The first impressions in light of President Obama’s speech at tonight’s memorial for the victims of the Arizona shooting, and, at least on Fox News, the reviews are overwhelming positive. Charles Krauthammer, Chris Wallace, and Brit Hume seemed a bit uncomfortable with all the hootin’ and hollerin’, but all seemed blown away by the President’s words.

The attacks on right-wing figures after the tragic shooting in Tuscon, Arizona on Saturday formed the chief target of discussion on tonight’s O’Reilly Factor, where, after a powerful Talking Points Memo segment, Brit Hume joined Bill O’Reilly to expand upon his comments earlier this evening on the response: a “reflex” on the American Left of questionable sincerity.

Fox host Megyn Kelly and her viewers were wondering whether it was customary for the outgoing Speaker of the House to give a speech during the swearing in ceremony for the new Speaker? Fox’s senior analyst Brit Hume was on hand to provide his historical perspective that he remembered past Speakers only provided very brief comments, if they spoke at all. However, the trailblazing first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi had other plans.

On Fox News Channel’s O’Reilly Factor last night, host Bill O’Reilly told senior political analyst Brit Hume that, in his opinion, New York Representative Peter King holds more power in the Republican party than incoming Speaker of the House John Boehner. More like the O Rly Factor, amiright?

From August of 2009 to March of 2010, the debate over health care reform was effectively story number one on cable news, in part because, it seemed a perfect metaphor for the new Obama administration. As expected, some saw it as an effort to assist the uninsured and powerless, others predictably saw it as government intervention run amok. A new memo from Fox News Managing Editor Bill Sammon leaked by Media Matters (and later reported by The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz confirms that the news staff was directed to cover the Health Care debate that some are certain to claim neither fair nor balanced.

It’s no secret that Fox News’ Megyn Kelly is a bit of a sex symbol– her America Live desk would probably not be made of glass if that weren’t the case. But this week she’s taken a leap from the coy to the boldly forward with a sexy photo shoot in GQ in celebration of being named one of 2010′s premier media personalities, and the results lie somewhere between the impressively attractive and the uncomfortable superficial.

It was rally around Juan Williams this morning on Fox News Sunday. Williams, who is a regular panelist on the Fox Sunday show (where he often crosses swords with Bill Kristol) appeared this morning along with Kristol, Brit Hume, Nina Easton, and host Chris Wallace, and was the recipient of much love, support and indignation.

14 years ago today, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes launched the Fox News Channel—a network that has now been the top cable news network since 2002, when it overtook CNN. And though there have been a lot of comings and goings throughout the years—who else is pumped to see some chimps hosting Fox & Friends?—a select few have been with Fox since the very beginning. Check out our slide show of then and now pictures, and please, feel free to play this song in the background while you do.

Mediaite has learned that Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett is leaving the network effective September 3rd to return to his roots in print journalism. White House correspondents Wendell Goler and Mike Emanuel will assume joint coverage of the WH beat for Fox News. The highly respected White House reporter weathered numerous battles between FNC and the White House and maintained the highest standard of journalism during his tenure. Full press release after the jump.

Following his latest trip to the Gulf this week, and ahead of Wednesday’s “oil summit” with the BP heads, President Obama will be holding another press conference Tuesday night. On Fox News Sunday today Chris Wallace asked Brit Hume whether he thought this latest presser was motivated by PR concerns. Absolutely, said Hume. Also, Obama has been getting a bad rap for no good reason.

On Fox Sunday yesterday, host Chris Wallace brought up the Elena Kagan “interview” the White House released earlier in the week. And to make sure his guests knew how he felt, he was sure to use air quotes to signify his disdain. The panel took the bait, especially Juan Williams who said “the idea that you put out your own media now and control images…that’s pretty close to Pravda.” But the White House got a surprising defender in the form of Brit Hume who brushed off the criticisms saying “Americans aren’t stupid.”

On Fox News’ America Live this afternoon, Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume were discussing President Obama‘s remarks about tech devices like the iPad, casting him as a tech-phobic hypocrite who uses the devices himself, when Hume suddenly vanished from the screen, leaving Kelly to jokingly conclude that maybe the President was on to something, or was even responsible for the outage.

Leave it to the Jonas Brothers to cause President Barack Obama to say something that would upset Keith Olbermann and rally Brit Hume to his side. While most of the President’s comedy monologue at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last Saturday was quite warmly received, some in the media are protesting that jokingly threatening the boy band with predator drones– which have been linked to civilian deaths abroad– is disrespectful to the loss of human life. The issue has Olbermann disagreeing with the president’s choice and Hume calling the complaints “absurd.”

Sometimes it’s hard not to wonder whether Bill Kristol spends his week trying to think up the most inflammatory thing he is capable of saying on any given subject and then merely bides his time until Sunday mornings. Or maybe he just likes to set up Juan Williams to look extra smart and reasonable. Either way, here’s Kristol weighing in on the oil spill currently wreaking havoc on the coast of Louisiana

Television punditry is a wicked game of power and prestige, but one’s sphere of influence has been historically difficult to measure. But not anymore! Thanks to the our friends at TVEyes, we now know exactly how many times one’s name gets mentioned on air. So who’s getting the most mentions this week? Well, using the mix of magic and math that is the Mediaite Power Grid Here are the top 25 TV pundits of the week.

Yesterday we reported President Barack Obama‘s latest effort rally support for Health Care reform – talking to Fox News. In an “extended, exclusive” interview tonight, he will sit down with Special Report anchor Bret Baier to make his health care reform pitch to the FNC audience. Last night, Brit Hume seconded many of our suspicions when he claimed that the reason behind the Fox appearance was that he didn’t yet have the votes to pass health care.

At today’s press conference, Tiger Woods made specific note of how he lost what he’d been taught having been raised Buddhist by his mother. When news of Tiger Woods affairs broke, some questioned his faith and spirituality, most notably, Fox News analyst Brit Hume actively suggested that Tiger would be better off forsaking Buddhism for the more “redemptive” and “forgiving” Christianity.

The National Tea Party convention was held this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, and has, predictably, been a hot topic on cable news. Tonight Bill O’Reilly took his turn, discussing the third party phenomenon/movement with Fox News pundit Brit Hume and offered a frank and candid assessment on some of the participants of the Tea Party movement. “Some of these tea party people are nuts! They are! They’re crazy!” Video after the jump.

Just over a week ago, Fox News analyst Brit Hume made a bit of a stir when he suggested that embattled golfer Tiger Woods would be better off forsaking Buddhism for the more “redemptive” and “forgiving” Christianity. At the time, we asked if Hume was out of line, or was he just being a good friend to Tiger, though critics accused him of proselytizing Woods. Well as the following clip demonstrates, an effective defense to one’s critics, is never admitting that what you did was wrong to begin with.

Fox News’ Senior Political Correspondent Brit Hume reiterated his belief last night that Tiger Woods should turn to Christianity to seek forgiveness.

Meanwhile, simultaneously (but airing later), Jon Stewart and The Daily Show team of correspondents were basing an entire segment on Hume’s original comment.

Bill O’Reilly asked Brit Hume tonight on The O’Reilly Factor about his suggestion on Sunday that Tiger Woods should “turn to the Christian faith.”

The discussion was brief, but saw Hume reiterate his original point.

Mediaite has learned Brit Hume will address his comment about Tiger Woods made on FOX News Sunday tonight as it continues to gain traction online and on TV.

Hume will further discuss his comments about Woods on The O’Reilly Factor at 8pmET.

On Fox News Sunday this morning, anchor Brit Hume dispensed some advice to embattled golfer Tiger Woods that’s sure to touch off a firestorm of controversy, suggesting that Woods would be better off forsaking Buddhism for the more “redemptive” and “forgiving” Christianity. Was Hume out of line, or was he just being a good friend to Tiger? Jayne from Firefly agrees with him!

What the Fox? On last night’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann noted the shocking development that Brit Hume corrected Bill O’Reilly’s contention that “the folks” don’t want a public health insurance option, noting that polling suggests it’s “kind of popular.” Hume’s correction needs correcting. The public option isn’t “kind of popular,” it’s overwhelmingly popular (even with “folks” like Bill O’Reilly).

Fox News anchors: never too proud to praise former Fox News anchors. After Brit Hume raised the question of whether Obamacare would turn America into a socialist country, Bill O’Reilly went out of his way to praise him for keeping his personal beliefs out of his analysis of the news: