Cindy Sheehan has become a symbol of the anti-war movement. Monday's Talking Points Memo dealt with Sheehan, her critics, and her supporters in the media. Some excerpts:

"The story is no longer about Ms. Sheehan - it's now about the far left media trying to legitimize her in the face of damning evidence. Sympathetic columnists are putting forth that Cindy is being smeared by people like me. They call it the 'swiftboating of Cindy Sheehan.' All we did was tell the truth about Ms. Sheehan's radical politics and pals. And if that's smearing, here's more. In a rally supporting lawyer Lynne Stewart, convicted of aiding terrorists, Ms. Sheehan said this:

'America has been killing people ? since we first stepped on this continent. We have been responsible for death and destruction. It's okay for Israel to occupy Palestine, it's okay for the United States to occupy Iraq, but it's not okay for Syria to be in Lebanon? They're a bunch of f ing hypocrites.'

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Gorelick declined to appear, but her fellow 9/11 commissioner Slade Gorton joined The Factor. He defended Gorelick against charges that her "wall" hampered the prosecution of terrorists. "The wall was created by laws in the 1970's. Nothing Jamie Gorelick wrote had the slightest impact on the Department of Defense or its willingness to share intelligence with other intelligence agencies." The Factor countered that Gorelick and Janet Reno created a culture that downplayed intelligence about suspected terrorists. "Reno refused to get involved with any kind of overseas intelligence. Jamie Gorelick was one of her top deputies who bought into this entirely. The message was - if you have intelligence overseas, don't bother us with it."

The Factor has accused the St. Petersburg Times of defending accused terror financier Sami Al-Arian. New proof can be found in FBI tapes of conversations between al-Arian and Times reporter Jim Harper. Harper is heard advising Al-Arian how to defend himself against accusations that he feels are unfair. Terror analyst Steve Emerson reacted to the tapes. "Clearly this reporter not only bought into al-Arian's denials that he was a terrorist, but he actually started coaching him. And he withheld reporting that would have been much more negative about Al-Arian's involvement in Islamic Jihad. This was a wholesale bias deliberately perpetrated by the St. Petersburg Times for years." The Factor denounced the Times for its biased reporting. "There's something very wrong with the newspaper. This is a paper that is out of control, and the good people of the Gulf Coast are going to have to deal with it."

A UN commission has refused to pass a resolution condemning terrorism as a major human rights violation. UN Human Rights official David Rivkin, a supporter of the resolution, explained why his colleagues balked. "They said we should not have a resolution that only condemns terrorism. We should also condemn counter terrorism, and we should talk about root causes. There were all sorts of caveats, not a clean-cut condemnation of terrorism." The Factor described this as part of a pattern. "You can't even get a consensus that killing civilians is wrong. Anyone depending on the United Nations to fight terrorism is being foolish."

Anti-war activist Tom Hayden is among those demanding an exit strategy from Iraq. "I believe we are losing the war," Hayden declared. "And if you continue to say those who oppose this war are calling for cutting and running, you are putting at risk thousands of soldiers. We need a peace envoy and peace talks." The Factor pointed out that Hayden also called for withdrawal from Vietnam, after which chaos ensued. "I didn't hear you or your former wife Jane Fonda say anything about the millions of Cambodians and Vietnamese slaughtered by the communists. And I think you have to take that in mind when you say we have to get out at a certain date."

The Factor is urging all states to pass a "Jessica's Law" mandating tough sentences for child abusers. In Kentucky, Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence is leading the effort. "We've formed a coalition," Pence explained, "to strengthen our laws before we have a case like Jessica Lunsford here. There are some predators who deserve 25 years to life for a first offense." But not all the news is positive. Attorney Wendy Murphy, who has been examining all fifty states for The Factor, reported that there is resistance to legislation in New Hampshire. "New Hampshire has no mandatory minimum at all for the rape of a child, and that is very upsetting. They are pretty gentle on criminals up there." The Factor placed some of the blame on the state's dominant newspaper. "The Union Leader is not convinced that Jessica's Law is the way to go. You would think that the state's most powerful newspaper would get behind this."

Joran Van Der Sloot remains the prime suspect in the disappearance and presumed murder of Natalee Holloway. In a new development, the family of a New Jersey teenager who once dated Van Der Sloot has come to his defense. Factor producer Jesse Watters spoke with the girl's family and described their conversation. "They think Van Der Sloot is completely innocent. They had an explanation for everything he's been accused of. They see him as an innocent, polite, and gracious young man who they would not mind date their daughter."

Steve Garcia, Caldwell, TX: "Mr. O'Reilly, this is some slick propaganda, to vilify a woman in grief."

Jackie Dankar, Fayetteville, NC: "If Cindy had been ignored from the get-go other groups wouldn't be forming around her."

Rebecca Resslar, Hannastown, PA: "Mr. O'Reilly, I may not agree with all Cindy Sheehan stands for but at least she is putting words into action. Exactly where do you stand on Iraq?"

Carol Baligush, Cleveland, OH: "Bill, when your son dies in a bogus war like Iraq - then and only then can you condemn Cindy Sheehan."

Eddie Kautzman, Raleigh, NC: "I served in the Navy so I am more qualified to speak about war than you are, Bill. Your height doesn't intimidate me."