Guest: General Wesley Clark
The ISIS terror army is now fighting the Kurds in Iraq and Lebanese forces as it tries to establish a Muslim caliphate in the Middle East. At least 2,000 refugees have fled these killers, who are murdering Christians and others in grisly ways. Yet President Obama has not yet ordered the U.S. military to move against them, although today there were indications that some bombing is being considered. The administration understands that most Americans do not want any re-involvement in Iraq and are tired of sacrificing for foreign nations. But the ISIS army could be downgraded by using American air power and drones without the USA getting involved with Iraqi politics. America looks weak in the face of the jihadist threat and Putin's aggression. The Russian tyrant is massing forces on the border of Ukraine, continuing to saber-rattle despite economic sanctions. It is completely understandable that many Americans do not want involvement in faraway places, but the world is interconnected. For example, if the Taliban defeats the Afghan forces that we armed and trained, yet another terror state will emerge. They want to kill us and other infidels all over the world. Talking Points has said for years that American power is the last hope in defeating worldwide terrorism. But President Obama seems comfortable staying on the sidelines with the rest of the world, allowing ISIS and Putin to disrupt civilization. The longer we wait, the more painful the inevitable confrontation will be."

The Factor invited reaction from former NATO commander General Wesley Clark. "ISIS is not a threat to the United States right now," Clark affirmed, "but it's certainly a threat to governments in the region. We should work with allies in the region to bring various nations to put their power to work against ISIS. I want a coalition of the people who are there and are most affected. The Kurds are going to fight, the Turks have an interest in this, the Saudis are engaged, and the Lebanese army is going to fight." When The Factor pointedly asked Clark whether he would bomb ISIS, Clark gave a lukewarm yes, saying, "Under the right circumstances American air power can be usefully employed."

Guest: Ed Henry
When asked Wednesday whether economic sanctions were harming Russia, President Obama seemed to give two conflicting answers. The Factor asked FNC's Ed Henry to sort out the apparent confusion. "I think what the president was trying to say," Henry surmised, "is that the goal was to punish Putin and hit the Russian economy and that there are signs that it is working. But where the president is having difficulty is that it's not changing Putin's behavior. He has more than 20,000 troops amassing around the Ukrainian border and he has extended Edward Snowden's visa. He's thumbing his nose at the White House." The Factor concluded, "Putin wants to humiliate Barack Obama and I don't really understand why."

Guest: Laura Ingraham
A middle school principal in Texas was fired after she encouraged her students to speak English instead of Spanish. Laura Ingraham entered the No Spin Zone with her analysis. "I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often," she groused, "given the thought police crowd that dominates our public schools and our culture. There's a red line that the left will establish - one day you can't refer to the Washington Redskins, the next day you can't say bilingual education is a bad thing. If you cross that moveable red line, you will be drummed out of public life and called all sorts of names. That is what this poor teacher came up against." The Factor lamented that the principal received no support from parents or administrators: "There was no-counter protest to help her and then the school board folded like they do everywhere."

Guest: Heather Nauert
Fox News anchor Heather Nauert joined The Factor and responded to emails from some angry viewers. One of them, Californian Vicki Fergon, is indignant because President Obama recently celebrated the Muslim holiday of Ramadan at the White House. "He has celebrated Muslim and Jewish holidays in equal numbers since he has been in office," Nauert reported. "It's an even deal and Vicki is wrong." Another viewer, Jude Basso of New Jersey, is peeved because illegal aliens are enrolling in public schools with few questions asked. "Federal law states that every child in America, regardless of their citizenship status, is 'entitled' to equal access to basic education," Nauert explained. "Schools are preparing for a major influx of students who will be coming - many of them do not speak English and many are below grade level."

Guest: Bernie Goldberg
Husband and wife actors Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz signed a petition accusing Israel of "genocide," but most prominent Jews in Hollywood have been silent about the war." The Factor asked Bernie Goldberg to opine. "Many liberal Jews in Hollywood know that Hamas started this and wants to kill every Jew," Goldberg theorized, "but if people like Spielberg speak up against Hamas, some people will say, 'The Jews are all sticking together against the poor Palestinians.' For that reason the Jewish population in Hollywood wants to keep hands off for as long as they can. Goldberg also evaluated the overall coverage of the war. "The problem is that video is a very powerful force, especially when it's showing death and destruction. Video shows rubble and dead babies, but it doesn't explain the fundamental truth that one side wants to live in peace and the other side wants to kill as many Jews as possible. I wonder how the people covering this war would cover Hiroshima and the bombing of Dresden. I don't think a lot of reporters back then were concerned about the 'disproportionate' number of deaths."

Guests: Greg Gutfeld & Bernard McGuirk
Guys Friday Bernard McGuirk and Greg Gutfeld, reporting for duty a day early, commented on the upcoming vote in Washington, D.C. to legalize marijuana. "Pot is needed in government," Gutfeld quipped, "because I am against an activist government. I want the IRS too stoned to take my money and the EPA too high to enact new regulations. The only way to curb government is to make sure they're stoned out of their gourds." McGuirk turned to an FCC investigation of Miley Cyrus's raunchy performance on NBC. "NBC knew what they were getting," he said. "She did a concert on TV featuring huge bananas and dancing joints. When you watch it you want to put on a surgical mask and rubber gloves and then take a shower afterwards."

Alan Morrison, Ontario, Canada: "What are you smoking, Bill? You said under President Bush foreign affairs were fairly stable."

Jeff Davis, Clovis, CA: "Bill, in your discussion with Austan Goolsbee, you laid out a great case that Americans are losing faith in the federal government. Why do liberals like him continue to live in a state of denial?"

Big-time professional jocks should follow the example set by the New York Mets, who recently paid a visit to some wounded warriors at the Walter Reed National Military Center in Maryland.