"It took only hours for the far-left loons to begin politicizing the mass murder in Texas. Rather than blaming the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the media seems to believe Hasan's vile crimes were caused by public policy. The New York Times ran this headline: 'Told of War Horror, Gunman Feared Deployment.' The article said the attacker didn't want to go to Afghanistan, so he killed thirteen people. Does that make any sense to you? The Washington Post headline: 'Fort Hood has felt the strain of repeated deployments.' Newsweek magazine has a very extreme take on the story as well, asking whether the murder at Fort Hood 'only signals that the worst is yet to come.' Unbelievably stupid! Hasan has not served in any war; the guy killed people for absolutely no reason. We all know the far left has a problem with personal responsibility - it's always somebody else's fault. Talking Points believes media that use tragedy to ram home political points are despicable. Hasan was either a Muslim terrorist or a crazy person. That's it, those are the choices!"

The Factor asked Fox News analyst Bernie Goldberg to assess the coverage of the Fort Hood massacre. "There's a politically correct virus running through the bloodstream of America," Goldberg groused, "and it's killing American journalism. There's reason to believe that religion played more than a passing part in all of this, but what is the story line that much of the 'lamestream media' run with? They run with post traumatic stress syndrome because that gives them a chance to take a shot at a couple of wars they have never liked. I guarantee you that if a white male Christian had gone on a rampage and there was even a whiff that his religion played some role, that would be the lead." The Factor cited the coverage as exemplary of the media's decline. "Magazines like Time are failing, they're going out of business and they're committing suicide. People watch us because they know they're going to get an honest story - they're not going to get the spin that Hasan is some kind of victim."

Geraldo Rivera entered the No Spin Zone and compared Fort Hood killer Nidal Malik Hasan with Jason Rodriguez, who opened fire at his former workplace in Orlando. "What happened in Orlando and at Fort Hood," Rivera said, "are the same story. You have a paranoid, obsessed, frustrated, impotent loser who takes out his rage and inflicts terrible harm on innocent people. These are people who can't control themselves - they're self-involved and selfish and apocalyptic anarchists." The Factor lambasted media types who use "stress" as a rationale for Hasan's rampage: "It's so insulting to the military that the media is saying they're all crazy. This had nothing to do with post traumatic stress syndrome or anything like that."

The Factor was joined by Fox News analyst Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, who described the Fort Hood carnage as pure terrorism. "What happened at Fort Hood," Peters asserted, "was the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. It was committed by a Muslim fanatic who shouted 'Allah is great' and gunned down 44 unarmed innocent soldiers and civilians. And our president tells us not to 'rush to judgment.' What facts are we waiting for? This was an Islamist terrorist act, and I'm sorry if it's inconvenient for Washington to face the facts. Have the media covered the families that have been destroyed? No, it's all about poor Major Hasan and I am ready to puke." The Factor argued that Hasan's religion may not have been the single driving force: "While this guy was a rabid Muslim, there is the possibility that he was so troubled that he just snapped and the Muslim thing wasn't the primary motivator."

Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe, co-authors of a new book about Sarah Palin, revealed the depth of tension between Palin and John McCain during the presidential campaign. "We obtained e-mails," Conroy said, "that were exchanged between some of the senior staffers and Palin about her wanting to campaign in Michigan and them saying no. There was a lot of vitriol between the two sides." Walshe elaborated on Palin's frustration. "She really felt like she should follow her own instincts. She wanted to talk to the press, she knew that if she used her personal touch with the press corps that she would be able to win them over. But she was not allowed to." Conroy concluded that Palin may well run for the White House in 2012. "She's always been underestimated, so for people to write her off is a big mistake."

With Glenn Beck recovering from a bout of appendicitis, The Factor re-aired a few of Beck's greatest hits. Beck on health care reform: "This is the first step to getting rid of the private sector. This will cost us an extra trillion dollars of debt in the next nine years, and it will leave 39-million people without insurance." Beck on ACORN: "I don't think they're about registering voters, I think they're about the money. This is a money-making organization with a license to print money. There is money coming from the federal government, from states, and from lefty organizations. It's a scam!" And Beck on the proposed "cap-and-trade" legislation: "We have an oligarchy in our country, a takeover by business and special interests. They're running the government."

Fox News correspondents Bill Hemmer and Rick Leventhal, reporting from Fort Hood, provided the latest news on the slaughter there. "There was a graduation ceremony underway," Hemmer said, "so Hasan had about 500 people in a small area. He got up from his desk and opened fire. The shooting started on the inside, then spilled out to the outside where there were hundreds of people. Because the shooter was wearing Army fatigues, soldiers and police officers couldn't tell the difference between the victims on the ground and the shooter, who was also on the ground." Leventhal added that forensic experts are searching for possible motives. "Investigators have been at Hasan's apartment and they have seized a computer that he used quite often. We have heard stories that he was a vociferous opponent of the war and considered himself a Muslim first and an American second. There were people who were raising alarms for some time about his behavior and actions and words."

Friday's Patriots: The Muslim Public Affairs Council, which contacted The Factor to condemn Major Hasan and express their outrage at the Fort Hood atrocities. And the Pinhead: "Spiritual guide" Deepak Chopra, who sent Bill a note claiming he is the "more patriotic" of the two.

Christine Fayette, West Dover, VT: "My husband and I moved to Vermont 15 years ago and it was far different then. Now, we call the justice system 'catch and release' because punishment is so lenient, even for child predators. Keep up the great work, O'Reilly."

Anthony O'Rourke, Williston, VT: "Some of us here want to protect our children. We are disgusted by the lenient treatment for child molesters."

Gretchen Dolen, Wayne County, KY: "Bill, thanks for standing up for us. Kentuckians are traditional folks who cling to guns, religion and Christmas trees."

Jennifer Overbee, Hazard, KY: "I think our governor forgot that Christmas is to be honored. He may be a pinhead."