Professor Sami Al-Arian Update

To watch "the memo" click here .

In the Factor Follow-Up segment tonight, an update on Professor Sami Al-Arian of the University of South Florida.  That's the subject of this evening's Talking Points memo.

As you may know, Professor al-Arian appeared on The Factor in September.  We took him to task for two things.  He said in a speech, "Death to Israel."  And he brought a man named Ramadan Abdullah Shallah into the university system.  Subsequently Shallah became the leader of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Talking Points has two concerns right now.  Number one, that Professor Al-Arian is being paid by the taxpayers of Florida, and continues close ties to terrorists.  Number two, that al-Arian did fund raising for terrorists while employed by the university.

After my interview with him, all hell broke loose, and USF ultimately recommended his termination, which al-Arian is appealing.

We said he should not be fired unless the fund-raising charge was confirmed.  Well, here it is.  In 1995, a suicide attack by two Palestinian Islamic Jihad members killed 21 Israeli soldiers.

Soon after that, while he was teaching at USF and being paid by Floridians, he wrote a fund-raising letter which said, in part, "The latest operation carried out by two mujahideen who were martyred for the sake of God is the best evidence of what we, the believing few, can do.  You are well aware that this movement, represented by Hamas and the Jihad, is being threatened by the enemy.  The movement's financial situation is very difficult, and it cannot fulfill its responsibilities towards the martyrs and prisoners.  I call upon you to extend true support to the Jihad effort in Palestine so that operations such as these can continue."

So there you have it, a fund-raising letter by Professor Sami Al-Arian in support of terror groups.  Say goodbye, professor, because you're gone.

And that's the memo.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day."

As you may have heard, NBC's Saturday Night Live lampooned us this past weekend.  Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  And now for a look at our viewer mail about a story on overcrowding in our kindergarten classroom.  Janet Miller of Park City, Utah writes, "Bill, normally I'm a fan of THE FACTOR's hard hitting style, but your interview with the five-year old girl about class size was a little too rough.  Telling her she was 'out of her mind' was simply uncalled for."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Janet, here at The Factor, we pull no punches.  When you come on this show, you've got to know that.

Ed Gekas, Elmhurst, Illinois.  "Bill, your touch, incisive question had that five year old girl squirming.  The bottom line is, you had the facts, she didn't."

And finally, Paul Jemino, Islo, New York writes, "Bill, even though the girl hurt her case by crying, she was right, and you were wrong.  Albany, not New York City, is the capital of New York State."

Well, Paul, I thank you for watching, but I still say New York City is the state capital.  We'll just have to agree to disagree.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY:  Ridiculous?  Noooo!

— 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