Guests: Fox News analysts Michelle Malkin & Kirsten Powers

"In a stunning display of hatred, NBC News military analyst William Arkin wrote two Internet columns chastising members of the armed forces for daring to criticize civilian dissenters of the Iraq war. The columns appear on the Washington Post Internet site, and said in part that 'we pay the soldiers a decent wage' and 'ship obscene amenities into the war zone.' It's hard to believe any responsible person would attack the military in this very personal way. Arkin implies that Abu Ghraib and Haditha define how Americans have performed in Iraq and flat out calls our military people 'mercenaries.' Fox News producer Jesse Watters confronted Arkin, who refused to answer any questions. William Arkin has been a military hater for some time. The question is why would NBC News and the Washington Post hire a person like this? As you know, Talking Points believes NBC has taken a sharp turn to the left. It is a business decision made by three men - NBC Universal executives Robert Wright, Jeff Zucker, and Steve Capus. With their approval, elements at NBC News spew out far left propaganda on a daily basis and direct vicious personal attacks at persons with whom they disagree. There's no sense in confronting the NBC News people about the situation, they're in too deep. But NBC's parent company, General Electric, makes billions of dollars off government contracts, including military work. CEO Jeffrey Immelt is aware of the Arkin problem and the tone of NBC News in general. It is Immelt who is responsible for this debacle because he has the power to change it. Fair minded Americans can dissent from the war, we know that. But the military has performed heroically in brutal environments. For any American to accuse them of being paid agents of oppression is disgraceful and far over the line of rational thought. NBC News and General Electric and the Washington Post will be forever tainted by this situation. Like William Arkin, they can run but they can't hide. Enough is enough! All Americans should condemn this."

News Link: NBC Military Analyst slanders troops

News Link: Arkin digs a deeper hole

FNC analysts Michelle Malkin and Kirsten Powers joined The Factor to continue the discussion of William Arkin and NBC News. "Anyone who gives this man a platform," Malkin declared, "ought to be very clear about what he is. He's an intellectual coward, a thug and a radical left wing loon who worked for organizations like Greenpeace and Human Rights Watch. He's done us a favor by showing us how unhinged these mainstream journalists are." Powers was shocked that Arkin's piece appeared under the banner of the Washington Post. "This was the type of thing you would expect to read on a far left blog. It has all the hallmarks of a basic far left argument - that the troops are pawns and stupid and only support the war because they have to. It was very condescending, and the 'mercenary' accusation was over the top." The Factor accused NBC of willful deception. "NBC News portrayed Arkin as an objective military analyst, which is fraud. He is a military hater and a despicable human being. Now we've uncovered the fraud. NBC is selling out their country for ratings points."

Guest: Col. Ann White (Ret.)

Lieutenant Ehren Watada, the first officer to refuse to fight in Iraq, is being court-martialed in Washington State. The Factor welcomed retired Army Col. Ann Wright, who defended Watada's position. "In the military you are not required to follow orders if you feel they are unlawful or illegal. There are international law experts who say this is an illegal war of aggression, and in my opinion we were invading and occupying a country that had done nothing to us." The Factor countered that Watada has no legitimate defense. "The military is not a democracy - when you're ordered somewhere, you go. Lieutenant Watada violated an order and he is going to be convicted. If he's a man of principle, he should take his punishment."

News Link: Iraq objector court-martialed

Guest: Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Temple University

President Bush described Senator Barack Obama as "articulate," not knowing that some blacks consider that a demeaning term. Professor Marc Lamont Hill explained why. "When 'articulate' is used by white people," Hill told The Factor, "it's often accompanied by a sense of bewilderment, as if they're surprised that you can speak that well. It's not just Barack Obama - every day black people who have achieved some level of education are called 'articulate.'" The Factor joked that whites are traversing a verbal minefield. "You have to feel sorry for us white folks, we can't say anything. White Americans are terrified - now we can't even say you're articulate? I thought President Bush's comment was perfectly in context."

News Link: Bush calls Obama "articulate"

News Link: Sen. Biden calls Obama "articulate" and "clean"

Guest: Congressman Anthony Weiner

New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has almost single-handedly prevented that state from enacting tough minimum sentences for child abusers. When questioned by Factor producer Jesse Watters, Silver claimed New York has enacted "Jessica's Law," but failed to mention that it's relatively weak legislation. The Factor was joined by U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner, who has been working for children at the national level. "We have to remember," Weiner said, "how difficult it is for citizens to even learn if a predator is in their back yard. These are not typical criminals, the chance of recidivism is much higher than for other crimes We have to keep them away from our children, track them when we can, and have much tougher penalties." The Factor reminded Weiner, a liberal Democrat, that Speaker Silver is tarnishing liberalism and his party. "You did excellent work in defining how child predators are living near children in New York City. But other liberal politicians have blocked efforts to deal with the problem. Sheldon Silver is the biggest liberal in the state, and for years he has blocked mandatory minimum sentences for child rapists."

News Link: 1/3 of NY sex offenders live near schools

Guests: Greta Van Susteren

41-year old Michael Devlin, accused of abducting Shawn Hornbeck when he was just 11, faces 71 counts of forcible sodomy and other crimes against Hornbeck and another young man. Fox News host Greta Van Susteren predicted that Devlin will be in jail for life. "The prosecutor hopes that the defendant will want to enter to some plea agreement. And with 71 charges, a plea agreement would be life in prison, which would be the best thing - it would not put the two young men through a trial." The Factor declared that Devlin should never again taste freedom. "This guy should never get out. It's horrible to hear about this, that these poor boys were subjected to this."

News Link: Michael Devlin charged with forcible sodomy

Many of you sent e-mails about the school district that showed 3rd graders a film about gay families. Some excerpts:

David Cartledge, Greenville, SC: "Bill, I completely agree with you that 8 is too young to see films like this one. As a gay man myself, the film is age inappropriate and may require parents to deal with questions far beyond the child's comprehension."

Carrie Owen, Bloomington, IN: "Why not expose children to various family structures including gay and lesbian? I do not find eight-years-old too young. The sooner we expose our children to the diversity that has made our country great, the better."

Traci Jenkins, Fort Worth, TX: "Bill, you said you're okay with older children seeing the film because it could cut down on bullying. I disagree. I find homosexuality morally wrong and believe a positive portrayal of it is damaging to children."

Nathan Barclay, Huntsville, AL: "When public schools disrespect the rights of parents who believe homosexuality is sinful, they promote intolerance in the opposite direction."