Guests:Sandra Smith & Lauren Simonetti
"While the nation's attention is focused on the ISIS terror threat, a more important issue for all Americans is the economy. A couple of weeks ago, President Obama said, 'By almost every measure, the American economy and American workers are better off than when I took office.'
But that turns out not to be true. The median household income in the USA last year was about $52,000, pretty much what is was in 2012. However, over the past six years income has fallen eight percent, and it's worse for households led by people under the age of 65. So the American middle class continues to get hammered, and President Obama's rosy outlook simply has not materialized. Poverty went down slightly last year, but the 14.5% rate is above the rate when President Obama took office. Then, according to the Heritage Foundation, one-third of the U.S. population is receiving aid from at least one welfare program. The major reason the economy is not improving is that business continues to keep the payroll down. There are more people seeking jobs and fewer jobs available. President Obama does not seem to understand that the private marketplace drives wages. The more jobs created, the higher the salaries will be because companies need good workers. Barack Obama is a classic liberal, believing that the federal government should run the private sector. That has failed, no matter how the president spins it."

The Factor invited feedback from Fox Business anchors Sandra Smith and Lauren Simonetti. "The president says that by almost every metric this economy is better off today than when he entered office," Smith said, "but nearly 50% of Americans believe we are still in a recession and the president has low ratings on his handling of the economy. A business-friendly environment would certainly benefit all of us." Simonetti downplayed the significance of the soaring stock market. "20% of people own 80% of stocks and we have more billionaires than ever, but consumer spending drives the economy and no one has the confidence to spend." The Factor urged President Obama to change course. "I'm not an economic genius, but I know that if something isn't working after six years, maybe you try something else."

Guest:Matthew Duss
President Obama insists that ISIS can be destroyed without a ground war, but some observers aren't optimistic. The Factor spoke with one such skeptic, Middle East analyst Matthew Duss. "The problem here is the distance between the rhetoric and the policy," Duss theorized. "President Obama's rhetoric is writing checks that his policy can't cash, and the American people could deal with a more honest conversation about the aims here. We need to see a much broader political strategy, the policy we've seen articulated by the administration over the past several weeks puts too much emphasis on the military side of things." The Factor reiterated that ISIS has to be hit hard: "I agree that you can't annihilate every single jihadist, but you can't hold back your defense of America because you can't get them all."

Guests:Former Rep Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) & Alan Colmes
President Obama insists that ISIS can be destroyed without a ground war, but some observers aren't optimistic. The Factor spoke with one such skeptic, Middle East analyst Matthew Duss. "The problem here is the distance between the rhetoric and the policy," Duss theorized. "President Obama's rhetoric is writing checks that his policy can't cash, and the American people could deal with a more honest conversation about the aims here. We need to see a much broader political strategy, the policy we've seen articulated by the administration over the past several weeks puts too much emphasis on the military side of things." The Factor reiterated that ISIS has to be hit hard: "I agree that you can't annihilate every single jihadist, but you can't hold back your defense of America because you can't get them all."

Guests:Eric Shawn & Molly Line
FNC anchors Eric Shawn and Molly Line entered the No Spin Zone to administer some truth serum. Shawn began with Texas Governor Rick Perry's claim that ISIS terrorists may be at our southern border. "The administration says there is no credible intelligence," Shawn reported, "that ISIS has an active plot against the United States by moving terrorists through the southern border. They don't have to sneak across the border, all they have to do is get on an airplane." Line turned to a claim made by black radio host Tavis Smiley, who says black Americans have suffered economically under President Obama. "There's a pretty strong vein of truth in what he's saying," she said. "If you look at the economic data, it's been really rough in the last five years for the African American population. Median household income has been stagnant and the unemployment rate for blacks remains at 11.4%, nearly double that of whites. The one bright spot is that more African Americans now have health care coverage."

Guest:Dennis Miller
The Factor invited Dennis Miller, who provided color commentary on Monday Night Football a few years back, to opine on the many messes surrounding the National Football League. "The NFL exists for one reason," he said, "and that is to make money. These guys are all jacked and a guy who hits his kid like that or a guy who hits his wife like that has to pay the piper. These are individuals who have to be dealt with, but the NFL is strictly a money machine." Miller urged owners to be ultra-tough on miscreants. "If I owned an NFL team, I would come out the first day and say, 'You're not going to represent me, sit down until you figure this out.' If a guy hits his kid or hits a woman to this degree, you sit him down!"

Guest:Martha MacCallum
In light of the NFL situation, many Americans are now debating whether spanking is ever appropriate. Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum revealed the findings of a new poll. "Most people agree that some form of corporal punishment used for discipline is okay," she said. "but we aren't talking about the Adrian Peterson case when this question is being asked. We're not talking about someone who has been indicted on child abuse charges and whose child has been identified by a doctor as having lacerations. Studies prove that kind of discipline doesn't work, you wind up producing a child who will someday treat their child the same way." The Factor contended that spanking should not be necessary, saying, "Parents should be skilled enough to be able to find a way to stop a child from misbehaving."

William Mangan, Seattle, WA: "Colonel Hunt sets a proper strategy and you, Bill, ask him how it can be implemented. That's the difference between you and a military hero. Bet this won't make air."

George Condoleon, Stratford Township, NJ: "Bill, your suggestion to deploy assassination teams against the jihadists sounds just like the Operation Phoenix program in Vietnam. It was very effective."

Dee Braden, North Canton, OH: "I am in anguish over your treatment of Father Brisotti, Mr. O'Reilly. You were a complete pinhead. Maybe he didn't make his point, but you should have allowed him to gather his thoughts."

On Tuesday, September 30, Bill will be speaking at a luncheon on Long Island to benefit the great St. Francis Hospital. Details are here on BillOReilly.com.