Guests: Senator Marco Rubio

"Because I am a simple man, I am going to frame a very complex issue in the clearest way possible. First, gun control will not stop crazy people from committing murders; there are more than 300-million guns in the USA right now, so thugs are going to get them. Talking Points has no problem with background checks or gun registration, but these things should be decided by the individual states, not the federal government. What President Obama can do is make all gun crimes federal crimes, and Congress can forbid individuals from crossing state lines with certain kinds of weapons. Take a look at Chicago, which has banned handguns. More people were murdered with guns last year than were killed among coalition forces in Afghanistan, so obviously the gun ban in Chicago doesn't work. What would work is a ten-year mandatory federal prison term for anyone convicted of any gun crime in America. That's how you keep guns off the street, and if you don't believe me, just take a look at how drastically the violent crime rate has fallen in the USA over the past decade because of strict mandatory prison terms for chronic criminals. Punishing violent criminals harshly is the key to public safety."

President Obama has called for a ban on military-style "assault rifles" and high capacity magazines, along with stricter background checks other measures intended to cut down on gun violence. The Factor was joined by Senator Marco Rubio, who assessed the President's proposals. "By the admission of the White House," Rubio stated, "what they proposed today would have done nothing to prevent what happened in Connecticut or Colorado. The issue America faces is not guns, it's violence, and the fundamental question is what's happening in our culture and our society that is leading people to commit these atrocities." According to Rubio, one solution for gun violence is very tough penalties on gun-wielding criminals. "In Florida we have something called '10-20-Life.' If a crime is committed and you're in possession of a gun, it's a mandatory 10 years; if you pull out that gun, it's a mandatory 20 years; and if you use that gun, you are going away for life. So criminals who use guns are in jail." Rubio added, "I actually think the President is not a believer in the Second Amendment."

Returning for a second segment, Senator Rubio outlined his vision for immigration reform. "The headline is that we need legal immigration," he said, "but we also have a right to have immigration laws. We have a problem in that our legal immigration system is antiquated and needs to be modernized. We also need real enforcement, which includes improving the infrastructure at the border and tracking people when they come into the country and when they leave." Rubio went on to explain how his plan would deal with the millions of illegal immigrants already in the country. "If you've committed a serious crime you're going to be deported. If you haven't, you have to come forward and pay back taxes and fines and you have to know English. If you do those things, you get a work permit that allows you to be in this country legally."

Guests: Kirsten Powers and Margie Omero

The Factor continued the gun discussion with Democrats Kirsten Powers and Margie Omero. "I thought Marco Rubio was demagoguing and it was disappointing," Power asserted. "He said the President doesn't believe in the Second Amendment and I don't think there's any evidence of that. Background checks should be federal - there are 32 states that still have this 'gun show loophole' where you don't have to get a background check." Omero also called for a greater federal role in gun control. "You're right that there should be increased penalties for people who commit gun crimes. Background checks and registration should be national, not up to the states, and even 50% of Republicans support a ban on high-capacity magazines."

Guests: James Rosen and Carl Cameron

Fox News correspondents James Rosen and Carl Cameron delivered some inside dope on President Obama's second inaugural speech. "We're always told that the President is principally writing this himself," Rosen reported, "with some input from his speechwriters, and that's the fiction that was conveyed to me this week. I'm told he will address our seemingly broken politics, and Democrats tell me they want to make sure that no one seems to be spiking the football." Cameron predicted that President Obama is preparing to take the gun issue directly to the American people. "He's going to go right back to the campaign trail, with lots of the same pomp and circumstance. We'll see rallies and town halls and lots of big gun control money on TV screens. On the other side, the NRA is planning a big ad blitz of its own."

Guests: Dennis Miller

The Factor invited Dennis Miller to opine on Lance Armstrong's public confession that he used performance enhancing drugs. "He's like an in-shape Al Gore," Miller observed, "in that both guys are leading completely disingenuous lives. I've met Lance and I've been a fan of his, but then I started reading articles about how he would threaten underlings if they were going to go off the reservation. I don't like bullies, and this cat was a bully! If you're a bad guy it eventually bites you in the bicycle seat, and it's biting him! And now he says he's going to rat out other people." The Factor predicted that Armstrong will pay a heavy price for his transgressions. "He's through in the court of pubic opinion and he's going to be ruined financially. But as a Christian, if he asks for forgiveness you have to forgive him."

Guests: Juliet Huddy

When a conservative organization invited some outspoken gun control supporters to put a sign reading "Gun Free Home" on their property, the anti-gun folks almost unanimously declined. Fox News correspondent Juliet Huddy elaborated on the ploy, which was designed to expose anti-gun fanatics as hypocrites. "None of the people would put the sign up," she reported, "and these are people who have been very vocal in favor of stronger gun control. This is one of those YouTube videos that everyone starts talking about. A lot of people thought the video was successful and clever and well-executed."

Mike Cuggino, New York, NY: "There is no way Lance Armstrong can undo seven years of lies and treachery by apologizing on a talk show."

Ray Spitzer, Glendale, AZ: "As a Christian, I can't forgive someone who has not asked for it. But if Armstrong does ask, I have to forgive him."

Jeffrey Reed, Bowling Green, KY: "Bill, I'm slow. Please explain why the bankrupt U.S. Postal Service spent $30 million of the taxpayer's money on sponsoring Lance Armstrong."

Bonnie Woodley, Van Nuys, CA: "President Obama is not trying to destroy the Republican Party, we are doing that to ourselves."

If you're well-heeled and looking to help a great cause, consider bidding on President George W. Bush's pickup truck, which will be auctioned off this weekend. Proceeds from the auction will help the families of wounded veterans.