San Francisco Flap

This is a partial transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," November 14, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.

Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET and listen to the "Radio Factor!"

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: Now for the top story tonight, two other views of this. Joining us from San Francisco, Todd Chretien, who authored "The Controversial Proposition" and Jeff Katz, radio talk show host on KENW 910, home of "The Radio Factor".

Mr. Chretien, we appreciate you coming on the program. Most of the other people in San Francisco have run for cover. Two simple questions before we get to the issue. Number one, do you believe the USA is fighting a War on Terror right now?

TODD CHRETIEN, AUTHOR OF ANTI-MILITARY RECRUITER BAN IN SAN FRANCISCO: Thanks, Bill, for having me tonight. I appreciate the chance to talk to your audience. I believe that this war in Iraq is creating more terror than we've started with...

O'REILLY: OK, but do you — overall, are we in the middle of a War on Terror?

CHRETIEN: That's what the president calls it. I would call it something else.

O'REILLY: OK, so you don't believe we're fighting a War on Terror. OK. Have you ever listened to "The Radio Factor"?

CHRETIEN: Yes, I have.

O'REILLY: OK. What time is it on?

CHRETIEN: In San Francisco, I'm bad with time zones, it's usually on in the evening.

O'REILLY: OK. But you have listened to the program? You know the tone...

CHRETIEN: But I heard your — I heard -- I noticed that, you know, you're right. You said that if it was — what you were saying there in that intro piece was that it was satirical what you said.

O'REILLY: Right, right.

CHRETIEN: But you actually left out the part at the end there where you said if al Qaeda came to San Francisco and wanted to blow up Coit Tower.

O'REILLY: Yes, we have the whole — we can't play the whole thing. It's five minutes long. And anybody can hear it billoreilly.com.

But it was obviously the satirical reference. And even The San Francisco Chronicle knows that.

CHRETIEN: Well, this is what I would say, Bill. The people of San Francisco do not think that the war in Iraq is a laughing matter. Because when I wrote "Proposition I" back in March, there were 1,500 dead American soldiers. As we speak today, there's almost 2100. And by next Christmas, they'll be 3,000. That's not something that we should be laughing about.

O'REILLY: And you and your ilk have insulted every single military person in this country because, as you know, they're not responsible for the war in Iraq. That's a political decision. These people.

CHRETIEN: That's why we think they should come home now to stop...

O'REILLY: No, it's not about coming home. Hey, you want coming home, put coming home on the proposition. You put.

CHRETIEN: It was in the proposition.

O'REILLY: We don't want.

CHRETIEN: Did you read it?

O'REILLY: Yes, I did.

CHRETIEN: Did you read it, Bill?

O'REILLY: We don't want military.

CHRETIEN: Because it says bring them home now.

O'REILLY: .recruiting in our schools. That's why I'm saying we don't want military in our homes.

CHRETIEN: And it says bring them home now, Bill.

O'REILLY: It's the same thing. You insulted them.

CHRETIEN: We don't think that the troops who are dying in Iraq should be replaced with more...

O'REILLY: Then put that on the -- then make a proposition.

CHRETIEN: It was on the ballot, Bill. Hey, that's what the proposition said. You should have.

O'REILLY: This is about military recruiting, is it not, Mr. Katz? Is it not about military recruiting?

JEFF KATZ, TALK RADIO HOST AT KNEW IN SAN FRANCISCO: It is completely about military recruiting inside of schools and college campuses. And I have to tell you something, Bill, with the exception of a handful of the ueber-leftists here in San Francisco, everybody understood that what you said was really part of what most of America thinks about when they think about San Francisco.

Frankly, those of us who live and work in the Bay area routinely look at San Francisco, the outrageous votes, the ridiculous things that happen at City Hall and think that San Francisco has simply become a punch line.

It is a virulently anti-American statement. It is attacking the troops full on. And that's what Proposition I was all about. It's what the continued efforts here in San Francisco. They have what they call peace marches, where they chant death to America, death to Bush. They hate the troops.

And all you need to do -- and Mr. Chretien I'm sure is proud of the support he received on Proposition I. Take a look at some of the groups that are supporting Proposition I. And you tell me which side of this war they're on.

O'REILLY: All right, now Mr. Chretien, I respect you for coming on the program because you knew this wasn't going to be an easy ride.

CHRETIEN: Well, I respect you for having me.

O'REILLY: And I also respect the fact that you dissent from the war in Iraq. It's not about the war in Iraq. And if you wanted a proposition on the war in Iraq, you should have put one on there.

But you have to understand, sir, that this is a slap in the face to the U.S. military. This is a volunteer army. These men and women are putting their lives on the line to protect us.

And I'll tell you what. I don't back down from any of my comments about San Francisco or the satirical reference. And the satirical reference was this. And again, anybody can hear it on billoreilly.com. Why should we protect you in San Francisco? If you feel so harshly toward the U.S. military, why should they even protect you, sir?

CHRETIEN: I'll tell you what, Bill. If you feel that strongly about defending it, and we challenge you to come to San Francisco and let's have a 60 minute debate moderated by a neutral person. And you can debate that we should keep our troops in Iraq and we should keep the military.

O'REILLY: Not about Iraq.

CHRETIEN: And we'll debate.

O'REILLY: Not about Iraq.

CHRETIEN: .getting the troops home now.

O'REILLY: Look.

CHRETIEN: .and getting the military recruiters out of the school.

O'REILLY: Mr. Chretien, Mr. Chretien.

CHRETIEN: So if you're up for that.

O'REILLY: No, no, look.

CHRETIEN: We're happy to have you. We won't back down. Will you?

O'REILLY: All right, why would I debate someone like you who keeps deflecting the issue into Iraq? This wasn't about Iraq.

CHRETIEN: Where do you think they go.

O'REILLY: It was about denying the military access to your schools. That's what it was about.

CHRETIEN: That's right.

O'REILLY: You deflected into Iraq. I'm not going to debate somebody like you who won't even stay on point. And in fact, I'm going to give Mr. Katz the last word. Go.

KATZ: Well, I will tell you, Bill, that the efforts here, they have a variety of groups that want to talk about how they want to offer alternatives to kids in schools.

The reality is this, that there is an underlying contempt for the military. There is an underlying contempt for this country. That's what we find with this left wing. It is epitomized by many of the people who serve on our...

CHRETIEN: That's why 60 percent of the people in the country want the troops to come home now.

O'REILLY: It's not about Iraq.

KATZ: It has nothing to do with that. That's the clearest thing, that you guys continue to attack them.

O'REILLY: This is not about Iraq. But I would say one thing to be fair, Mr. Katz. I don't think it's the left wing. I think it's the far left. And there's a big difference.

CHRETIEN: Come on, Bill, don't back down. Come to San Francisco and debate us.

O'REILLY: Mr. Chretien, look, if I thought you were going to debate the War on Terror in an honest way, I'd kick your butt up and down the street.

CHRETIEN: OK.

O'REILLY: But all you want to do is put on a dog and pony show with your little left wing moon friends.

CHRETIEN: You should have read the proposition, Bill. Then you would have known what was going on.

O'REILLY: Yes. I read it.

CHRETIEN: Thanks for having me.

O'REILLY: Well, Mr. Katz illiterate, too? We both read the proposition. We both know what it was. Gentlemen, thanks very much.

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