A tornado in Indiana and Kentucky killed more than 20 people over the weekend. Survivors Barbara Tonkin and Betty Neese joined The Factor with their personal stories. "We knew there were storms in the area," Tonkin explained. "We grabbed the dog, got in the car, and got out of there. When we got back to our trailer park, there was nothing left but destruction. Everything was gone." Betty Neese wasn't quite so lucky - she spoke from her hospital bed, where she is recovering from injuries. "I had just gotten into bed when there was a big boom and everything hit me. I ended up in the crawl space under the mobile home. I had a talk with the Holy Spirit, then the firemen rescued me." The Factor commended Neese for staying cool under pressure. "I can't imagine being caught up in one of these things. We're really happy you're okay, and I'm glad you kept your faith. I'm sure that helped pull you through this."

Fox News analyst Newt Gingrich opined on this week's major stories, beginning with the rioting in French cities. "The French are going to face a real crisis of identity," the former Speaker declared. "Are they prepared to cede parts of France to people who refuse to obey French law? Unless they're suicidal, the French have to say that you have to obey French law, and if you don?t we're going to kick you out of the country." The Factor asserted that French politicians sowed the seeds of this crisis. "If you're going to allow millions of foreign born people in you better have a good plan to assimilate those people. I'm not happy that the French people are suffering, but now the whole world knows about Jacques Chirac and his government."

Gingrich also commented on the threat posed by the avian flu. "I have not talked to a single expert who believes we are ready for a pandemic. The risk of losing many thousands of Americans has to be taken seriously, and I see no evidence that the lessons of Hurricane Katrina have been learned by the government." The former speaker lamented that drug companies have been regulated by government and sued by trial lawyers. "We've spent 25 years crushing the vaccine industry, and now we're shocked to discover that we don't have a strong vaccine industry. We're going to need a number of companies developing vaccines and anti-viral medicines if we get hit with this pandemic. Congress should pass a dramatic limit on liability."

San Franciscans will vote Tuesday on an initiative to ban handguns, and another symbolic resolution opposing military recruiting in public schools. Politician and pundit Angela Alioto argued in favor of both measures. "We do not want to have guns in the city of San Francisco, period. You can protect your property and your family and your property without a gun." She also defended the anti- recruiting resolution. "That proposition says we will not go into schools and pinpoint low-income minorities so they can get a college education without telling them about going to war. There are other ways of helping people pay for college." The Factor forcefully challenged Alioto on both issues. "Once I saw what happened in Hurricane Katrina, I said every American household should have a firearm. If there's a tremendous earthquake in San Francisco and looting, you don't want your family protected? You don't want a firearm in your house? You're living in the world of Oz. And the military is a noble enterprise. Why should the rest of the country protect your butt if San Francisco is going to thumb your nose at the military by passing this resolution?"

Senator John McCain, considered a possible presidential candidate in 2008, joined Factor to discuss various issues. He acknowledged that many Americans are skeptical of the war in Iraq. "There is some understandable frustration, and there have been mistakes made. My job is to convince the American people of the benefits of success and the consequences of failure. There's too much at stake here - we can not lose this." Senator McCain also elaborated on his bill that would ban torture by American forces. "What we're doing now is killing our image around the world. People think we sanction torture, and it ought to be against the law. Torture does not work." The Factor agreed that torture is unacceptable, with one exception. "The military should never torture anyone, but if there's a nuclear or other threat I want to give the Commander in Chief the option to use coercive interrogation to get the information he needs. Just carve out an exemption for the president."

Fox and Friends co-host E.D. Hill has written an inspirational book in which she profiles successful men and women. "This is about people who have made it to the top," Hill explained, "often from absolutely dirt-poor beginnings. It's about the advice they got that changed their lives." President Bush was among those Hill interviewed. "His father told him to broaden his horizons, so he went on to get his MBA from Harvard. Education is something that resounds through a number of the stories." The Factor reminded E.D. Hill that he once gave her some sage advice. "Every time you have a negative thought, you replace it with a positive thought. Your body relaxes, and you are in control. Everybody has negative thoughts, it's natural. Accept it, and train yourself to have a positive thought."

Sandra Atwood, Ponte Vedra Beach FL: "O'Reilly the fact that you said the Times didn't do it on purpose is infuriating. How could you be so spineless? You know the New York Times is a left-wing paper."

John Riley, Brooklyn NY: "Bill, once again you took a dive. The Times used a selective passage to further its anti-war agenda."

George Kellenbenz, Yardley PA: "The Times portrayed Corporal Starr as a complainer when in fact he was a true patriot."

Bill Williams, Perrysburg OH: "Bill, superb and inspiring interview with Shelly Starr. It filled this veteran with pride."

Jamal Yassien, Bloomfield MN: "Cindy Sheehan should take some pointers from Shelly Starr."