Americans Want Saddam Out

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Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thanks for watching us tonight

Americans want Saddam out. That's the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo.

A new Gallup-USA Today-CNN poll says this, 57 percent of Americans favor sending U.S. ground troops to remove Saddam Hussein, 38 percent oppose doing that. Those numbers have held steady since August. Number rises to 79 percent if the United Nations decides to support an invasion. Nineteen percent of Americans oppose invading Iraq unless it attacks us.

President Bush's approval rating is holding at 66 percent despite the weak economy. Good news for him. And finally, 68 percent of Americans think a war against Iraq will be a difficult fight.

I disagree with that opinion, with one exception. It is entirely possible that Saddam will use chemical weapons against American soldiers. He did that last time.

And unfortunately, our government will not admit that he did, denying for years that Gulf War syndrome even existed. The reason for that is that the first Bush administration failed to remove Saddam after defeating him, and to acknowledge that he poisoned thousands of our military people in that conflict would reflect badly on our war effort in the Gulf.

This is yet another example of how the powerful protect each other at the expense of the regular folks. Evidence indicates that thousands of American soldiers were poisoned by Sarin gas, and we let it go.  Unbelievable.

That being said, we can't be afraid of Saddam, a villain that must be captured and killed and tried for war crimes. Saddam makes Milosevic look like Kermit the Frog. The entire debate surrounding the removal of Saddam is phony. The United States invaded Panama and captured Manuel Noriega because he had turned his government into a criminal enterprise. But again, Noriega, who's still sitting in a south Florida prison, was nothing compared to Saddam.

The United Nations' deal is another canard, because that body is not interested in justice or protecting the world. It is a jumble of self-interested nations, many of which hate the USA. Also foolish and dishonest are charges from the Arab world that somehow the USA is responsible for this hatred. The no spin truth is that much of the Arab world hates Jews, and America protects Israel.

As long as that situation exists, anti-Semitic people will hate the USA, and there's nothing any American administration can do about it. Are we supposed to let the Arabs drive the Jews into the Mediterranean? Because that's exactly what would happen if we didn't supply and support the Israelis.

Finally, there is the disgrace of Germany. It is because of the Germans that Israel is a fortress, and that debt has not been paid. For Gerard Schroeder to fail to support America against Saddam because of politics is as appalling as it gets.

Germany owes Israel complete support in security matters, and it owes America that as well. President Bush is currently not talking to Schroeder, and he should hold that policy. Schroeder is the lowest of the low.

Summing up, most Americans understand the danger that Saddam poses, and in this world full of spin, that is an excellent sign.

And that's The Memo.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

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

Soul singer James Brown's daughters are suing their father, saying he owes them royalties because they helped him write some songs. One problem. The girls were 3-and 6-years- old at the time they say they helped Daddy.

But -- but, when you listen to the words of the song "Hot Pants," for example, it's entirely possible that a 3-and 6-year-old could have written it, but it's probably ridiculous.

Anyway, James, keep your chin up and get down with your bad self.

Childhood fantasies rule, and it's not ridiculous.

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