The bill is passed. Gentlemen from the 69 -- all in favor, say aye, all opposed say nay. The ayes have it. The bill is in the Senate. The assembly is adjourned.

(YELLING AND BOOING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The bottom line on this story -- and for public unions all over the USA -- is that cutbacks are going to happen and the power of the public unions will be diminished.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Our pal James Carville picked up a little pocket change recently:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You know if you got these, like, fancy dancy mustards and stuff like that, that's an elite kind of thing, OK? Miracle Whip is America. I love it. My wife hates it. Does that surprise anybody?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Miracle Whip and James Carville, hmmm. Is he a pinhead or a patriot for that spot? Please vote on BillOReilly.com.

Thursday night we showed you Jenna Bush teaching the "Today" show co-hosts how to dance. The results are in: 75 percent think Jenna Bush and company are pinheads for subjecting us to that; 25 percent believe they are patriots and have rhythm or something.

— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.