"We have been closely watching this oil chaos, and it is becoming clear that high oil prices will be the most important issue in the upcoming presidential campaign. Our enemies now realize they can wreck the U.S. economy by creating hysteria in the oil market. Simply put, if the escalation of oil prices continues, the world will go into a steep recession, perhaps a depression. Congress must act, and fast. There are two solutions that are possible within a few years - flex-fuel vehicles and fast-tracking nuclear power plants. Flex-fuel vehicles use a combination of alcohol based fuels combined with gasoline. Congress must mandate that American auto companies begin mass-producing flex-fuel vehicles. Also, we must begin drilling in ANWAR and other places. We can't drill our way out of the mess, but we can better protect ourselves. A combination of flex-fuel, nuclear, and increased domestic production could save this country in ten years. If we do not do this, every one of us will suffer."

The Factor welcomed Fox Business Network correspondent Sandra Smith, who predicted that $4 a gallon gas will change driving habits. "In the short term," Smith said, "higher prices mean people have to change their demand. And not only do we have to change our demand, but we have to demand change. Make the vehicles more fuel efficient." Financial journalist Jennifer Waters agreed that Americans are reacting to high prices. "There have been some very big behavior changes. Consumers are saying 'we don't want the SUV, we don't want the Hummer.' Americans are much more energy-savvy now." But The Factor argued that a decline in demand is not enough. "All this is good, but if we don't get away from OPEC and the oil-based economy, there's going to be a world war."

News Link: Oil prices spike

A group called Free Press held a conference this weekend at which angry attendees called Fox News "liars and distorters," and disparaged America as a "racist and sexist and xenophobic society." Political analyst Mary Katherine Ham described the conference as a gathering of radicals. "This conference was specifically about taking power within the media," Ham reported. "This is a group of people living in an alternative universe, claiming that conservatives have too much control in the media. They eventually want the government to shut down conservative messages." FNC's Juan Williams added that anti-Americanism was very much in evidence. "They have such fury that anybody who has anything good to say about America is considered a dupe. They believe they are matching the bitterness coming from the far right, and they're making it difficult to have a civil, logical discussion." The Factor concluded that "the hatred level at that conference was just off-the-charts."

News Link: Far left media descend on Minneapolis

Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina, thousands of New Orleans residents remain homeless. The Factor posed this question to homeless advocate Mary Brosnahan: "If someone is an alcoholic or a drug addict, do you give these people houses and other entitlements, or do you leave them under the bridge?" "What we've learned," Brosnahan responded, "is that it's actually cheaper to put people directly into housing and then work on these underlying issues. It's called a 'housing first' approach, and it is effective in getting people to stop taking drugs and start taking their medication." The Factor praised Brosnahan, but pointed out the downside in her approach. "Americans work hard, and you're taking their money and giving it to people who are irresponsible, who want to put a needle in their arm. I'd force them into rehabilitation, and if they did cooperate they'd get the house."

News Link: NYT pushes for millions in Katrina homeless housing

The Factor asked Tonya Reiman to scrutinize Hillary Clinton's speech in which she forcefully endorsed Barack Obama. "With her open arms," Reiman said, "she was saying 'come with me' as I go to Obama. And she consistently used her right hand, which means it was really coming from her heart. This was a sincere call for unity." Reiman then watched Obama talking about the possibility of adding Hillary Clinton to the ticket. "I see a lot of oscillating head movements, which indicates his uncertainty about what's going to happen over the next few months." Finally, Reiman viewed a confrontation between Fox News producer Porter Berry and PBS anchor Bill Moyers, who patted Berry's face. "The one who touches is normally seen as the more dominant of the two. It's a patronizing gesture, and almost a paternal thing."

After 78-year-old Angel Torres was struck by a car in Hartford, Connecticut, passersby left him lying in the street without lending a hand. The Factor asked theology professor Sally Vance-Trembath about the episode. "We have a problem," Vance-Trembath asserted, "in that we have disconnected religious practice from the way we live our lives. God loves every human being, and every human being has dignity and demands our care." Catholic priest Edward Beck related this incident to the Biblical parable of the 'Good Samaritan.' "In that story from 2,000 years ago, most people walked by the guy in the ditch. And who stopped? The stranger, the person who was least expected. So maybe things haven't changed that much." The Factor lamented the decline of religion and morality. "Our secular society has reordered our priorities. To leave a guy in the street just speaks to the lack of humanity among the people in the area. I couldn't live with myself if I did that."

News Link: Video: Hartford hit-and-run caught on tape

Some Hillary Clinton supporters claim they'll vote for John McCain instead of Barack Obama, but The Factor provided this reality check: "McCain will pick up some votes from dissatisfied Democrats, but I believe the party will eventually rally to Obama in a big way unless more association problems come to light. Clinton and Obama didn't differ much on the issues." On another topic, directors Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood have been engaged in a war of words that began when Lee rebuked Eastwood for omitting black soldiers from his Iwo Jima movies. The Factor's reality check: "'Flags of Our Fathers' concentrated on the U.S. soldiers who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. One was Native America, the rest were white. Eastwood also directed a film called 'Bird' about musician Charlie Parker. He used mostly black actors in that movie, so Spike Lee's insinuation doesn't wash."

Monday's Patriot: First Lady Laura Bush, who suggested that Michelle Obama's statement about being proud of her country for the first time may have been "misconstrued." And the Pinhead: CNN's Larry King, who accused Fox News of making things up. The Factor reminded Larry that Hannity & Colmes "kick your butt every single night." Nominate a Pinhead or a Patriot by sending an email to pnp@billoreilly.com.

News Link: Laura Bush defends Michelle Obama

News Link: Video: Ratings-challenged Larry King bashes FOX

A sampling of your weekend e-mails:

Rita Nelson, Minnesota: "I don't want to see lesbians kissing at a baseball game. Certainly not in front of children."

Sandra Mendoza, Tiburon, CA: "Lady Astor once said that she didn't care what people did as long as it wasn't done in the streets to frighten the horses."

Ann Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand: "Love Dennis Miller's verbiage and even his frenetic flapdoodle!"

Rahul Deb, New Haven, CT: "Mr. O'Reilly, I don't like you but find myself watching the Factor every night."