This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," October 10, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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O'REILLY: "Unresolved Problems" segment tonight, what to do about Iran. Looks like Israel will not take military action until after the presidential election.
But it's clear the Israelis are not going to allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon and will use military force against the Iranians if necessary.
Meantime, sanctions against Iran are hurting that country deeply as its currency is falling apart. Actor, Ben Affleck, has directed a film about Iran and I spoke with him yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
So, you make a movie about a time in history that a lot of people forget, 1979, Iran has American hostages, all right.
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR AND DIRECTOR: Indeed.
O'REILLY: It's really hurting the Carter administration. It's one of the reasons he lost to Ronald Reagan.
But why do you, a guy who wasn't even conscious at that time, why do you want to make a movie like this.
AFFLECK: You know, it was such a great story. For one thing, it's a thriller. It's actually comedy with the Hollywood satire. It's a complicated CIA movie, it's a political movie. And it's all true.
O'REILLY: All right. So, you wanted to make an entertainment though about a serious subject, rescuing Americans from a dictatorship, Iran.
AFFLECK: I did. And the serious aspect of it was that this is really a tribute to the folks and our clan that's in services, and diplomats in the foreign service who are risking their lives over there, tragically seeing examples of that very recently.
And folks who are -- what they give up to serve us and to serve our country.
O'REILLY: This is a Valentine from Ben Affleck to the Intelligence Community. The same people who water-boarded, the same people who renditioned. So, what are your liberal friends going to say to you.
AFFLECK: I don't worry too much about what my liberal friends are going to say, you know. To me, I made a movie that my friends who are Democrats and my friends who are Republicans can both watch. It's not a political movie.
O'REILLY: So, you didn't, in the back of your mind, you didn't say, "Look, I'm glorifying some people who, maybe, did bad things in the name of the country to protect it."
AFFLECK: I've been to the CIA. I met General David Petraeus. These are extraordinary honorable people at the CIA. Make no mistake about it.
O'REILLY: All right. Sounds good to hear. All right, now, Iran, again, influencing presidential election because of the nuke thing.
AFFLECK: Well, I'm worried about it in the sense that everyone has obviously a trouble spot. This is the same regime that is in my movie in 1979 with Khomeini. Now, there's Khomeini. It's the same Islamist regime.
O'REILLY: Same mentality, right.
AFFLECK: And we're still dealing with them. And if they got a bomb, I think everybody thinks that would be trouble. And I'm just an amateur pundit. But my feeling about it is, you know, one has to also be judicious. Frankly, I don't think there's a lot of --
O'REILLY: But what does judicious mean. I mean, look, here is your choice. You strangle them with sanctions, which seems to be working right now, all right.
Because the rial is collapsing, their currency.
AFFLECK: They're in bad trouble.
O'REILLY: Or you give Netanyahu the OK to go in if it reaches a certain point and whack them.
AFFLECK: My understanding is that Netanyahu is not -- or Israel is not entirely capable of whacking them to the extent in which they need to be whacked.
And I wouldn't outsource U.S. foreign policy to any other government. I would be judicious in the sense that the higher percentage of Americans don't want to see another war.
And one, I think, ought to be careful before one engages in war. However, we have to have a line beyond which we say this is not acceptable in Iran. So, it's --
O'REILLY: All right. So, if that line were crossed by Iran and they were very close, you wouldn't oppose military action to stop their nuclear program.
AFFLECK: I wouldn't oppose military action, but if the question is where the line is --
O'REILLY: That's always the question.
AFFLECK: and I'd certainly wouldn't make the line public and I wouldn't be backed into the line.
O'REILLY: All right. Now, you're a democrat, big Obama supporter this time around.
AFFLECK: I like Obama. On the major issues, I think Obama has done a good job. I'm going to vote for him.
O'REILLY: If you had to point to one thing about President Obama that he's accomplished that has impressed you, what would it be.
AFFLECK: Well, I mean, accomplished --
O'REILLY: Pick one.
AFFLECK: -- makes it sound tricky because he's advocated -- and he's tried to do a number of things and he's been stymied. His major policy goal of changing the tax structure so that the wealthy pay their fair share, to me, is of towering importance. I think the surplus was --
O'REILLY: Do you believe in income redistribution. Do you believe in --
AFFLECK: Anytime we change the tax code doesn't necessarily have to be income redistribution --
O'REILLY: No, no. But I mean, if it's taken from the guys like you and me.
AFFLECK: -- coming from the images of Eugene Debs and socialism, I mean, that's not what I'm talking about --
O'REILLY: No, no, no.
AFFLECK: -- changing the tax code a little bit.
O'REILLY: But there is a philosophy among liberal Americans. And you and I are fat cats. We're one percenters.
AFFLECK: Indeed.
O'REILLY: All right. So, you know, the philosophy is, "Well, Affleck and O'Reilly, they can pony up 40, 45 percent of what they got and we'll spread it around.
AFFLECK: I thought we were just going to return to the pre-Bush tax cut numbers. But, yes, I agree, you and I -- I don't know, you know, what your nut looks like, but I don't spend so much that I can't afford to pay a little bit more in taxes.
And I think that's important. I think the stimulus was a good thing by and large. I think it was absolutely necessary. I think it saved us from getting deeper into recession. But I'm not here to give you Obama talking points, you know.
O'REILLY: No, no, no. Listen, we're interested in you and what you think. Last question, if the President loses to Mitt Romney -- because you're a Massachusetts guy --
AFFLECK: Yes, I am.
O'REILLY: -- and he was the Governor over the base state --
AFFLECK: Indeed.
O'REILLY: -- are you going to --
AFFLECK: I know Mitt Romney. I met him. Very pleasant guy, very nice guy.
O'REILLY: -- so, you're not going to move out of the country or something. You'd be all right. You'd be OK.
(LAUGHTER)
AFFLECK: I hope not.
O'REILLY: All right. You'd be all right.
AFFLECK: Do I have to have to leave the country. I don't think there's -- I think President Obama is in good shape. I would put money on President Obama.
O'REILLY: You'd put money. How much money you want to put on it. Because I got Dick Morris back here. He'll --
AFFLECK: Not Mitt Romney money. I can't even mention $10,000.
O'REILLY: All right. The movie is "Argo." Ben Affleck, we appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'REILLY: And "Argo" has gotten great reviews. It opens on Friday.
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