But did you know the Associated Press, America's largest news wire service, used 11 reporters to check the accuracy of Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue"? Eleven.

Barack Obama has had two best-selling books. The Associated Press did not fact-check either one.

AP spokesman Paul Colford says that's because then-Senator Obama wasn't a major player when his books came out. Even if you believe that flimsy excuse, once he did become a presidential contender, shouldn't the AP have fact-checked his books?

I know I am beating a dead industry here, but the blatant left-wing bias of the American press has reached critical mass. It is simply out of control.

Even if you don't like Sarah Palin, you know she has been treated unfairly by the media. It shouldn't be happening.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

In Portland, Oregon, a father and son were about to get off mass transit when disaster struck. Somehow the 3-year-old boy got out of the train, but his father did not and rolled away. You can imagine the boy's fear.

Well, a kind woman comforted Aiden Bailey until his dad Aaron could make his way back. The lady is still unidentified, but she is quite a patriot.

On the pinhead front, say hello to Martha Stewart, who is commenting on her rival Rachael Ray:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA STEWART: She professed that she cannot bake. She just did a new cookbook which is just a re-edit of a lot of her old recipes, and that's not good enough for me. I mean, I really want to write a book that is a unique and lasting thing, something that will really fulfill a need in someone's library. So she's different. She's more of an entertainer with a bubbly personality than she is a teacher. She's a totally different kind of cook than I am. I don't know if she has a garden. I don't think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That sounds a little catty to us, so Ms. Stewart might be a pinhead.

— 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

It took us more than a year to get Sarah Palin on "The Factor." The McCain people kept her away from us. So when she writes about the senator's campaign muzzling her in her new book, I know that's true.

There is no question Sarah Palin is a media star who commands attention wherever she goes. In America today, that's enough for her to build on if she wants to run for president in 2012.

Very simply, that's why Sarah Palin matters. She's big. She could mount a serious primary challenge. That's why the far left despises her. Mrs. Palin has the attention of the folks.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Former "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks is doing a good thing. She's on a media tour urging teenagers not to text and drive, which is a huge problem in America. For this, Ms. Sparks is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, Forbes magazine analyzed some Hollywood stars to see whether they're worth their salaries.

Actor Will Ferrell came in dead last. Apparently for every dollar they pay him, the studio takes in only $3.29. By contrast, Shia LaBeouf, who starred in the "Transformers" movies, brings in $160 for every dollar he's paid.

You can look at this two ways: Either Mr. Ferrell is a pinhead, or he's incredibly smart for earning all that money for so little return. 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

A new Quinnipiac poll shows his approval rating has dropped below 50 percent for the first time. But Mr. Obama is shrewd, and so he made himself available for some interviews while in Asia.

Fox News correspondent Major Garrett pinned the president down on whether Obamacare would compel taxpayers to fund abortions. That's the so-called Stupak amendment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJOR GARRETT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Will you sign legislation on health care that includes the Stupak language?

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You know, I think that there is a balance to be achieved that is consistent with the Hyde amendment, what existed before we reformed health care. I believe in the basic idea that federal dollars shouldn't pay for abortions, but I also think we should not restrict women's choices.

GARRETT: Does the Stupak language strike that balance?

OBAMA: Not yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The problem is the president wants it both ways. He knows forcing pro-life taxpayers to fund abortion is wrong. Every fair-minded person knows that.

Yet the president falls back on the liberal line that women should have the choice to give birth, but that has nothing to do with other people paying for that birth or the termination of a pregnancy. The Constitution does not compel American taxpayers to abort babies. Mr. Obama should wise up.

The other hot issue is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Al Qaeda thugs being tried in New York City. All the polls show Americans overwhelmingly reject that, believing the military should handle the terror killers. But Mr. Obama is holding firm:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you understand why it is offensive to some for this terrorist to get all of the legal privileges of an American citizen?

OBAMA: I don't think it will be offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Wow, the president just convicted these guys. I think that may be unconstitutional.

The point is the terrorists should be convicted because they've admitted what they've done. There's no need for a show trial; there's no need to give them a propaganda outlet. Again, the president needs to wise up.

Even though Mr. Obama has been in office less than a year, his image is beginning to tarnish. We've been fair to the president here, but common sense must rule, not far-left ideology. The president has always struck me as a practical man, but recently his decision-making has been dubious to say the least.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Our pal Clint Eastwood is approaching 80 years old, if you can believe it, and has some strong opinions about America.

Speaking to GQ magazine, Mr. Eastwood says: "It seems like our country's in kind of a morbid mood, because of the recession or whatever. We're becoming more juvenile as a nation. The guys who won World War II and that whole generation have disappeared, and now we have a bunch of teenage twits."

We feel that's dead-on, so Clint remains a patriot.

On the pinhead front, Bob Dylan has recorded a Christmas album, which includes a Christmas video.

Click here to watch a clip of the video!

Did you ever think you'd see that? Is Mr. Dylan a pinhead? Up to you.

— 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

But what I find fascinating is the bashing the governor continues to receive. Here's what was said on CNN Monday night:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAOMI WOLF, AUTHOR: She wasn't just doing what the McCain team wanted. She was carrying water for policies of Rove and Cheney and Bush, including policies on torture — bear with me — and history has seen plenty of examples of a cabal, a group of people who get into power and choose a telegenic, charming, Evita-type front person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Notice the Evita reference. She was Eva Peron, a populist in Argentina loved by the folks who achieved big-time power.

Far-left pundit Eugene Robinson picked up the theme in The Washington Post: "No force on Earth can stop Sarah Palin from becoming our very own 'lite' version of Eva Peron, a glamorous and tragic legend."

Now, what are the odds that Naomi Wolf and Eugene Robinson, who operate worlds apart, come up with the Eva Peron comparison at exactly the same time? I think slim and none would be the answer to that question.

So the left is now peddling Sarah Palin as a shallow demagogue who would lead us to tragic circumstance, and fear is driving that point of view.

A study last year by the Culture and Media Institute, a conservative group, examined network news coverage of Mrs. Palin from September 29 to October 12 as she campaigned. There were 69 stories about the governor: 37 of them were negative, 30 neutral and just two — two — positive. Twenty-one of the stories portrayed Sarah Palin as unintelligent and unqualified. Eight stories used clips from "Saturday Night Live" to ridicule her. ABC News was hardest on Mrs. Palin, closely followed by NBC News.

Again, is that kind of presentation an accident? No.

So what is the left frightened about when a CBS poll shows just 23 percent of Americans have a favorable view of her?

Well, potential, that's what.

The same CBS poll shows 37% of Americans are basically undecided about Governor Palin, so she has the potential to persuade millions of voters that her vision for the country is worthy.

Mrs. Palin is the only Republican who is a genuine star, a media phenomenon. If she can recapture credibility, she can rise fast. Today, folks are getting fed up with government intrusion, political correctness and murky policies that drain personal freedom.

Polls show President Obama slipping in job approval. If that continues, a populist like Sarah Palin might well emerge as a serious contender for power. That is why the attacks on her keep coming. The left fears Sarah Palin.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

This week on "Regis and Kelly," Regis got into a little trouble talking to Meryl Streep about her children:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY": And then the third daughter broke her leg. I mean, it never ends at your place.

MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: What?

PHILBIN: A break...

KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY": Got her big break.

PHILBIN: Oh.

STREEP: Oh my God.

PHILBIN: Here it is. Daughter Grace just got her big break. Well, I was close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For being good sports, Ms. Streep and Mr. Philbin are patriots.

On the pinhead front, our pal Woody Harrelson smokes a lot of weed, and it may be affecting his outlook.

In an interview, Mr. Harrelson talked about the motivation for the Afghan war, saying: "The guys from Chevron went in and met with the Taliban and realized those guys just weren't in control enough. That's why they wanted to oust them... American foreign policy has always been not about spreading democracy, but about spreading capitalism."

Woody Harrelson's latest movie is "Zombieland." The word is some of the zombies think he is a pinhead.

— 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

The New York Times, among others, is thrilled about the Dobbs exit, editorializing:

"Mr. Dobbs' CNN program has long been a nesting ground for untruths and conspiracy theories... It's hard to pinpoint how much damage these kinds of ideas have done to the national discussion of illegal immigration, but they have been corrosive. Solutions have withered as many politicians parrot the central myth that people desperate to seek new lives in the United States are an affliction to be feared, not an opportunity to be engaged, future Americans who could enrich the country as immigrants always have and will."

The anti-immigrant label applied to Lou Dobbs did not sit well with CNN, which is dominated by liberal management. Also, Dobbs gave voice to the birthers, a fringe group that believes President Obama was not born in the USA.

But it was the immigration deal that defined Lou:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't get me wrong, it's hard to leave. But in recent years, it's become clear that the "C" in CNN is not the letter "C," but rather the Spanish word si, meaning yes, as in yes, the Mexicans are coming and they're here to stay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, I, of course, wish only the best to my replacement John King, aka Juan King.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

According to the polls, most Americans are not anti-immigration, but they are firmly against chaos and the quasi-open border system The New York Times embraces. After all, where is the fairness of amnesty for people who break the law coming here while others wait for years to legally come to the USA?

On the subject of criminal illegal aliens, "The Factor" and Lou Dobbs have been quite clear: zero tolerance. Commit a crime, serve time and then be banished forever.

But again, that deeply offends liberal America, which rarely makes value judgments about bad behavior. It's all theory to them. The struggling downtrodden deserve every break, every entitlement, even if destruction and heartbreak is the result.

CNN is not a place that embraces controversy or conservative/populist principles, and so the departure of Lou Dobbs was inevitable. It's a miracle he lasted as long as he did.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Last Friday, "The Factor" turned out to support the Safe at Home Foundation, run by L.A. Dodger manager Joe Torre and his wife. The charity helps women and children who are being abused.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE TORRE, SAFE AT HOME FOUNDATION: We need for them to understand that they're not alone, it's not their fault, and, you know, hopefully they can — they can find a little more peace of mind. I grew up with low self-esteem, because I just felt I had done something wrong as a youngster and caused my mom and dad to have problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For his fine work, Mr. Torre is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, our pal Bruce Springsteen was playing in the Detroit area over the weekend:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: Good evening, Ohio!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Since Ohio is about 100 miles south of where The Boss was performing, his acknowledgment is a bit perplexing. It is possible The Boss is a geographical pinhead.

— 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

As you may know, he was waterboarded and gave up some of his Al Qaeda colleagues, who were then taken into custody. For the past three years, Mohammed has been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, where he should have been tried in front of a military tribunal.

The man is a war criminal. He killed thousands of civilians. That's what war criminals do. It is hard to believe the Obama administration does not understand that.

So now Mohammed will be tried in a New York City civilian court, and New York Congressman Peter King is outraged:

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING, R-NY: Absolutely no purpose to be gained by this. It's going to put Americans at risk and probably most importantly, it's going to be giving constitutional right to war criminals who are not entitled to them. This, I think, will go down as one of the worst decisions any president has ever made.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

But the Obama administration sees it differently:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm a prosecutor myself. I've looked at the evidence. I've considered the problems that these cases present, and I'm quite confident that we're going to be successful in the prosecution efforts. To the extent that there are political consequences, well, you know, I'll just have to take my lumps to the extent that those are sent my way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" believes that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will not be on trial in New York City; waterboarding and the CIA will be. The exposition is likely to be a fiasco. It will take years. It will cost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Again, why are we doing this? Do you think the 9/11 families want to see a circus? Do you think they appreciate the fact that an Al Qaeda killer and his lawyers will get to spew all kinds of anti-American propaganda? Because that's what's going to happen.

President Obama should explain this thoroughly. Instead the announcement is made while he's in Asia. Does that tell you something? Why didn't he wait until he got back? I'll tell you why: because this is indefensible.

War criminals should be tried by military people. If you don't know about the trials at Nuremberg, look them up. Hermann Goring was not taken to New York City and tried before a civilian jury because that would have been insane — just as this is.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

As you may know, Sarah Palin is promoting her new book "Going Rogue," and Oprah asked her about the father of her daughter Bristol's baby, Levi Johnston, coming for Thanksgiving dinner:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN, AUTHOR, "GOING ROGUE": He is a part of the family. We want to bring him in the fold and kind of under your wing. And he needs that, too. I think he needs to know that he is loved. He has the most beautiful child, and this can all work out for good. It really can. We don't have to keep going down this road of controversy and drama all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Forgiveness is the hallmark of a true patriot, but we still don't know whether Mr. Johnston will be invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the Palins.

By the way, the governor will be here on "The Factor" next Thursday and Friday.

On the pinhead front, the balloon boy parents were in court Friday. Richard Heene pled guilty to felony charges of attempting to influence a public servant to avoid the deportation of his wife Mayumi to her native Japan. She pled guilty to lesser charges of false reporting.

You may remember the Colorado couple told authorities last month that their 6-year-old son was trapped in a runaway weather balloon. They are still in civil trouble over that and remain pinheads.

— 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

So you can see that apparently the American media is still under the sway of the White House and not accurately portraying things as they really are.

In TIME magazine this week, editor at large Nancy Gibbs leads the coverage with an article entitled: The Fort Hood Killer: Terrified or Terrorist?

With all due respect, I don't care if Hasan was terrified and I know he is a terrorist. The TIME article discusses the pressure of Iraq and Afghanistan, but you can't be blaming American foreign policy for the actions of a terrorist killer like Hasan. It simply doesn't add up.

NPR, a usually liberal outlet, has been a sane voice in evaluating Hasan, who was charged in a military court Thursday with 13 counts of premeditated murder. National Public Radio reports that Hasan's supervisors at the Walter Reed hospital in Washington had reprimanded him for telling a patient, "Islam can save your soul."

Also, The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Hasan may have wired money to Pakistan, but that is still not confirmed.

What is confirmed is that Hasan was involved with Islamic terror elements. But the media still — still — does not want to acknowledge the truth. That's downright dangerous because people are dying all over the world, the victims of terrorism generated by fanatical Muslims.

It is time the American media wised up, got honest and told the folks exactly the danger we all face.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

You may remember that rapper Kanye West embarrassed singer Taylor Swift a few months ago at the MTV awards. Well Wednesday night, the country music world got its revenge:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD PAISLEY, COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER: Who can forget this country classic?

(SINGING) Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Kanye.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD, COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER (SINGING): Let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks.

BOTH (SINGING): 'Cuz cowboys have manners. They don't interrupt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For cleverly defending Ms. Swift, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley are patriots.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, a young couple was in the middle of their wedding vows when something happened:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

The rings, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!

Are you OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now we don't know whether that was staged or not, but it's getting big play on the internet, and there might be pinheads involved.

— 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

But now there is a military controversy over the assassin Hasan.

As you may know, the FBI picked up information that the major was e-mailing an Al Qaeda recruiter in Yemen. The feds say they passed the information along to the Army. The Army says that's not true.

Only a congressional investigation will get to the bottom of this, and there should be one, because there is no question that Hasan is a terrorist, a man who murdered 13 innocent people because of jihad, the Muslim holy war.

As “Talking Points” strongly stated Tuesday night, the massacre at Fort Hood is not a crime, not a tragedy, not the action of a man snapping. It is an act of war perpetrated by a Muslim terrorist who believes that infidels should die.

Now, we all know the Obama administration and many other Americans have trouble with that kind of definition. They don't want to be seen demonizing Islam. I understand that. But not all Germans in World War II were evil, and many good Americans fought for the South in the Civil War. The folks know not all Muslims are terrorists, so we should stop the nonsense. It is important for America to teach the world that terrorism must be confronted, not misdefined.

With all due respect to President Obama, you don't win hearts and minds by avoiding the problem. And the problem is fanatical Muslims trying to kill innocent Americans and other so-called infidels. So the president should wise up and try to rally the world against these killers.

Nidal Malik Hasan should have been flagged, neutralized and dealt with. But he wasn't because some people in America continue to run away from the problem.

And that's “The Memo.”

Pinheads & Patriots

Fox News anchor Jon Scott holds court each day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. along with Jane Skinner. But in his off-hours, Mr. Scott is a thespian.

Click here to watch a clip of Jon Scott in "Camelot"!

If you don't know, Jon is playing Lancelot in "Camelot" in a community theater production. For sheer guts, he is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, welcome back, Jane Fonda. On her Web site, she blogs about the abortion debate:

"This is a power struggle that has existed from the very beginning of the 120-year fight over reproductive rights. Every dictator — Stalin, Ceausescu, Hitler — has made anti-choice a central component of their agenda."

Why Ms. Fonda cannot respect legitimate pro-life views is a mystery, thus she remains a pinhead.

— 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

Forty-two people were wounded in the attack. Some of them attended the service, but eight are still in intensive care.

President Obama said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy, but this much we do know. No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. No just and loving God looks upon them with favor. For what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice in this world and the next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well said.

As we reported Monday, the assassin Hasan was known to the Army as a terrorist sympathizer. So now an investigation will take place to find out why the man was not discharged.

Apparently Hasan had e-mailed a recruiter for Al Qaeda in Yemen, perhaps as many as 20 times. The Washington Post reports the FBI did not believe that action warranted an investigation, but apparently the information was passed along to the Army.

For some reason, the media continues to have trouble with the Muslim-terror angle to this story:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MATTHEWS, NBC NEWS: Apparently, he tried to contact Al Qaeda. Is that the point at which you say this guy's dangerous? That's not a crime to call up Al Qaeda, is it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Chris, hold on a second.

MATTHEWS: Is it? I mean, where do you stop the guy?

BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS NEWS: It's looking more and more like he was just sort of a religious nut, and you know…

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

SCHIEFFER: ...Islam doesn't have a majority or the Christian religion has its…

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A corner on that.

SCHIEFFER: ...full, you know, full helping of nuts, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I cringe that he's a Muslim. I mean, because it just inflames all the fears. I think he's probably just a nutcase.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It really is tragic that he was a Muslim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When a Muslim enlists in the military, I have heard many stories that they've been harassed, that a lot of pressure has been put on them. They're just not made to feel welcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Here on "The Factor" we have reported this story straight. Hasan is a Muslim terrorist, period. He killed out of blind hatred. He is a villain and there is no excuse for his rampage.

We do, however, continue to believe that most Muslims are good people, and I understand they must be protected, but not to a ridiculous degree. The evidence was there about Hasan, but political correctness prevented action.

To a large extent, the media drives the PC insanity, and it's appalling.

Muslims are the source of much terrorism on this planet, so when an American Muslim begins sympathizing with jihad, as Hasan did, action must be taken. Let's stop the nonsense. People are dying.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Former beauty contestant Carrie Prejean is still in the news. Apparently she made a sex tape as a teenager and regrets it:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARRIE PREJEAN, FORMER MISS CALIFORNIA USA: It was the biggest mistake of my life. You know, I was all by myself. I was sending a boyfriend at the time, who I loved and cared about, you know, video of me and...

HANNITY: This is — this is when you were a teenager?

PREJEAN: Yes, I was a teenager at the time. And never did I ever think it would ever come out. But it was bad judgment, you know, and it's embarrassing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"The Factor" believes in redemption, and for being honest, Miss Prejean could be a patriot. You make the call.

On the pinhead front, the program "Gossip Girl" got a bit provocative Monday night.

Click here to watch the controversial clip.

Obviously the producers of the program did that for ratings. They might be pinheads.

— 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

If true, that's huge. Why would the Army allow any soldier to serve under those circumstances?

But it may not be the Army's fault. It's not clear if the CIA shared that information about Hasan. What is clear is that the situation is becoming intense.

The Washington Post is reporting that Hasan attended a mosque in Virginia where the imam is a radical anti-American guy. The cleric, Anwar al-Aulaqi, is also suspected of having contact with two of the 9/11 terrorists. So you can see the Fort Hood massacre story is becoming more than a random killing.

But we must be careful here. There are thousands of patriotic Muslim Americans, some of who are serving in the military:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: I believe it would be an even greater tragedy if our diversity becomes a casualty here. And it's not just about Muslims. We have a very diverse Army.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But it is about Muslims. What Gen. Casey is saying is that we cannot demonize all Muslims, and that's what President Obama said last week as well:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We don't know all the answers yet, and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" does not disagree with the president, but now aggressive action must be taken to find out what was known about Hasan and who knew it. This guy just didn't snap. He was indoctrinated into Muslim fanaticism, and people knew it.

Political correctness can get people killed. I believe that's part of the Fort Hood massacre story. Hasan was a weird guy. He said inappropriate things. He did inappropriate things. Yet he continued to serve as a major in the Army largely because, I believe, he is a Muslim.

By the way, Hasan is awake and able to talk. He remains in stable condition at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

In an amazing piece of video from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., a baby deer somehow got into the lion cage. Not good…

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run! Run!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For a while it looked like the deer might make it, but that did not happen. All patriots are sad at the outcome.

On the pinhead front, soccer is an intense game, sometimes too intense. Player Elizabeth Lambert, a junior at the University of New Mexico, got a little rowdy during a recent match with Brigham Young University. Ms. Lambert resorted to punching — not nice — a little bit of kicking, and she even pulled her opponent's hair, yanking her to the ground. New Mexico lost the match 1-0.

Ms. Lambert has been indefinitely suspended and obviously the pinhead label would apply.

— 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

The New York Times headline: "Told of War Horror, Gunman Feared Deployment." The article says the attacker didn't want to go to Afghanistan, so he killed 13 people. Does that make any sense to you?

The Washington Post headline: "Fort Hood Has Felt the Strain of Repeated Deployments." Again, the newspaper bringing up American foreign policy in conjunction with Hasan's mass murder.

Perhaps the zaniest thing said was courtesy of Dr. Phil:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

DR. PHIL: We're dealing with a very different kind of war here, and we know that there is a tremendous degree of stress with this war. And I think the military will tell you that it's a new animal and nobody knows exactly what to do with it. I think he had maybe seen the problems that some of these soldiers were experiencing when they come back to try to reintegrate into society, and maybe the fear got him and he just snapped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The problem with Phil's analysis is the Afghan war is not nearly as intense, casualty-wise, as most other wars. In eight years, 640 Americans have been killed in action there. Maybe Major Hasan is a coward, but that would not explain murdering 13 innocent people.

Newsweek magazine has a very extreme take on the story as well. Writer Andrew Bass says, "What if Thursday's atrocious slaughter at Fort Hood only signals that the worst is yet to come? That the two wars currently being waged are taking a psychological toll on the soldiers is no surprise." Unbelievably stupid and insulting to the military.

Hasan has not served in any war. The guy killed people for absolutely no reason. Somebody tell Newsweek.

We all know the far left has a problem with personal responsibility. It's always somebody else's fault. As Flip Wilson used to say, "The devil made me do it."

You may remember when late-term abortion Dr. George Tiller was assassinated, the media blamed me for reporting on Tiller's gruesome activities. The left-wing media barely mentioned the assassin's name. It was all an attempt to marginalize anyone opposing late-term abortions.

Now the far-left loons are using the murders at Fort Hood to raise questions about Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Talking Points" believes media that use tragedy to ram home political points are despicable. That should never happen. This Hasan should be condemned all day long. That's the story. The guy is either a Muslim terrorist or a crazy person. That's it. Those are the choices. Hasan's computer should tell authorities if this rampage was planned well in advance. If so, he's a terrorist. If not, he's a nut.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, MPAC, contacted "The Factor" this morning saying they are outraged about the Fort Hood murders and condemning Major Hasan, a fellow Muslim. We want to acknowledge MPAC's position because it's correct, and they are patriots.

On the pinhead front, Deepak Chopra sent me a picture.

Click here to see the picture!

There's Deepak and somebody else. He also sent me a note: "Dear Bill, I am more patriotic than you are. Love, Deepak."

Well, that may be true, but you're also more of a pinhead.

— 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

Tuesday's vote demonstrates that many Americans believe President Obama's policies are not working. Fair-minded Americans want good policy. They want America to prosper, and when that doesn't happen, they vote the party in power out of power. See George W. Bush.

So President Obama should get the message and immediately appoint me, your humble correspondent, his top adviser.

Like me or not, I would bring a common sense perspective to the Oval Office. There would be no gloating there, no nutty ideology, no attacks on Fox News. Instead, I would encourage President Obama to start solving problems.

The Obamacare deal will create more problems than it will solve. That's now obvious, and voters in Virginia and New Jersey knew it. The economy is still very shaky and raising taxes will hurt it big time. Again, voters on Tuesday went for the candidates who offered lower taxes.

In Afghanistan, you've got to give the commanders in the field enough troops to provide security. So do it, Mr. President, or I will throw a tantrum inside the White House.

Now, many Americans could provide President Obama with a dose of common sense, not just me. The government must stop the out of control spending. It must begin to shore up the U.S. dollar. It must stop social engineering that could bankrupt America.

Did you know that in California, which is bankrupt, they will now withhold an extra 10 percent of everybody's paycheck? They are gangsters out there in Sacramento. They just came in and whacked every working person with a 10 percent tax surcharge. Yeah, people might get it back after they file, but come on. That's not responsible government; that's hurting honest working people.

The liberal legislature in California has destroyed the state economically, and now they're stealing money from the folks to cover their horrendous mistakes.

That could happen on the federal level. Already Nancy Pelosi and her far-left crew want to raise the top federal tax rate to 45 percent. That's not capitalism. That's Fidel Castro stuff, confiscating wages that people honestly earn.

So President Obama needs a dose of reality, quick, and I am here for him.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Just one submission this evening. Take a look at these excerpts from the new television program "V" about alien invaders bent on conquering humanity.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They gain trust with the promise of friendship and technology, and, of course, all they're really doing is positioning themselves as the saviors of mankind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not obsessed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really? Because this looks very obsessive to me. Texts, instant messages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They call it spreading hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to provide complete medical services to all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're talking about universal health care?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe that's what you call it, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well it's pretty apparent the script writers are taking some shots at President Obama. Whether that makes them pinheads or patriots depends on your point of view.

— 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

The first group is made up of conservatives who basically see the president as a far-left guy who's bent on changing America forever. One of the leaders of this group is radio commentator Rush Limbaugh:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK RADIO HOST: I'm really, really worried. We've never seen this kind of radical leadership at such a high level of power in the country. I believe that the economy is under siege. It's being destroyed. Anybody with any economic literacy would not do one thing this administration has done to try to revitalize the private sector. They're destroying it, and I have to think that it may be on purpose because this is just outrageous what is happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

My question is: Why would President Obama want to destroy the economy when that would damage him? He'd never be re-elected.

However, there is no question that millions of Americans think Mr. Obama harbors ill will for traditional America, that he wants to break down our entire system. This is a passionate belief on the right.

The other camp of critics are more select in their disenchantment. For example, millions of Americans think that Obamacare is a disaster. And it's hard to argue with that.

The latest proposal put forth by Nancy Pelosi runs 2,000 pages long. It is impossible to figure out the consequences of Mrs. Pelosi's vision.

But here's a hint: The Congressional Budget Office now says only two percent of Americans under 65 years old would participate in government-run health care, even though that program would cost more than a trillion dollars.

"Talking Points" now opposes Obamacare. I gave it a fair shot, but it is far too chaotic. The government should step back, rethink and try again next year.

Any politician voting for a 2,000-page mishmash of ill-defined mandates is misguided to say the least. America can do better than this. So criticism of President Obama on health care is certainly justified and it is not an ideological play.

Likewise on Afghanistan, where the president seems to be confused on how to wage that war. "Talking Points" is waiting patiently for Mr. Obama to define the situation, but it has taken an extremely long time for him to make up his mind.

Legitimate criticism of the commander in chief is necessary in a vibrant democracy. Ideological criticisms really don't solve any problems.

So "Talking Points" will continue to evaluate President Obama on a case-by-case basis, using facts instead of emotion to analyze his actions.

By the way, I don't think the president wants to purposely destroy the economy.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

As you know, we support the Wounded Warrior Project here. It is vital that all Americans help our brave military people and their families.

That's what Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is doing. He's asked Congress to assist caregivers to wounded military people, and Congress should do that. Gov. Crist is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, this guy Jon Gosselin is annoying, is he not? If you don't think so, listen to this complaint about his former role of stay-at-home dad to eight kids:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR: It's hard for a man to stay home for two years and change diapers and make meals and deal with doctor's appointments, and all the stuff you expect your wife to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Mr. Gosselin is a pinhead.

— 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

Certainly the media is driving that opinion:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC, CBS NEWS: As Politico reported, there's growing concern among some GOP leaders that controversial commentators and far-right conservatives have hijacked the message. People like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin appeal to the base, and you certainly need that base to win elections. But in an age when 42 percent of Americans call themselves independents, you can't win with just the base either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" believes this is a fascinating story. There is no question that Mrs. Palin is a star, and her upcoming book will be a No. 1 best-seller.

To promote the book, she is going on "Oprah" and other high-profile programs, and it is here where the governor has a huge opportunity. If Sarah Palin comes across as a problem solver, a sincere conservative and a person who looks out for the folks, she can begin to turn the credibility issue around.

There is no question that Mrs. Palin did a good job running the state of Alaska. We've examined her record up there and found she lowered taxes, challenged the good ol' boy network and generally ran the state responsibly. So the woman does have political skills.

The problem is she did not come across well with Ms. Couric and with ABC News anchor Charles Gibson. She looked tentative and did not assert herself in those interviews. So now she has a second chance.

I am hoping Gov. Palin will come on "The Factor." We will put her in a position of directly addressing you. No sleight of hand. No gotcha agenda.

But even if she doesn't appear here, the governor must put forth her philosophy in vivid terms and be able to come up with solutions to complicated problems. I hope she does because this country needs charismatic politicians and new voices. Mrs. Palin is a working mother, a regular person and someone who has tremendous potential.

This is not a party play. I couldn't care less about the GOP. We are not in the ideological business on "The Factor." But I am concerned because America needs more leadership. There are simply not enough people looking out for the folks.

Sarah Palin has captured America's attention. It will be interesting to see if she can turn the credibility factor around.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

I want to thank the good folks at the Polka Dot Penguin Pottery studio in Rye, New York, for giving us this lovely ceramic "Factor" pumpkin to remind us that Halloween is on Saturday night. Steven Dana, the owner of the studio made this. He and all the people at Polka Dot Penguin Pottery are patriots.

On the pinhead front, CNN commentator Lou Dobbs is having a very tough time with security:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Three weeks ago this morning, a shot was fired at my house where I live. This shot was fired with my wife not 15 feet away. And we've had threatening phone calls that I decided not to report, because I get threatening phone calls. Now it's become part of a way of life: the anger, the hate, the vitriol. But it's taken a different tone, where they've threatened my wife. They've now fired a shot at my house and — while my wife was standing next to the car. It's become something else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

This is a very serious matter. Many of us who do commentary have been threatened, and it's devastating to the families involved. These are pinheads who will hurt people with whom they disagree. It's disgraceful, and it's illegal, and it ought to stop.

— 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

The request hangs in the air because President Obama says he is continuing to assess the situation:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: While I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this, and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan. I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Because "Talking Points" does not have the information the president has, it would be unfair for us to second guess Mr. Obama. However, John McCain does have that information and says this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: It's time to make a decision and send those troops there. And the longer we delay, the more they're in harm's way and in danger. And the time is up. It's time to act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now there are some people who believe President Obama is waiting until after next Tuesday's election to make a decision. That is speculation, but it does make some sense. Many liberals do not support the Afghan war and angering them before the vote could cause them to stay home.

Again, that's speculation.

What is fact is that the Taliban is growing bolder. On Wednesday they attacked a building in Kabul which was considered to be relatively secure. There is no question the Taliban is making a statement, throwing violence right into the president's face.

There are people on both the left and the right who feel the Afghan war is un-winnable, and that may be true. Col. Ralph Peters doesn't support more troops, nor does New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.

Writing Wednesday, Friedman says it is impossible to nation-build Afghanistan. But he also says he's not sure if the Taliban would take over should the USA pull back.

"Talking Points" believes that's nuts. What do you think the Taliban is fighting for? They want to regain power, and if the USA pulls back, who's going to stop them? The Italian forces?

This whole situation is very dangerous to Barack Obama, who is perceived in some quarters as being timid. If Afghanistan goes south on his watch, he will get the loss. Terrorism will achieve a great victory and America will be embarrassed. That's why you have to send the 40,000 troops.

Like Iraq, you give it one more push to stabilize the situation. With the stakes so high, you have to try.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

As you may know, teen singer Miley Cyrus ran into some trouble posing for pictures and generally acting older than her age. But Ms. Cyrus also does some very nice things.

While raising money for the City of Hope cancer facility, she sang this duet:

Click here to watch some of Miley's performance!

For doing that, she is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, a viewer warning on this. Some offensive material coming up.

Larry David is a controversial comedian who tries to shock people, this time by mocking Christianity. In the latest escapade, he uses the bathroom at a religious woman's home. The woman then thinks she's witnessed a miracle:

Click here to watch the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" clip.

For that crude display, Mr. David is a pinhead.

— 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

Here's why: The guy is simply out of control. We begin with Grayson calling Linda Robertson, an aide to Ben Bernanke, a whore:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALAN GRAYSON, D-FLA.: Here I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, and this lobbyist, this K Street whore, is trying to teach me about economics.

The Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly. That's right. The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick.

What the Republicans have been doing is an insult to America. They've been dragging their feet. These are foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who think they can dictate policy to America by being stubborn.

I call upon all of us to do our jobs for the sake of America, for the sake of those dying people and their families. I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this Holocaust in America.

Fox News and the Republican collaborators are the enemy of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Grayson's spokesman told Politico the whore remark simply reflected the congressman's opinion that Ms. Robertson had sold her soul for financial gain. A lame excuse.

Monday night in Florida, President Obama said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We've got some wonderful other elected officials that I want to acknowledge very briefly. Three outstanding members of Congress from Florida who are here: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Kendrick Meek, Alan Grayson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, the president was playing politics, but Grayson is not an outstanding member of Congress; he's an embarrassment.

And this is the problem. The president doesn't seem to understand that radical people are not acceptable to most Americans. Paging Rev. Wright.

Judge Edward Chen, nominated for a lifetime federal judgeship by the president, is a far-left guy who has said some amazing things. Here's a sample.

After hearing the song "America the Beautiful," Chen said:

"Sometimes I cannot help but feel that there are too much (sic) injustice and too many inequalities that prevent far too many Americans from enjoying the beauty extolled in that anthem."

So maybe we should rename the song "America, the Unfair."

By the way, Judge Chen is a former staff attorney for the ACLU, an excellent credit in the age of Obama.

The White House gets furious with Fox News for reporting on far-left guys like Congressman Grayson and Judge Chen. We get it. They don't like it.

But radicalism seems to be acceptable to the president, and that is becoming a major problem.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Most of the time we get slammed in the print media. We're used to it. It's stupid, but that's life. However, Ruben Navarrette, who's been on this program, wrote an insightful syndicated column defending Juan Williams against the terrible racial insults that have been hurled at Juan. So Mr. Navarrette is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, actor Brad Pitt is constantly stalked by photographers — paparazzi. The latest incident in Los Angeles last weekend had Pitt trying to escape the stalkers on his motorcycle.

This kind of stuff has to stop. California does have a new paparazzi law, but I'll tell you what: It's simply out of control and somebody's going to get hurt badly. Stalker paparazzi are pinheads.

— 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

So when the White House attacked Fox News, the media woke up. Something new, something controversial. Everybody had an opinion. But some of the opinions are downright irresponsible.

Enter TIME magazine columnist Joe Klein, who can be astute. Not this time. Klein writes:

"Fox News peddles a fair amount of hateful crap. Some of it borders on sedition. Much of it is flat out untrue."

But even though he has plenty of space, Klein fails to illustrate his point. He provides no examples of what he says is untrue.

So I, being a fair guy, gave Klein a chance to come on "The Factor" Monday evening to provide backup, to make his case specifically rather than irresponsibly. A TIME publicist told us Mr. Klein is unavailable. Sure.

The truth is Mr. Klein is scared. As a truth-seeker myself, I'd like to know exactly how, as Klein puts it, Fox News spreads seditious lies to its demographic sliver of an audience. That's rich. "The Factor" reaches more people in one hour than TIME does in a week. Talk about slivers.

Now, what's the point of this, other than to hold Joe Klein accountable? Excellent question.

I think the continuing hysteria surrounding Fox News illuminates our increasing influence in America. This is now the network of record, and the left does not like it.

But not all liberals are like Joe Klein. Some see the absurdity of the White House attacking FNC:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN RUDIN, NPR POLITICAL EDITOR: It's not only aggressive, it's almost Nixon-esque. You think of what Nixon and Agnew did with their enemies list and their attacks on the media, and certainly Vice President Agnew's constant denunciation of the media. Of course, then there was a conservative president denouncing a liberal media, and of course a lot of good liberals said, "Oh, that's ridiculous. That's an infringement on the freedom of press." And now you see a lot of liberals almost kind of applauding what the White House is doing to Fox News, which I think is distressing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Soon after he said that, Ken Rudin apologized for comparing Mr. Obama to Mr. Nixon in the enemies list deal. But his basic point is valid. Any attack on Fox News — no matter how unfair — is celebrated by the left because FNC has the ear of the country.

Finally, I think it's time for the Fox News controversy to fade. I hope it does. I like working here and I am amazed that we are so powerful. But I want the nation to see us as a force for good, as giving voice to all kinds of opinion, which we do.

So I am ready to go trick or treating with Rahm Emanuel. What a scare that would be.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Raising money for a charity that helps kids, actress Charlize Theron offered to kiss a person who ponied up big bucks. That person turned out to be a lady who donated a whopping $140,000 to the charity OneXOne. So for puckering up and helping the kids, Ms. Theron is a patriot in my opinion, but you may have a different point of view.

On the pinhead front, welcome back, Octomom. In her desperate quest for publicity, Nadya Suleman dressed up as a pregnant nun in a pre-Halloween deal. Ms. Suleman is a pinhead in so many ways it is impossible to recount them. She now enters the pinhead hall of fame.

— 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

Incredibly, the American media supported Fox News, standing up for freedom of the press. That was a huge embarrassment for the White House, which is still trying to isolate FNC, and even liberal TV critics thinks that's wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID ZURAWIK, BALTIMORE SUN TV CRITIC: I think it's outrageous that the White House tried that, No. 1. That's my first reaction. My second reaction is I'm really cheered by the other members saying no, if Fox can't be part of it, we won't be part of it. What it's really about to me is the executive branch of the government trying to tell the press how it should behave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, "Talking Points" has had problems with Mr. Zurawik in the past, but he's right on here. This whole thing is embarrassing. The president of the United States trying to decertify a news organization? I do not think that's ever happened in America.

Reports say White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is behind the anti-Fox movement. We have not been able to confirm that, but whosoever doing it needs to wise up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I think this is really destructive. The — what happened today, I think, was extremely important, because in trying to ostracize and demonize Fox, the administration needs complicity from other news organizations. Otherwise it won't work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And it hasn't worked. All of this nonsense is making Barack Obama look bad, and it's helping Fox News in the ratings.

But the bigger question is power. That's what this is all about, ladies and gentlemen. The White House does not like the fact that FNC dominates cable news and often sets the agenda for what other news agencies are covering. The ACORN story shocked the Obama administration. So did the tea party coverage. The president doesn't like it.

But enough is enough. Come on, Mr. President. You have better things to do than continue this petty feud. You, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Axelrod, Mr. Gibbs, even the White House chef are all welcome on "The Factor" any time. You got a beef? Let us hear it. As we proved in our first interview with Barack Obama, he will be treated fairly here.

So let's start tending to the nation's business, Mr. President, shall we?

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

On November 7, the American Freedom Festival will be held outside Washington, D.C. The event will feature country singer Leanne Womack, among others, and all the money raised will go to help our military people who fought in Iraq. So check out AmericanFreedomFoundation.org, and if you do that, you will be a patriot.

On the pinhead front, 27-year-old Duane Carter Jr., better known as Lil Wayne, has been convicted of a gun crime. So Wayne will now be going to prison for a year. Apparently, he had a loaded gun on his tour bus. That's a felony. Wayne is also scheduled for trial in Arizona next March on drug and weapons charges. So apparently the little guy is a big pinhead.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger. Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries. Waffling while our troops on the ground face an emboldened enemy endangers them and hurts our cause.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

It has now been almost two months since Gen. McChrystal asked for 40,000 more troops to fight the Taliban, so obviously Mr. Cheney has a point.

Terrorists all over the world are watching the Afghan battlefield. If the USA seems confused, that obviously helps the bad guys.

"Talking Points" is not chastising President Obama, as much as encouraging him to be more forthcoming about the Afghanistan campaign. As I said earlier in the week, if the situation is hopeless, then get the heck out. If it isn't hopeless, then put the troops in. If you need more time to make that assessment, tell the American people.

Mr. Cheney was also upset that the Obama administration continues to blame the Bush administration for the chaos in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: This weekend, they leveled a charge that cannot go unanswered. The president's chief of staff claimed that the Bush administration had not asked any tough questions about Afghanistan and he complained that the Obama administration had to start from scratch to put together a strategy.

In the fall of 2008, fully aware of the need to meet new challenges being posed by the Taliban, we dug into every aspect of Afghanistan policy, assembled a team that traveled to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, reviewing options and recommendations and briefing President-elect Obama's team. They asked us not to announce our findings publicly and we agreed, giving them the benefit of our work and the benefit of the doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

If what Mr. Cheney is saying is true, the president needs to stop the blame game.

Finally, the former vice president is on very strong ground when he talks about Attorney General Eric Holder investigating the CIA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: It certainly is not a good sign when the Justice Department is set on a political mission to discredit, disbar, or otherwise persecute the very people who helped protect our nation in the years after 9/11. There are policy differences and then there are affronts that have to be answered every time without equivocation, and this is one of those. We cannot protect this country by putting politics over security and turning the guns on our own guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" agrees 100 percent. The CIA investigation is foolish and will eventually hurt the country.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

In 1960, the Hula-hoop swept the nation. And now the hoop is back. Most everything comes back.

First lady Michelle Obama showed some fine Hula-hoop form. Ms. Obama was participating in the Healthy Kids Fair, and the Hula-hoop is good exercise for the midsection.

For being hoop conscious, Michelle Obama is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, Americans love their dogs, do they not? And now six million people have watched an Internet video that puts forth a dog is talking.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you. Mishka, I love you.

(DOG VOCALIZING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you.

(DOG VOCALIZING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you.

(DOG VOCALIZING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good girl.

(DOG VOCALIZING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The dog is completely innocent, but I suspect the people trying to get the dog to say that are pinheads.

— 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

"To draw attention to its biased coverage, President Obama will not appear on Fox [News] for the rest of the year. Can you sign this petition asking Democrats to support President Obama's stance by staying off Fox as long as he does?"

How dumb. How cowardly.

The great thing about America is that we have lively debates in this country. We are free to dissent from power. How un-American it would be to punish people with whom you disagree.

MoveOn is a propaganda outfit which tries to damage those who oppose its far-left doctrine. MoveOn is not interested in opposing points of view, does not respect well thought out arguments from the right. This is simply a slash and burn operation that is trying to intimidate elected Democrats. There is something very disturbing about the Obama administration fighting harder against Fox News than the Taliban.

And now we learn that the president spent two and a half hours on Monday meeting with far-left media people. In addition to the president, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs sat down with three columnists from The New York Times and two MSNBC commentators, as well as a variety of other committed left-wingers.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but the White House kept this meeting very quiet, and it appears that President Obama has decided that he will cultivate the far left while demonizing conservative Americans.

That is a mistake. The president was elected by moderate independents. There are simply not enough left-wing loons to save him when things get tough.

In addition, Politico.com is reporting that the White House is systematically undermining prominent Republicans, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Rush Limbaugh and other right-wing radio people, as well as Fox News.

Again, why is the Obama administration bothering with this when it has to fix the economy, win the war in Afghanistan and reinvent the health care industry? President Obama is making a huge mistake in associating his office with political feuds.

And the irony is he doesn't need to do it. There are plenty of far-left media hatchet men to do the dirty work against the right. Why the president feels the need to get involved is a troubling question.

"Talking Points" often gives Mr. Obama the benefit of the doubt, but there is no doubt in this case.

Concentrate on the important stuff, Mr. President. Leave the petty feuding to the barbaric media.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The White House war on Fox News has now reached critical mass:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE JAY LENO SHOW": President Obama agreed to commit an additional 40,000 troops to help fight Fox News.

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod told reporters that Fox News is just pushing a point of view. Well, yes, but at least they've got a point of view.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For that punch line, Mr. Leno is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, radical guy Louis Farrakhan doesn't much like the swine flu vaccine. According to UPI, Farrakhan said:

"The Earth can't take 6.5 billion people. We just can't feed that many. So what are you going to do? Kill as many as you can. We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease."

Once again, Louis is a pinhead.

— 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

"Talking Points" believes that is true, that the military is not happy right now with the commander in chief. My opinion is based on Defense Secretary Gates, who has now publicly stated that Barack Obama must make a decision on Afghan troop deployment.

That is a bold move by Gates. He is putting his job on the line. Like Gen. McChrystal, Secretary Gates is basically putting pressure on President Obama.

For his part, the president continues to say he needs clarity from the Afghan government before he commits more American forces. And so on Tuesday, the Afghan leader Karzai says he will allow an election runoff.

But let's be honest here: The Afghan government is corrupt all day long and that's not going to change anytime soon.

The USA and NATO are fighting to destroy terrorism, to deprive the Taliban and Al Qaeda of sanctuaries. We are not fighting for the Afghan government.

The best case scenario is for the Afghan army to become a force against the terrorists. It could happen, but it won't unless more security is provided by the USA. That's why Gen. McChrystal wants the additional troops.

In the end I believe President Obama will send the soldiers and Marines, but his hesitation is teeing off the military. It's also helping the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Those people will fight if they believe they can outlast America, and all this dithering around has to give them encouragement.

One final thought: If President Obama sincerely believes that the Afghan government is so corrupt and the theater is so out of control that it's impossible to win the fight, then he should say that and get out. I'll support that. President Bush took a huge gamble by surging in Iraq. It worked, but it may not work in Afghanistan.

But one way or the other, the president needs to act now.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher is no fan of the president's:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DANA ROHRABACHER, R-CALIF.: Barack Obama's, really, vision, comes from a Marxist background. I see him as someone who's honestly trying to do what he thinks is right. But we do need to recognize his world view will lead us into a place that is totally contrary to what American tradition is all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

While I don't believe President Obama is a Marxist, some of you do. So Rohrabacher could be either a pinhead or patriot depending on your point of view.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared on "Celebrity Jeopardy":

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, FORMER BASKETBALL STAR: "I Went to UCLA" for $400.

ALEC TREBEK, HOST, "JEOPARDY": You're going to love it. "Tell your old man to drag this '70s UCLA and Trail Blazer center up and down the court for 48 minutes." Kareem?

ABDUL-JABBAR: Who is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

TREBEK: No! You're the one who delivered the line, but it was about Bill Walton.

ABDUL-JABBAR: Oh!

TREBEK: Embarrassing moments on "Jeopardy."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For laughing at himself, I think Mr. Jabbar is a patriot, but the answer was definitely pinhead-y.

— 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

However, I think there's something else going on.

"Talking Points" believes the president is very angry about being associated with far-left individuals. I mean, the Obama people hated the Rev. Wright situation, the Bill Ayers story, the Van Jones deal and now the latest, Fox News breaking a story about White House communications director Anita Dunn praising the brutal Chinese dictator, Chairman Mao:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANITA DUNN, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: In 1947, when Mao Tse-tung was being challenged within his own party, on his plan to basically take China over, Chiang Kai-Shek and the nationalist Chinese held the cities. They had the army, they had the air force. Mao Tse-tung said, you know, you fight your war and I'll fight mine. And think about that for a second. You don't have to accept the definition of how to do things, and you don't have to follow other people's choices and paths, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

In that same June 5 speech, Ms. Dunn praised Mother Teresa for accomplishing great things. So her intent is clear, but using Mao as an example raises questions.

During his 25-plus year reign of terror, an estimated 34 million people were killed in China, many of them in political prisons. By comparison, Hitler's Third Reich is estimated to have killed 21 million people and Stalin's Russia an incredible 62 million. These estimates come from a study done at the University of Hawaii.

The problem Anita Dunn has is that a number of Obama appointees have far-left pedigrees, people like climate czar Carol Browner, science czar John Holdren and safe schools czar Kevin Jennings. Add to that list Wright, Ayers and Jones, and you have a pattern.

There is no question that President Obama believes Fox News is being unfair by reporting all his far-left associations. No other media is doing that.

And I don't think Anita Dunn admires Mao, but I could be wrong. Ms. Dunn has not really explained herself other than to say she borrowed the Mao example from the late Lee Atwater, a Republican consultant.

But the continuing reporting on radical elements within the Obama administration has clearly rankled the president and his advisers. That is what the attacks on Fox News are all about.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Our pal Barbra Streisand is raising money for charity. The entertainer has auctioned off more than 400 personal items, including outfits from some of her movies, books, paintings and furniture. The event brought in more than $600,000 for Ms. Streisand's foundation, which donates money to worthy causes. For helping those in need, Ms. Streisand is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, Elvis Presley was known for his good hair. In an auction over the weekend, somebody paid more than $18,000 for a few locks from "The King's" mane. Why would anyone do this? With all due respect, it could be David Hasselhoff's hair. Paying $18,000 for anybody's hair makes you a pinhead.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see him as much as a racist, as he makes racial remarks, but I see him more as a bigot. And a bigot is someone who, regardless of the facts in evidence in front of them, they still go their own way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All I know is about what I read about Rush Limbaugh. But I do know what he talks about and the line that he tries to play. It's an easy line to play. It's a race line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

So what's the evidence that Limbaugh is a race-baiter? We investigated the statements that are being tossed about.

The first one allegedly has Mr. Limbaugh praising James Earl Ray, convicted of assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There is no evidence Rush Limbaugh ever did that. The accusation comes from a far-left guy named Jack Huberman, who provided no evidence to back up the claim.

Huberman is also the source for Limbaugh's alleged quote saying slavery was not entirely bad. Again, Huberman provided no back up. The allegation was also published on Wikipedia without any sourcing.

Mr. Limbaugh denies making both comments.

Finally, a Kansas City Star columnist named James Fussell quoted Limbaugh as saying bad things about the NAACP. The quote came from a newsletter called "Flush Rush," but so far there is no confirmation that the disparaging remarks were ever made.

So what we have here are accusations without merit, but in our hype-media age that's enough to paint someone as a racist.

I've been through this. A couple of years ago I said on the radio that having dinner in Harlem was the same as having dinner anywhere in America. The context was my grandmother, who was very afraid of blacks even though she never even met a black person. Her fear was irrational, and I made that point quite clearly.

But the vicious Web site Media Matters put forth that I was denigrating a black-owned restaurant, and some people believed it without even listening to the radio broadcast, which I posted on BillOReilly.com.

There goes my NFL career.

Fair-minded Americans know that playing the race card is easy and hateful. The only thing we can find about Rush Limbaugh is that he thinks quarterback Donovan McNabb is overrated by some people who want black quarterbacks to succeed. Mr. McNabb resented the remark, as he should have. He's a good player and his color has nothing to do with his performance. I think Limbaugh made a mistake with that analysis, but that doesn't make him a racist and should not disqualify him from owning part of a team.

Let's stop the racial witch-hunting in America.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Nine-year-old Oliver Wahlstrom, who lives in Portland, Maine, is quite the hockey player. In a goal-scoring competition held in Boston, there goes Oliver. Watch this. Whoa, look at that. A little Gretzky. Slow mo. Oliver, woo! Nine years old. For his prowess at such a young age, Oliver is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, our pal Michael Moore takes the spotlight again:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: I don't know how many gated communities — these people who are taking this $140 billion in bonuses. I don't know how many castles with moats around them they can build, but I'll tell you something. There's an anger that's building out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, here's the deal. I actually agree with Moore that people are getting fed up with all the Wall Street greed-heads. However, the filmmaker has been a pinhead for so long we can't just throw out that designation. But on this, Michael Moore has a point.

— 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

On Wednesday, Great Britain announced it is sending 500 more troops, but things are bleak on the continent. Only Holland and Denmark allow their soldiers to aggressively fight. Other countries like France, Italy and Germany do very little to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Of course, that makes no sense, but that's reality. No matter how popular Barack Obama is in Europe, we get very little help from those nations.

On Wednesday, our pal Vlad Putin announced he's against sanctions on Iran. He doesn't want to join with America, Britain and France and challenge Iran's nuclear weapons program by imposing economic penalties.

Vlad, a former KGB guy, says it's too soon and he doesn't want to frighten the mullahs. Of course that's insane, but it's consistent. Putin has been supplying Iran with military hardware, including missile components, for years. He does this to make life difficult for America and to pocket more than a few dollars himself.

So that's what President Obama is up against and there doesn't seem to be any reasoning with Europe and Putin. However, rather than being upfront with the American people, the Obama administration continues to live in Never-Neverland:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETAY OF STATE: I'm very pleased by how supportive the Russians have been in what has become a united international effort. We remain committed to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons power. Everybody hopes this succeeds, but we're also going to continue to look at the potential sanctions if we're not successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Please. If Hillary Clinton is very pleased that Putin has publicly shot down sanctions, then it is all over. Iran will get nukes.

Secretary Clinton visited Russia to try and talk some sense into those people but their agenda is giving the USA a hard time, not protecting the world from crazy jihadists bent on getting nuclear weapons.

For years, Putin has been arming the worst elements on Earth, thumbing his nose first at President Bush, now at President Obama.

Many folks overseas despised President Bush because he acted without the world's approval. President Obama has vowed to change that philosophy. How's it going so far?

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

It was Latin music time at the White House Tuesday, and the only thing missing was Tom DeLay.

My take? Anybody who dances in public is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, ladies and gentlemen, the Jesus Lizard:

Click here to see the Jesus Lizard!

The reason this lizard is being associated with Jesus is that it walks on water. The creature moves so fast it creates bubbles to keep it afloat.

Whether this rises to labeling the lizard with Jesus' name is dubious. So for that, we're making the lizard a pinhead. Nothing personal.

— 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

If it eventually becomes law, the act would require all Americans to buy health insurance, and if you don't you get fined. If you're a small business owner and you have more than 50 workers, you've got to give them health coverage or you get fined.

The minutiae of the bill is just staggering, and "Talking Points" can't even begin to explain all of the specific parts of it. What I can tell you is that it will cost a ton of money, but most Americans will wind up with some kind of protection if they become ill.

The unintended consequences of government-mandated health insurance will be amazing, but nobody really knows how that will play out. The fundamental problem is that something has to be done to control health care costs. They are simply too high.

I believe increased competition in the private sector could have brought prices down. That was John McCain's vision.

But the nation voted Barack Obama into the White House, and it was clear from the very beginning of his campaign that the president wants the government to call the shots in health care. And that will happen to some extent, even though most Americans are uneasy with it.

According to a brand new Rasmussen poll, 50 percent of Americans oppose government-mandated health care; 44 percent favor it.

To blunt partisan anger, the Senate Finance bill does not have the so-called public option where the government would actually sell health insurance. But if passed into law, there will be non-profit co-ops where you can buy private insurance that is set up by the feds.

Again, that's all with an eye on driving health care prices down, which is a good thing for most Americans.

Despite that, "Talking Points" is very uneasy with the dramatic expansion of government under President Obama. With more than 300 million Americans needing to protect themselves from disease, chaos will happen under the banner of health care reform. It is inevitable.

Obviously we have chaos now, and only time will tell whether the federal cure will be worse than the private insurance disease.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

You're not going to believe this first one. Bob Dylan, crusty old Bob Dylan, is putting out a Christmas album. I can't wait to hear "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" sung by Dylan.

But there's a reason for this. Mr. Dylan is donating all of the proceeds to the organization Feeding America, which of course is a good thing. So Bob Dylan is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, many Americans don't like the Viagra commercials, which are all over the place these days. Well now the city of Louisville, Kentucky, may be making things worse with this new tourism ad:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know that feeling when the mood is right but the city is wrong? Louisville can help you enjoy a longer lasting, more satisfying recreational, occupational and personal experience. Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough to stand all these possibilities. Side effects may include nonstop smiling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Whoever designed that commercial is definitely a pinhead, but a witty pinhead.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANITA DUNN, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: The reality of it is that Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party. And it's not ideological, but what I think is fair to say about Fox, and certainly the way we view it, is that it's really more a wing of the Republican Party. If you were a Fox News viewer in the fall election, what you would have seen would have been that the biggest stories and biggest threats facing America were a guy named Bill Ayers and something called ACORN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Which, of course, turned out to be a huge story, thanks to Fox News. But let's analyze Ms. Dunn's beef step by step.

First of all, there is no question that Fox News is tougher on the Obama administration than the other TV news operations, because we actually have some conservative commentators on this network. Because Mr. Obama is a liberal, the right-wing guys don't like his policies, so there's that.

However, our hard news people don't do commentary. Reporters like Major Garrett, Carl Cameron and Mike Emanuel simply tell you what's going on. Anchorman Shephard Smith rarely puts the White House in a negative light. People like Greta, Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Martha MacCallum all give the White House a fair shot every single day.

That leaves "The Factor." Judging from my mail, we have been fair to President Obama. Conservative viewers hammer me and liberal viewers hammer me. If I have been unfair to the president, I challenge you to demonstrate that.

By the way, the Associated Press said Monday that I have been a strong administration critic. The guy who wrote that, David Bauder, is a dishonest reporter and has been for years. We challenge Bauder to come on this program and back up his statement. He won't.

My interview with Barack Obama in September 2008 was the toughest one the president has ever done, but even the White House acknowledges it was a fair deal. And it actually helped Barack Obama, as millions of people all over the world saw him accept and answer tough questions.

A few weeks ago, "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace said that the White House is the biggest bunch of whiners he's ever seen. I don't know about that. The Clinton people certainly whined a lot.

Finally, Ms. Dunn is seeing the world through the prism of the other media, like NBC News and CNN. By all accounts, those networks favored Barack Obama over John McCain, and NBC actually promoted the president's candidacy and continues to give him excellent coverage.

So by that measure, Fox News is indeed troublesome to the White House. But our hard news coverage is fair and balanced. Again, if somebody doesn't believe that, let's see the evidence because bloviating walks.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Over the weekend there was a big demonstration in D.C., some gay Americans demanding equal rights. One of the protesters was singer Lady Gaga:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LADY GAGA, SINGER: They say that this country is free, and they say that this country is equal, but it is not equal if it's sometimes. Obama, I know that you're listening. Are you listening?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now you can look at that two ways: Ms. Gaga is exercising her free speech, so she's a patriot. Or she's so over the top she's a pinhead. You make the call.

But Ralph Lauren is definitely a pinhead. He doctored a photo of a model to make her look even skinnier than she really is. Why is Ralph doing this? The model was fine in her natural state, was she not? Mr. Lauren should wise up.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK RADIO HOST: I don't believe this. He's not only the first post-racial president, he's also the nation's first post-accomplishment president. He has risen above incompetence. He is now judged on wishful thinking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Critics rightfully point out that President Obama hasn't really done anything concrete to bring peace to the world. The Nobel people say it was Obama's mostly pre-presidential rhetoric that brought him the award — his attempt to bridge the divide between Muslims and the West, among other things. And certainly that is a legitimate point. Is it enough for the award? Well, you make the call.

On the other side, Mr. Obama is a predator drone kind of guy. His administration is blowing the hell out of terrorists in Pakistan from the sky. Justified, but not exactly peaceful. The president is also waging war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Again, justified, but brutal.

So on paper the peace prize looks to be a political prize, and that's what The Times of London editorialized Friday:

"Rarely has an award had such an obvious political and partisan intent. It was clearly seen by the Norwegian Nobel committee as a way of expressing European gratitude for an end to the Bush Administration ... The prize risks looking preposterous in its claims, patronising in its intentions and demeaning in its attempt to build up a man who has barely begun his period in office, let alone achieved any tangible outcome for peace."

"Talking Points" does not share the dissent — understands it, but does not share it — because having a U.S. president honored with a peace prize is good for the country. We should want the world to think we are a nation that gives peace a chance, because that's what we are.

In the past, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson won the prize. Jimmy Carter received it after he left office. Yasser Arafat also won the Nobel Peace Prize, if you can believe it. But so did Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa.

There are times when what's good for America should trump partisan politics. President Obama was honored Friday, and deserved or not, the world is hearing "America" and "peace" in the same sentence. That's good.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Singer Gloria Estefan recently heard that 17,000 government workers in Puerto Rico had lost their jobs, so Ms. Estefan gave them free tickets to her concert over the weekend. That's a noble gesture for which she is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, you've got to stay with me on this one. A practical joker put a fake mouse in a weight room and here's how that gesture was received:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

So who's the pinhead: the joker, the weight lifter or the fake mouse? 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, D-NEV.: Madam Speaker, the one thing that I think was interesting is that everyone, Democrats and Republicans, said whatever decision you make, we'll support it, basically. So we will see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now am I reading that wrong? Did Ms. Pelosi look uncomfortable? Was there a little eye roll there?

Certainly Republicans think there is tension between Pelosi and Reid, but again, you're going to have to make the call. This could all be just an awkward moment, not anything more. But there is no question the Democratic Congress is having big problems.

According to a Gallup poll released this week, just 21 percent of Americans believe Congress, controlled by the Democrats, is doing a good job. That is down 10 points in one month.

Also, the Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll has the president at 48 percent approval on Thursday — down three points in three days.

So what is going on? I believe many independent Americans see weak leadership coming from the president and Congress. Health care is a mess, Afghanistan is unsettled, unemployment is about 10 percent and climbing, and it seems the Democratic leadership has few solutions.

Speaker Pelosi, for example, apparently opposes more troops to Afghanistan:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I don't think there's a great deal of support for sending more troops to Afghanistan in the country or in the Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

What Ms. Pelosi does not seem to understand is that failure in Afghanistan means a huge blow to American prestige. It would be a big win for the terrorists.

It is not enough to oppose. You have to have a better idea. Does Pelosi have solutions? Does Reid? Does the president?

Hope is one thing. Solving complicated and vitally important problems is quite something else.

The Democrats have had eight and a half months to improve the nation. So far, they have failed to do that.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

First dog Bo hitched a ride on Air Force One recently, but he reportedly committed an outrage on board. Something few of us like to confront. Something that requires a massive cleanup. Are you getting my drift here?

Whoever cleaned up after Bo is indeed a patriot, because we can't have that on Air Force One.

On the pinhead front, this Levi Johnston guy never goes away. He impregnated Bristol Palin, as you know, and now he wants to be rewarded for that.

The latest is that Mr. Johnston will pose for Playgirl magazine. There's only one problem: There is no Playgirl magazine anymore. It's Playgirl online.

We don't think Mr. Johnston cares. He just wants the exposure, pardon the pun.

Pinhead? Not even close — of course he is.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH: On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against the Al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The Taliban were quickly overthrown with minimal American casualties and the USA celebrated a great victory. But eight years later, things are not so great in Afghanistan, and now President Obama owns the war:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which Al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth fighting, this is fundamental to the defense of our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And that remains true. If the Taliban prevails in Afghanistan, it will again become a terror haven. There's no question about that.

But there are plenty of questions about how President Obama is waging the war. Right now he is still deciding whether to send 40,000 more troops to the theater, troops requested by his hand-picked commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. If Barack Obama does not send the forces, there will be a major controversy. And if things get worse in Afghanistan, President Obama will be blamed.

This is a potential third rail for the president.

Part of the problem for Mr. Obama is his left-wing base, people like Vice President Biden and Speaker Pelosi are not committed to more troops, despite the fact that Mrs. Pelosi said this about President Bush:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I remind you the president, when General Shinseki said that you need 300,000 troops in order to get the job done and come home safely and soon, he was fired. So this president saying that he listens to the commanders in the field, I don't know about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Again, that was Mrs. Pelosi talking about President Bush in Iraq. But now President Obama's in the exact same situation, is he not?

According to the latest FOX News Poll, 50 percent of Americans do not believe the president is doing what it takes to win in Afghanistan; 37 percent say he is doing enough. But on the subject of more troops, the nation is divided: 43 percent say send them, 43 percent say bring them home.

After eight long years, things should be much better in Afghanistan, but now is not the time to surrender. NATO is impotent. Only Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands and Denmark allow their troops to launch offensive operations. That's insane.

So it, once again, falls to the USA to keep the world safe from Al Qaeda and the Taliban. We'll see if President Obama is up to the task.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Eighty-four-year-old Bob Barker, the "Price Is Right" guy, has donated $3 million to finish building a hospital in Maryland designed to help U.S. service people with brain injuries. Obviously Mr. Barker is a patriot for doing this.

On the pinhead front, we all deserve a break today, but apparently this guy didn't get it:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) (EXPLETIVE DELETED). All I want was a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) chicken, and you give me (EXPLETIVE DELETED) fries. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I ordered it. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Pinhead? No doubt.

— 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

On Tuesday, ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis denied the charge:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERTHA LEWIS, ACORN CEO: This is speculation, completely false and not based on any documentation or any audit or anything other than two disgruntled former board members. And this form of modern day ACORN McCarthyism has got to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

McCarthyism? That's absurd. ACORN has problems all over the place. The FBI should open a field office in its national headquarters. Ms. Lewis should wise up.

As you may know, most of the press isn't covering this story because ACORN is an activist group with heavy ties to the Democratic Party, but there is a legitimate question of overkill here.

Let's face it: ACORN is finished in the public arena. The group will never recover from the scandals. However, millions of dollars are still unaccounted for, so an aggressive federal investigation should take place. Attorney General Holder's all over the CIA. Maybe he should be all over a corrupt political group that influences elections instead. What say you, Mr. Holder?

With cynicism running deep among many Americans when it comes to our political system, we need to know exactly how much money flowed into ACORN and where all the money went. Louisiana authorities are doing some good work. A subpoena issued Monday demands information about the alleged embezzlement, and we believe there is more to come on this front.

Here at "The Factor," we didn't think the feds would get involved until critical mass had been reached. Now it has.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

We may be overdoing it, but we just can't resist a dancing Tom DeLay.

Click here to watch Tom DeLay on "Dancing With the Stars"!

You've got to love the red pants. Now here's the question. He could be a patriot because he's brave. He could also be a pinhead because he's rhythm-challenged. So you make the call.

On the pinhead front, the Japanese are selling robots who do this.

Click here to watch the robot sing!

Definitely that robot is a pinhead.

— 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

The White House denies any friction at the meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes, and says the story is bogus.

The military is playing it close:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST, "FACE THE NATION": Did the president feel that the general was trying to bring pressure on him in public, and did he tell him not to do that?

GEN. JIM JONES: I wasn't at that meeting, and this is a one-on-one meeting between the two of them, and I haven't really talked to the president about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now it really doesn't matter whether President Obama is annoyed with Gen. McChrystal. What's important is that the president wage the Afghan war effectively.

The far-left MoveOn outfit is telling its supporters to contact the White House and tell the president to devise an exit strategy. Some on the right feel the fight is futile as well, so there is pressure on Mr. Obama.

But the longer General McChrystal's request for more troops goes unanswered, the more doubt there will be about the president's vision as commander in chief. After all, he has no experience fighting a war, and equivocation always translates into a weak profile.

That being said, it is smart for the president to make a decision that will help the U.S. military in a very complicated theater. But time is growing short. Mr. Obama needs to make a call soon.

"Talking Points" believes the NATO investment in Afghanistan is worthwhile and would send the additional 40,000 troops with a timetable for increased stability. If the situation doesn't improve by next spring, then plan B should be imposed.

What is plan B? I have no idea.

Any pullback from Afghanistan would be spun as a victory for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. That doesn't mean we stay there if the chaos cannot be contained, but it does mean that all measures should be taken before we change tactics.

McChrystal looks like a guy who knows what he's doing. The president looks like a guy who is unsure. I'll go with the general on this one.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

ABC's Cokie Roberts said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COKIE ROBERTS, ABC NEWS: Roman Polanski is a criminal. He raped and he drugged and raped and sodomized a child, and then was a fugitive from justice. As far as I'm concerned, just take him out and shoot him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

We like that kind of straight talk, so Ms. Roberts is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, former basketball player Charles Barkley has flirted with the idea of running for governor of Alabama. Here's what he said last week about voters in that state:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES BARKLEY, FORMER BASKETBALL STAR: We just came off the worst president in the history of civilization in George Bush, and if they didn't vote for Barack Obama, who's a ray — ray of sunshine, they're not going to vote for a black man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Pinhead? 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

On Thursday in Geneva, the USA and our allies spoke directly to the Iranian government. President Obama and other world leaders are insisting Iran stop its nuclear weapons program. But as we've reported, the mullahs do not seem to be afraid of economic sanctions and they continue to play games while working feverishly to get a nuclear weapon.

Once again, Stratfor.com is a great source of information and Thursday they said:

"Obama is now facing two crises in the Islamic world - Afghanistan and Iran - and by all indications he doesn't have a clear strategy on either. His advisers are good enough, and he is smart enough, to realize that simply continuing in the same direction on either issue will not be a recipe for success. Iran, Russia and the Taliban already view him as weak. Going to war with Iran would remove three million barrels per day of crude [oil] from the market and reverse the nascent economic recovery — not to mention reigniting conflict in Iraq."

So it is clear that the Iranians have a strong hand, but there is one bit of good news. Very quietly, a top Iranian diplomat, a guy named Mottaki, has slipped into Washington and it is assumed that he is speaking directly to the White House. Reports from Geneva say the USA and its allies have offered Iran a huge incentive to stop its nuclear weapons program. We don't yet know what the incentive is. But with the mullahs fighting unrest among their people, there is a reason for them to deal.

Of course, we are dealing with the devil, as Iran is a brutal country bent on causing destruction.

But President Obama doesn't really have much choice. He has to make some kind of deal with Iran. If he doesn't, there are only two choices: the world goes to war, or Iran becomes a nuclear power.

That is the stark reality.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

On Monday, FOX News will celebrate its 13th anniversary. Amazing. That's an awful lot of bloviating from me, your humble correspondent.

In the beginning we had just 17 million homes. Now the number is 98 million households in America, and you can see us in 40 countries around the world. We'd like to thank all our cable partners, including RCN which recently renewed its contract with FNC.

Anyone who carries FOX News is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, welcome back, Madonna:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": You were married for eight years, right?

MADONNA, SINGER: Yes, the Bush years.

LETTERMAN: You spent the Bush years being married. All right. Fair enough.

MADONNA: It was a good time to be out of America.

LETTERMAN: And are there aspects of that that you miss being married, or do you think you'll ever be married again?

MADONNA: I think I'd rather get run over by a train.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Pinhead? 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

But that was then.

Now the president seems to be intimidated by the radical left, which is urging him to champion extremely liberal causes. Guys like Michael Moore are actually lecturing the president:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, DIRECTOR: You are one of us. You come from us. This is not the time to dessert us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

MOORE: This is not the time to be the representative for the private health insurance industry. We need you to stand up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stand up.

MOORE: Stand up. Be bold. Be brave. Be strong. We've got your back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got it.

MOORE: And we want universal health care for every single American, and we want it controlled in a single-payer system like the Medicare and the VA and all the other socialized medicine that we have in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Moore is running around promoting his new film, which is an attack on capitalism. Of course to get the movie financed, Moore had to use the capitalistic system. Life is strange.

So what must President Obama think when he hears people like Moore telling him what to do? I'd love to ask the president that question.

In addition to socialized medicine, the far left wants out of Afghanistan and the president seems vexed on what to do there. Is he listening to the radical voices on foreign policy? I hope not.

The nutty far-left group Center for American Progress, run by Obama adviser John Podesta, is calling for a big tax hike, a value-added tax to fund entitlements. Of course, Barack Obama promised not to raise taxes on working Americans and a VAT would do that, but the radical left does not care.

After the ACORN scandal broke and Congress cut off funding, the president was asked what he thought. He said he didn't know much about it. Hard to believe. He should have excoriated ACORN, but he did not.

At this point, it is impossible to know exactly how much influence the committed left has with the president. But based on health care and his tentative Afghan and Iran positions, it looks like Barack Obama is listening to the Podestas and Moores of the world.

If that is true, he will be a one-term president. No question.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

In a wild case of strange political bedfellows, Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton are out promoting better education for America. As part of that, Rev. Sharpton showed up at a wrestling event:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rev. Al, such a pleasure to have him here hosting "Monday Night Raw" here tonight.

REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Thank you. Well, I'll tell you, this is the most elaborate introduction I ever got in my life. It's a tough crowd, but let me tell you something. One of the reasons I'm excited about being here tonight, we're going to face tough crowds all over the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Patriot? You make the call.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, there are some very strange people representing us in Congress. Here's one of them:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALAN GRAYSON, D-FLA.: If you get sick in America, this is what the Republicans want you to do. If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly. That's right. The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Congressman Alan Grayson may be a pinhead.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHILDREN: Change has come.

UNIDENETIFIED MALE: Hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uniting blacks and whites.

CHILDREN: Hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being both Obama cannot take sides.

CHILDREN: Hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I make America better?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I make America better?

CHILDREN: Can we make America better? Yes, yes, we can. Yes, yes, we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now there is nothing wrong with the message there. Kids should be encouraged to make America better. But it is quite clear that in this case — and the New Jersey case where kids sang about Obama making America strong again — that the teachers involved are indoctrinating their students to approve of President Obama.

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."

That's wrong. No public school should be injecting politics into the lesson plan. Respecting the president is fine; endorsing policy is not.

According to the largest teachers union in the country, the National Education Association, donations by teachers to the Democratic Party were ten times those to the Republican Party. Ten to one.

In 2008, the American Federation of Teachers union says just one percent of political donations went to the GOP; 99 percent to the Democrats. So there is no question that America's teachers are solidly liberal, and the kids have to be picking that up.

Then they come home and turn on the media where liberalism runs wild, both in news and entertainment. According to a Pew Research study, 32 percent of national newspeople say they are liberal; just 8 percent describe themselves as conservative. The rest say they are moderate.

So this is some one-two punch for the left. They control the classrooms and the media, so young Americans basically are hearing liberal philosophy all day long.

The attacks on the FOX News Channel bear this out. FNC is the only TV news organization in the country where traditional/conservative voices are given a prominent role. The left hates that, and the attacks on me, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity are unrelenting, personal and hateful.

But back to the kids. If the educational system and the media industry are both dedicated to promoting liberal beliefs, how long will it be before the USA becomes a secular-progressive country? Peer pressure is a powerful force among young Americans. It's a lot easier to get along if you go along. This is indeed a very dangerous situation.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Many of us are just a wee bit tired of cell phones intruding on just about everything. The actor Hugh Jackman's on Broadway right now, and his performance was recently interrupted by a ringing phone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: I still see your face. All the time, it's faces.

You want to get that? You want to get it? Grab it. I don't care, grab it. Grab your phone. Come on. Just turn it off. Come on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For his display of righteous indignation, Mr. Jackman is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, director Roman Polanski may be extradited back to the USA to face a 32-year-old child rape deal. Apparently, the actress Debra Winger does not like that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBRA WINGER, ACTRESS: We came to honor Roman Polanski as a great artist, but under these sudden and arcane circumstances, we can only think of him today as a human being. We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade-old case that is all but dead, except for a minor technicality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, child rape is not something you just walk away from, so we believe Ms. Winger is a pinhead in this case.

— 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

This week negotiations begin with Iran, which continues to defy the world by developing nuclear weapons. After being chastised last week by President Obama and other world leaders, Iran responded by testing missiles this weekend, once again spitting in the eye of those nations who want nuclear controls.

The tyrant Ahmadinejad is clear on the issue, saying this about a possible attack on his country by Israel:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRANIAN PRES. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD (through translator): The Zionist regime is far too small and little to be able to engage in an act of aggression against Iran. It's not in their capacity to want to engage in anything.

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": They could take out a nuclear facility. They could.

AHMADINEJAD: They will not make this mistake, because the response they will get from us will be one which they will regret.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Many believe the USA, Great Britain and France are not going to be able to stop the mullahs from getting nukes. Few believe the West has the stomach for a world war. Certainly Iran believes that.

Once again, the Iranians can cause trouble all over the place: in the Persian Gulf, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Lebanon and on and on. So the arrogant mullahs are going to do what they want to do unless the world economically strangles them, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen thanks to our pals the Russians and Chinese, who refuse to clamp down on Iran. So President Obama is really up against it.

In Afghanistan there's chaos as well. The president still has not decided whether to send 40,000 additional U.S. troops to fill the request of his commanding general, Stanley McChrystal. Sunday night on "60 minutes" McChrystal delivered a stunning soundbite:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MARTIN, "60 MINUTES" CORRESPONDENT: How often do you talk to the president?

GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL: I have talked to the president since I have been here once.

MARTIN: You talked to him once in 70 days?

MCCHRYSTAL: That's correct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" is perplexed. The commander in chief doesn't talk to his commanding general in Afghanistan? What's that all about?

We called the White House Monday and they said the president formulates Afghan policy through Secretary of Defense Gates. That's the chain of command the Pentagon wants. But if it were me I'd be talking directly to my commander in the field on a weekly basis.

Both Afghanistan and Iran are extremely complicated, and it is worth noting that Iran is still holding three American hikers who wandered across the Kurdish border. That's been going on for two months and is basically kidnapping. But again, the mullahs don't care. They do not seem to fear America.

So this is truly a test of leadership for President Obama, just as President Carter was up against the mullahs during his unsuccessful term in office. If Mr. Obama challenges Iran, bad things will happen. If he does not, Iran becomes a nuclear power on his watch.

Same thing in Afghanistan. Either we defeat the Taliban or the country descends into chaos, just like Vietnam did.

History defines great leaders as those who defeat or diffuse great challenges. President Obama is certainly facing those.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was present at the Yankee Stadium over the weekend, and the justice was fairly impressive throwing out the first pitch. Better arm than Dennis Miller, everybody.

Miller, as you remember, had a little trouble last week at Wrigley Field in Chicago, but not Judge Sotomayor. Looks like she was having fun, and we believe she's a patriot.

On the pinhead front, one of our favorite cushions, Joy Behar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": He called me a pinhead. He's called me a Kool-Aid drinker. It's OK. It's like being on Nixon's enemies list. I think it's a badge of honor to be called a pinhead by Bill O'Reilly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Should we give Joy yet another badge? Why not? She's a pinhead.

— 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

As "The Factor" has been reporting all week, Iran's nuclear weapons program has now reached critical mass. And worldwide conflict is very possible. Friday, President Obama, British Prime Minister Brown and French President Sarkozy revealed a secret nuclear weapons facility located inside Iran. That violates every U.N. mandate and proves the Mullahs have been lying for years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow, endangering the global nonproliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world. It is time for Iran to act immediately to restore the confidence of the international community by fulfilling its international obligations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN: The level of deception by the Iranian government and the scale of what we believe is the breach of international commitments will shock and anger the whole international community. And it will harden our resolve.

Confronted by the serial deception of many years, the international community has no choice today but to draw a line in the sand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But where exactly is that line? Next week, negotiations will begin with Iran. But obviously this is rogue nation that doesn't really care what the world thinks. Ahmadinejad threatened Barack Obama today saying, "He will regret his statement."

It is long past time for civilized nations to confront the Iranian terrorists in a dramatic way. If Russia and China do not join with America, Britain and France now, they will never do so. Friday, Russian and China issued mealy-mouth statements. It's quite obvious that Israel already has plans to attack Iran. And it's just waiting to see if draconian sanctions will be imposed on the Mullahs.

Those sanctions have to come soon, because Israel believes Iran will have a nuclear weapon within months. As "Talking Points" has noted, the situation is about as bad as it gets. Every human being on the planet will be affected if Iran is attacked. And if the Mullahs don't give up the nukes, terrorists will have access to them. So it's a desperate situation.

"Talking Points" believes President Obama must impose sanctions, perhaps backed up by a naval brigade of Iran. Again, this is horrible. Who wants the world at war? And any attack or blockage against Iran will galvanize Muslims against the USA. As we said last night, we should all be praying this situation gets under control. And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

As we may know, the actress Jessica Alba doesn't like me very much. She called me a dirty name once. But the other Jessica, Biel, seems a bit more level-headed.

She is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa to help raise awareness for the need for clean water around the world. Instead of spouting gibberish, Jessica Biel is doing good things for the fame. She's a patriot.

On the pinhead front, actor Randy Quaid and his wife skipped out on a $10,000 California hotel bill. They were arrested in Texas, released on $20,000 bond each. So it's a big beef. It's a shame this stuff has to happen. But if they did it, the Quaids are pinheads.

— 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

Thursday, the president led the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution making it more difficult for nations to violate the nuclear weapons ban. A good thing for sure, but it doesn't mean very much in a world where North Korea and Iran couldn't care less what the U.N. does.

So while the president gets a good P.R. boost, the fundamental problem remains: Iran may be months away from having a nuclear weapon.

Now, Israel is not going to let that happen and the world is still impotent trying to force Iran to obey international law. Next week, negotiations with Iran will begin, but few believe they will lead anywhere.

President Obama is threatening tough sanctions against the Mullahs, but unless Russia joins the action, Iran will skate.

Right now, President Obama should be war-gaming with the U.S. Navy, contemplating a blockade of Iran. That, of course, would provoke hostilities but it would also send the Mullahs a message they could not ignore.

That is the only way Iran is going to stop its nuclear program and if President Obama doesn't take that action, Israel will bomb the Iranians and that will lead to worldwide chaos.

Stock markets will drop. Oil will go through the roof. Terrorist recruitment will also skyrocket. Attacks on American interests will increase. Iraq will blow up. The unintended consequences of an Israeli attack on Iran are staggering.

The Mullahs know they can cause an enormous amount of damage all over the world. They may even want to do that because if Israel attacks Iran, the Iranians might well stop protesting against their government -- and unite against the attack.

Again, the Mullahs may want to provoke Israel and the United States.

We are living in a brutal world where there are no moral boundaries anymore. Terrorists will do anything. Iran wants to kill as many Jews as it can.

That's where President Obama finds himself, in a world of hatred and violence.

In Afghanistan, right next to Iran, the president must give the generals the troops they are asking for. You can't say no to field commanders who are saying the war will be lost unless more personnel are put into the theater.

The president should stop delaying and put the troops in there. If things don't improve by the end of the year, then I can see backing away from the corrupt Afghan government. But like the surge in Iraq, this is worth one more try.

Obama is a rookie on the world stage and he is now looking at two unbelievably complex and dangerous situations. All Americans should be praying for him. And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

A new study by Sacred Heart university in Connecticut says that FOX News is the most trusted television news network in the USA.

30% of Americans say FNC is their most credible source of information. Second was CNN at 19% percent; way down the list NBC News at 7.5 percent.

For doing the study, the folks at Sacred Heart are patriots.

On the pinhead front, comedian Tina Fey was asked about 16-year-old singer Miley Cyrus performing a routine near a stripping pole:

Click here to watch the segment.

We believe Ms. Fey was being facetious. 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

As you may know, Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe posed as a prostitute and a pimp, while conducting an undercover sting during which some ACORN officials were seen and heard aiding and abetting prostitution and child prostitution. The resulting scandal led to Congress de-funding ACORN and the organization firing a number of employees. ACORN's image is now in tatters.

Well, Congressman Frank of Massachusetts and Congressman Conyers of Michigan want Congressional investigators to see if the undercover duo broke any federal laws. In addition, they want to find out exactly what ACORN is guilty of and they want to examine the group's housing opportunities agenda.

In my opinion, Frank and Conyers should be giving Ms. Giles and Mr. O'Keefe congressional medals for exposing corruption that apparently the Feds were not able to expose.

Ironically, Conyers himself voted to de-fund ACORN. Now he says he miscast that vote. Frank didn't vote at all because he was attending the medal of honor ceremony for Sgt. Jared Monti.

Any investigation into the couple would be brutally wrong and come off as a partisan hatchet job. ACORN is celebrated by many left wingers, but that's not the point. With more than 30 criminal conviction on its resume, the organization cannot be trusted. And the overwhelming majority of Congress, people and senators, understand that.

Even if you disagree with the undercover duo's methods, what they exposed is very important. They do not deserve a federal witch hunt. And that's the "Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The Dalai Lama is the religious leader of Tibet, as you may know. He lives in exile because China is occupying that country, but the Buddhist monk is picking up some modern mannerisms. Here is the latest.

Click here to watch the segment

First bump. There it is, Dalai Lama, fist bump. That in Memphis, Tennessee. We're not exactly sure why he's fist bumping, but we like his peaceful attitude, so it's OK with us. The Dalai Lama is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, the Guinness Book of Records has a new entry. Seventeen people in Ohio set themselves on fire for 43 seconds. Yes, they did. Setting the record for the most people to perform a full body burn simultaneously.

Some of these folks were professional stunt people, others just regular folks who wanted their moment. There they go.

Incredibly, none of the participants sustained even minor burns. But they are pinheads.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We're not going to make a decision about any further troop deployments until we know what exactly is our strategy, what are the tactics, how would troops be used, can we justify taking those steps? And I'm going to be asking some very hard questions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Tuesday there were reports that Gen. McChrystal may quit if he does not get the troops he needs. "The Factor" has been unable to confirm that, but the McClatchy news service printed it.

There is no question that the war in Afghanistan is not going well. There are three reasons why.

First, the Afghan government, led by Hamid Karzai, is corrupt. Many Afghans deeply distrust Karzai and his confederates.

Second, there are not enough NATO troops to protect the everyday Afghan from the Taliban, so the terrorists rule the night.

And three, Afghan tradition does not encourage democracy. It is a tribal country. There is absolutely no loyalty to the USA or NATO. So we are really up against it in that country.

The Taliban has all the money it needs because of drug dealing and it can pay young men to commit murder. The Afghan army is weak and disorganized, even after eight years of NATO's presence.

President Obama is aware of all of this and he is getting pressure from the far left to get out of Afghanistan. Even some conservatives like George Will want to give up the fight.

But if America does bail out, the terrorists win. It's almost exactly the same as it was in Iraq before the surge. But there can be no surge in Afghanistan without more troops, so President Obama should commit them.

But if this escalation doesn't turn the tide, NATO is pretty much out of options. That will be a disaster for the world, as the Muslim terrorists will declare victory, Al Qaeda will have a big sanctuary, and President Obama will look weak. What a mess.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Former Speaker of the House Tom DeLay has a hidden talent: dancing.

Click here to see Tom DeLay on "Dancing With the Stars"!

Did you ever think you'd see that? Just for his courage, Mr. DeLay is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt finally signed a pledge not to do business with Iran. Finally. It took many years to get Immelt to do this, but as we reported, General Electric was embarrassed because it was one of the last American countries to stop sending material to the hated mullahs. Now Immelt has signed the pledge, but he remains a pinhead.

— 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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WALLACE, HOST, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY": These guys, everything is personal. I have got to tell you, Bill.

O'REILLY: Everything.

WALLACE: They are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington. They constantly are on the phone or e-mailing me complaining.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."

Well, the Sunday interviews themselves are a bit sleepy. Nobody asked about fired radical White House employee Van Jones and only one question about the ACORN scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOLOUS, HOST, "THIS WEEK": How about the funding for ACORN?

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You know, frankly, it's not really something I followed closely, I didn't even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.

STEPHANOPOLOUS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.

OBAMA: What I know is what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be…

STEPHANOPOLOUS: So you're not committing to cut off the federal funding?

OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The president should be paying attention because political corruption is involved and that corruption involves taxpayer dollars. While it's true that ACORN is not Afghanistan or health care, it is a situation that should be investigated by the Justice Department. Mr. Obama should order that right now. It's what leaders do.

As far as health care is concerned, the president sees it this way:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I think what I am proposing is a very modest attempt to make sure that hardworking families out there are going to have the security of a health insurance that they can count on. This isn't a radical plan. This isn't grafting a single payer model onto the United States. It's simply trying to deal with what everybody acknowledges as a big problem. I think that there are some opponents who have seized on this and have tried to use this as a proxy for saying that somehow we are vastly expanding government and taking over every sector of the economy. That's what a lot of this debate is about. I think they are wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The key issue, Mr. President, is the massive expense of Obamacare. The president believes the country can pay for health care reform by cracking down on waste and fraud in the present system. Who else believes that? Who?

And the Congressional Budget Office is issuing dire financial warnings about Obamacare. Now, the interviewer should have zeroed in on that. It's very simple. But, of course, they did not.

Also, the president said forcing all Americans to buy health insurance and making them pay a penalty if they don't is not a tax, as some believe. Well, he is right on that. It's not a tax. It's a fine. And I think it might be unconstitutional. The president also said this about health care:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I don't think that illegal immigrants should be covered under this health care plan. There should be a verification mechanism in place. We do that for a whole range of existing social programs, and I think that's a pretty straightforward principle that will be met.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The left isn't going to like that, but I like President Obama when he speaks clearly and simply with no wiggle room. He also did that on the race issue that Jimmy Carter blew up last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The media loves to have a conversation about race. I mean, this is catnip to the media because it is a running thread in American history that's very powerful, and it invokes some very strong emotions. I'm not saying that race never matters in any of these public debates that we have. What I'm saying is this debate that's taking place is not about race. It's about people being worried about how our government should operate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And that is 100 percent accurate.

Now, on the subject of national security, the president was confronted by this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Seven former directors of Central Intelligence have sent you a letter saying please invoke your authority to stop the attorney general's investigation of the Bush era interrogation tactics. Will you do that?

OBAMA: You know, first of all, I respect all seven of them. And as importantly, or more importantly, I have absolute respect and have reliance upon a robust CIA. And I have said before, I want to look forward and not backwards on this issue. On the other hand, I have also said nobody is above the law, and I don't want to start getting into the business of squelching, you know, investigations that are being conducted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, that is really, really weak. It is a weak answer. Investigating the CIA is a national security issue. Thus, the president should make the call. He has the power. So Mr. Obama is being a bit disingenuous here.

Finally, there was this on CBS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I have no interest in increasing the size of government. I just want to make sure we have got a smart government that is regulating, for example, the financial institutions smartly so I don't have to engage in any kind of bank bailouts. That's point No. 1.

And point No. 2, even though we are having a passionate disagreement here, we can be civil to each other, and we can try to express ourselves, acknowledging that we are all patriots. We are all Americans, and not assume the absolute worst in people's motives. And I have to — one last point I have got to make, Bob, and that is I do think part of what is different today is that the 24-hour news cycle and cable television and blogs and all of this, they focus on the most extreme elements on both sides. They can't get enough of conflict. It's catnip to the media right now. And so the easiest way to get 15 minutes of fame is to be rude to somebody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, there is truth in that. But sometimes seeking the truth demands rudeness, forceful dialogue. However the president is correct: Ideological meanness sells. You can make money doing that. You see it all the time on TV, the radio and the Net.

All in all, the president's Sunday morning adventure allowed him to get his points across with minimal confrontation.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Singer Beyonce was very gracious last week to Taylor Swift in that ridiculous Kanye West situation. And now she's done another good thing. At a concert in Sydney, Australia, she brought a young girl who has leukemia onto the stage. Beyonce is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, South African singer Dave Matthews seems to know a lot about America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Carter said he thinks a lot of the animosity directed towards President Barack Obama is race related.

DAVE MATTHEWS, SINGER: Of course it is. There are a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president just — only because he's black.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Really? Pinhead? Most likely.

— 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

Enter President Obama, who is emerging as a divisive leader, much like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were. The problem with analyzing President Obama is that many of you don't like him and don't want to hear much good about him.

In fact, some folks get angry if you say positive things about Mr. Obama. That can complicate matters. Let's take the European missile deal. Here's what Barack Obama told me last September:

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The Russians are playing a game when they pretend that this missile shield is directed against all their ICBMs.

O'REILLY: Yeah, it's ridiculous. It's a defensive thing.

OBAMA: It's a defensive thing, and we…

O'REILLY: So you're going to keep it there then?

OBAMA: And given what has happened in Georgia, I think that we have to send a clear signal that Poland and other countries in that region are not going to be subject to intimidation and aggression.

O'REILLY: OK, so I just want to get this on the record. You're elected president, you're keeping the missile shield in Poland?

OBAMA: I believe that the missile shield is appropriate. I want to make sure it works though.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But now the president has changed his mind and will move defensive missiles away from Russia and closer to Iran:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I believe this new approach provides a better missile defense capability for our forces in Europe, for our European allies, and eventually for our homeland than the program I recommended almost three years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That was when Defense Secretary Gates was working for President Bush.

So I could easily make the argument that President Obama folded to the Russians, as some critics are saying. But what about Robert Gates? He's an honest guy. Do I ignore his expertise?

President Obama may be making a mistake with his new missile strategy. It's certainly possible, but I don't know for sure. I also don't know what the Russians are going to give the USA in return. They're already meeting with American CEOs like GE's Jeffrey Immelt, an Obama friend, so you've got to figure some deal has been made.

But the cold truth is I just don't know what's best for the country in this case. That admission separates us from those who always promote their ideological side.

For example, the far left is putting out that I am now supporting a public option in health care. That's all over the net. But that's not true. Here's the truth:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: The public option now is done. It's — we discussed this. It's not going to happen. If the government can come up with a marketplace where a bunch of insurance companies come together to offer lower premiums, that's a good thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

So I support a marketplace for private insurance companies overseen by the feds. Left-wing zealots distorted my remarks, like they usually do.

There are few places Americans can go these days for honest reporting and analysis. I believe FOX News is one of those places, and our ratings prove it.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

On the Jay Leno program, there was a skit about ACORN:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I ran for office in Nevada, I found myself 50,000 votes behind in the polls. But ACORN helped me get the extra votes I needed. Thank you, ACORN.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a professional. In my line of work it doesn't come easy. Sometimes it takes like 45 minutes. So like my customers, I want to get the most bang for my buck. ACORN showed me how to save the most at tax time. Thank you, ACORN. I owe you one. Call me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a narcotics entrepreneur I bring in a lot of money, mostly cash. I thought I owed $200,000 in taxes. ACORN said I owed nothing. Thank you, ACORN. Oh, I got to take this call. It's Amy Winehouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ACORN. We'll help you get away with stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Anything that brings a chuckle these days is patriotic.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, our pal Howard Dean may not be our pal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, FORMER DNC CHAIR: One of the reasons I never go on Bill O'Reilly's show — the only reason I don't go on Bill O'Reilly's show is because I saw him take apart a 23-year-old who lost his father in the World Trade Center and tell him he was unpatriotic because he didn't support the war. Those kinds of people I don't hang around, because they're not good for the country, and they're not good for — they're not good — they're not good human beings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That of course is a gross distortion. The guy Dean is referring to blamed the United States for 9/11 and he was indeed taken apart.

Now Governor Dean may want to stop distorting stuff because it is making him look bad. Check this out:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: This Republican Party, this shrinking Republican Party is just determined to undermine President Obama, and unfortunately, you have to undermine the country in order to undermine the president. I think that's too bad.

GRIFF JENKINS, FOX NEWS PRODUCER: You said last night on a program that Republicans opposing the president's initiatives, health care initiatives were undermining the country. Could you clarify that for me?

DEAN: I didn't say that. I did not say that.

JENKINS: I have the quote right here, sir. It says you have to undermine the country in order to undermine the president. Mr. Chairman, just a quick clarification.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Dean remains a pinhead.

— 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

On Wednesday, Speaker Pelosi said she did not understand what all the fuss was about. Well, apparently she found out:

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Any group that receives any funds from the federal government needs to have tough scrutiny applied to it. A few individuals at ACORN did what I think is — what would be the appropriate word, some have said despicable. But in any event, totally unacceptable and in my view, inexcusable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Over at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs also address the ACORN scandal:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Obviously, the conduct that you see on those tapes is completely unacceptable. I think everyone would agree with that. The administration takes accountability extremely seriously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

As the White House should. But here's the interesting thing. The ACORN leadership remains unrepentant:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERTHA LEWIS, ACORN CEO: We are not going to take this lying down. We believe that — in fact, we know, that this was a form of entrapment. And, yes, we're going to go after this videographer and FOX.

FOX, because they run with things without checking and using any journalistic standards, they got kind of caught up and got duped themselves. For FOX and the right wing to have to stoop to a made-up scenario is one thing, but, as you know, and as I have said over and over again, those people were reprehensible.

I think they're, you know, basically saying, these people shouldn't be trusted. How could they be trusted? You know, they're all poor, black and brown people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

You may remember that Bertha Lewis came on "The Factor" last May and we had a respectful discussion. She declined our invitations this week because she knows it is all over and the FOX News Channel drove the story. Simply put, she's angry. But she should be angry at herself, not us.

When any group gets millions of taxpayer dollars, there is an obligation to hire honest folks and represent all the American people. ACORN did neither, and so it is toast, burnt, finished, kaput.

Will you miss them?

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Actress Angelina Jolie continues her good work, bringing attention to the world's poorest people. Ms. Jolie was recently on the Kenyan-Somali border, a dangerous place, trying to raise awareness of problems at a massive refugee camp. She is a patriot, but she's also looking
alarmingly thin. We hope nothing bad is happening.

On the pinhead front, you make the call. Jennifer Aniston serenades Ellen:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS (SINGING): I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie. All the days and nighttimes, hear me sigh. The world may pardon my mush, but I've got a crush, my baby, on you.

(SPEAKING) I'm absolutely mortified that you actually did that to me. Seriously. I did just Bobby Brown again. But the good news is the music is sort of in that vein.

ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: I would put you through to the next round.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That's a reference to "American Idol," where Ellen will be working in the evenings.

— 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

Simply put: How could they do that? Scores of ACORN people have been arrested, 30 convicted of crimes, and now this scandal. And seven senators want to continue giving the organization taxpayer money? Come on.

So FOX News producer Griff Jenkins went in search of the misguided senators:

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, D-R.I.: I think if we cut off funding to every single organization that had junior members that embarrassed the organization, we'd lose a lot of very good organizations.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT.: Now, if you open the can of worms and you start arguing about which particular organizations are going to get federal funding, you know what? That's all we're going to be doing. So I kind of think it's more important to focus on why the middle class is collapsing and how we address that problem.

SEN. PAT LEAHY, D-VT.: If somebody's done something stupid, they should be fired. If they've done something illegal, they should be prosecuted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That just doesn't cut it. This is taxpayer money. Why would you give that to any dubious organization? We are talking to you, Sen. Burris:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFF JENKINS, FOX PRODUCER: I'm just wondering, your vote, I mean, ACORN is on tape helping to set up houses of prostitution with underage girls from Central America, and I'm wondering if the taxpayers of Illinois really want to support an organization like that?

SEN. ROLAND BURRIS, D-ILL.: I thought had you a question, not a statement.

JENKINS: Well, my question is, why did you vote against…

BURRIS: Because I want to support ACORN. I supported ACORN. It's that simple.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But it isn't that simple. Sen. Burris has an obligation to protect taxpayer money from corruption, but since he may have secured his Senate seat in a corrupt manner, maybe we're hoping for too much here.

ACORN itself is now in complete disarray:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERTHA LEWIS, ACORN CEO: We are not going to take this lying down. We believe that, and in fact we know that, this was a form of entrapment. And yes, we're going to go after this videographer and FOX.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But Wednesday afternoon ACORN announced it will hire an independent investigator to look into its problems. But the FBI should be doing the investigation, not some guy they hire.

By the way, "The Factor" has learned that Louisiana authorities have issued a subpoena to former ACORN boss Wade Rathke. Not good news for him.

Even liberals like Jon Stewart are outraged over the situation. Stewart is asking where the media was?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Where were the real reporters on this story? You know what investigative media? Give me camera three. Where the hell were you? You know who broke this story? These two. You're telling me that two kids from the cast of "High School Musical 3" can break this story with a video camera and their grandmother's chinchilla coat and you got nothing? I'm a fake journalist and I'm embarrassed these guys scooped me. Let's get to work, people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Forget it. The establishment media in America has little interest in exposing left-wing corruption.

"Talking Points" believes the most important question here is how much damage has the ACORN scandal done to the Obama administration, if any. The president accepted ACORN's support in the campaign, but why wouldn't he? They were all out for him.

However, this story is now so big it is far beyond a community activist situation. It is now a full-blown political scandal.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Tuesday night at the Phillies-Nationals game, a foul ball went into the stands:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just missed that ball as he fouls that ball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Caught by that fan right there. Nice grab.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oops, there it goes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is only doing what she sees them do all the time, and that is to throw the ball back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For being a good dad — and securing the foul ball — that man is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, at Yankee Stadium there was a nasty brawl Tuesday night. After Yankees pitchers hit two Toronto Blue Jays, catcher Jorge Posada got some payback at the plate, which led to this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Posada had something to say to Carlson and now they are going to come together. Now they're going at it. Both benches clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now baseball players usually don't like this kind of stuff — this isn't hockey. And even though the fans find it interesting, it really doesn't promote the game very well. So they're all pinheads.

— 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

ACORN is a nationwide activist organization that has reportedly received $53 million in federal tax money since 1994 and millions more in state and local grants. ACORN is set up to help poor Americans buy homes, and it also registers folks to vote, almost always for the Democratic Party.

As of September 10, nine states have charged ACORN employees with crimes. There have been at least 30 convictions.

In the year 2000, ACORN discovered that one of its members, Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN leader Wade Rathke, had embezzled close to $1 million from the organization. ACORN declined to press charges, an incredible occurrence.

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."

"The Factor" and the Glenn Beck program traced millions in ACORN donations and grants to an abandoned funeral home in New Orleans. Based on information we provided to Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, a state investigation is now underway.

That's the background. Now for the latest scandal.

Because federal authorities have not done much policing of ACORN, two private citizens, James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, launched an undercover sting operation themselves. The two posed as a prostitute and a pimp and asked a number of ACORN officials to help them get housing for a prostitution enterprise. The latest sting was in California, where an ACORN employee engaged the young woman posing as a prostitute:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACORN WORKER: How long have you been doing it? Can I ask?

HANNAH GILES, UNDERCOVER "PROSTITUTE": Since I was 14.

ACORN WORKER: And how old are you?

GILES: 20.

ACORN WORKER: OK, so that's some background.

GILES: Yeah.

ACORN WORKER: So do you know how you want to run it?

JAMES O'KEEFE, UNDERCOVER "PIMP": Yes.

ACORN WORKER: If you had a place, if you had a building?

GILES: I was thinking — I mean, OK, first I'll say that I would maybe want to do it under the cover of a spa.

ACORN WORKER: Yeah.

GILES: The guy that I'm supposed to be working for here just got a shipment of 12 El Salvadoran girls.

ACORN WORKER: Oh, really?

GILES: They're between the ages of 12 years old and 15.

O'KEEFE: So basically we want a house to put them in and we — we've been trying to go through the other authorities, but they have been unhelpful with us because of, you know, they don't want to deal with these…

ACORN WORKER: No.

O'KEEFE: ...sex girls coming in…

ACORN WORKER: Right.

O'KEEFE: …performing sex. They think we don't want to have anything to do with them.

ACORN WORKER: Well, they'll be a client, but they don't want to set you up.

GILES: Right.

O'KEEFE: Yeah, isn't that ridiculous? I mean.

ACORN WORKER: Yeah, it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

So there you have an ACORN employee having a conversation about setting up a house full of child prostitutes. It doesn't get much worse than that.

Similar stings have been conducted in New York, D.C. and Maryland, and a few ACORN employees have been fired. But ACORN officials don't seem very repentant:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT LEVENSON, ACORN SPOKESMAN: It says to me that a multinational entertainment agency that disguises itself as a news agency, FOX, has spent millions of dollars of resources, time to go after an organization that they don't like. It's clearly an individual who collaborated and cooperated with FOX entertainment under the guise of creating news. This is "Borat"-like journalism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Levenson is correct in directing his ire toward FOX News. According to information developed by the Beck program, as of last night, FOX News has done more than 300 reports on ACORN over the past 20 months. CNN did 90, MSNBC 10, NBC and ABC News two, and CBS News just one.

ABC anchor Charles Gibson was asked about ACORN on the radio:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON WADE, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: We have the embarrassing video of ACORN staffers giving tax advice on how to set up a brothel with 13-year old hookers. It has everything you could want: corruption and sleazy action at tax-funded organizations. It's got government ties. But nobody is covering that story? Why?

CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS: I don't even know about it, so you've got me at a loss. I don't know. But my goodness, if it's got everything including sleaziness in it, we should talk about it this morning.

ROMA, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: This is the American way.

GIBSON: Or maybe that's one you just leave to the cables.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But why would you do that? Political corruption should be a major story in America. Taxpayer money should be protected. Or am I wrong?

Over at NBC they are actually making excuses for ACORN:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it should be noted, to be fair though, that this might be viewed as entrapment, that some conservative activists used hidden cameras in order to get this stuff on camera. You might see this too as sort of a larger effort to undermine the biography of President Obama. Now here's what I'm saying here. Obama does not have any direct relationship with ACORN, but it is the association of community organizers. And I think by demeaning community organizers, it's once again an effort to demean part of President Obama's biography.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well as long as she brought it up, let's take a look at the ACORN-Obama connection.

Shortly before ACORN endorsed him, Barack Obama issued this statement:

"I've been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career. Even before I was an elected official, when I ran the Project Vote voter registration drive in Illinois, ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work."

But now ACORN has been badly damaged and most politicians, even very liberal ones, are running for the hills.

Monday night the Senate voted 83 to 7 to deny ACORN federal funding. The seven senators supporting ACORN are Leahy and Sanders of Vermont, Durbin and Burris of Illinois, Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Gillibrand of New York and Casey of Pennsylvania.

Do these senators understand that an ACORN employee was caught on tape discussing child prostitution? Do these senators understand ACORN is in big financial trouble and at least 30 of its employees have been convicted of crimes?

Wednesday we will report on the senators supporting ACORN, because it is unbelievable.

Finally, ACORN is a tax-exempt organization that should immediately lose that status, and Attorney General Holder should begin an intense investigation. It should be noted that ACORN openly operated under the Bush administration as well and little was done to rein them in. But now their cover has been blown and the feds must act.

Political corruption on this scale cannot be tolerated in the United States of America.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

As you may know, 19-year-old singer Taylor Swift was embarrassed by hip-hop guy Kanye West at the MTV Awards. Here's what Ms. Swift said about it on "The View":

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: I think my overall thought process went something like wow, I can't believe I won. This is awesome. Don't trip and fall. I'm going to get to thank the fans. This is so cool. Oh, Kanye West is here.

You know, I'm not going to say that I wasn't rattled by it. I had to perform live five minutes later, so I had to get myself back to the place where I could perform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For handling this very well, Ms. Swift is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, Mr. West showed up on Leno Monday night and Jay asked him what his mother, who recently passed away, would have thought of his behavior:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE JAY LENO SHOW": What do you think she would have said about this?

KANYE WEST, RAPPER: Um...

LENO: Would she be disappointed in this? Would she give you a lecture?

WEST: Yes, you know, obviously, you know, I deal with hurt and, you know, so many, you know, celebrities, they never take the time off. I have never taken the time off to really, you know, just music after music and tour after tour and tour. I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Of course, the hurt from his mother's death should have had nothing to do with his intrusion on Ms. Swift, so West remains a pinhead.

— 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

As always in a crowd of that size, there were different degrees of protest. More militant folks compared the president to Hitler, to the Mafia, to Muslim Marxists. A few of the signs were vicious, like a reference to Ted Kennedy's death, and one counter-protester even ran into some trouble:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BOOING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The very liberal NBC News locked in on the far right:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm tired of the communism that's in Washington, D.C.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are losing our country. We think the Muslims are moving in and taking over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, with the media branding protesters as kooks and racists, what are we supposed to think? If you're not there it is impossible to know exactly who the demonstrators are. So we have to rely on polling to accurately assess how the American people view President Obama.

The latest Rasmussen poll says 51 percent of Americans now have a favorable view of Obamacare, while 46 percent oppose it. That's a small improvement since the president's speech last Wednesday. But 38 percent strongly oppose Obamacare, while just 28 percent strongly favor it, and this is where the militancy sets in. The committed opposition is much larger than the committed support.

However, about half of the country is not crazy, as NBC News would you have believe:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's put up on that screen again the Joe Wilson sort of picture of him reaching out. You look at the image of the Republican Party: all white males with short haircuts. They look sort of angry. No women, no minorities, and it looks like they've sort of become unhinged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That's just insulting and stupid.

But what about the "unhinged"? Well, I think they should rethink their presentation. Carrying signs equating Obama to Hitler puts you in the loon category and does your cause no good at all. Hearts and minds are won by reasonable discourse based on facts.

The fact of the matter here is that President Obama believes that a huge federal government can bring relief and prosperity to the American people, but many Americans do not believe that. They think big government will harm them and screw things up so badly everyone will suffer, not just those without health insurance.

And so the battle continues, and "The Factor" is right in the middle of it bringing you the facts.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

We usually begin with the patriot, but tonight the pinhead kicks it off:

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Thank you so much! I always dreamed about what it would be like to maybe win one of these some day, but I never actually thought that it would happen. I sing country music, so thank you so much for giving me a chance to win a VMA Award.

KANYE WEST, SINGER: Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you. I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, we've made Kanye West the pinhead before, but he is really a troubled guy.

Now on the patriot front, almost immediately after that happened a parody was made of it:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.

KANYE WEST: I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.

OBAMA: It's not true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Whoever did that is a patriot for giving us a few laughs.

— 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

Thankfully the Bush administration was aggressive in fighting Al Qaeda, which has been badly damaged. Therefore another 9/11 is far less likely than it was eight years ago. Unfortunately, some liberals will never admit that and a few are actively helping the terrorists who continue to cause trouble all over the world.

Earlier this week, "The Factor" reported on the John Adams Project, whereby radicals are secretly photographing CIA agents and sending the pictures to terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Unbelievable and despicable. We confronted a member of the project, Nina Ginsberg.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN BANK, "FACTOR" PRODUCER: I have some questions about the John Adams Project. You know, you're putting CIA agents' lives in danger.

NINA GINSBERG, ATTORNEY, JOHN ADAMS PROJECT: You need to talk to people at the John Adams Project. That's not at all true. CIA agents put a lot of people in danger. They put this country in danger. They put American soldiers overseas in danger.

BANK: So do you support them taking pictures of covert CIA agents and showing them to terrorists?

GINSBERG: That's not what they did.

BANK: So what did they do?

GINSBERG: What they did was try and find out who the names and the identities of the people who tortured, illegally tortured people because the government won't turn over that information, and people in this country have a right to defend themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The Justice Department is investigating the John Adams Project, which is affiliated with the insidious ACLU, because there is no question that these far-left nuts are putting CIA people in grave danger.

In the past, "Talking Points" tried to understand why the far left in America wants to help Al Qaeda and other terror killers. But you know what? I don't even care why they want to do that anymore.

The Obama administration has a responsibility to protect the intelligence community and it had better stop this John Adams Project atrocity. It had better.

When looking at the terrorist landscape today, Iran emerges as the most dangerous entity. But again, some liberal Americans don't want to confront Iran. And certainly Europe has been weak on the issue, and Russia is actually helping the mullahs develop nuclear weapons.

So the world has not learned very much from the 9/11 murders. The USA continues to fight the good fight, but Islamic fascism is still very dangerous. Somebody tell the liberal community.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Actress Eva Longoria of "Desperate Housewives" apparently loves poker. She hosted a poker tournament in San Antonio, Texas, to raise money for her charity Eva's Heroes, which helps kids with developmental challenges. And so Ms. Longoria is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, in Japan a purse snatcher tried to do his evil deed in an elevator. However, he did not know he picked on Lady Kung Fu, who proceeded to kick the living daylights out of the guy. Of course, he deserved it. That woman is a patriot. The purse snatcher is a very sore pinhead.

— 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

According to the Lewin Group, an independent research firm owned by United Health, Obamacare would cost the country about $530 billion over the next 10 years. Not too bad. But after that, the costs explode, leading to a $2.4 trillion expenditure on health care over a 20-year period. However, state and local governments would save billions, as the costs shift to Washington.

Now, as you may know, President Obama says cutting down on waste and fraud would pay for health care reform, but "Talking Points" believes that is a complete fantasy. There's likely to be more fraud and waste as the federal program gets bigger.

As for you, families in which all members now have insurance would save about $175 a year on lower premiums. But families where people are not insured would have to spend about $1,400 on average to get on the rolls. The feds would pick up much of that tab.

Lewin says employers would have to pay about $300 more per worker if Obamacare passes. Of course, those costs would be passed on to we consumers. Also, with more Americans opting into a federal health marketplace, employer-based health insurance would fall by about 11 million workers. So some job place programs you have now would fold.

The key here is quality control. The president believes the feds can impose a more efficient system and hold private insurance companies accountable for misbehavior, which is unfortunately rampant, as you may know if you've had to spar for the insurance people to get reimbursement. I have.

"Talking Points" believes that strict government oversight is possible, but tough guys would have to be hired, and that would mean a large expansion of the federal bureaucracy, something conservative Americans loathe.

The strength of Obama's vision is controlling costs and eliminating the chaos that comes from 40 million uninsured Americans potentially using hospital emergency rooms for medical care. The weakness in Obamacare is the massive spending involved and the specter of rationing health care because there will not be enough doctors and nurses to handle all the new patients, so we're going to have to wait.

At this point, the president is basically dodging those two realities.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Right now there's an auction going on to help American military people who have been wounded in action. Sponsored by Ride 2 Recovery, the auction features a dinner with Sarah Palin, lunch with Karl Rove, hanging out with Gary Sinise, and a bunch of other great things. You can check it all out on ebay.com/ride2recovery. And we hope you do check it out, because this is a very patriotic enterprise.

On the pinhead front, watch this.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

Now, if you walk behind a horse and then slap the horse's tail, you are a pinhead. The horse was right. Any questions?

— 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

As far as cost is concerned, Mr. Obama says he won't spend any additional money on health care. Expense will be made up by reducing waste and inefficiency in the health care industry.

Well, I hope he has a magic wand, and I'm not being sarcastic. But if it could have been done, it would have been done, all right? It's not that easy to do what he says he is going to do.

Now the president also stayed completely away from the feds dictating medical decisions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage available for those without it. The public option, the public option is only a means to that end. We should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

All right. So the public option, there it goes right out the window. And the government-mandated day-to-day care is not going to happen.

So the president was also very clear about the insurance companies. They are going to be forced to accept Americans who are ill and they can't boot you off the policy if you get sick. That's good. "Talking Points" likes that.

But the president goes further. He wants to order the insurance companies to cover certain procedures like mammograms and colonoscopies. Now we are getting into the nanny state stuff. If the feds have the power to run private health care industries, some of them are going to get out of the business, which is what the liberals want.

However, I like the idea of a national insurance marketplace where companies compete nationwide and offer lower premiums based upon more customers. I like that idea. But I'm not sure how it's going to work without the feds ordering the companies to do stuff.

Are you getting the picture here?

President Obama is correct in trying to downsize medical insurance premiums, and increased competition is the way to do that, not government meddling. There should be, however, federal oversight on health insurance companies. They must play fair or get fined big. But the rules must be crystal clear.

And finally it may be unconstitutional to force Americans to buy health care insurance, although Mr. Obama wants that and compares it to mandatory auto insurance. With auto insurance you have a machine that can do damage. It could be unconstitutional to force you to buy this stuff. But if Obamacare passes, you will be on somebody's policy. That is certain.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

At the Venice Film Festival in Italy, actor George Clooney was confronted by an enthusiastic fan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am gay, George, and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here it comes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... I think I'm in love with you! George, please, take me! Choose me, George! Please! Please choose me! George, may I kiss you please? Just one kiss. Please!

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George, one kiss!

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: It's hard when you take a big chance and it doesn't really work. It's always embarrassing when you take one real swing for the fences and it just falls flat. It's a good try though.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

So to speak. And for handling it smoothly, Mr. Clooney is a patriot.

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On the pinhead front, actor Charlie Sheen, he's a bit out there on political matters. He continues to believe 9/11 was an American conspiracy.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: America deserves better. I mean, come on. Come on, people. The 9/11 Commission report is a blatant work of manipulation, secrecy and fiction. Come on. The time is now. Demand the truth.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

Mr. Sheen should get off it. His theory's offensive to those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and he is a pinhead.

— 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

Now we have a situation that is far worse, and the left-wing media is totally silent.

A group calling itself the John Adams Project, affiliated with the ACLU, is secretly photographing CIA agents and showing the pictures to suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, among others. Activist lawyers Joshua Dratel, Edward MacMahon and Nina Ginsberg are just three members of the Adams group who are putting CIA agents in grave danger. "Factor" producer Dan Bank caught up with Ms. Ginsberg:

Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN BANK, "FACTOR" PRODUCER: Hi, Ms. Ginsberg? Dan Bank with FOX News Channel with "The O'Reilly Factor." I have some questions about the John Adams Project. You know, you're putting CIA agents' lives in danger.

NINA GINSBERG, JOHN ADAMS PROJECT: You need to talk to the people at the John Adams Project. That's not at all true.

BANK:You're…

GINSBERG: CIA agents put a lot of people in danger. They put this country in danger. They put American soldiers overseas in danger.

BANK: You're showing pictures of CIA agents to terrorists, Al Qaeda terrorists. That's just despicable.

GINSBERG: That's not true.

BANK: What are you doing then? What is the John Adams Project?

GINSBERG: And why are you following me around into a drugstore?

BANK: Ma'am, you've hired researchers to follow CIA agents around all over the place and then show them to Al Qaeda terrorists, the same people who organized September 11th.

GINSBERG: What they did was try and find out who the names and the identities of the people who tortured, illegally tortured people because the government won't turn over that information, and people in this country have a right to defend themselves. Sir, get out of my way.

BANK: Ma'am, hold on one second.

GINSBERG: Sir, get out of my way.

BANK: Because there are federal laws prohibiting sharing classified information like that.

GINSBERG: It's not classified. If there's a person walking in the street who has a picture taken of himself, that is not classified information.

BANK: So Valerie Plame…

GINSBERG: And there are laws against public — people putting their microphones in people's faces. Valerie Plame's identity was disclosed by the vice president of this country. The people who took pictures found the information in public source information and tried to find out who the torturers were in this country.

BANK: Torturers or the people trying to keep us safe? Some people…

GINSBEG: Sir, you are making me feel threatened. Get out of my face.

BANK: Some people may wonder whose side you are on.

GINSBERG: Get out of my face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"The Factor" is asking Attorney General Holder to step up the investigation of the John Adams Project, and we are asking President Obama to publicly condemn their campaign.

Forget about the elite media investigating this. It is far too corrupt to do that.

We do not expect the Obama administration to comment at all because they have been pandering to the far left. But if the president continues to allow attacks on the CIA, it will come back to hurt him, the same way the saga of Van Jones has hurt him.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Jones was forced to resign as a White House employee overseeing so-called "green jobs," employment tied to improving the environment. Jones is a radical guy who signed a petition questioning whether the government knew about the 9/11 attacks beforehand. How he could wind up working for the Obama White House is simply astounding.

Whether it is fair or not, President Obama is now viewed by some as sympathetic to the radical left. To get rid of that perception, he should condemn the John Adams Project immediately. We will update this story on Thursday.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

A little boy named Spencer celebrated his 6th birthday on Tuesday. He is a very special child, full of generosity and kindness. There is no doubt that he will become a great American patriot, and I wish him the happiest of days.

On the pinhead front, dating Hugo Chavez. Left-wing movie director Oliver Stone showed up at the Venice Film Festival with a very interesting date: Venezuelan tyrant Hugo Chavez. Stone says FOX News and other American media have demonized old Hugo, who Stone thinks is a swell guy. But we think they both are pinheads.

— 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

Ted Kennedy was a dominant force in American politics, but also a controversial one. His legacy breaks down along ideological lines. Liberal Americans revere him. Conservatives, generally speaking, thought he was misguided, and sometimes worse. Unfortunately, there have been some vicious postings on the Internet about Sen. Kennedy. They are disgraceful.

If you're a religious person, you know the Bible states quite clearly that personal judgments should be made by God and God alone. All of us are flawed, and none of us have the right to demean a public servant who has just died. What is legitimate is an honest look at Sen. Kennedy's record, and we will do that this evening.

There is no question that the Chappaquiddick incident, where a young woman drowned in Kennedy's car, haunted the senator throughout his life. On the other hand, Kennedy was responsible for some excellent legislation, including increasing cancer research and joining with President Bush to get the No Child Left Behind legislation passed. Kennedy, of course, was a liberal and proud of it:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED KENNEDY: I have often been called a liberal, and it usually was not meant to be a compliment. But I remember what my brother said about liberalism shortly before he was elected president. He said, if by a liberal they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people, if that is what they mean by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" believes the senator was well-intentioned in public policy, but made a singular mistake that liberals often make: He did not apply discipline to his programs.

The disastrous McCain-Kennedy immigration bill, for example, did not secure the border or provide assurances that criminal aliens would be deported. It was a pure amnesty play, and most Americans quickly rejected it. The senator also held up the Sex Offender and Registration Act in 2006 until "The Factor" reasoned with him. Once Kennedy got on board, it quickly became law.

In 1962, Kennedy was elected to the Senate, taking his brother's place after JFK was elected president. Ted Kennedy had the third longest tenure in the Senate ever.

So like him or not, he was a patriot, a man who was well thought of by conservatives like Sen. Orrin Hatch and even Laura Ingraham.

I said a prayer for Sen. Kennedy and his family today, and it was sincere.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

We respect most legitimate protests here, and last Sunday was "National Go Topless Protest Day." The point of the exercise was to protest the inequality of the law when it comes to men and women baring their chests.

While we don't see that as much of an issue, we could be wrong. You can decide whether the ladies are patriots.

On the pinhead front, a media story worth watching. The National Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, is on the verge of collapse. If Jay Leno fails at 10 p.m. this fall, the entire NBC operation will be doomed for another year.

NBC President Jeff Zucker has ruined that once-fine company, and now desperation is setting in. Not only is the NBC network in last place, but their cable operations are a disaster. CNBC is down 23 percent this August, year to year. MSNBC down 25 percent. Incredibly, NBC continues to lie about their ratings, saying that MSNBC is actually prospering. Here's the truth: Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer's program on FOX News at 9 a.m. beat MSNBC's 8 p.m. hour by a whopping 37 percent. I mean, how embarrassing is that?

Tuesday night on MSNBC someone said that people who watch FOX News are paranoid and racist. That should tell you everything you need to know about the entire NBC situation. Pinhead does not even begin to cover it.

— 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