Bill O’Reilly: British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward: A Sock Puppet in Washington

British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward, a sock puppet in Washington. That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo." Testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Hayward appeared shaky and shaken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN DINGELL, D-MICH.: Could you tell us how much money BP saved by not using the proper number of centralizers?

TONY HAYWARD: I'm afraid I can't recall that.

DINGELL: Would you submit that for the record? How much time was saved?

HAYWARD: And I don't recall that either, I'm afraid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Meantime, Congressman John Sullivan pointed out that while Exxon Mobil had just one safety violation in the recent past, BP had 760. Again, Hayward had no answer. In fact, the CEO pretty much dodged all specific questions leading the chairman of the subcommittee to say this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HENRY WAXMAN, D-CALIF.: I'm just amazed at this testimony, Mr. Hayward. You're not taking responsibility. You're kicking the can down the road and acting as if you have nothing to do with this company and nothing to do with the decisions. I find that irresponsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

While the scorn of BP came from both parties, some conservatives were sympathetic:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOE BARTON, R-TEXAS: I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure that is, again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown. So I apologize.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, afterward, Mr. Barton clarified his remarks, saying he wants to hold BP responsible, but there's no question that some on the right do not like President Obama's strong-arming the oil giant:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: Private companies need to be held accountable, but not necessarily to the executive branch. It seems to me there's a misreading of the constitution and a misunderstanding of jurisdictional limits from this White House on what the extent of executive power is. They don't seem to understand that. And it now seems that it's all about extortion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, Ms. Bachmann is referring to the fact that BP has been coerced by the president to put up at least $20 billion in a fund to benefit those hurt by BP's dereliction. And "Talking Points" believes the corporation was derelict. The questioning today pointed out that BP ignored warnings about the now destroyed deep water well and may have done so to save money.

It is the job of the federal government to protect the American people. In this case, the Feds did not monitor BP closely enough. But that's history. Now the important thing is to clean up the Gulf and to help folks who have been harmed by the spill. BP should pay for all of that. All of it. And Mr. Obama was correct in bringing pressure on the company to pony up the money. I don't really care how the president did it. I'm happy there's $20 billion in play and more to come. And we will watch that money to make sure it gets to the right people and places.

Politics aside, this whole thing is BP's fault. Hayward would be smart to just admit that and take his lumps. And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Pinheads & Patriots starring "Baby Gaga," or something like that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

All right. Now that unidentified Brazilian kid is a star on the Net and I think he's a patriot, as are most babies, you know, a little rhythm, what can you do.

On the pinhead front, no we don't have any tonight. We have another patriot 10-year-old Jack Cavett broke the Guinness Book of World Records for wearing the most underpants ever. 30 pounds of support. 215 pairs of underpants. Jack looks thrilled, doesn't he?

But Jack is giving any money he derives from his big win to wounded marines. Jack singer is the pride of Warwick, New York.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: The Far Left Turns on Obama

The far left turns on Barack Obama. That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo". Fox News analyst Charles Krauthammer makes an interesting observation. He says that conservatives in general have cut President Obama more slack on the oil slick than liberals. And that seems to be true. Fair-minded people understand the president is not directly responsible for the catastrophe. And although he may have been slow in reacting, he's not doing anything bad on purpose. But the far left is scorching Mr. Obama, especially NBC News, which has been the leading cheerleader for the president over the past two years. But why? Why are committed left wingers giving the president such a hard time?

Let's let far left zealot Cynthia Tucker, who works for "The Atlanta Journal Constitution" answer that question for us. Writing about the president's speech last night, she says, "He didn't use the moment to assert a resolute sense of command, nor did he use it to call on Americans to make the sacrifices that will be necessary to make the transition from petroleum to cleaner fuels." Aha! Big clue. It's not really about the oil spill. It's about fossil fuels and global warming. That's what's driving the far left angst.

Many committed liberals are furious the president okayed more oil drilling earlier this year. And they're also hopping mad that cap and trade legislation has stalled. They expected their guy, Barack Obama, to be a global warming warrior. And he has not been. So the oil disaster in the Gulf has ignited global warming resentments towards Mr. Obama. Many Americans simply don't understand how deeply the far left feels the warming pain.

On the moderate left, there's concern the president simply doesn't know what he's doing in the cleanup. Yesterday, "The New York Times" printed a front page story that says "Cleanup Efforts Are a Fiasco." But last night, President Obama said his strategies are effective. So there's a divide. And some moderate liberals are becoming disenchanted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC: I think that, basically, the effort just has not been very well coordinated. I think -- in my opinion and I usually don't give my opinion, but I think BP has been given too much authority in this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Talking Points" believes Ms. Couric's assessment is essentially correct. There is chaos in the cleanup. And the president relied far too heavily on BP in the beginning of the crisis.

On balance, the speech last night really didn't do the president much good. The Rasmussen daily tracking poll today has the president's approval rating at just 42 percent among likely voters. Not good. And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Comedian Kathy Griffith not a big fan of Fox News, but apparently her mom is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY GRIFFIN: My mother loves Fox News and she loves Bill O'Reilly and we get into big fights about it. She calls Bill O'Reilly her boyfriend because she's crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Griffin's mom certainly not crazy. She's a patriot. A lot of pinhead fun. About a half million people are emotionally invested in Scott the Kitten. Somebody put a hat on Scott with an eye on Internet exposure. Then a bigger cat came along and knocked the hat off. Is that nice? No it is not. But Scott was cool. He did not react violently. However, the bigger cat is a major pinhead.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Blaming Bush for Oil Disaster, Part 90

The oil disaster is getting crazier and crazier. The broken pipeline is still sending thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day, and the Obama administration is trying to stem the tide of negative public opinion. So it's not only an ecological disaster, it's a political disaster.

On Sunday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STENY HOYER, HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: The psychology of neglect in terms of regulatory oversight that was pursued in the Bush administration, which led to the banking failure, insurance prices going way up, and oil companies thinking they could do whatever they wanted because the "drill, baby, drill" crowd all they wanted them to do was to drill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That's not entirely true. President Bush banned drilling off Florida's west coast, and there was not much difference in the Bush oil policy than the Clinton oil policy. Both presidents allowed deepwater drilling in some areas, as did President Obama, and Congress went along with it.

So there is plenty of blame to go around, and for the Democrats to continue to lay it all on Bush is flat-out dishonest. Even the liberal media is catching on to this ruse:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS: You hear this critique, why do Democrats keep blaming the Bush administration?

NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I haven't heard that. I haven't heard that.

(LAUGHTER)

TODD: So you think that's a favorite, but when does that run out? When do you feel like it runs out with the public?

PELOSI: Well, it runs out when the problems go away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The Speaker hasn't heard Democrats blaming Bush? Are you kidding me? Is she in 24/7 lockdown?

"Talking Points" is just about fed up with the politics of the oil spill, so let's be very clear: No politician is responsible for BP's faulty equipment, and modern day presidents understand the country is ultra-dependent on oil.

In fact, everybody knows that. Yes, it's harmful to this country. We are funding terrorism with money we spend overseas on oil. ANWR in the Arctic should have been opened a long time ago. Nuclear power plants should have been built a long time ago, and other alternative fuels should be fast-tracked. Everybody knows this.

This oil disaster is a wake-up call, but it is nobody's fault, with one possible exception: If the British Petroleum corporation was derelict in safety procedures, then they must be held responsible in a criminal case.

As far as response time to the spill and the cleanup, obviously the Obama administration wasn't quick off the mark and they don't really know how to clean it up, do they?

So the Democrats should basically button it, and come up with some solutions.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The cartoon "SpongeBob" is big among American urchins. The kids love Bob, and that really paid off for 5-year-old Andrew Gentile, who lives in New Jersey. He fell into a pool and was rescued by 8-year-old Reese Ronceray, who had seen SpongeBob make a rescue on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was like — I fell.

REESE RONCERAY: I jumped in. Grabbed him like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You grabbed him right here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, by where? Where do you grab him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like kind of on the shoulder. Then I start swimming to shore.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

So Reese and SpongeBob are patriots.

On the pinhead front, another cheap shot by a newspaper cartoonist.

Clay Bennett, who draws for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, served up an unfunny deal trying to link Fox News with unfair criticism of the president over the oil spill.

Click here to see the cartoon.

For that, Bennett is a pinhead.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Anger Rising in America

So now we're told that the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico is double — double — what BP and the government had said it was.

It is very apparent this whole disaster is totally out of control, and Americans are furious about it.

In addition, the economy remains a mess. Unemployment is almost 10 percent, and the stock market has lost nine percent in the last few weeks.

And then there is ideology. Conservatives are angry because the Obama administration is spending like crazy and expanding government. Liberals are seething because the president is not far-left enough.

Last week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made the mistake of attending a far-left conference in Washington, where she was grossly insulted:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, D-CALIF.: OK. Right. That's OK. That's OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if we can stop it. There's too many of them.

PELOSI: Wait, just a moment. OK, you have made your point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, they're throwing stuff. We need to leave.

PELOSI: Look, I am going to — excuse me, excuse me. I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving. You have made your point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

On the other side, the Tea Party people are absolutely outraged, as you know:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP: Kill the bill. Kill the bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, whenever you get angry, your judgment is affected. But sometimes anger produces positive action, so it can be a good thing.

However, as we all know, anger can also become irrational, destructive and hateful.

The United States is the most powerful country the world has ever seen, and now it is an angry nation. The fuse has been lit. President Obama has become even more polarizing than President Bush was, and almost every elected politician is in danger of losing his or her job.

Simply put: Americans are fed up. They believe they can no longer control their own lives.

Nobody knows how all this will play out, but I do know that this oil spill disaster is changing everything in this country. It's almost like a message written in the sky: Big government cannot solve all problems. The feds have no idea how to control this atrocity in the Gulf.

At this point, "Talking Points" believes we should all take it down a notch. It's OK to want change, and change will come. But we all have to keep our anger in check.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

We have been waiting for celebrities to get involved with the Gulf disaster, and now the New Orleans Saints have stepped up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW BREES, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS QUARTERBACK: This is an opportunity for us to raise much needed funds for the entire Gulf Coast region for you all, for organizations down here that are involved in this cleanup. And it's also an opportunity for one of our fans to get a Super Bowl ring.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

The deal is a raffle. You can win a Super Bowl ring. Tickets are $2 each. The website is SaintsGulfCoastRenewal.org. The Saints are patriots.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, I have never seen this woman on television, but others have. Her name is Snooki.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE "SNOOKI" POLIZZI, "JERSEY SHORE" CAST MEMBER: I don't go tanning tanning anymore because Obama put a 10 percent tax on tanning, and I feel like he did that intentionally for us. McCain would never put a 10 percent tax on tanning because he's pale and he would probably want to be tan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Of course, Snooki would not know this, but John McCain has skin cancer and a pretty tough case of it. Is the woman a pinhead? Could be.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Who Should We Blame for Gulf Disaster?

We have never been "drill, baby, drill" people here, understanding that the ocean is a complicated place where man has little influence. If America could possibly run on wind, solar and nukes, that would be ideal.

But we also understand that for more than 300 million Americans to live in comfort, oil is vital. So we are not oil business bashers, except when they engage in price fixing.

Like most sane people, "Talking Points" is furious about the BP oil spill and would like action against those responsible. So when we saw the TIME magazine cover story placing specific blame, we took notice. Unfortunately, TIME has diminished some good reporting with some lazy ideological nonsense, so let's run it down.

TIME lists 12 responsible agents. Three of them are BP pinheads, including the current CEO Tony Hayward. Fine so far, as historically BP has had all kinds of safety problems.

Americans Chris Oynes and Elizabeth Birnbaum are named. They were members of the Obama administration who managed the Minerals Management Service, the government agency that's supposed to oversee offshore oil drilling. Oynes has retired, Birnbaum was fired, and they are guilty.

Then ideology pops up, as Dick Cheney and President Bush are cited for blame. TIME says they were cozy with big oil, which is true. But while Cheney and Bush are ranked fifth and sixth most responsible, President Obama is ranked eighth.

The truth is that all three men are equally responsible because they did not make oil drilling safety a priority. If TIME wanted to be fair, the magazine would have lumped the three in together.

Finally, the magazine holds the American driver responsible for the oil spill because we continue to buy gas-guzzling cars and tool around all over the place.

I guess TIME believes that if all Americans drove Yugos, the accident would not have happened. That's fantasy, of course. Oil is needed in all parts of American industry. Yes, Americans want big vehicles and the freedom to drive them, and yes it would be better if we cut back, but drilling will not be affected by oil consumption in our lifetime.

What TIME ignores and what absolutely did contribute to the disaster is the intense environmental movement, which has prevented much shallow-water drilling and the ANWR Arctic exploration.

Now, I am a big environmental guy, but as I told President Obama man-to-man, that ANWR deal is crazy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: Let's start drilling in ANWR. Are you afraid of scaring…

PRESIDENT OBAMA: ANWR, I think…

O'REILLY: What, a caribou is going to be scared? Come on. You're with the folks. They can't pay their heating bill and you're worried about a caribou going what's that pipeline doing?

OBAMA: Listen.

O'REILLY: What? What?

OBAMA: One of the great things about this country as you travel around is we've got some beautiful real estate here.

O'REILLY: Oh, come on. Nobody goes to ANWR. You know, what, are you going to run shuttles up there?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Bottom line: TIME allowed its left-leaning posture to skew it's take on the oil spill villains.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Our pal Jon Stewart is a bit worked up over the Gulf oil spill and President Obama kicking butt:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Back in Washington, the president has finally bowed to public pressure and taking control of an organized, urgent and fully resourced centralized relief effort. I'm kidding. I'm sorry, he's bowed to pundit pressure to show emotion. Who should receive the brunt of the president's size 12 Air Jordans?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: In case you're wondering who is responsible, I take responsibility.

STEWART: He has to kick his own ass. I hope he's been doing yoga!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Is Stewart a patriot or a pinhead? You make the call.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

But there is no doubt about this dumb thing that happened at a Tea Party demonstration:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me tell you something while you're talking right now. The reason why that we're in this mess, that this clown, George Bush, who you love so much, deregulated everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't touch my property again, and don't push me again.

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my gosh! Somebody call the police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't touch my wife. You got it?

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The far-left loon that provoked that fight, Govenor Spencer, is definitely a pinhead.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Injecting Race Into Oil Spill Disaster

Once again, the media has outdone itself.

A few days ago, President Obama was getting pounded for being too placid, too cool about the huge oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Then the president went on the "Today" show proclaiming that he is doing everything he can, talking to all kinds of people:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I don't sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Almost immediately after that, the "kick butt" comment was kicked back at Mr. Obama in a racial context.

Far-left Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart wrote: "African-American men are taught at very young ages (or learn the hard way) to keep our emotions in check, to not lose our cool, lest we be perceived as dangerous or menacing."

Can you believe this? In the space of 48 hours, Mr. Obama has gone from apathetic to menacing because he's a black guy. Amazing.

Political writer Mark Halperin also framed the issue with race:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK HALPERIN, TIME MAGAZINE: Matt Drudge takes the Matt Lauer quote and he casts it as "Obama Goes Street," and includes this photo of an angry-looking Barack Obama. I think it's all pretty clear to all of us what's going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, it's not clear to me.

Apparently this whole thing has to do with a Matt Drudge headline, as Mark Halperin said, that says "Obama Goes Street." Also, the slang "street" is sometimes used in African-American precincts.

But again, this is just dumb. It's obvious the president is feeling the heat from the oil spill. His poll numbers are cratering. Sixty-nine percent of the public thinks he's doing a bad job on it according to a new ABC News poll.

So he decides to be a tougher guy, and now we have a racial thing.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

A simply amazing story to begin. Eighty-seven-year-old Irene Simpson was sitting in her easy chair when a tornado hit her home in central Illinois. The house was completely demolished, but Irene emerged unscathed with two possessions: a picture of her son and a copy of my book "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity."

Irene says she has insurance and she'll be fine, but we have offered to help her in any way possible because she is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, a Tampa, Florida, school had an unwanted visitor: a 7-foot alligator that somehow got into the cafeteria at Stewart Middle School without a hall pass.

Makes sense. If you're hungry, you go to the cafeteria.

Unfortunately for the gator, wildlife officials were nearby and he was ejected from the premises. There is no truth to the rumor that he was also suspended from the middle school for two weeks.

The gator is a pinhead.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Oil Spill Blues Continue for Obama

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll is kind of shocking. It says a whopping 69 percent of Americans believe the federal government — the Obama administration — is doing a bad job handling the oil mess.

By contrast, two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, 62 percent felt the Bush administration did a poor job in that disaster.

It is the drip, drip, drip of the oil spill that is hurting President Obama's image. Katrina came and went quickly. The spill continues to cause awful damage after seven weeks.

Realizing his entire administration is at risk, Mr. Obama is out making his case:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf. A month ago, I was meeting with fishermen down there, standing in the rain talking about what a potential crisis this could be. And I don't sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Tough guy rhetoric aside, the American public is frustrated because no solution to the spill has been found. Everybody knows how terrible the disaster is going to be. Even if the gusher were plugged today, billions of dollars in cleanup must be forthcoming. And even then, some of the wetlands and wildlife will never come back.

The British Petroleum corporation is, of course, responsible. But the president has not even spoken with BP CEO Tony Hayward:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I have not spoken to him directly, and here's the reason, because my experience is when you talk to a guy like BP's CEO, he's going to say all the right things to me. I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

With all due respect, the president should be speaking directly with Hayward, perhaps kicking his posterior verbally.

That same ABC News poll says that 64 percent of Americans want BP to be criminally investigated. Just 28 percent do not.

There is no question that scenes like the struggling birds, sea and wildlife have greatly angered the public. Americans want action, even if that action is symbolic.

President Obama now understands that graphic oil images are staining him, but there is little he can do about it.

So it's another "Barack and a hard place" situation for the president. His cool demeanor has brought heat directly on him. He is a man used to controlling situations, but this one remains out of control.

In any honest damage assessment of the oil debacle, the White House is up there.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Two "you make the call" situations.

Apparently, President Obama's speech at Kalamazoo High School on Monday was a bit much for one student:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: This is a contest to highlight schools that promote academic excellence, personal responsibility. Many of you are the first in your family to go to college, and right about now you may be feeling all the weight of their hopes and expectations coming down on your shoulders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The speech began shortly before 8 p.m. That kid must have had a rough day. Whether he's a pinhead or patriot may depend on your ideology.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

Also, a weatherman in Beaumont, Texas, is taking the city by storm:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a weatherman. I got my weather map. So if you have a weather question, go ahead and ask.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will it be sunny or will we see rain?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it looks like Mother Nature's going to be a pain. There's a slight chance for rain all over this map, from Lake Charles on over to Anahuac.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Pinhead? You make the call.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: President Obama Losing the Regular Folks

Now, because I am a simple man, I eat at diners all the time. They don't confuse me. I get one fork, not five. And there is no fusion in my scrambled eggs.

The other day I was talking to the boss at a diner near me on Long Island which employs 70 people. The business has been successful for a long time, and this hard working legal immigrant is a great example of how good people can succeed in America.

Because he's a smart guy, he wants to refinance his mortgage on the diner to take advantage of the low interest rates. But no bank will lend him money, even though his credit is stellar.

Millions of small business owners all over America are in the same position. They see the fat cat banks getting bailed out by the Obama administration, but they can't get a loan at the market rate no matter how responsible they are. That has caused much of the core of the American work force, small business folks, to turn against President Obama.

Yes, the oil slick has hurt him, but it is the shaky economy that has put the president in a precarious position. It's more about performance, less about ideology.

Last Thursday, Laura Ingraham and I had a shoot-out over ideology and performance. Ms. Laura is a fervent conservative who believes the entire Obama administration is made up of nitwits. She wants heads to roll over the oil mess. She wants Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano fired, right now.

I said that wasn't fair. Ms. Napolitano has nothing to do with oil spill policy. She takes her orders from the White House. Firing her would be like firing the bat boy for the Baltimore Orioles. Give me a break.

But the anti-Obama forces want scorched earth. Anyone associated with the president is fair game.

Jack Lucas, who lives in Cincinnati, wrote this: Bill, you were wrong and Laura is right about giving Napolitano a pass. She's in charge of the Coast Guard. Don't be a pinhead.

Is the Coast Guard doing a bad job, Jack? Is it? I believe they are doing everything they can.

"Talking Points" believes President Obama is indeed losing the folks, but it's reality, not ideology that is driving his poll numbers south.

The USA is getting hurt because the nation is not built to be run from the top down. The oil spill is a great example. The powerful federal government is powerless to stop the chaos. Katrina demonstrated that as well.

So let's be honest and evaluate things as they really are. Janet Napolitano and most other agency bosses are bureaucrats; they take orders. The big guy is the president and the state of the union is on him, especially because he has centralized so much power.

Right now the folks are turning away from the Obama administration. That's a fair and accurate thing to say.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The actress Sandra Bullock was betrayed by her husband in a very public way. She has filed for divorce.

In the meantime, Ms. Bullock continues to do good things. Listen to her speech at a cable awards ceremony:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: Did I win this for being entertainer of the year, or did I win this because of the spectacular IED explosion that became my personal life? Our extraordinary troops deserve much more than some actress in a tight dress talking about herself. So I would like to do something I've always wanted to do in person, which is to thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Thanking the troops makes Sandra Bullock a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, as you know, Gary Coleman died last week at age 42. And now TMZ is reporting that his ex-wife, 25-year-old Shannon Price, tried to sell photographs of Mr. Coleman's demise.

Can you believe this?

If true, Price is a pinhead. But much more than that, she is loathsome.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Three Points of Insanity

Point No. 1: The United Nations is telling the United States to end the drone missile attacks on Al Qaeda in Pakistan.

A senior U.N. official said: "The international community does not know when and where the CIA is authorized to kill, the criteria for individuals who may be killed, [and] how it ensures the killings are legal."

The international community does not know? Good. It's none of their business. Al Qaeda attacked the USA killing nearly 3,000 people here. What did the international community do about that?

This is so outrageous. The U.N. continues to be grossly anti-American. They give quarter and sympathy to the worst terrorists on Earth.

President Obama is absolutely correct in dropping missiles on Al Qaeda strongholds. Period.

Point No. 2, and this is not good news for the president. Apparently another Democratic Senate candidate, Andrew Romanoff in Colorado, was approached about a job by the White House to get out of the race.

On the heels of Congressman Sestak, that makes two apparent violations of U.S. Code 600, which says it is illegal to entice any office seeker out of a race with the prospect of a government job.

In the case of Sestak, it was allegedly Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel involved. In the case of Romanoff, who is running against the incumbent Senator Michael Bennet, it was allegedly White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina who made the overture.

Apologists for the White House say it's business as usual. But the law is the law. We need a federal investigation. Are you hearing me, Attorney General Holder?

Point No. 3: The Los Angeles Unified School District will apparently instruct public school students that the new Arizona anti-illegal alien law is morally wrong.

Can you believe it? The nation's second largest school district is now bringing ideology and propaganda into the classroom using civics and history classes to tell children that law, supported by most of the nation, is morally repugnant.

No spin: The fact that the L.A. educators are ramming one-sided ideology down the throats of kids is the real moral outrage here.

Listen to this quote from board president Monica Garcia: "America must stand for tolerance, inclusiveness and equality. In our civics classes and in our hallways, we must give life to these values by teaching our students to value themselves, to respect others and to demand fairness and justice for all who live within our borders. Any law which violates civil rights is un-American."

So this is great. Monica Garcia is now the decider when it comes to what's un-American. Monica Garcia is the new un-American czar. Are you kidding me?

This is the worst example I have ever seen of indoctrination by a school board. The students in Los Angeles do not deserve this.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The conservative outfit Newsmax has made an offer to buy Newsweek magazine, which is going down the drain. Now wouldn't it be refreshing for a weekly magazine not to be a liberal enterprise?

We wish Newsmax good luck. They are patriots for getting into the game.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, the legendary Paul McCartney was honored Wednesday night. But the former Beatle had to get a political dig in:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL MCCARTNEY: I want to just say one more time that it's a fantastic honor that the Gershwin family to give me this incredible award. And for me to be awarded it by the Library of Congress and in fact after the last eight years, it's great to have a president who knows what a library is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Pinhead? You make the call.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Obama on the Attack Against Oil Companies

Faced with a growing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as falling poll numbers, the president played offense on Wednesday.

In a speech at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Mr. Obama threatened not only BP but all the oil companies with higher taxes:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The time has come once and for all for this nation to fully embrace a clean energy future. It means rolling back billions of dollars of tax breaks to oil companies so we can prioritize investments in clean energy research and development.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And not only that. The president has announced a criminal investigation into the British Petroleum corporation.

There is no question Mr. Obama is angry. He is watching his entire administration totter because of a situation no one can control.

If you don't like Obama, it's karma. If you do like him, it's very bad luck.

But as we all know, the best defense is a good offense, so the president is also hammering his opposition, the Republican Party:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Now, some of you may have noticed that we have been building this foundation without much help from our friends in the other party. From our efforts to rescue the economy, to health insurance reform, to financial reform, most have sat on the sidelines and shouted from the bleachers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And those shouts are being heard, as Mr. Obama's job approval ratings are mostly below 50 percent.

Mr. Obama presently finds himself in a difficult place. He went against public opinion on health care. He's at odds with most Americans on illegal immigration and the Arizona law. His stance on Israel is against the majority, and he is getting slicked big time by the oil spill.

So let's take them one by one.

Obamacare is now law and the president doesn't care what you think about it. He's convinced he is right, end of discussion.

On illegal immigration, the president is at great risk. His view of controlling the border and mainstreaming illegal aliens is not nearly tough enough for the majority of Americans. Mr. Obama will get hurt on this issue.

The polls say 63 percent of Americans support Israel in its struggle with the Palestinians. The perception is Mr. Obama does not support Israel. Jewish-Americans comprise just two percent of the voting public. But it's hard to see how this issue will help the president.

Finally, the oil slick. Here Mr. Obama has simply run into incredible bad luck. If he could stop the leak, he would. But with all the power America has, nobody can stop the leak. Yes, he can bluster against BP and on Wednesday he did. But so what? Bluster won't stop this catastrophe, nor will higher taxes on the oil companies, which will simply sell more crude to China and India.

The president better watch his step here. Remember those gas lines under Jimmy Carter? Just saying.

As we said, the president was angry Wednesday. He knows where he is.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Back in April, we mocked Pamela Anderson for a tax beef, but now she's doing something positive.

Because of the oil slick in the Gulf, millions of birds are in danger, and Ms. Anderson is working with an organization called the International Bird Rescue Research Center trying to raise money to save some of these birds.

For that, she is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, comedian Sarah Silverman does not like Fox News:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH SILVERMAN, COMEDIAN: Right-wing Americans who appear in mainstream media are not out there calling black people (EXPLETIVE DELETED) or saying the Klan has good ideas. Instead, they're questioning the legitimacy of Obama's presidency by accusing him of being born in Africa or of being a Muslim. Or they're having Tea Parties and calling Obama a communist and a Nazi. The entire Fox News Channel is a 24-hour-a-day racism engine, but it's all coded, all implied.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

While Ms. Silverman is entitled to her opinion, we think she's a bit of a pinhead.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Obama, Israel and American Public Opinion

The consensus among intelligence people is that Israel was baited into confronting a pro-Palestinian flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships were on their way to Gaza with so-called relief supplies. The Israelis were worried that contraband was on board.

Obviously Israel acted aggressively here, and now bad things are happening.

The conflict began on Monday. Israeli commandos killed at least nine people on board the flotilla. Israel says they were acting in self-defense, and video shows the commandos were attacked, at least one thrown overboard.

To be fair, if soldiers jump onto your ship, you might resist as well.

Stratfor.com has the best analysis as far as foreign policy is concerned. You can access that on BillOReilly.com.

But it is the impact on the Obama administration that "Talking Points" wants to address. So far, the president has been quiet; the administration saying it is studying the situation.

Meantime, the U.N. has condemned Israel as usual, and the anti-Jewish lobby is out in force.

In New York City, hundreds of protesters, who apparently know everything that happened, couldn't wait to vent in Times Square:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP: Obama, it's about time, stop Israeli war crimes.

GROUP: Hey, hey, ho, ho, the occupation has got to go.

GROUP: Free, free Palestine. Free, free Palestine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

In San Francisco, the scene was similar: anti-Israel protesters taking to the streets:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP: Free, free Palestine. Free, free Palestine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more killing innocent civilians. No more killing innocent activists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are a criminal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

So who are these anti-Israel people?

Well, most of them are committed liberals who believe Israel is persecuting the Palestinian people. The right-wing in American generally supports Israel and is sympathetic to their ongoing struggle to protect themselves against people who have hated them for thousands of years.

President Obama, of course, is a left-wing guy, and his relationship with Israel is tense. That's ironic because 78 percent of Jewish-Americans voted for Mr. Obama in 2008. It will be fascinating to see if that support continues.

The polls say Mr. Obama cannot afford many more defections. The oil spill is definitely hurting him. Tuesday's Rasmussen daily tracking poll says just 46 percent of likely voters like the job the president is doing.

So once again, there is no rest for Barack Obama. It seems every time he turns around, there's another problem, and this Israeli business is certainly another problem.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The rock group Kiss will be touring this summer, and they're doing a good thing in the process.

$1 dollar from every ticket they sell will go to help the Wounded Warrior Project, which of course we here at "The Factor" support as well.

Kiss is a very entertaining band, and they are patriots.

On the pinhead front, Nancy Pelosi is now sermonizing about the word of God:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF., SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: My favorite word is the Word, is the Word. And that is everything. It says it all for us. And you know the Biblical reference, you know the gospel reference of the Word. And that Word is — we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word. The Word. Isn't it a beautiful word when you think of it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Interesting. We have a word here as well: pinhead. You can decide whether it applies in this case.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Obama Holds First Presser in Almost a Year

The president ran into some good news on Thursday. It looks like BP has finally been able to cap that damaged oil well after more than five weeks. How effective the cap will be is yet to be fully determined, but at least progress is being made.

There is no question that Mr. Obama understands Americans are very angry about the spill, and the president sounded tough in holding not only BP, but all the oil drillers responsible. In fact, a number of drilling projects have been cancelled or suspended, and the president made another plea for renewable energy. He wants to get out of the oil business.

But it didn't take long for questions about whether or not the Obama administration had been too slow to react to the disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: So this notion that somehow the federal government is sitting on the sidelines and for the last three or four or five weeks we've just been letting BP make a whole bunch of decisions is simply not true. What is true is that when it comes to stopping the leak down below, the federal government does not possess superior technology to BP.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The president basically put forth that from the jump the feds did everything that they could to deal with the situation. While Mr. Obama admitted some mistakes were made, they were mistakes he said borne from an unprecedented situation, not apathy or incompetence. Mr. Obama was adamant on that point. He did, however, say that he made a tactical mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Where I was wrong was in my belief that the oil companies had their act together when it came to worse case scenarios. Extraction is more expensive, and it is going to be inherently more risky, and so that's part of the reason you never heard me say drill, baby drill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, that's obviously a slap at conservatives, like Sarah Palin.

The president went on to say that he does not have confidence the oil companies can prevent another catastrophic spill. Therefore, he's clamping down on the drilling.

The questioning then pivoted to the border chaos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I don't approve of the Arizona law. I think it's the wrong approach. I am prepared to work with both parties and members of Congress to get a bill that does a good job securing our borders, holds employers accountable, makes sure that those who have come here illegally have to pay a fine, pay back-taxes, learn English, and get right by the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

So all in all, no big surprises in the press conference, at least for me.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Great American Art Linkletter passed away on Wednesday at age 97. Over the years, we had some interesting conversations with this TV icon.

Click here to watch 'The Factor's' tribute to Art Linkletter!

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'REILLY: How come you didn't turn into a Hollywood phony?

LINKLETTER: Because I was a communicator not an actor.

LINKLETTER: Who do you think has a better life, men or women?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women.

LINKLETTER: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I think men are dirty.

LINKLETTER: After 70, skiing is the perfect sport. Everything is downhill after that.

You're pretty much on your way to the top.

O'REILLY: Me? Myself?

LINKLETTER: Yes. You give the other guys a chance, and if you don't give them a chance, you say, "I'll give it to you later."

O'REILLY: And I do give it to them later, don't I?

LINKLETTER: Say "Art Linkletter" like you're mad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Art Linkletter like you're mad.

O'REILLY: Everybody knows you. You say Art Linkletter, and they say, "Ooh." And you walk around and everybody knows you.

LINKLETTER: Keep going.

What would you do first if you were president?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Keep my mouth shut.

LINKLETTER: I laughed at myself when I made movies. I'm out there, tied to a stake and the Indians are marching around, and I'm saying to myself, "What the hell am I doing here?"

O'REILLY: You never took it serious?

LINKLETTER: Never.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

A great guy, a patriot, loved talking to him.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Moving the National Guard to the Border

With most Americans demanding the federal government finally secure the Southern border, President Obama has announced that 1,200 National Guard troops will be sent to back up the Border Patrol.

As you may remember, "The Factor" was the first TV news program to suggest using the military to help stop the massive influx of illegal aliens and narcotics from Mexico. That was way back in the year 2000.

But the problem remains, and now states like Arizona have so much trouble, they are passing their own immigration laws.

President Obama's announcement that he will move the soldiers is a bit perplexing. He doesn't seem to want to do it, and 1,200 are not nearly enough.

Ten thousand is a good number. Why not move 10,000 Guardsmen to the border, Mr. President?

The answer may be that the American left generally does not want the border secured. Liberal Sen. Bob Menendez from New Jersey issued this statement after the president's Guard announcement:

"The Obama administration's militarization of the border amounts to a submission to the political forces brought by the Republican Party. If there is a greater border presence necessary, it should be in the form of additional regular Border Patrol agents."

Again, this is perplexing. Why does Sen. Menendez object to action that might secure the border? The military can do that, so why does Menendez oppose it?

We've asked the senator to come on "The Factor" Thursday. We don't expect him to, but I'll take an answer to the question in writing, Senator.

There comes a time when BS walks. The border situation could have been solved 20 years ago. Everybody knows that a solid fence and additional Border Patrol backed up by the military will stop the chaos. Everybody knows that. But the federal government will not do it.

Meantime, the drug problem causes an incredible amount of crime and suffering, and the illegal alien problem is off the chart.

The failure to control the Southern border is flat-out irresponsible. It is worth pointing out that President Bush didn't want to move the military to the border either. He finally did, but with little enthusiasm.

I mean, I just don't get it. Are we afraid of offending the drug cartels? The coyotes who smuggle people? Are we afraid of offending them?

What if you lived 10 miles away from the border? How do you think your quality of life would be?

One word sums it all up: awful.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

This has happened to me, in the middle of broadcasting when the voice says sayonara.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY JAKES: On the inside (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I think we're going here. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) leading the way. It's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in front on the outside trying hard one step closer (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

For struggling to the finish line, announcer Jimmy Jakes is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, a rather disturbing story. Sarah Palin apparently has a new neighbor.

Author Joe McGinniss, who wrote a very negative article on the governor, has moved in next to her in Alaska. Word is he's writing a book on Gov. Palin and has rented a home whose property line is just 15 feet away from the Palin's.

That's just wrong. What an intrusion.

McGinniss is a pinhead, and he should get out of there. You can write your book, but leave the family alone.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: President Obama and the Economy

Well, the stock market is getting pounded, down another 23 points Tuesday. After a nice run-up last year, the Dow is down almost 900 points over the last three weeks. And along with the market's fall comes a drop in President Obama's job approval rating.

On Tuesday, the Rasmussen daily tracking poll has just 42 percent of Americans approving. Fifty-six percent do not like the way President Obama is doing his job.

So even with problems like the oil spill and illegal immigration, it is still the economy that drives public opinion.

The Obama administration believes the U.S. economy is getting better and that the chaos in Europe is behind the stock market tumble.

But Americans are worried. The president has been in office for 16 months. When he arrived, unemployment was at 7.7 percent. Now it's 9.9 percent.

Also, Mr. Obama has spent billions bailing out failing companies and imposing social justice through things like universal health care. Meantime, the USA now owes almost $13 trillion.

The reason Greece, Spain and other European countries are in trouble is that they are bankrupt. The reason America is not bankrupt is that the Chinese and others continue to invest here, giving the feds the money to pay the interest on our enormous debt, but that could stop. Also, we are not paying down what we owe, so there are obviously serious economic problems in America.

If the economy does not drastically improve over the next few months, the Democrats will lose control of Congress, and Mr. Obama will be on the defensive.

Remember, the presidential campaign of 2012 will start in January 2011, just seven months from now.

The compelling question is whether Barack Obama will stop governing from the left because it is clear the country cannot afford to expand the government and entitlements anymore. Just like California, Mr. Obama will have to start cutting — and cutting big — very soon.

If the president raises taxes, the economy could get much worse. So the president is, indeed, caught between Barack and a hard place.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Society person Paris Hilton is often the object of derision, but now she's doing something good. Ms. Hilton is teaming up with the USO to promote a program called "Songs for Soldiers," whereby our troops in the field would get MP3 players so they can have some tunes in their downtime, always a good thing. For this, Paris Hilton is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, the English language is under assault in Great Britain, of all places. This report by a sports correspondent is making the rounds:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) — Jack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's on the cutting edge of broadcasting, isn't he?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I understood every word of that. The guy was talking about soccer, but he's still a pinhead.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Palin vs. Obama Over Oil Spill

After more than a month, that terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico still has not been capped. The pollution is staggering.

President Obama has launched a full investigation, and his administration is briefing the press about measures being taken to control the situation.

But the truth is nobody knows what to do. British Petroleum can't stop the oil flow, and the U.S. government has no solution either.

The disaster is located within U.S. waters, so the president could have taken charge back on April 20 when the well blew. But the president did not do that, allowing BP to deal with the situation, and, of course, BP has not been able to solve the problem.

"Talking Points" believes the reason the president didn't move in right away is that he doesn't know how to stop the oil spill either.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is angry that cleanup efforts are not aggressive enough. But with all that oil spilling 24-7, cleanup measures are stopgap.

Now the issue has become political. Over the weekend, Sarah Palin said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN: I don't know why the question isn't asked by the mainstream media and by others if there's any connection with the contributions made to President Obama and his administration and the support by the oil companies to the administration. If there's any connection there to President Obama taking so doggone long to get in there, to dive in there and grasp the complexity and the potential tragedy that we are seeing here in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, if — if this was President Bush, or if this were a Republican in office who hadn't received as much support even as President Obama has from BP and other oil companies, you know the mainstream media would be all over his case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And that's true. The media would be pounding a Republican president for being cozy with Big Oil.

But "Talking Points" does not believe President Obama cares about BP money. He has plenty of campaign money, and this disaster is hurting him. If the president knew what to do, he'd do it. But again, he doesn't know what to do.

You may remember that I did not blame President Bush for the horror of Katrina. Yes, Mr. Bush was slow in reacting in the direct aftermath of the storm. But no matter what President Bush did, the outcome would have been pretty much the same: a city destroyed, massive suffering heaped upon its citizens.

It's almost the same thing with the oil spill. The feds were slow in reacting, but the outcome, tragically, would not have been changed.

The no-spin truth: Nobody knows how to stop the damn oil.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Soccer star David Beckham did some nice work in Afghanistan. He visited British troops on the front lines, boosting morale.

Afghanistan is a tough, isolated place. It's also dangerous, even for celebrities, so we admire people like Beckham for taking the time. He's a patriot.

On the pinhead front, another brawl at a baseball game.

In Chicago, some White Sox and Angels fans went at it. Why on Earth these morons do this stuff is beyond belief. Many Americans take their kids to baseball games and should not have to endure public cursing and this kind of violent behavior. We hope these pinheads get fined big time.

Did I mention the word pinhead?

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Is American Way of Life in Danger?

You may remember my book "Culture Warrior," the one before "Bold Fresh." In that book, I said that secular progressives want to change our traditional Judeo-Christian heritage. SPs believe it is oppressive and unfair.

"Culture Warrior" was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, and I think I made a persuasive case that the SP movement wants dramatic change that would directly affect you.

Of course, that was years before the rise of Barack Obama. In "Culture Warrior," I used a fictional president named Gloria Hernandez, who many people feel resembles Mr. Obama. But obviously when writing the book, I had no idea about President Obama or what would unfold in America.

Now Newt Gingrich has a new book out called "To Save America," in which he says that secular socialists are trying to alter the country, and if they are successful, Mr. Gingrich believes the United States will be damaged forever.

So let's take a look at the secular socialist deal.

There is no question that the Obama administration has expanded the power of the federal government. Just the health care law alone accomplished that. On Thursday, the feds passed a law that provides strict oversight to the financial industry. "Talking Points" believes the feds have to watch Wall Street, but this is obviously another expansion of federal power.

But what about the socialist banner?

Well, millions of Americans believe that President Obama wants the government to control the free marketplace, at least to some extent. Thus the president has been labeled a socialist in some precincts. We have not done that here because the description is too simplistic for what is really going on.

What troubles me is that we are seeing very far-left people working in the Obama administration. The latest is Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner, whose remarks about the new Arizona law to the Chinese have caused a bit of controversy. Posner does not like the Arizona law, feeling it may cause discrimination, and he admits he brought the law up to the Chinese "early and often." So far Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been silent on the matter.

But one look at Posner's resume shows you he is an ideologue. I mean, the guy founded a group called Human Rights First, which is largely funded by George Soros. Come on. Soros is the biggest open border guy in the country, so what is Posner doing in the State Department?

That kind of situation gives credence to people who say the president is lining up a bunch of far-left loons in order to change the country.

Again, that might not be true, but the debate is raging.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

I went to a concert by Taylor Swift the other day, and also got to meet her backstage with my bodyguards, two very nice young girls from Long Island. I have to say Taylor Swift was very, very nice to everybody she met. She went out of her way to make everyone happy. I was very impressed. Miss Swift is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, hurricane season is coming up, and we have in this country the best predictors:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctor Hans Simian, what's your prediction?

(MONKEY SCREECHES)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Hans Simian used the most rigorous, time-tested, reliable methodology in providing you with this forecast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. 6. Call six. No. 6.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every precaution has been made to ensure the highest level of professionalism and accuracy, so you can depend on it. Which is the better forecast: NOAA's or Dr. Hans Simian's? We'll find out at the end of hurricane season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Somebody could be a pinhead here.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Mexico’s President Takes on New Arizona Law

As we reported Wednesday, Mexican President Calderon does not like Arizona cracking down on illegal aliens, and there are a few valid reasons for his point of view.

No one group wants to be singled out for scrutiny, and certainly the focus will be on Mexicans under the new Arizona law.

But in a new Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll, 84 percent of Americans, including 75 percent of Democrats, favor the police asking for nationality status if they have reasonable cause to suspect someone is in this country illegally. Eighty-four percent, that's an astounding plurality, and one Calderon should respect.

Also, President Calderon needs the money illegal aliens send back to his country, an estimated $1 billion in cash a year.

So Calderon has an agenda. Here's what he said on Thursday in front of Congress:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FELIPE CALDERON, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO: My government does not favor the breaking of the rules. I fully respect the right of any country to enact and enforce its own laws. I strongly disagree with the recently adopted law in Arizona.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, that's somewhat infuriating.

First of all, if President Calderon really respects the territorial integrity of America and our right to make our own laws, he would seal his side of the border, but he won't.

Second, the Democrats who applauded Mr. Calderon are generally opposed to strict border enforcement. In fact, they have no solution to control rampant illegal immigration. None.

Many believe the Democratic Party wants the votes that new citizens can provide. Therefore, the Dems favor amnesty and a continuation of the border intrusion. That might be unfair, but the perception is there in some quarters.

But again, the Democratic Party really has no solution to the immigration mess other than amnesty and the status quo.

Clearly the American people depart from the Democrats on the issue. All the polls say that.

As for President Calderon, he did himself no good with the American public by condemning the Arizona law. I mean, I like the guy because of his tough stance against the drug cartels. But on the border issue, he's a phony, and that's the truth.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

It is not easy being in the public eye, especially when you are the White House director of protocol.

On Wednesday at the Obama-Calderon state dinner, Capricia Marshall took a spill. Everybody saw it, but she remained composed, so she is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, actor Nicolas Cage is a bit of an eccentric, and according to the London Sun, he selects his food based on sex.

Old Nic says he will not eat pork because pigs are a bit sloppy in the sex arena, but he will eat fish and fowl because they are neater about it.

Is Mr. Cage a pinhead for his diet analysis? You make the call.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: President Obama and Super Tuesday

The Obama administration has been pretty much silent about the vote, perhaps because there is little good news for the Democratic machine.

The anti-Obama forces are saying that Tuesday's election was a huge defeat for the president, but that may be overstating things. So let's run it down.

In Arkansas, Sen. Blanche Lincoln will probably be the Democratic nominee. However, she's going to lose to the Republican next November unless there's a scandal or something.

In Pennsylvania, Joe Sestak beat Arlen Specter big time. But Sestak is even more liberal than Specter, so the Obama administration does not suffer there. It is possible Mr. Sestak will lose in November. The race should be competitive.

Also in Pennsylvania, Democrat Mark Critz took the late Congressman John Murtha's seat. Critz is a conservative Democrat, but he should pretty much toe the party line.

It is in Kentucky where the Obama administration suffered its biggest defeat, but the Republican Party lost as well.

Rand Paul, an eye doctor and son of Congressman Ron Paul, won in a landslide. Mr. Paul was backed by the Tea Party, and he is a shoo-in for Sen. Jim Bunning's seat next November. So you're trading one conservative Republican for a kind of libertarian Republican.

The importance of the vote Tuesday is that President Obama is no longer a force in electoral politics. He's pretty much on the sidelines now. If he shows up to support a candidate, that candidate could very well lose, as we saw in Massachusetts.

If a sitting president does not have any power to sway voters, that's big. So the Democratic Party is going to have to run on its record, and what is that? Record spending, enormous deficits and high unemployment.

Can you say uh-oh?

This is not a partisan analysis. The GOP got its butt kicked in Kentucky as well. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backed the losing candidate, but the voters said, "Hey, Mitch, blank you. We're going for the Tea Party guy." Not good for the Republican establishment.

It's clear Americans are angry and want big change in Washington. It's also clear that the Republicans have an opportunity next November if they can put forth solutions to complicated problems.

As for the Democrats, right now it's midnight at the oasis.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

A dramatic baby rescue caught on tape. San Antonio, Texas, bus driver Mike Hubbard was cruising along shortly after midnight when he spotted a baby sitting in the middle of the road. Hubbard quickly braked and exited the bus.

The infant, named Destiny Flores, was then scooped up by her father, who didn't say a word to the bus driver. Texas authorities will make a decision soon as to whether to remove Destiny and her two sisters from the home.

Mike Hubbard is a patriot.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, rockers Carlos Santana and Elvis Costello have cancelled concerts in Israel because they don't like how Palestinians are being treated.

OK, fine, political opinion should be respected. But this is a complicated issue, and I'm not sure Carlos and Elvis are in a position to really understand the full dynamic.

Of course, we'd love to hear their viewpoints, and we'd also like to win the lottery. We have about the same odds on both situations.

The singers are pinheads.

— 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.

Bill O’Reilly: Why Obama Is Having Trouble With Voters

There is no question that American voters are having trouble with President Obama.

The latest Rasmussen poll says that 53 percent of registered voters disapprove of the president's job performance. Just 45 percent like what he's doing.

If you strip away all the BS, the president is having trouble because millions of Americans believe he is over-reaching. That is, he is trying to make the federal government too powerful and that could intrude on personal liberty.

Here in the USA, our tradition is that personal liberty trumps all. Therefore, if the voters believe a president is trying to call all the shots from Washington, that president will pay a price. That's why the Tea Party has risen. That's what the health care controversy was all about.

But here's an interesting fact. While Mr. Obama will use federal power to promote social justice, he will not use it to secure the Southern border. That seems to be inconsistent.

If the president believes the feds should be the primary problem solvers, why would he not use federal power to stop the influx of narcotics and illegal aliens? The only answer is ideology. And independent voters don't like ideological politicians. That's why Mr. Obama is having poll trouble.

So there you have it. "Talking Points" believes most Americans do not want their personal liberties intruded upon, and their votes will reflect that.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett have been married for 13 years. Apparently it's a great relationship:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I want to know what you do to keep this flame burning.

JADA PINKETT SMITH, ACTRESS: How saucy do you want to get, Oprah?

WILL SMITH, ACTOR: Hey, hey! We got kids in the green room.

J. SMITH: How saucy do you want to get?

W. SMITH: We got kids in the green room.

J. SMITH: I always surprise him. I always surprise him. Now I don't know if you want to...

W. SMITH: Hey, hey.

J. SMITH: ...get in on how I surprise him.

WINFREY: I wouldn't mind hearing one or two.

J. SMITH: OK. Well, like even during the day, I might send — I might send a sexy picture of some sort.

W. SMITH: Hey, Mom!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Nice to see a married couple having that kind of rapport. They are patriots.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, Ted Turner on the oil spill:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED TURNER, MEDIA MOGUL: I'm not a real religious person, but I'm somewhat religious. And I'm just wondering if God is telling us he doesn't want us to drill offshore, because it sure is setting back offshore drilling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Is Mr. Turner a prophet or a pinhead? You make the call.

— 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.