"Only one newspaper in the USA has been sympathetic to our reporting on the trend away from acknowledging Christmas. That paper is the Ventura County Star in California. Every other newspaper has either ignored the subject or criticized us for even bringing it up. Talking Points believes Christmas deserves respect, and that attempts to diminish the holiday are wrong. This is about corporations ordering employees not to display Christmas material or even say the word 'Christmas.' This about the ACLU suing over manger displays. A common tactic in the print media is to say the entire controversy is the work of fanatical Christians. The truth, according to polls, is that almost half the country is angry. The usual committed left-wing ideologues like columnists Ellen Goodman, Bill Press, and Nicholas Kristof are very worried, largely because the secular movement is getting its butt kicked. The fascinating part about this story is how wide the gulf is between the US media and the American people. When only one newspaper understands the disrespect that's in the air, there's a huge problem. The secularists may be retreating now, but they have made large gains, thanks to the overwhelming support of the American media."

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Former network correspondents Jackson Bain and David Andelman joined The Factor with their perspectives on the media. Bain defended newspapers as concerned citizens. "If you sit in an editorial board meeting, newspapers are thinking about what their community is like. Newspapers are trying to make their communities better, and I think they are looking for ways to diminish stories that are pulling people apart." To the contrary, Andelman depicted papers as frightened dinosaurs. "The print media is desperately scared. They are losing readers like crazy and they have lost touch with their audience. That is evident because most of the people who go out and shop in the stores that advertise in their newspapers want Christmas." The Factor took issue with Bain's portrayal of most papers are compassionate and idealistic. "The print press in this country is as vicious as it comes. They're a bunch of vicious SOB's, and I've been called every name under the sun for trying to get a little respect for Christmas."

Former gang leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams has been put to death in California, despite protests from various celebrities and the NAACP. Jesse Jackson claimed that "race and class" were factors in the execution, an assertion that was seconded by professor Carla Pratt. "Jesse is trying to focus the discussion on a larger issue that has been looming in this country, which is the racial disparity in the death penalty. More than 40% of the people on death row are African American." The Factor countered that race played no role in this case. "Poor people are not going to get the same justice that rich people get. But there is no racial component in this story. This was a guy who slaughtered four fellow Americans in a horrible way."

La Raza is an Hispanic organization that received more than $15 million dollars in federal money last year. Georgia Congressman Charles Norwood explained why he is outraged by the appropriation. "They're a group for open borders, they're against anyone in Congress who opposes open borders, and they want illegal immigrants to vote. But somehow they got $15 million from the taxpayers." The Factor pledged to investigate how that money is being spent. "La Raza told us it gets the money, but is hazy on what they do with it. They're entitled to say anything they want, but they're not entitled to $15 million. Let's try to find out what they're doing with the money."

According to new data from the Center for Immigration Studies, 8 million immigrants have entered the United States since 2000, nearly half of them illegally. The CIS's Steven Camarota, a staunch opponent of illegal immigration, claimed our policies are an open invitation to illegals. "We've yet to see any coherent policy about how to defend the borders, how to deny illegals from getting documentation. And all the evidence suggests this pace of illegal immigration has continued and maybe even accelerated." Camarota said illegals rely more on welfare, depress wages, and commit a disproportionate amount of crime. Playing devil's advocate, The Factor put forth the other side of the argument. "The Wall Street Journal editorial page is adamant that the United States absolutely needs all these people here to keep the economy humming." Camarota's response: "Illegal immigration dramatically increases the supply of workers with less than a high school education, so the big effect is at the bottom end of the labor market. We It doesn't make sense to increase job competition for this very poor group."

In Georgia, 37-year old Lisa Lynette Clark has married a 15-year old boy and is reportedly pregnant with his child. Even though she has married the youngster and claims they are happy, Clark faces charges of child molestation and statutory rape. Attorney Wendy Murphy denounced the woman as a predator. "She seems mentally ill and I have a tiny bit of sympathy, but she's done harm to a child. She's a child rapist who married her victim. This is the essence of child sexual exploitation." The Factor pointed out one more element in the bizarre case. "Lisa Clark still has custody of her two other children, but to me she's a danger to these kids. She obviously can not make decisions that are rational."

As convicted sex offender Todd McElroy neared his prison release date, Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri asked that he be committed to a hospital psychiatric ward rather than be set free. The hospital's psychiatric director Dr. Brandon Krupp, who resigned in protest, explained his opposition. "Politics trumped medicine," Krupp declared. "The politically expedient solution was not one that would keep us safer. Nobody wants a convicted sexual predator on the streets, but to pretend that a hospital is a prison is not appropriate. A hospital is not a prison." The Factor put forth this case as another example of the need for tough mandatory sentences. "I'm with you in theory, but what do you do with McElroy? You've got two chances - you can handle him in the psychiatric hospital, or he gets out. We're in a conundrum here because this guy could be a risk to kids. That's why we need Jessica's Law."

Trevor Coleman, Japan: "Bill, living over here, I can tell you that 'Merry Christmas' signs are everywhere."

Dan Walker, Canton, OH: "Bill, nobody really cares about all this 'Merry Christmas' stuff."

Doug Lowry, Arlington, TX: "If President Bush is really Hitler as the far left says, wouldn't he be marching them to concentration camps?"

Martin Haynes, England: "Bill, every nation outside America knows that the Iraq war is illegal."