Barney Frank on the Offense Over Health Care

Just to be clear, I'm not saying Barney Frank is offensive. I'm saying he's on the offensive, trying to convince Americans that the government should run the nation's health care system. But as we all know, that is a very tough sell these days:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported this policy? Why are you supporting it?

REP. BARNEY FRANK, D-MASS.: Let me — all right, I will…

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A real solution.

FRANK: When you ask me that question, I am going to revert to my ethnic heritage and answer your question with a question. On what planet do you spend most of your time? Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to bankrupt this country, you and the Democrats. And you're making a mistake. You're going to indebt my generation, and we're going to pay more taxes because of you, sir.

FRANK: All right, let me respond. First of all, first of all, the biggest single waste of money in one fell swoop in federal history was the war in Iraq. It was a terrible idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now what Frank did there is pettifog the issue. He introduced Iraq when that war has nothing to do with the present controversy. Frank does this kind of stuff all the time when presented with points he cannot answer.

By the way, the woman who challenged Frank is a political activist, not a regular person.

The health care chaos looks like it will never end. Wednesday we learned that presidential adviser David Axelrod may have a huge conflict of interest problem on his hands. Basically, Mr. Axelrod is owed about $2 million by a Chicago political consulting firm that is now producing Obamacare commercials. So in theory, Axelrod could be making money off the president's health care vision.

As far as President Obama is concerned, the health care war is breaking down along party lines. Democrats well understand the president cannot afford to be embarrassed on the issue. That would taint his entire presidency.

But there is no question most Americans are now dissatisfied with the president's health care deal. According to a brand-new NBC News poll, 47 percent now disapprove of the way Mr. Obama is handling health care reform, while 41 percent approve. It is clear Obama's health care policy is not playing among the folks.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

One of the founders of "60 Minutes," CBS producer Don Hewitt, died today. He was 86 years old. Mr. Hewitt was a very early fan of "The Factor," and we were pleased to talk with him in 2001:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

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DON HEWITT, FOUNDER, "60 MINUTES": You guys changed the game. There was a time when I did the Cronkite news and you either had to wait till 7 o'clock for Walter Cronkite or Huntley Brinkley to find out what happened today. That doesn't happen anymore.

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For producing excellent journalism, Don Hewitt was a patriot.

On the pinhead front, it's summertime and Britney Spears knows it, making a presentation on the David Letterman program Tuesday night:

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DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Top 10 ways the country would be different if Britney Spears were president. Are you ready? Here we go. No. 10...

BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: I'd be the first president to wear eye shadow since Nixon.

LETTERMAN: No. 4…

SPEARS: America might have a more coherent fiscal strategy.

LETTERMAN: The No. 1 way the country would be different if Britney Spears were president…

SPEARS: Finally, the media would pay some attention to me.

LETTERMAN: There you go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Is Ms. Spears a pinhead? Only you can decide.

— 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