On the June 4 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, discussing former Sen. John Edwards' (D-NC) response to a question from moderator Wolf Blitzer during the June 3 Democratic presidential debate, host Bill O'Reilly aired a clip of Edwards saying: “What this global war on terror bumper sticker -- a political slogan, that's all it is, all it's ever been -- was intended to do was for George Bush to use it to justify everything he does.” O'Reilly commented: “The good news here is that most Americans in both parties understand that Muslim extremists want to kill us and will if they get the chance. So John Edwards looks dopey.” In fact, just before making that statement, Edwards stressed the threat of terrorism and discussed his strategy for preventing it, telling Blitzer: “As president of the United States, I will do absolutely everything to find terrorists where they are, to stop them before they can do harm to us, before they can do harm to America or to its allies. Every tool available -- military alliances, intelligence -- I will use.”

From the June 4 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: Now, this is the hallmark of the far left. We saw it again last night in the Democratic debate when the far-left candidate John Edwards once again called the war on terror a bumper sticker.

EDWARDS [video clip]: What this global war on terror bumper sticker -- a political slogan, that's all it is, all it's ever been -- was intended to do was for George Bush to use it to justify everything he does.

O'REILLY: Now, Senator Edwards isn't smart enough to understand that his strategy is killing him. In the latest ABC News poll, he's down to 8 percent among Democratic voters, losing six points in less than a month.

The good news here is that most Americans in both parties understand that Muslim extremists want to kill us and will if they get the chance. So John Edwards looks dopey. The New York Times looks dishonest. And the far left loses all day long, which of course is a good thing.

What is not a good thing is the press using its power to help a political party in its news pages. That is corrupt.

From CNN's June 3 broadcast of the Democratic presidential debate:

BLITZER: Senator Edwards, let me let you clarify what you said the other day. You said the war on terror is a bumper sticker, not a plan. With the news yesterday, this alleged plot at JFK [Airport in New York City] which could have done, supposedly, horrendous damage and caused an incredible number of casualties, do you believe the U.S. is not at war with terrorists?

EDWARDS: I reject this bumper sticker, Wolf. And that's exactly what it is. It's a bumper sticker.

As president of the United States, I will do absolutely everything to find terrorists where they are, to stop them before they can do harm to us, before they can do harm to America or to its allies.

Every tool available -- military alliances, intelligence -- I will use.

But what this global war on terror bumper sticker -- political slogan, that's all it is, all it's ever been -- was intended to do was for George Bush to use it to justify everything he does: the ongoing war in Iraq, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, spying on Americans, torture.

None of those things are OK. They are not the United States of America.