"Many people who oppose aggressive action against terrorists do so by using theoretical arguments. For example, we should allow terrorists captured in civilian clothing and targeting civilians Geneva Convention protections. That Convention clearly states that POW status is to be granted to uniformed combatants fighting under the flag of a nation. So it is imperative that the federal government define policies that are best suited to protect all Americans from terror attacks like 9/11. Now President Bush is clear on this. He wants the military to try terrorists captured overseas. And he wants to keep classified information out of the public eye. That is, it would not be given to the terrorists on trial, only to the judges of the terrorists. Also, President Bush has issued strict interrogation guidelines to the military, but wants to allow the CIA to use harsher questioning methods in extraordinary circumstances. Again, this makes perfect sense. If lives are in danger, you have to apply more pressure than just name, rank, and jihad number. But today, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted 15 to 9 not to allow coercive interrogation methods. This is dangerous. The president of the United States should have the authority to order tough interrogation methods if lives are at stake. I understand some countries don't like the USA, think we're a bunch of fascists here. But that attitude will not change because we give terrorists so-called rights. So I hope President Bush sticks to his plan. Military tribunals for captured terrorists and coercive interrogation when lives are at stake. This is a reasonable position in the face of an unreasonable and brutal enemy."

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Guest: Attorney Kathleen Mullin

The Factor discussed the Debra LeFave case with defense attorney Kathleen Mullin. "As you know, former teacher Debra Lafave received a light sentence, house confinement for having sex with a 14 year-old male student. Even Lafave thinks she should be in prison. I can't believe you don't think she should be in jail. I just - I'm stunned." Mullin stood by her position. "What I'm telling you is that under the way that we prosecute these cases here in New York and across the country, Debra Lafave's case is not extraordinary. Her sentence is not light. She's a registered sex offender. She's lost her teaching license. She's on house arrest for three years. And she's on anti psychotic medication." The Factor scuttled the notion that offenders like LeFave get off easy. "This is all in Florida. 25 year-old Guillermo Monzine Guevara, five years, for lewd and lascivious battery on a minor. Gregorio Sanchez Chavez, eight years in prison, lewd and lascivious battery on a minor. 15 years in prison for Leon Oliver Jackson, sex with a 15 year-old runaway. So you can't sit there, with all due respect, and tell me that these people wouldn't be in jail. A fair-minded tough judge would put her in jail. The statute said she could get 30 years in prison."

Guests: Father Josh Duckett & Fox News crime analyst Det. Rod Wheeler

The Factor described the disturbing case of a woman who killed herself after appearing on CNN with Nancy Grace. "A few weeks ago, a 2-year-old named Trenton Duckett vanished in Leesburg, Florida. His mother, Melinda Duckett, said he was kidnapped and went on "Nancy Grace" cable program to talk about it. Nancy Grace was tough on the woman. The day after that interview, Melinda Duckett killed herself. Ms. Grace has issued a statement saying she does not believe she is responsible." Josh Duckett, Melinda's estranged husband and father to Trenton, speculated on what happened: "The last update that I got was that they were searching an area in Ocala National Forest, and the last that I'd heard was that they had found a teddy bear there. I am not sure of Melinda's psychological state when Trenton become missing, due to the fact that I had not had contact with her in roughly eight months. The possibility is open to me that she was involved with this. I don't feel she would have harmed Trenton, but there is the possibility she may have had someone take him, or something along those lines, because of the whole custody issue. Her whole thing was she did not want me to have custody of him. So in a sense, she may have done something along those lines to keep me from gaining custody." The Factor wondered why Melinda would have done the show in the first place: "Why would she go on the "Nancy Grace" show? I guess you could say I want to get publicity, but why would she subject herself to that? Let's hope the baby is still alive."

Guest: Author Lee Morgan

The House of Representatives voted on additional fencing for the Mexican border. The Factor discussed the difficulties of enforcing the border with Lee Morgan, the author of the book "The Reapers Line," who took a pessimistic view of the problem: "The wall itself probably will not work. And I'm not speaking just for my 30 years of experience, but also the veterans who broke me it. They said back then that you could stand man to man, hold hands from the Pacific to the Gulf Coast on the Mexican border, and we will not be able to stop the Mexican illegal alien from coming in to get the jobs to feed their children." The Factor said, "I don't think the wall will solve it 100 percent. But I think it will cut it down. So I'm saying it's not a panacea, but an impediment." Then the Factor switched to an interesting discussion that Morgan details in his book: "Your book is interesting because it does get into the corruption. And you say there's corruption on the
American side. Are you saying that federal law enforcement are on the take? Are they getting money to let people in this country? Is that what you're saying?" Morgan responded: "Absolutely. It's been in all the news media for the past 10 years. And it's nothing that I have to go into detail with that you can't read in the newspaper and news media or my book. There is a lot of corruption. Even in my time on the border, I was personally involved in the arrest of the cases or knew of 13 border patrol agents that were arrested or convicted."

Guest: Fox News contributor Dick Morris

The Factor welcomed political analyst Dick Morris, who "believes the democratic nomination for president in 2008 will come down to a race between Hillary Clinton and Al Gore. How many times does poor Al Gore have to say he's not going to do it?" Morris said, "He's not saying he's not going to do it. In fact, he very recently said that he wouldn't rule it out, but that at this stage, that's what everybody says. I have a good reason to believe that Al Gore is running for president. Right now, Hillary is ahead of Gore 32 to 15. But she used to be ahead of him six months ago by 43 to 12. So she's lost half of her lead over Gore in the last six months. That's because of Iraq, the Lamont victory, the Democrats turning against her, some of the Dubai stuff may have hurt her, shrillness. There's an anti-Hillary argument that says 'we don't believe what the right says about her, but maybe she can't win because of that.'" The Factor switched to a new topic: "You've been investigating Vladimir Putin, who is probably America's stealth enemy, right? The Bush administration makes it out like he's our pal, but he isn't our pal." Morris said, "First of all, he's not democratic. He is using natural gas to take over
Western Europe, his goal is to become the sole source supplier of natural gas to Western Europe, and incredibly, there is such a wishful thinking that Putin is on our side."

Guests: Talk show hosts Alan Colmes & Mike Gallagher

The Factor discussed the pending bankruptcy of Air America: "As we've been reporting for more than a year, the far left radio network Air America is in dire straits. A left wing web site is reporting the network will declare bankruptcy and Air America doesn't deny that, but doesn't confirm it either. The big question is why does liberal talk radio continue to fail in America?" Talk radio host Mike Gallagher offered this explanation: "If you put a bunch of mangy, bitter, vile people together in a room, most of whom are faded comic stars who are in the twilights of their career and say, "Let's give them a talk radio network," it's going to bomb. If you ever listen to them, they sound like, frankly, a bunch of mental patients who took over a HAM radio and are broadcasting from somebody's basement." Alan Colmes responded: "Look, you've got angry smear merchants on the right whose whole thing is to smear liberals and Democrats. Some of them work; some of them don't. It's got to be entertaining. This is about entertainment value, and the audience has to like you regardless of what you think. I have an audience of conservatives and liberals. They don't listen because they necessarily agree with me. Hopefully, they listen because I'm either engaging or entertaining." The Factor still said it came down to the message: "I said at the very beginning the reason it would fail was because Americans, no matter what side of the political spectrum you're on, don't want to hear that their country is lousy 24/7. They don't want to hear that."

Guest: Greta Van Susteren

The Factor discussed the mysterious death of Daniel Smith in the Bahamas, the son of Anna Nicole Smith, with Greta Van Susteren. The Factor said, "Now they are allowing Ms. Smith to leave the islands to come back to the USA. I would say she's not a suspect in any kind of wrongdoing. Although there have been reports of other people in the room, arguments. We discount all of that, all of that, because you know how these things are. Rumors galore." Greta talked about how little information was forthcoming: "I don't know if people aren't talking or if they didn't see anything. Or he simply wasn't exhibiting any problems or maybe perhaps it wasn't even a drug overdose at all. But certainly, you know, the plot thickens. And if they would simply release the information I'm sure that we'd all dial back a bit." The Factor agreed: "That's what it is. Anna Nicole Smith loses a 20-year-old son. You've got to feel bad for the woman. We discussed last night whether her lifestyle might have created an environment of turbulence for the boy. But you know everybody has got to be sympathetic."

Tons of mail on the interview with leftist Arianna Huffington:

Michael McNamara, Portland, OR: "Bill, I produced the commercial where the Kurdish people thank Americans for freeing them from Saddam. I can assure you and Ms. Huffington there is no propaganda involved. Just sincere gratitude from the Kurds."

Chris Klinger, Epharta, PA: "I agree with Arianna about Iraq. Mr. O'Reilly, thanks for letting her speak."

Brian Holland, Long Beach, CA: "What is truly sad is that Arianna can't even admit the Kurds are better off after we liberated Iraq. That is the definition of partisan politics."

Sgt. George Krauss, Felton, DE: "Ms. Huffington's book might be called 'Fearless.' But she's clueless."

And on Rosie O'Donnell:

Mearl Rose, Antioch, CA: "I am a Christian, yet I agree with Rosie O'Donnell. Just because radical Christians are not trying to kill us doesn't mean they are less dangerous than radical Muslims."

Steve Duskey, Larne, Northern Ireland: "Bill, have you forgotten about Pat Robertson?"

Dr. John Turnbow, Lubbock, TX: "Rosie O'Donnell is incredibly misinformed. Some people simply lack the faculty of reason."