Guest: Actor & author Mike Farrell

"As you know, fifteen British sailors and Marines have been seized by fanatical elements of the Iranian government. The British press has been mild about the outrage - remember, most of the press over there opposes the Iraq war and does not want to confront Iran. A writer for the nutty left Guardian newspaper in London actually blamed the situation on Tony Blair, saying the sailors were seized because Prime Minister Blair and President Bush lost moral authority. Far-left comedian Rosie O'Donnell said the incident is another Gulf of Tonkin situation, referring to the alleged attack used by President Johnson to escalate the Vietnam conflict. The Guardian and Rosie O'Donnell are simply foolish, but there is a very serious side to this nonsense. Iran and other haters around the world believe the USA and Britain have been drastically weakened, and Talking Points believes they will now ramp up the violence to show that the West is in decline. When the world sees the relentless pounding Mr. Bush is taking from the American media, they come to believe that the president is indeed an evil man and that the USA, not Iran or the jihadists, is the true villain. These are indeed great days in Iran."

News Link: Rosie equates British kidnapping w/Gulf of Tonkin

The Factor was joined by actor and liberal activist Mike Farrell, who urged the administration to talk with the Iranians. "Iran is a nation that is divided in many parts," Farrell contended. "We have to be able to talk with them and empower the reformers, and make sure we don't inflame the passions of the zealots. There are different political factions in Iran, some of whom are very antagonist and some of whom are not." The Factor implied that Farrell is too accommodating toward Iran. "It looks to me and the rest of the audience that you give the benefit of the doubt to Iran but you don't give the benefit of the doubt to your own country." But the actor passionately defended his position as pro-American. "The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world and we need to behave like it. That means we need to reach out and have dialogue and to demonstrate by example."

News Link: Britain seeks UN condemnation of Iran over hostages

Featured Book: Just Call Me Mike: A Journey from Actor to Activist by Mike Farrell

Guest: Attorney Sharon Liko

Singer Wynona Judd has filed for a divorce from her husband D.R. Roach, who was arrested last week for sexually abusing a child under 13. This is the latest in a series of high-profile child abuse cases, but lawyer Sharon Liko denied that there is an epidemic. "When the press focuses on these particular cases, that's all people think is going on. The reality is that 'stranger danger' is not the norm. 80% of the abusers are people the kids know - family members, friends of the family, clergy, teachers. It's a problem, but it's not an epidemic and it's not the worst problem that we have." The Factor pointed to statistics that refute Liko's assertion. "I think this is an epidemic. It's driven by a permissive society that gives comfort to child molesters on the Internet, and a society that has become confused about how to punish these people."

News Link: Wynonna Judd's hubbie faces child sex battery rap

News Link: CT school district sends home letter with pics of sex offenders

Guests: Attorney Lauren Lake & Kenneth Trump, National School Safety and Security Services

There has been a rash of brutal fights at public high schools across America. School safety expert Kenneth Trump said responsibility for stopping violence begins with the school's administration. "It's a leadership issue, and the principal sets the tone for the building. You can go to one high school and find it in complete chaos, and there's another one a mile away and it's orderly. It's the same kids from the same environment, but the leadership is different." Attorney Lauren Lake accused Trump of ignoring the actual causes. "We've had our kids exposed to violence in their video games, music videos, and reality TV. And now they are creating their own reality TV with this obnoxious behavior. We can't allow these monsters to come to school and then expect the teachers and the principal to tame them." The Factor leaned toward Trump's prescription. "The bottom line is that you're not going to change the culture, you're not going to change the parents, but when you walk on campus the principal should have a zero-tolerance policy that demands behavioral change."

News Link: Video: School fight #1

News Link: Video: School fight #2

Guest: Congressman Darrell Issa

Carol Lam is one of the eight U.S. Attorneys fired by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Because Lam led the prosecution of corrupt Republican Congressman "Duke" Cunningham, some allege her dismissal was politically motivated. But Congressman Darrell Issa declared that Lam had a long history of ignoring serious crimes. "Carol Lam would not enforce border violations," Issa claimed, "specifically by those who traffic in human beings, sometimes leaving them to die in the desert. She thought it was a waste of time. We all applauded the conviction of Duke Cunningham, but you don't get a job for life because of one successful prosecution."

News Link: Fired US Attorney had poor immigration track record

Dennis Miller joined The Factor with his weekly observations. A staunch supporter of Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid, Miller noted that personal attacks on Giuliani that have already begun. "Most of the people writing about Giuliani are based in New York, most of them saw what his approach brought to this city, and I think on some level they're fans. But you're going to see pictures about him in drag and you'll hear about the three marriages." Miller predicted that the vitriol could actually backfire, and Giuliani may benefit. "We've reached the tipping point. The hectoring, the disdain, the flat-out accusations of lying is so incessant, and I don't think most people can summon up the hate for George Bush and Rudy Giuliani that most of these guys in the liberal press can. Giuliani's going to be the lucky recipient of the fact that they've over-killed Bush all these years."

News Link: Rudy "dragged" down by dress-up

Guest: Author Donna Ann Smith-Marshall

More American women are imprisoned than ever before. Author Donna Ann Smith-Marshall, who served time for forgery, complained that too many women are serving time for non-violent crimes. "Most women in prison have done crimes of prostitution, petty theft, forgery, they're women who have substance abuse issues. Yes, women are committing violent crimes, but the majority behind the walls pose no threat to the public at all. And if you're putting a woman into prison and you're not rehabilitating her, she's going to go right back in." The Factor argued that the majority of women in maximum security prisons are guilty of more than mere petty crimes. "This is a harsh experience, but I disagree with you on one point. It's hard to get there in most states - you have to do three, four, five crimes before they send you up."

Featured Book: Time on the inside: Behind the Walls in a Maximum Security Women's Prison from an Insider's View by Donna Ann Smith-Marshall

Your e-mails focused on the U.S. Attorney firings and the body language segment. Some excerpts:

Harold Vicks, Fort Thomas, KY: "O'Reilly, as wrong as you frequently are, you've never been this wrong before. The President can fire any U.S. Attorney without explanation. Your reach always exceeds your grasp."

Bob Farren, Butte, MT: "O'Reilly, you asked Professor Turley if he would advise a client to invoke the Fifth Amendment if asked to testify on this matter. He said no and you replied 'yes you would.' So now you're asking and answering questions?"

Andy Cascione, Tempe, AZ: "Bill, love the body language segment. Why don't you try it without speaking."

Doug Macurda, Bishop, CA: "Bill, I think your body language says you are looking out for us."