Guests: Trace Gallagher

The Factor devoted the much of Tuesday's program to the unfolding drama involving 33-year old Christopher Dorner, the killer ex-cop who was finally cornered by law enforcement officials. Fox News producer Jen Girdon reported the latest from the California town of Big Bear. "The cops chased Dorner into a cabin," she said, "and they set up a large perimeter in that area to keep the public safe and to keep everyone out. The cabin he's holed up in is on fire right now and because it's engulfed in flames they're going to stand back and see what happens. Since we've come here a few hours, I've seen at least fifty police cars go into the area." Fox News correspondent William La Jeunesse explained how Dorner, who had been the focus of a massive manhunt, got to Big Bear. "He stole a vehicle and got into a shootout on the road when California Fish and Wildlife attempted to stop the vehicle. He ran into the forest, there was a firefight there, then he went into this unoccupied cabin by himself. Time has been on the cops' side and they're just going to let this thing burn and either find him dead or alive." Los Angeles Times reporter Phil Willon added his perspective from the scene. "During the chase that led to this cabin there was an exchange of gunfire on the road. That's when one deputy died and one was wounded. And then, after the cabin was surrounded, the gun battle continued. That's when tear gas went in and the cabin went up in flames."

For more on the breaking Dorner story, The Factor turned to Fox News correspondent Trace Gallagher. "This whole vendetta started when the LAPD fired Dorner," Gallagher reported. "One of the people he killed last week was Monica Quan, who was the daughter of the man who represented Dorner during the hearing. In Dorner's 'manifesto' there were 40 other names of LAPD officers he intended to target. As for today's events, Dorner went to the highway and carjacked a vehicle. He got into this white Dodge truck and drove down the road. Fish and Game spotted the truck and that's when the first shootout took place. The second shootout came when Dorner got out of the car and ran toward the cabin, that's when he killed a deputy. We're now told they plan to let the cabin burn itself out and then they'll continue the investigation. They'll have dental records and fingerprints and can put this case to an end."

Guests: Brian Ross

While assessing President Obama's selection of Chuck Hagel to run the Pentagon, former VP Dick Cheney accused the President of wanting to do "serious damage to our military capabilities." The Factor scrutinized that inflammatory accusation with Charles Krauthammer. "It's always very difficult to know the motives of anyone," Krauthammer began, "and I have a slightly different view. At his core Obama is a community organizer, a man who wants to reduce inequality, a man of the left, a European social democrat who wants an entitlement state. And how do you get the money to subsidize an entitlement state? Raise taxes and reduce defense spending. I don't think Obama wants to destroy the military, but he wants to create a more 'socially just' entitlement state and he doesn't really care about the cuts in the Pentagon." Krauthammer predicted that President Obama would use his State of the Union speech to hammer the opposition. "He's giving this speech to crush the Republicans, who he already has on the run. He knows that the only thing standing between him and his left agenda is to neutralize the Republican House."

Guests: Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lis Wiehl

Returning to the ongoing Chris Dorner seige, The Factor made this assertion: "There are some cases the police don't want to bring in, they want the guy dead! I believe this is one of those cases, everybody in Los Angeles wants this guy dead." Legal analysts Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lis Wiehl added their perspectives. "The death penalty is on the books in California," said Guilfoyle, a former California prosecutor, "and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office would have proceeded to seek the death penalty. It would have taken about ten years to put this case together. The cops were morally and legally justified in what they did today." Wiehl lamented that some radio talk show callers and Internet trolls actually voiced support for Dorner. "There was an African American former LAPD officer on the radio who was justifying this. He said, 'I understand that manifesto, I understand that rage, I understand how he could be driven to that point.' Other people were putting signs up on their cars." The Factor concluded with a confession of sorts: "I could never be a prosecutor because I hate this Dorner guy and prosecutors can't get emotionally involved in front of the jury. If he took a bullet between the eyes tonight, I'm happy!"

Guests: Laura Ingraham

The Factor ended Tuesday's show with radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, who ridiculed the State of the Union tradition. "This has all degenerated," she groused, "into a quasi-reality show, with Republicans and Democrats vieing to see who will bring in more celebrity guests for emotional impact. I'm half expecting to see Kim Kardashian show up in the First Lady's box. The coolest thing is to see which members of Congress have camped out along the aisle for hours so they can shake the President's hand. This is the Washington equivalent of the Golden Globes and Oscars." The Factor concurred, saying the event has become "a hollow gesture, an exercise in nothingness."