"Ted Kennedy tried to get the convention off to a quick start Monday night by courageously taking the stage. As you may know, the senator has brain cancer and has been undergoing painful treatments. Sources tell The Factor that he barely made it to Denver. We have learned that upon landing here, Kennedy went directly to a hospital, where he was treated. But Kennedy did make it and his appearance was obviously a huge morale booster for the Democratic Party. Then came Michelle Obama, whose mandate was to come across as a regular American after millions of Americans were offended by her 'proud of her country' remark. Also, there is a suspicion that the Obamas are not regular folks, and that suspicion has hurt the campaign. While some pundits say Mrs. Obama did not advance the campaign Monday night, Talking Points disagrees. All she had to do was be nice, and she was. I thought the speech was a plus for Barack Obama, even though his poll numbers continue to fall. It all hinges on Senator Obama himself in two days."

The Factor was joined by FNC's Karl Rove, who analyzed the Democratic gathering's first night. "I think you're right," Rove began, "about the high stakes for Obama Thursday night. What made him popular early on was that he was a 'different' politician - aspirational and positive and optimistic. But in the past couple of weeks he's been very negative, he has not been positive and aspirational. This race is not about McCain - it's about Obama and the doubts that people have about him." The Factor offered some unsolicited advice to the GOP: "If I'm John McCain, I announce my vice presidential selection Friday morning to take all the steam out of Obama's big stadium event on Thursday. He would dominate the news cycle."

Prior to Hillary Clinton's much-anticipated speech, The Factor welcomed two prominent Democrats into the No Spin Zone. New York Senator Chuck Schumer predicted that his fellow Dems will unite behind their nominee. "We have to get behind Barack Obama fully and completely because we have to change the direction of America. When people get to know Obama, they're going to vote for him. And if he can convince the average middle-class citizen that he knows what they go through and can help them, he will win the election." Clinton loyalist Lanny Davis expressed both disappointment and optimism. "I'm still of the opinion that Senator Clinton would have helped Senator Obama. So I was disappointed, but Senator Biden was a great choice and helps fill a gap on experience and foreign affairs."

While Democrats were convening in Denver Monday night, John McCain went on Jay Leno and defended the wealth amassed by his wife Cindy and her family. Radio host Laura Ingraham joined The Factor and criticized McCain's defensive posture. "Why are these guys trying to be just like 'the folks?', Ingraham asked. "FDR, Teddy Roosevelt and JFK weren't like the folks. They got up every day and tried to grow the economy and keep us safe. That's what counts here, and I think McCain missed an opportunity. He should have said my wife's family has done very well and my economic plan is to grow this economy so we have more wealthy people. Don't apologize for your wealth." The Factor reminded Laura that today's round-the-clock media have changed the political calculus. "People have a much closer view of these candidates. Kennedy and FDR and Teddy Roosevelt could hide all the things they didn't want you to see. You didn't know about them or see them."

The Factor devoted an entire segment to glaring examples of media bias, beginning with NBC News' Tom Brokaw: "Brokaw gave his viewers a poll showing Obama is leading in Colorado. But one problem - that poll was taken two weeks ago and Mr. Brokaw ignored a more recent poll showing McCain leading in Colorado. There is no doubt that NBC News continues to be in the tank for Barack Obama." The Factor also showed clips of MSNBC's Joe Scarborough mocking his pro-Obama colleague David Shuster, who claimed to be "independent," and CNN's Lou Dobbs, who denounced the media for supporting Obama "while claiming the mantle of objectivity." Finally, The Factor expressed scorn for Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "She is here campaigning for the Democrats. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution should be ashamed for employing a woman like that."

Dennis Miller began his observations with Michelle Obama's Monday night speech. "I thought she did okay," Miller said, "but I don't take her at face value. I remember the last time I did, when she said it's 'the first time I'm proud of my country,' they chided me not to take her at face value, so I don't." Miller also opined on prospective VP Joe Biden. "He seems like a nice enough guy, but he was first a senator when Nixon was still the president. What I like about Joe Biden is that he would have walked out of Reverend Wright's church; the bad thing is that he always assumes the rest of the world is the room in front of him, he's too eager to please the people right in front of him."

Two months ago illegal immigrant Edwin Ramos reportedly shot and killed Tony Bologna and his two sons in San Francisco. Bologna's wife is suing the city for its "sanctuary city" policy promoted by Mayor Gavin Newsom, and FNC legal experts Megyn Kelly and Lis Wiehl weighed the merits of the case. "They are trying to change precedent here," Kelly said. "It's a wrongful death suit against San Francisco, alleging that their sanctuary city policy directly resulted in these deaths, which it clearly did. But I don't think the suit is going anywhere because the city has absolute immunity from lawsuits." But Wiehl argued that Mrs. Bologna may win her case. "I want to see this in front of a jury, which will want to send a message about the craziness and chaos of the sanctuary city policy. This guy had two violent convictions and a criminal history and this was foreseeable. San Francisco didn't do anything about it and the result was three deaths."

Tuesday's Patriot: Actor Ben Affleck, who is raising money for paralyzed veterans. And the Pinhead: Director Spike Lee, who rebuffed FNC's Jesse Watters by saying "I don't do Fox." Nominate a Pinhead or a Patriot by sending an email to pnp@billoreilly.com.