By Bill O'Reilly
T-Points was going to analyze last night's Republican debate for you this evening. But then I said, why? Why waste your time? It was more of the same. The candidates saying I am more conservative than you are. Enough already.
The truth is there is very little difference among Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich as far as public policy is concerned. They all want smaller government. They all will cut taxes. They all will get tougher with Iran. And they all will oppose secularism in government. By most measures Rick Santorum is the most conservative of the three on social issues in particular.
But again the GOP policy is basically to oppose what President Obama is doing. So there is nothing to be gained for me to nitpick what these guys said last night. I did, however, object to this.
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JOHN KING: Congressman Paul you questioned the conservative, fiscal conservative credentials of all of these gentlemen but... but particularly this week Senator Santorum. You have a new television ad that labels him a fake? Why?
RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because he's a fake.
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm real, Ron. I'm real.
PAUL: Congratulations.
SANTORUM: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now that kind of stuff is just dumb. It's a waste of everybody's time. Rick Santorum is obviously a conservative, he may have voted for some government spending but they all do that except for Paul who has been so ostracized in the House he hasn't had one meaningful bill passed in 24 years.
Apparently CNN forgot about oil prices last night which is a big issue for the folks. Right now we're headed to $5 a gallon by the end of summer maybe $6. Today President Obama addressed that in Miami.
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PRESIDENT OBAMA: The amount of oil that we drill at home doesn't set the price of gas by itself. The oil market is global. Oil is bought and sold in a world market. And just like last year, the single biggest thing that's causing the price of oil to spike right now is instability in the Middle East. This time around Iran.
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O'REILLY: But that's not entirely true. As "The Factor" has been reporting the oil companies are selling products that originate in America overseas because they can get more money in China and other places. That is the primary reason we're paying more for gas right now, because our domestic supply up because of the mild winter is being diverted to other countries so the oil companies can make more profit.
President Obama does not seem to know what to do about that. So let me, your humble correspondent, offer a solution. We the people actually own America and the 12 miles of oceans surrounding it. The country was created for us. The government just administers the land. It oversees what happens in our name. The feds allow the oil companies to drill. They just can't do it on their own. They must have permits.
Therefore President Obama and Congress have a perfect right to regulate where fossil fuels that originate in the USA go because it's basically the property of we the people. But once again our leadership lets us down. If I am president I say to the American oil companies, hey, you have to sell a certain percentage of what you find and refine here to Americans.
And if you don't, we're going to slap an import tax... an export tax I should say on what you send overseas. Now that will bring down the price of gasoline? Would it not? And if the oil companies don't want to do it we'll find other oil companies who will. Trust me. They are out there.
Now that's leadership. And that's where President Obama has been falling down again and again.
That's also where the Republican Party could make gains. Instead of tearing each other apart about who is more conservative than whom, they should be looking the American people in the eye and saying, hey, this is what I do to bring oil prices down. This is what I do to make sure Iran doesn't get a nuke. This is what I would do to lower the national debt. And the guy with the best solutions should be the nominee.
But as John Belushi once said, "No, it's he raised taxes in Massachusetts. No, I didn't. You will take away your birth control. No I won't." Where is that getting the Republican Party? Here's the answer. Nowhere.
So right now all the polls say President Obama defeats the Republican nominee no matter who he is. And those polls are fluid. The President is obviously not nearly as attractive to voters as he was four years ago. But in order to defeat Barack Obama, an excellent campaigner, the Republican Party will have to knock off the nonsense. The GOP candidate will have to go right after the President and tell the American people why his leadership is harming the country.
Mr. Obama could call every American oil president into his office tomorrow. He could say exactly what I have just said in this "Talking Points" memo. You guys either sell a certain percentage of your oil to Americans or you've got to pay a price. Believe me, that would be a game changer and would help the folks, big time.
Finally it's quite clear to "Talking Points" that most Americans aren't even paying attention to the presidential race. With all the electronic gizmos we have these days you can lose yourself in a phony world. A world that you create online, you don't have to pay attention, you don't have to be involved and millions of Americans are choosing foolish diversions instead of trying to improve their country.
Both political parties know that. Therefore they are going to spin outrageous scenarios that will be so confusing nobody will be able to figure them out.
But the bottom line is this. The presidential election this year, the most important of our lifetime. If Barack Obama is re-elected we are looking at a $20 trillion debt in the year 2016. We are looking at gas prices that could reach $10 a gallon. And we are looking at a Muslim jihadist movement that will be emboldened by Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Yes, it's always possible a president will change and bring a different set of policies to the forefront. That's possible. But right now what I just told you is absolutely on the horizon. And if the Republicans don't gain some sense of urgency about it and knock off the nonsense they will likely lose in November.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots.
Ninety-year-old Jean Harp of Provo, Utah, is a feisty lady. Nearly one million people have now seen her on YouTube.
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O'REILLY: Jean is legally blind, nearly deaf, has a hip replacement but still can get down. She is a patriot.
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