A huge victory for America's kids, that's the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."
Last night, the Senate passed the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which was held up for two years. This after John Walsh and I appealed you, the American people, to contact Senator Kennedy's office and ask him to stop blocking this vital piece of legislation.
After thousands of you did that, Kennedy decided to drop his objection to an immediate vote and the bill passed unanimously last night.
Now give Senator Kennedy credit. He could have been stubborn about it, but he did the right thing. So once again, "Factor" viewers and listeners have made a huge difference. And I have a special message for all of you posted on billoreilly.com.
I'd also like to congratulate Senators Bill Frist and Orrin Hatch, who drove the bill, along with John Walsh, who is a true American hero. The House is expected to join the Senate soon and President Bush will certainly sign the bill into law. That means every police officer in the USA will now be able to know if any sexual predators are living in his or her jurisdiction.
States like Vermont and Pennsylvania, which refuse to pass sex offender registries will now have to or lose federal funding.
There will be one huge computerized federal database. And penalties are increased for predators who cross state lines to hurt children. Again, this is a huge victory for the kids.
On a personal note, the next time you hear somebody rip "The Factor", ask them what exactly they're doing for the country? Chances are the ripper is doing jack. Pun intended.
It was no accident that most of the so-called elite media ignored the story today. Only saw a small piece in The L.A. Times. The New York Times totally ignored it.
The reason is that the secular left does not want Jessica's Law or tough federal oversight of convicted sex offenders. This goes against the notion that all criminals should be rehabilitated and left alone after serving their time. Very few liberal media outlets will admit it, but that's exactly what's going on.
However, it doesn't matter. Jessica's Law — or a variation of it — is now a reality in about 25 states. And the new federal legislation means there is no longer anywhere for predators to hide.
Today's a great day in America.
And that's "The Memo."
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
The death watch continues at Air America. This month The City Journal of New York reports the progressive radio network will soon fold after losing its New York City affiliate. City Journal puts forth that even though President Bush's approval ratings are falling, Air America's ratings are falling even faster. This, of course, is bad news for the left wing press which has consistently propped that network up but now it seems the end is near.
Ridiculous? you make the call. I'll tell you one thing — smear merchants never prosper.
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