"The committed left wing media hates Fox News, along with me and some other commentators here, because we provide a balance to the overwhelming secular presence in the media. Some media people have been using personal attacks and smears to try to marginalize people with whom they disagree. That's no longer tolerable, and The Factor is going to launch a campaign to hold these smear merchants accountable. A few weeks ago The Factor investigated Ohio Judge John Connor, who sentenced a child rapist to probation. The Dayton Daily News didn't like that, and smeared us. Then I traveled to Syracuse to give a speech in support of the Boy Scouts, who had been thrown off the campus of Syracuse University after the ACLU complained. I was smeared twice by the Syracuse Post-Standard. The villains at that paper are publisher Stephen Rogers and editorial writer Mark Libbon. These men are not only unprofessional, they are incompetent - over the past few years the Post-Standard circulation has declined nearly 30%. It is a disgraceful newspaper nicknamed 'sub-standard' by some in upstate New York. We've posted contact numbers for Rogers and Libbon on BillOreilly.com should you want to speak with them, and that is what we'll continue to do. Any media person who uses smear tactics in any way will be featured on The Factor and inducted into the BillOreilly.com 'Hall of Shame.' We will keep a running list of media smear merchants on the web site. I have no objection to any media criticizing my stand on any matter. But beginning today, the smear stops here."

Fox News Video: FoxNews.com
Additional information: Contact information for the Syracuse Post-Standard

Guest: Writer Mac Johnson

Even though oil supplies are plentiful, gas prices are 64 cents a gallon higher than a year ago. The Factor blamed the situation on oil companies and financial manipulators. "We have speculators driving up the price because they fear something bad will happen in Iran. The oil companies then use that as an excuse to raise prices when they don't have to." Arguing the other side was journalist Mac Johnson, who said that any business naturally maximizes profit. "The oil industry went through a downturn for a long time where it was not worth their while to find oil. Now they're finally entering the upside of the cycle and it's in their interest to go out and find new sources of oil. The federal government and state governments are making more per gallon in taxes than the oil companies are in profits." The Factor framed the issue in patriotic terms. "You didn't see profiteering in World War II, and you shouldn't see it now. We're in a war on terror, and the oil companies are damaging their own country."

Guest: Fox News contributor Linda Chavez

President Bush wants an immigration bill, but hasn't said precisely what he would do about border security. Some analysts claim more than 30 million Mexicans may become citizens under an amnesty program, but Fox News contributor Linda Chavez said those numbers are wildly exaggerated. "When you hear about this huge explosion in Hispanics, you're talking about kids like my grandchildren, who are one-eighth Hispanic." Chavez also asserted that Mexicans will assimilate just as smoothly as other immigrants. "Hispanics who are born in the US speak English. It's the same thing that happened to the Jews, the Poles, and the Italians - they're going to become good citizens." The Factor questioned whether the country can handle the sheer numbers. "A lot of Americans fear a tremendous surge in foreign nationals coming here, and how it will change the country. They're not going to be assimilated for generations."

Guest: Dr. Holly Phillips, medical expert

The 27-year old woman who claims she was raped by members of the Duke lacrosse team says she may have been slipped a date-rape drug. Dr. Holly Phillips explained that a blood test, which could substantiate that claim, is not standard procedure when a rape victim is examined. "It's not protocol because whether a woman was drunk or used drugs does not impact whether or not she was raped. If she appeared lucid and not grossly intoxicated, they may not have done blood tests." The Factor suggested that a blood test could have averted some of the chaos. "This is disturbing because both sides are getting hammered. Defense attorneys are casting aspersions on her character, and its damaging to the players. I think every rape exam should require drug and alcohol testing - find out what is in the person's blood stream."

Guest: Fox News chief judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano

Nine days after he was detained by Aruba police as a possible suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, 19-year old Geoffrey von Cromvoirt has been released. Meanwhile, island authorities say they have also questioned and released a 20-year old man identified only as A.B. Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano commented on the seeming incompetence of the Aruba system. "It appears that they are just reacting to the pressure they receive from the media and from the Holloway family. Aruba seems to have a justice system run like a third world country. You can't arrest someone in America and hold them for eight days just because you want to talk to them, but in Aruba you can."

Guest: Douglas MacKinnon, Washington Times

This year's Pulitzer Prizes went to writers whose stories arguably damaged the war on terror. The Factor ran down the entire list of Pulitzer judges, pointing out that many are on the far left of the political spectrum, and journalist Douglas MacKinnon claimed the prizes are handed out almost exclusively to liberals. "Not only is the committee far left of center, but everyone they pick for an award is far left. Let's look at James Risen of the New York Times and Dana Priest of the Washington Post who wrote stories that hurt the United States dramatically. Neither one of them will explain why they did it. It's hurting the country." The Factor added that other journalism awards follow the same pattern. "What troubles me about all these awards is that they are dominated by liberal, left-leaning people. Fox News does not even submit any more because we know what the game is."

Guest: Beth Savino, former child protective services investigator

As part of a recent special, ABC News filmed Joe Nelson beating his 15-year old daughter, but did not report the incident to authorities. Child abuse expert Beth Savino accused ABC News of shirking its duty. "When a news agency puts cameras into a home they know is volatile, there's a responsibility to intervene in a timely manner. Someone can learn a lesson - when you're setting up cameras in a household, you have to have a plan as to how you're going to handle incidents of abuse." The Factor recognized that ABC's producers were in a difficult position. "I have to believe ABC News when they say they monitored the family closely. The girl was removed from the home and the man went into counseling. I'm not going to condemn ABC."

Many of you wrote about oil companies and the soaring price of gasoline. Some excerpts:

June Flanagan, Glen Head, NY: "No one mentions how much money the government is making in taxes as gas prices go up. Maybe the government could give us a break."

Joshua Eisenschmidt, Clemson University, SC: "I'm confused. The Secretary of Energy says there is no price gouging, yet the oil companies are making record profits. Who's looking out for us?"

Stephanie Sainz, Jacksonville, FL: "Bill, you are not officially a pinhead! We are not being gouged by the oil companies. We are being strangled by taxes."

Lisa Austin, Newton, NC: "I have cut my gas consumption by 50%."