You may remember last week that we reported Florida Congressman Robert Wexler doesn't live in Florida and hasn't lived there for at least 10 years. Wexler lives in Maryland. That's where FOX News producer Griff Jenkins caught up with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFF JENKINS, FOX NEWS PRODUCER: It looks like you live here and the house in Delray appears to be an active adult community that belongs to your mother-in-law. Is that true? You live with your mother-in-law?
REP. ROBERT WEXLER, D-FLA.: My in-laws own that house. That's correct. I'll be happy to…
JENKINS: So you live with your mother-in-law?
WEXLER: My in-laws own that house. Yes, that's my official residence.
JENKINS: OK, so you don't live here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, a few days after that embarrassment, Wexler announced he was going to rent a place in his district. The Founding Fathers would approve.
It looks also like Wexler pays income taxes in Florida and not Maryland, where he actually lives. Why is that important? Because Maryland has a big state income tax, while Florida doesn't have any state income tax. That saves Wexler thousands of bucks.
But Wexler's a big tax and spend guy, a man who wants to raise your taxes all day long. Hypocrisy? You make the call.
Down in South Florida, the Sun-Sentinel newspaper covered the Wexler situation professionally, advancing the story, telling its readers the truth. But The Palm Beach Post is quite a different story. That paper has been a far-left concern for years. And after "The Factor's" expose on Wexler, The Post wrote the congressman had done nothing wrong and then attacked us for reporting the story.
The head hatchet man was editorial page editor Randy Schultz, a committed left-wing zealot. "Factor" producer Jesse Watters caught up with Schultz yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSE WATTERS, "O'REILLY FACTOR" PRODUCER: We just wanted to know, why are you in the tank for Robert Wexler? No comment? You say rather than tell Bill O'Reilly at FOX News where to get off, Wexler announced he would lease an apartment in his district. That's what he should be doing. And you're attacking O'Reilly for pointing this out and reporting this?
RANDY SCHULTZ, PALM BEACH POST EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR: You're on my property. Please get off. You're on my property.
WATTERS: I mean, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is corrupt reporting, sir.
SCHULTZ: Oh, you know what? If I took what you said seriously, I'd worry about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now few people care about The Palm Beach Post or that guy. The Post has lost 10 percent of its readership in the past two years, and now you know why.
But here's the bigger picture, the important picture. No longer can Americans trust the media, which was given special constitutional privileges to look out for the folks. The Palm Beach Post and many other media outlets are in the business of advancing a political cause: liberalism. And there's no balance in this ideological intrusion. Few American newspapers are conservative.
So for the first time in American history, the curtain has been pulled back. Media ideology has greatly aided Barack Obama in his quest to be president. And now it's being used as a blunt instrument.
If The Palm Beach Post wants to be a liberal brochure, its parent company the Cox Corporation should simply state that. Don't attack journalists who do honest reporting.
The folks in Congressman Wexler's district have a right to know where the man lives and what his tax situation is. We provided that. The Palm Beach Post did not. You decide which enterprise is noble.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
The hottest teen group these days are the Jonas Brothers from New Jersey. And 15-year-old Nick Jonas appeared on "FOX & Friends" Wednesday with a very worthy appeal.
He is diabetic and is promoting his charitable foundation ChangeForTheChildren.com. The Jonas clan has donated more than $1 million to that foundation. So Nick and his family are obviously patriots.
The same cannot be said for our pal Snoop Dogg. Once again, police have arrested two Dogg associates on drug charges after the Snoopster's bus was stopped in Texas and two ounces of pot were found. Snoop himself was not arrested and has no comment.
He is a pinhead, of course, and in the pinhead hall of fame. And by the way, it is not true — not true — the bus was on its way to Willie Nelson's house.
— 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
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