If you watch this program, you know that we do not nitpick Barack Obama. We are not looking to diminish the president. We don't comb the wilderness for gotcha segments. We believe that would be a huge waste of your time.
On the other hand, we are not in the tank for the president, as so many media operations are. We want to be fair to the man, but our primary obligation is to you — to deliver accurate information and fact-based analysis so you can know what's really going on.
Judging from our enormous ratings, I think we have been successful in doing that.
Tuesday, the daily Rasmussen tracking poll, which has been very accurate, says President Obama's job approval rating stands at 56 percent, while 43 percent disapprove. Just four weeks ago, the tracking poll was 61 percent approving, 37 percent dissenting. So you can see what has happened.
Of course, the economy is driving the president's numbers down, and that might not be fair, as no human being on earth could blunt the recession in the two months the president has been in office.
However, what we are seeing in the poll is a lack of confidence in the big picture. Americans are rightly concerned that Barack Obama may bankrupt this country with record peacetime spending. And as we know, much of that spending is, to be polite, dubious.
As we reported Monday night, throwing $530 million into the chaotic Detroit school system is simply crazy. The president must stop social engineering with taxpayer dollars.
The war on terror issue also has some folks nervous, like Dick Cheney.
Bottom line: Concern about the Obama administration is growing, fair or not.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
Two good guys this evening. Country singer Trace Adkins has a special performance planned for next month where he will honor wounded troops. All profits from a new song Trace has written about the military will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a very worthy charity which we support.
Also, singer Harry Connick Jr., a New Orleans native who worked very hard to help Hurricane Katrina victims, is being given an honorary degree from Tulane University, which is located in New Orleans.
So Mr. Connick and Mr. Adkins are patriots.
On the pinheads front, an odd St. Patrick's Day celebration. Here in New York City, the world's top 10 speed eaters competed to see who could polish off the most corned beef on rye sandwiches in 10 minutes. Now for you PETA people, corned beef is very chewy, not all that easy to swallow.
Chicagoan Pat Bertoletti was the -- I'm sorry, Bertoletti -- big winner, eating about 17 sandwiches, almost two per minute. Yum.
A pinhead event? You make the call.
— 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
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