"With the bad guys in Iraq, Iran and North Korea all causing trouble and trying to influence the American election, this is not a great time in the USA. If we had pacified Iraq, President Bush's approval rating would be about 60%. But Americans are dying in that chaotic country and most of us are asking, 'what the heck is going on?' What many Americans fail to realize is that we are being tested by the Islamofascists, the North Koreans and others who despise us. Any sign of weakness will lead to more violence against us. But we cannot simply stay the course. The Bush administration must understand that most Americans have had it with Iraq. As Talking Points has stated before, war is a performance business. We as a nation have not accepted that we are fighting a long, nasty world war. There's no running away from this, no avoiding the dangerous world in which we all live. We can 'dance with the stars' and idolize amateur singers. But the next morning the people who want to kill us will still be there searching for ways to surpass 9/11. And that is still the number one song in this election season."

Guest: Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich

What will be the effect if Democrats win the House and Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker? FNC analyst Newt Gingrich predicted a seismic shift in Washington. "Nancy Pelosi represents a San Francisco liberal value structure. She is far to the left of anybody who has ever presided over the House, and she'll set a tone. One example: 91% of the country believes we should have the right to say 'one nation under God.' Mrs. Pelosi would side with the 9% of the country who favors taking that out of the Pledge of Allegiance." The Factor observed that our elections and our nation are being shaped by a war thousands of miles away. "Isn't it interesting that Iraq is impacting how we live here in America? If Iraq had been pacified the way Afghanistan is, there would be no dissatisfaction. But Iraq is now influencing how we live here!"

Guest: Sarah Sewell, Harvard University

On "60 Minutes," commentator Andy Rooney declared that America "should never have gotten into" the Iraq war and urged President Bush to admit "I was wrong." Rooney declined an invitation to appear on The Factor, but Harvard's Sarah Sewell echoed his sentiments. "The facts speak for themselves," Sewell said. "There is no political process underway to get us out, and the military stalemate is likely to just get worse. We need a dramatic change of strategy and we have to give up this illusion that we can revolutionize Iraq." The Factor countered that President Bush can not just throw in the towel. "A commander could never do what Mr. Rooney is suggesting, not with 150,000 people in the theater. It would be irresponsible, put people in danger, and diminish the sacrifices that have been made. There is still a chance that we could come out of this in a good way, but if the president takes Mr. Rooney's advice, then it is over." Sewell also claimed that Afghanistan is "going backwards," which The Factor disputed: "That's not true. You're just parroting a left wing line that America doesn't know what it is doing. Our information is that there's no danger at all of the Taliban reclaiming that country."

Guest: Jill Dobson, Star Magazine

While Madonna and Angelina Jolie have made headlines by adopting African babies, other celebrities like Meg Ryan and Mia Farrow have adopted foreign babies far more quietly. Entertainment reporter Jill Dobson claimed that Madonna's recent adoption in Malawi has hurt the star's image. "This was a very negative PR move for Madonna. Malawi doesn't allow adoptions by foreigners, but she just swept right in and got a baby. The rules were bent for her. And she chose a child who isn't an orphan, who has a living father. Madonna's gotten a lot of attention, but it's been a PR nightmare."

Guest: Fox News chief judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano

23-year old Virginian Tammy Skinner shot herself in the stomach, killing the baby who was about to be born that same day. Skinner was not punished, and Fox News analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano explained why. "The government tried to indict her for the murder of the fetus, but because the fetus was not breathing on its own, they threw the prosecution out. The same attitude that allows partial-birth abortion allows this type of murder, and legislatures should stop it." The Factor condemned the ruling and the fact that Skinner escaped any penalty. "This woman walks out free even though she filed a phony police charge and killed the baby. How can that happen in America, how can this pinhead judge get away with this?"

Guests: Fox News analysts Kirsten Powers & Michelle Malkin

CNN aired video showing a sniper shooting an American soldier in Iraq. In defending its decision to air the terrorist-provided video, CNN claimed its mission is to provide the "unvarnished truth." FNC analysts Kirsten Powers and Michelle Malkin expressed their views of the incident. "CNN wants us to lose this war," Malkin declared. "It's not just the airing of this sniper video, which undermines troop morale, but there's a whole history at CNN of choosing the wrong side. If you're going to run this kind of video, you have to be very mindful of being used as a tool." Powers agreed that CNN made the wrong call. "When propaganda comes to you from a terrorist organization, I would say no to that. People should use some moral judgment. The media is not there to glorify bad people, and this was specifically meant to be propaganda." The Factor disputed the suggestion that CNN wants America to lose, but didn't let the network totally off the hook. "CNN looks at itself as an international network, not an American network. And it does give moral equivalency to the actions of other nations and America. That's their choice, and people can watch or not watch."

Guests: Topless activist Elizabeth Book & attorney Lawrence Walters

Courts in Florida, Vermont, and California have ruled that nudity is legal under certain circumstances. 44-year old Floridian Elizabeth Book, a staunch advocate of toplessness, explained why she has taken up the cause. "My crusade is to decriminalize the female breast. I believe wherever a man can be top-free, a woman should be allowed to be top-free. Breasts are there to nurture our young, and there should never be a criminal element of our bodies." The Factor gave Book a brief anatomy lesson. "Men and women are physically different, and society mores say women's breasts are to be covered. This is our tradition, you know people will be offended, and I don't understand why you feel you have to walk around topless."

Many of you wrote about the Unitarian minister who accused Senator Joseph Lieberman of condoning torture. Some excerpts:

Bob Norsworthy, Caribou, ME: "I was raised in the Unitarian church and we are a liberal society, not a traditional religious organization. We'd object to any aggressive action by governments."

Ron Gann, Litchfield, NH: "Bill, as an evangelical Christian, I was angered by the minister. To misappropriate Jesus' words about loving your enemies is a clear-cut case of ignorance."

Other viewers continued to opine on The Factor's interview with President Bush.

Joe Stillman, Salinas, CA: "O'Reilly, how many times are you going to show the interview with President Bush? You're just trying to rehabilitate his image."

John Hammer, Edinburgh, Scotland: "I am a liberal but believe President Bush means well and believes what he says. The media over here definitely harbors an anti-Bush agenda."