Where Does the ACLU Get Its Money?

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Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly.  Thank you for watching us tonight.

The American Civil Liberties Union, where does it get its money?  That is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo.

First, an explanation.  We're doing this investigation because we believe the ACLU is hurting America by constantly suing to further an extremist agenda.  The ACLU is currently defending child molesters, attacking school boards for using the word "Christmas," and demanding that high schools fund clubs for homosexual students.

Talking Points believes the ACLU is using legal terror to punish those with whom they disagree.

Now.  Takes big money to fund attacks on our social system.  And here's where it comes from.  In the year 2001, membership contributions totaled $12.5 million.  The ACLU will not tell us who their members are, but they will sell their membership lists to other nonprofit organizations.  So much for protecting privacy.  To be fair, you can tell the ACLU not to give your name out, but that option is not widely publicized.

The majority of the ACLU's money comes from foundations.  For example, the Ford Foundation has given them more than $14 million.  The Open Society Institute, headed by billionaire George Soros, has given $2 million.  And guess who's a trustee for the Open Society Institute?  Our pal Bill Moyers.  What a shock.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York has kicked in more than $800,000.  And guess who's a trustee of that concern?  Our pal Judy Woodruff of CNN.  And the Rockefeller Foundation donated $275,000.  The cellist Yo-Yo Ma's on the board of trustees there.

The Factor has found out that most of the money flowing into the ACLU comes from left-wing organizations, no surprise.  The Better Business Bureau said the ACLU spent 36 percent of its total income on programs, 50 percent is the non-profit standard.  The BBB also says the ACLU would not provide that organization with its annual report for the year 2001.

And this is something we found out as well.  The ACLU does not want you to know about its finances, the same situation we ran into with Jesse Jackson.  So summing up, the ACLU is very well funded, continues to sue like crazy, and continues to promote an agenda that discourages religion in the public arena and encourages the goals of organizations designed to push dubious interests, like the North American Man-Boy Love Association.

That's the truth about the ACLU, and that's The Memo.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

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

A new poll taken by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a black research organization, says that Jesse Jackson's popularity among African-Americans is down big.

Two years ago, Jackson's approval rating among blacks stood at 83 percent.  Now his favorable rating is 60 percent, the lowest it's been in 20 years.

We're not surprised.  Reverend Jackson has lost a sense of fairness, and his tactics have become increasingly dubious.  In fact, it might be ridiculous that the majority of blacks still approve of him.

— 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