On the eve of the election, FOX News Channel host Bill O'Reilly reiterated his frequent claim that he “doesn't endorse candidates” just before tacitly endorsing two Republican candidates for Senate: Mel Martinez, President George W. Bush's former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who is running for an open seat in Florida, and John Thune, who is challenging Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD) in South Dakota. On the November 1 edition of FOX News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly urged voters to “avoid Dr. Betty Castor, who is running for the Senate in Florida [as a Democrat]”; O'Reilly then said he “wish[ed] Mr. Thune the best.” Media Matters for America has previously documented O'Reilly's tacit endorsement of Bush.

From O'Reilly's “Talking Points Memo” segment on the November 1 edition of The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: As you know, The Factor doesn't endorse candidates, but I do want to recommend that you avoid Dr. Betty Castor, who is running for the Senate in Florida. She is the woman who gave us a hard time during our investigation of Sami Al-Arian [Florida professor accused of involvement with Palestinian terror groups]. Castor was the president of the University of South Florida at the time. Al-Arian was the instructor there. We investigated him. She attacked us. And then the FBI arrested Al-Arian.

So, doing the math, there's no way on earth that Betty Castor should be elected to any office unless it's in Iran or someplace. Also, it looks like [Senate Minority Leader] Tom Daschle will be defeated by John Thune for a Senate seat from South Dakota. That is a good thing, as Daschle for decades has put politics above the folks, obstructing good legislation because it came from the other party. We wish Mr. Thune the best.