Guest:John Yoo
"Many fair-minded Americans are confused because a report by Senate Democrats accuses the CIA of torture, bad management and lying. But every single CIA leader since the 9/11 attack has refused to endorse the report, and three of them wrote a scathing op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, calling the report bogus and dangerous. The days following 9/11 were filled with chaos. America expected another al Qaeda attack, and there were plots in development. So when terrorists were captured, intense pressure was put on them and in a few cases harsh methods were used. President Bush and Vice President Cheney ordered those techniques and both men stand by them, saying thousands of lives were saved by the information gathered. But Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee say nothing was learned that could not have been gleaned by non-violent interrogations. Talking Points is siding with the CIA people, and Mr. Obama's own CIA chief John Brennan says he does not believe the Senate report. We are not a torture nation, and the left wing, which drives stories like this, is incredibly irresponsible. MSNBC contributor Joan Walsh said this: 'We tortured and we still have al Qaeda, we tortured and we still have ISIS ... so torture didn't work.' That is one of the dumbest statements I have ever heard. Everyone knows that aggressive tactics towards al Qaeda have decimated that group, led to the demise of Osama bin Laden, and prevented another 9/11 attack. Final question: Who would you rather have protecting you? Bush and Cheney, or Ms. Walsh and her cohorts?"

The Factor welcomed former Justice Department attorney John Yoo, who advised on the interrogation techniques. "My job was to review the legality of policies right after 9/11," he explained, "including the interrogation measures. Most of the enhanced interrogation measures would strike most Americans as reasonable, but water boarding was very close to the line. We knew stunningly little about Al Qaeda and we knew they wanted to carry out more attacks. I think any responsible president of either party would have ordered enhanced interrogation." Yoo insisted that the techniques saved American lives and he savaged the just-released Senate report. "No Republicans were involved in the report and there were no interviews of any officials involved in these interrogations. I was never interviewed, no one ever contacted me. It's stunning, it's as if you had a trial and only the prosecution gets to put on a case."

Guests:Carl Cameron & James Rosen
FNC correspondents Carl Cameron and James Rosen joined The Factor with the latest from Washington. Cameron reported that John McCain is the only Republican openly supporting the decision to release the Senate report. "You have to remember that McCain was tortured as a POW in Vietnam," Cameron said, "and he has long said that enhanced interrogation techniques compromise America's moral high ground. He is a lone Republican to be in support of this report." Rosen turned to the possibility that America's enemies will look to exact revenge. "Secretary of State Kerry is concerned about the fragility of a number of U.S. foreign policy initiatives right now. The State Department has directed all our embassies and consulates around the world to review their security postures." The Factor reminded viewers, "Many of the Senators on the Intelligence Committee are too frightened to come on this program."

Guest:Russell Simmons
Black and white Americans agree on one thing, that race relations have been getting worse. The Factor spoke about the divide with music executive Russell Simmons. "We can create a good relationship between police and communities with sensitivity training," he averred, "both for the community and for the police. The way the police approach the community is a problem." Simmons blamed America's long-running war on drugs. "The disruption of the fabric of the black community has everything to do with the war on drugs. 95% of the people who go to jail for non-violent first-time offenses are people of color." The Factor advised Simmons that he is turning a blind eye to an inconvenient truth: "The bigger issue that you are not acknowledging is that the violent crime rate among young black men drives suspicion and hostility on the part of the police. And the crime rate is driven by the dissolution of the family."

Guest:Mother Dolores Hart
Delores Hart was a rising actress in the 1960s when she suddenly left the biz to become a nun. Mother Delores entered the No Spin Zone and spoke of her first encounter with every girl's heartthrob. "I was in my first year in college when I worked with Elvis Presley," she recalled. "He was very sweet and humble and a mother's boy. He asked me out, but I said, 'Elvis, I would love to, but I don't believe in mixing work with pleasure.'" After starring in a series of high-profile movies, Hart realized that she had a different calling. "I learned very soon that the values of Hollywood were not what people thought they were. I went to the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut and the minute I put my foot on the ground something in me fell in love."

Guest:Dennis Miller
The Factor invited Dennis Miller to opine on the CIA's "enhanced interrogation" on suspected terrorists. "In the wake of Pearl Harbor," Miller began, "the liberal god FDR sent 120,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps. So to say that people react fearfully in the immediate wake of something like Pearl Harbor or 9/11, this has existed throughout the ages. I'm just surprised Dianne Feinstein didn't release the report last week so she could have been Time's 'Person of the Year.' What gets you to the head of the line is to denigrate America." Miller pointed out that what we call "harsh interrogation" is relatively tame in comparison to truly heinous torture. "ISIS, if you can promise us that the worst thing you'll do to anyone who falls into your grasp is tilt them back and pour water in their nose, I'd take that deal tomorrow."

Guest:Martha MacCallum
A new report shows that some charities run by big-name stars are not exactly showering their beneficiaries with riches. FNC anchor Martha MacCallum explained. "Lady Gaga raised $2.6 million for the Lady Gaga Foundation," she reported, "and gave away $5,000! And guess who is the president of the foundation? Her mom! They say that the money goes to lawyers and publicists and that they run pre-concert events to raise awareness of gay and lesbian issues. Also, Kanye West's foundation his now defunct. It spent $553,000, and $583 of that legitimately went to charity. In some cases this is a way of hiding money and paying off your relatives."

David Toth, Waynesville, OH: "Bill, your interview with Senator Coats was on the mark. You asked if any Republican members of the intelligence committee believe they were lied to by the CIA and he would not answer."

Rolf Yungclas, Sublette, KS: "O'Reilly, you did not let Senator Coats speak about an important issue: the flawed nature of the Senate report."

John Hager, Santiago, Panama: "International newspapers are reporting 'brutal torture' by the USA. Nice job, Democrats."

Americans are the most generous people in the world and this is a great time of year to follow that giving tradition. Do whatever you can to help others this holiday season.