Guest: Robert Hunter, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO

"President Bush threw a party in Brussels for French President Jacques Chirac. But should Mr. Bush be kissing up to a man who has hurt America in the terror fight? If France had kept its promise and enforced the UN resolutions on the WMD search in Iraq, there would have been no war. But France had the potential to make billions in Iraq dealing with Saddam and Chirac sold the USA out. German Chancellor Schroeder will also get a party. This is the same Schroeder who sold the US out for votes and still will not help the USA inside Iraq. And then there's Vladimir Putin, who gets a party as well. Putin said Iran is not a nuclear threat because he wants to sell Iran weapons. Henry Kissinger told me on the Radio Factor that Putin and Schroeder will eventually help in the war on terror, but Chirac never will--the French President simply dislikes America too much. But President Bush has to give it a try and hang out with old Jacques, and we Americans have to hope something good happens. In the meantime, we should not buy French stuff, should not trust Putin and Schroeder, and should feel sad that the world is so messed up."

Transcript/Video: FoxNews.com

Former US Ambassador to NATO Robert Hunter joined The Factor with a completely different view. "Mr. Bush knows we need these characters," Hunter said, "This is not a love fest, this is an arranged marriage. And it looks like they might actually get some business done." Hunter disagreed with Talking Points' assertion that France has undermined the war on terror. "From the day after 9/11 the French were with us. They've been with us on police work and intelligence. In Afghanistan there are 250 French guys fighting under our command. The French need us and we need them."

Guest: Dennis Kneale, Forbes Magazine

Author Douglas Wead secretly taped phone conversations he had with the President when Mr. Bush was Governor of Texas, and is using quotes to promote his new book. "There's no question this is reprehensible, unethical, and odious," Dennis Kneale of Forbes Magazine told The Factor. "But in the book business you need to do something to hype a book, and Simon & Schuster found a great way." Kneal predicted the strategy will be effective. "If you're a shareholder in the parent company of Simon & Schuster, you'd be happy. But as a person who tries to be ethical, you have to be distressed." The Factor was outraged at both the author and the publisher. "I think Douglas Wead is the lowest form of debris in this country, and Simon & Schuster should be ashamed of itself."

Guest: Bill Whalen, Hoover Institution

California has long been known for its lavish spending on social programs, and now Governor Schwarzenegger is asking for federal money to help balance the state's $8 billion shortfall. Bill Whalen of the Hoover Institution explained how the situation became so dismal. "You have a very liberal legislature in Sacramento," Whalen said, "and the public doesn't pay attention to what goes on there." Whalen listed a few items in the state budget. "You can get acupuncture and cosmetic surgery if you're on Medicaid in California. The state spends $50 billion on education without any performance reviews." As additional examples, The Factor noted that male prisoners in California are eligible for taxpayer-funded breast reduction and trans-gender surgery.

Guest: Shannon Goessling, Southeastern Legal Foundation

The Factor has been extremely critical of Paul Howard, District Attorney of Georgia's Fulton County, who cut a plea bargain deal with Carisa Ashe. Ashe served no jail time for beating her infant baby to death, but agreed to be sterilized. Howard has called The Factor's reporting "erroneous," but Shannon Goessling of the Southeastern Legal Foundation asserted that Howard is grossly incompetent. "He is a politician, not a prosecutor," Goessling claimed. "Every person in Fulton County should be outraged at the plea. If you're going to plea down a case to manslaughter, the sentence should be twenty years." The Factor maintained, "There's something wrong in Atlanta when you have a DA like this. We've offered Mr. Howard air time, but he hides under his desk."

Guests: Dennis Zine, LA City Councilman & John Mack, Los Angeles Urban League

There is racial controversy again in Los Angeles, where 13-year old Devin Brown was shot and killed by police officer Steven Garcia. Police say the boy was driving a stolen car at 4 AM and rammed it into a police vehicle, precipitating the shooting. John Mack of the Los Angeles Urban League claimed the LAPD has a history of using excessive force. "Yes, that boy should have been at home at 4 AM, but the fact is that he should not have been shot. The officers were not in harm's way. Los Angeles seems to have more than its share of these problems." LA City Councilman Dennis Zine, himself a former cop, said police deserve the benefit of the doubt. "Officer Garcia and his partner had no idea it was a 13-year old. The policy is to use deadly force if your life is in danger. We will work with the community, and we will overcome this."

Guests: Actors Billy Gray & Stanley Livingston

Two former child actors joined The Factor to talk about their careers and what has transpired since. Billy Gray, who played "Bud" on "Father Knows Best," began racing motorcycles after the series ended. "I got busted for marijuana in the 60's," Gray explained, "which pretty much destroyed my acting career. Fortunately, I had other activities that I got just as much enjoyment out of. Racing is every bit as fulfilling as acting." Stanley Livingston, who starred as "Chip" on "My Three Sons," has made a film about child actors. "It's a very tough life," Livingston said. "Ninety percent of your time is spent looking for work. But I learned a lot of life skills, and overall it was a great experience."