O'Reilly cited, then denied personal knowledge of, internal Republican polling data

Summary: During a conversation about the Bush administration's domestic spying program, Bill O'Reilly cited internal Republican polling data then denied that he personally received such information.

On the January 24 broadcast of The Radio Factor, host Bill O'Reilly cited internal Republican polling data on the Bush administration's domestic spy program then denied that he personally received such information. O'Reilly mentioned the data after guest Newsday columnist Ellis Henican noted the findings of a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll. Henican was apparently referring to this aspect of the poll's findings: 58 percent of respondents think a special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate the wiretapping of conversations of U.S. citizens without obtaining a court order. O'Reilly then cited "Republican internal polling," which he claimed showed support for the surveillance program because "Americans want to be protected."

When Henican noted that the GOP doesn't share its internal reporting with him -- "You get that," Henican said, "I don't" -- O'Reilly backpedaled, replying, "I don't get it [internal GOP polling] ... [Fox News anchor Sean] Hannity probably gets it ... I don't get it. I don't get anything, from anybody." O'Reilly added: "But our sources are good."

From the January 24 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

HENICAN: Now, did you see, by the way, the [CNN/]USA Today/Gallup poll today on the NSA domestic spying --

O'REILLY: Yes, I did see that.

HENICAN: Fifty what? Was it 58 percent of Americans have serious, serious --

O'REILLY: Yeah, if you look at the way -- if you look at the way the poll question is --

HENICAN: Oh --

O'REILLY: Look, the Republican internal polling -- and I don't know whether you know this or not -- but that's why [White House senior adviser] Rove --

HENICAN: They don't share their internal polling with me. You get that; I don't.

O'REILLY: Right. But, I don't get it. We have good sources, unlike some of you guys who can't -- nobody will talk to.

HENICAN: See, they don't call me with that.

O'REILLY: No. Hannity probably gets it.

HENICAN: He gets it.

O'REILLY: I don't get it. I don't get anything, from anybody. But our sources are good, and that's why Rove came out for the weekend and made it a campaign issue --

HENICAN: Well --

O'REILLY: -- because their numbers say, look, Americans want to be protected. They're not buying the theoretical argument that their phone calls are going to be tapped, and I believe that's true.

—J.M.