Despite the court decision which ruled that the city of Santa Monica is within it's rights to  no longer host a holiday display that includes a Nativity scene, the baby Jesus must be very happy with Fox News. Yesterday, what Peter Johnson Jr. described as the "first salvo in the War on Christmas" was discussed on Fox & Friends and the alleged Fox "news" show, Happening Now during which Jon Scott whined about evil atheists trying to "squelch holiday fun." Not to be outdone, decorated general in the War on Christmas, Bill O'Reilly got on board with some atheist bashing during the "Rolling with Carolla" segment on the Factor. God bless ye merry gentlemen?

Last night, O'Reilly reported on the situation in Santa Monica. As did the other Fox talkers, he stressed the longstanding tradition of the Nativity scene in the public park. He misled his viewers by contending that "a group of atheists demanded their own display in the park and that caused city officials not to put up anything." Fact Check - they submitted a bunch of applications for displays and by sheer numbers won the lottery for the spaces, fair and square. That O'Reilly didn't mention yesterday's court decision, in which a judge ruled in favor of the city, was surprising given Bill's past history of attacking judges on air.

Bill asked his atheist guest, Adam Carolla, if "these atheists are ruining Christmas for the kids." (Who cares about that pesky First Amendment which extends free speech to atheists!) Carolla asserted that he's an atheist because "he doesn't want to be bothered" and not because he hates God. He questioned why atheists turn atheism "into its own religion" because "it's a non-religion" and "excuse to stay home on Sunday..."  He said he doesn't "get it" and "they're giving us atheists a bad name." O'Reilly interjected "yeah" when Carolla described Christmas as "being about the kids." Bill repeated the MAIN FOX NEWS POINT that the display had been around for 60 years. O'Reilly and Carolla "joked" about the "paganism" of Santa Monica which includes urinating hobos and needle exchanges. Bill raised his hands as he asked why they don't give the kids their "nice manger scene." Given Carolla's barely simmering anger at the world, there was rich irony in his response that "most atheists are angry." He attributed atheistic beliefs to kids growing up with "weirdo" Christian step-fathers. Bill said that "this thing has gone way too far."

Actually Bill, if anybody is ruining Christmas, it's you! And if anything has "gone way too far" it's your bogus War on Christmas!