Bill O'Reilly: Who is running Sandra Fluke?

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Who is running Sandra Fluke?

Talking Points 3/8

By Bill O'Reilly

As we reported last night, "The Factor" believes that the Sandra Fluke contraception controversy was manufactured to divert attention away from the Obama administration's disastrous decision to force Catholic non-profit organizations to provide insurance coverage for birth control and the morning after pill. That might very well be unconstitutional.

Anyway, we're having trouble tracking down just who is sending Sandra around to the media. It's very strange. So far, the 30-year-old activist has appeared on eight national news programs where she was not challenged at all. Last week, we called Sandra on her cell phone and invited her on "The Factor." She didn't call back, very unusual. There was no other public contact for the woman, just her cell phone.

A man named Mike has booked her on a few programs, but we can't even get his last name. And Mike doesn't provide call-back numbers to those with whom he speaks. So Mike, who are you? And why the subterfuge?

Now, late today we found out that Ms. Fluke is now being repped by the progressive PR agency SKDKnickerbocker where Anita Dunn, the former Obama communications director is the managing editor... a-ha!

So, this whole deal comes back to the White House, at least indirectly. So, let's run down what we know. Sandra Fluke is a former head of the group "Georgetown University Law Students for Reproductive Justice." On February 9th, a group called "The Feminist Majority Foundation" arranged for Sandra to appear at press conference criticizing the Catholic bishops for objecting to President Obama's contraception mandate.

After that, Congressman Elijah Cummings, the former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, invited Sandra to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee. But she was turned down by the chair, Congressman Darrell Issa, because she had no expertise in the church/state subject matter.

Nevertheless, Ms. Fluke went to the hearing and afterward complained to ABC News that she had been denied. A week later, Nancy Pelosi staged a mock hearing starring Sandra. After which Rush Limbaugh made derogatory comments elevating her to left-wing martyrdom.

So it seems there is a powerful presence behind Sandra Fluke. And as the polls show, the controversy has benefited the President of the United States, who is on the ropes with the church deal. This is all the more amazing because the controversy Sandra is embracing is completely bogus as I explained on "The View" today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: Do you guys know what Title 10 is? Do you know what Title 10 is?

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Explain it.

O'REILLY: Do you what it... ok. So it's in motion now that if you need birth control and you go to a federal clinic you get it.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Yes.

O'REILLY: That's under Title 10 of the Public Health Act.

BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Right.

O'REILLY: All right, so there really isn't any... any problem. You can get it and then if you don't want to drive down to the clinic you can go to Wal-Mart or you can go to Target and get it for $9 dollars a month. So to insert this into a giant ObamaCare bill seems to be unnecessary to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: And by the way the ladies were respectful and we had a very good and necessary discussion.

Now "Talking Points" believes that very quietly President Obama will pull back on his demand that the Catholic Church cover contraception. He has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and would be foolish to continue flogging an unconstitutional mandate.

Mr. Obama knows the polls say many American women now believe he is protecting them. For that he can thank Sandra Fluke and whoever is running her.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The Reverend Pat Robertson, generally a conservative guy, but on the issue of legalizing pot, he wants to do it. He's not calling on a higher power. Pardon the pun. It's just his opinion, telling the "New York Times," quote, "I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat the beverage alcohol. I have never used marijuana and don't intend to. But it's just one of those things that I think this war on drugs hasn't succeeded," unquote.

Even though I oppose legalizing pot, I would decriminalize it. I'm not going to call Pat Robertson a "Pinhead" because he's done a lot of patriotic things for this country. So in this case, you can make the call about the Reverend's opinion on marijuana.