A No Spin Analysis of the Huge Coalition Victory

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The fall of a tyrant and the liberation of Baghdad, a day to remember for the entire world.

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly, reporting from The Factor Southern Command Center in Miami.  Thanks for watching us tonight.  In just a few moments we'll take you live to Baghdad for the latest sights and sounds.

But first, a Talking Points Memo, a No Spin analysis of the huge coalition victory.  The big winners in this story are, of course, the U.S. military, the Bush administration and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

President Bush stayed the course under withering worldwide criticism and vicious ideological attacks back home.  He proved he is a disciplined leader who does what he says he will do.  And whether or not you agree with his policies, the President and Tony Blair have rid the world of an evil dictator.

Not since World War II has the American military enjoyed such enormous prestige.  The image of U.S. soldiers in through the roof.  Expect enlistments to rise, but much more importantly, respect for the men and women who defend us will also rise.

The major losers, of course, are Saddam and his sons, who at this very moment may be enjoying their new home in hell.  Also losing big are Vladimir Putin, Jacques Chirac, and Gerhard Schroeder--the Saddam enablers.  The world will not forget the actions of these men.

Back in the USA, the hysterical Hollywood celebrities who voiced strident protest, obviously, have lost much credibility.  And so have The New York Times, The L.A. Times, and other newspapers who wrongly predicted doom.  On March 17, The New York Times editorialized, "Washington would be wise to drop the talk of eminent hostilities and come up with a resolution that leads to disarmament and consensus.  The current path is reckless." Serious Americans will remember how this war was covered by the press, both print and TV.

And on television, CBS and ABC News actually declined in the ratings during the war, which is incredible.  NBC news was up only slightly.  Ratings for all three cable news channels went up dramatically, with FOX News well ahead.  So, there you have the scorecard.  We will have more winners and losers later on in the broadcast.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"...

The British Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, the Ark, has pulled the plug on the BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation.  The British commander saying, "The BBC always takes the Iraqi side, and our sailors are fed up with it."

So it's over the side with the BBC.  They've been disgraceful in their war coverage, as we mentioned.  Just today, as I said, instead of showing a Saddam statue coming down, they covered an earthquake in India.

The BBC is ridiculous, and everybody knows it.

--You can watch Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points Memo and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com