"As you know, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are the two most powerful Democrats in the country after President Obama. But on Tuesday, speaking after their meeting with the president about Afghanistan, Mrs. Pelosi looked extremely uncomfortable. There's no question the Democratic Congress is having big problems - according to a new Gallup Poll, just 21% of Americans believe Congress is doing a good job. I believe many independent Americans see weak leadership coming from the president and Congress. Health care is a mess, Afghanistan is unsettled, unemployment is about 10%, and it seems the Democratic leadership has few solutions. Speaker Pelosi apparently opposes sending more troops to Afghanistan, even though failure in Afghanistan would mean a huge blow to American prestige and would be a big victory for the terrorists. Democrats have had eight-and-a-half months to improve the nation. So far, they haven't."

The Factor invited former Bush advisor Karl Rove to analyze the Democrats' mounting problems. "Democrats have lost support among seniors, independents and the college-educated," Rove stated. "I wouldn't go so far as to say they'll lose control of Congress, but they could suffer serious losses, especially in the House." Rove reserved his harshest criticism for Senator Reid. "He bloviates, he says things he thinks are helpful to his cause or helpful to the president, but they're not true. Yesterday he did that to Nancy Pelosi by suggesting that the House Democrats were supportive of Afghanistan, which they clearly aren't." The Factor argued that Democrats could actually lose their stranglehold on Congress: "If the unemployment rate doesn't come down and if Afghanistan doesn't improve, I think there will be a catastrophe for the Democrats."

President Obama has denied that health care reform will cover illegal aliens, but some legal experts disagree. The Factor was joined by FNC's Judge Andrew Napolitano, who theorized that illegals will be covered because of the Constitution's "equal protection" clause. "The last time the Supreme Court looked at this," Napolitano said, "is when Texas tried to prevent municipalities from educating the children of illegals. The Supreme Court said the government can't do that because the Constitution doesn't distinguish between 'legal' and 'illegal' when it comes to education or health care. The court will invalidate any provision that tries to punish people." Constitutional attorney Shannon Goessling agreed with Napolitano's analysis. "You have the President of the United States, a graduate of Harvard Law School, suggesting that he doesn't know the consequences of the public option. President Obama is playing politics and the public should be forewarned."

A high school dance team in Sacramento, California performed a sexually suggestive routine, prompting complaints from some parents. The Factor invited Culture Warriors Gretchen Carlson and Margaret Hoover to opine on the controversy. "There has been a complete blurring of the line," Hoover grumbled, "about what is age-appropriate in our culture. These moves were overtly sexual and they looked like they were on an MTV music video. Girls need to know that the most important thing about them is their character and their intelligence, not their sexuality." Carlson placed part of the blame on popular entertainment. "What the heck is the definition of 'racy' anymore? When I was in high school this certainly would have been over the line, but now kids see this stuff on TV every single night. Can you imagine the teenage boys in that audience? How the heck were they concentrating on algebra after that?"

Fox News political correspondent Carl Cameron entered the No Spin Zone to delineate and clarify the various health care bills in Congress. "The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office," Cameron reported, "put a price tag on one of the Senate bills and said it will cost $829 billion over ten years. That bill does not have the 'public option,' and there is another bill in the Senate that costs over $1 trillion. Those will be combined into one and there will be another cost analysis. In the House there are three bills, all with the public option, and all have been costed out at more than $1 trillion. If everything goes absolutely perfectly, a final bill could be voted on a week or two before Christmas, but we don't know what's going to be in it." The Factor contended that the public is confused and exhausted. "Don't you think Americans have had enough and are saying, 'Why don't we just start again next year?' That's what I think."

The Factor asked Glenn Beck why he devoted his entire Thursday program to the H1N1 "swine flu" issue. "The World Health Organization says it's a pandemic," Beck explained, "and they say we haven't seen this kind of virus in a long time. The government is making a big deal out of it, but the flu is actually devolving and getting less virulent. It begs the question: Why are we having mandatory vaccinations for health workers? There are great arguments for and against it." Beck refused to reveal whether or not he'll be vaccinated, saying "it's important for everyone to make their own decision." The Factor, however, informed Beck that "I'm taking the swine flu vaccine and I'm not touching you or shaking your hand until you take it."

France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand, who recently defended Roman Polanski, admitted in a 2005 book that he paid young boys for sex in Thailand. The Factor's Reality Check: "He says they were not underage, but c'mon, that's what Bangkok is famous for. France should remove that guy, he's an embarrassment." Also, basketball great Michael Jordan was fined for smoking a cigar during a round of golf in San Francisco. The Factor's Check: "Let me get this straight: If you come to this country illegally and commit a crime in San Francisco, the city will protect you. But if you smoke in public there, you have to pay a hundred bucks."

Thursday's Patriot: The unidentified individual who cleaned up after Bo when the First Dog had an "accident" on Air Force One. And the Pinhead: Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin's child, who will take it all off for an online magazine.

Ron Yeager, Mesa, AZ: "Bill, why do you handle Code Pink with kid gloves? They are out of touch with reality."

Ken Warner, Phoenix, AZ: "Good job calling out Medea Benjamin, Bill. She has no idea how to wage a war."

Isaac Lopez, Miami, FL: "Bill, I saw how you defended Hannity and Beck when Miller made fun of them. Good job. You just inspired me to buy 'Bold Fresh!'"

Joye Burns, Guntersville, AL: "Tom DeLay was charming on 'Dancing With The Stars.' You and Miller are just jealous, O'Reilly."