Guests: Rep. Keith Ellison

"At first the President took a 'soft power' approach toward the Muslim world, hoping that by being sensitive he could convince a majority of Muslims that the USA is not their enemy. That approach has failed. Compelling evidence out of Pakistan shows the government there was protecting Osama bin Laden, and when Navy SEALs finally caught up with bin Laden, Pakistan imprisoned the man who helped us find him. In Afghanistan, where more than 2,000 Americans have been killed, the government remains corrupt and largely uncooperative in protecting Americans. In Iran, that country is openly defying the USA and the world by continuing its nuclear weapons development. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood now controls the government and anti-American demonstrations are commonplace. In Yemen, violent anti-American demonstrations are breaking out, driven by the jihadists. In Libya, there is chaos and the weak government can not protect Americans in that country. So the evidence is overwhelming that much of the Muslim world is not friendly to the USA, despite President Obama's outreach. Now it is time for America to change its strategy. Talking Points does not believe it is smart to openly antagonize any Muslim government except Iran, but President Obama has an obligation to punish governments like Egypt that allow attacks on American citizens. We are living in a dangerous world and the President's first priority is to protect Americans."

The Factor was joined by Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison, himself a Muslim. "You're grossly over-generalizing," Ellison complained, "and you're forgetting about all the Libyans who held up placards today saying they apologize. You're also forgetting that the governments in Yemen and Egypt and Libya have apologized. These troublemakers don't represent the vast majority of the people who live in these countries." Ellison contended that it would be a mistake to withhold aid to Egypt. "To leap to a conclusion that we should punish Egypt, I'm not sure the evidence supports that at this point. The last thing we need is to make matters worse." But The Factor insisted that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is not a friend to America: "The Egyptian government knew demonstrators were going to attack the embassy and didn't stop it. You, as a sitting Congressman, have to say to President Obama that we can't be sending them money if this continues."

Guests: Laura Ingraham

For a view from the right, The Factor asked radio talk show host Laura Ingraham to assess the turmoil in the Arab world. "We have a situation in the Middle East today," Ingraham began, "where the Obama administration touted the idea of an 'Arab Spring' that sounded very hopeful. But in the end, America's interests have been undermined by forces we can't control. We recently sent $1.5 billion to Egypt but we couldn't get a quick statement out of Egypt to condemn the violence." Ingram turned to Mitt Romney, who has come under harsh criticism for questioning the administration's handling of the Middle East chaos. "In my mind, Mitt Romney was quite reserved in his written statement that was issued late Tuesday night. He did it at the right time and it was substantively correct."

Guests: Tavis Smiley and Cornel West

The Factor was joined by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, co-authors of a new book about poverty in America. West urged the government to mandate a higher minimum wage. "If the minimum wage had kept up with changes over the last forty years," he said, "it would be almost twice what it is now, it could be between $16 and $21 an hour. We're not calling for government programs, we want jobs with a living wage, we want quality education, we want child care, and we want to make sure people live in neighborhoods that don't have drugs and guns coming in." Smiley pointed out that poverty is not merely relegated to high school dropouts. "Education is not the great equalizer that it used to be. There are millions of Americans who are 'degreed' out their ears but still can't find a job. The people we're talking about who are being hurt in this economy are not just single mothers with two or three kids." The Factor praised Smiley and West for their efforts, saying, "I applaud you both, you're doing a service toward people who don't have very much."

Guests: Gretchen Carlson and Jeanine Pirro

While he's not big on press conferences, President Obama recently spoke with a Miami radio host whose nickname is "The Pimp with the Limp." Culture Warriors Gretchen Carlson and Jeanine Pirro weighed in on the President's decision. "You have to reach out to everybody," Pirro said approvingly, "and not everybody watches intellectual television. President Obama knows the way to get people to vote for you is to get them to like you." But Carlson criticized the President for avoiding tough questions. "This is total pandering to the youth vote and an attempt to reignite the magic of 2008. He's avoiding real reporters by doing interviews with People magazine, ET, and radio stations that ask him whether he likes green or red salsa better. But just because he talks hip-hop and football doesn't mean young people are suddenly going to get jobs."

Guests: Megyn Kelly

Pennsylvania's highest court is deciding the legality of a state law that requires voters to present a photo ID. Fox News anchor and attorney Megyn Kelly questioned whether a photo ID should be required. "The state has conceded that they have no knowledge of any in-person fraud in Pennsylvania or elsewhere," she said, "but they believe there has been ballot box stuffing in Philadelphia and they want to make sure there is confidence in the election. The state has won in lower courts, but I don't know how this will turn out. One question is, 'Why now, with only 60 days before the election?'" The Factor concluded, "I don't think it's a burden on anybody to get a photo ID."

Guests: Martha MacCallum and Uma Pemmaraju

With Steve Doocy on the disabled list, Fox News anchor Uma Pemmaraju squared off against the seasoned veteran Martha MacCallum. Among the questions: "When he was 23 years old, Frank Sinatra spent a night in jail for what crime?" ... "Actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to how many years in prison for tax evasion?" After a tie in regulation, MacCallum answered a question about Al Capone to chalk up another victory.

Thursday's Tip: No American tourist should visit Egypt for the rest of the year, which will send that government an unmistakable message.