Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly, reporting tonight from Washington. Thank you for watching us.
The Talking Points Memo this evening is about the continuing strange saga of Bill and Hillary Clinton. After eight years of investigation, the final Whitewater report has now been released. The headline is the Clintons made factually inaccurate statements. But there's not enough evidence to charge them with any crimes.
Clinton supporters have gone into their I-told-you-so mode. Clinton detractors still believe the couple is corrupt.
Talking Points finds the report interesting, so let's walk through it.
One, 12 people were convicted of crimes in the Whitewater case, including former Arkansas governor Jim Guy Tucker and Clinton confidant Web Hubbell.
Two, taxpayers lost $300,000 in the scam when a bank folded after receiving government loans to finance the Whitewater land deal.
Three, Hillary Clinton made money on Whitewater because, as a lawyer, she did work for the bank that failed.
Four, Mrs. Clinton's billing records went missing for 18 months. They were mysteriously found inside the White House, but Mrs. Clinton says she doesn't remember what happened. Give me a break.
Five, investigators were hampered by the fact that only a few people dealt with the Clintons in the Whitewater case. Susan McDougal refuses to testify. Her ex-husband, James, is dead. Web Hubbell was paid big money by Clinton associates and refuses to be forthcoming.
Six, to be fair, we're not talking big money here. The Whitewater scandal is small compared to Enron and that kind of stuff.
Now, many Democrats feel Whitewater was a political witch hunt and a waste of time and money. But Whitewater does point out one important thing, that Bill and Hillary Clinton are not honest people. They do not tell the whole truth. They deceive.
So my question is this, why do Americans want untrustworthy people to have power? Some of my critics say I don't care for the Clintons because of ideology. Nothing could be further from the truth. I simply want honest government. Call me crazy. I want the people we elect to tell the truth. I don't want sleazy land deals, cover-ups, payoffs, and false testimony.
Americans have a right to expect those in power to be above reproach. Are the Clintons above reproach?
And that's the memo.
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
Time now for "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day."
I'll have my criminals well done, please. Police say 25-year-old Samson Dearman tried to break into the Bob Sike's Restaurant in Bethsemer (ph), Alabama through a cooking vent. There he is. He got stuck, ended up having to be removed by firefighters. The cook from the restaurant saw his feet dangling from the vent when he got to work in the morning. The man had taken off his clothes to try to slide down the vent and was stuck for four hours. He's charged with third-degree burglary and he's got $10,000 bail. There he is. I want my ribs well done. Very 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
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