Guests: Carl Cameron & James Rosen
"In 2009 President Obama made a series of speeches, sending a signal that America is really no better than any other nation. Some Americans applauded that position, but here are the unintended consequences: The president has not acted as a dominant world leader, he has not taken on the authority that Ronald Reagan did. The sad truth is that Vladimir Putin is considered by many to be a stronger leader than Barack Obama, and that has led to all kinds of problems. That idiot Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan is now insulting America in outrageous ways, Iran is jacking us around, Assad continues to kill civilians in Syria, and now in Ukraine there's a civil war brewing. The president says there will be 'consequences' for oppressive actions in Ukraine, but does anybody take that threat seriously? The president has lost moral authority and clearly doesn't want conflict. Remember that his base, the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, opposes almost all strong action against overseas villains. That means petty tyrants can give us the proverbial finger, and they are. It is certainly true that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have harmed this nation, but that doesn't mean we can't have a smarter strategy and lead the world to better places. It's safe to say that Ronald Reagan would have handled the situation in Ukraine differently, and President Obama might want to think upon that."

The Factor asked FNC's James Rosen for the latest on the Ukraine chaos and America's response. "This has been simmering since November," Rosen reported, "when the Ukrainian president announced he was suspending a deal with the EU in favor of closer ties with Russia. There were protests then and things have escalated dramatically in the past week. President Obama called on the government to show restraint and said there would be consequences if people stepped over the line, but today police mowed down 70 people in Kiev. Putin and people around the world are looking to see the caliber of leadership demonstrated by the United States, but there is no indication that President Obama wants to get engaged with this kind of freedom struggle. He has an innate repulsion to the projection of American force abroad."

Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron turned to Iran and the deal that supposedly restricts that country's nuclear ambitions. "There is an agreement to come up with a plan to have the Iranians to do away with their nuclear weapons programs," he said, "and there has been a lot of talk about new sanctions against Iran. Today the UN's nuclear watchdog said that Iran is meeting its commitments and that the Iranian nuclear stockpile has declined. But there is supposed to be a permanent arrangement to prove that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb, and now the Iranians are saying they want some types of inspections off the table and that the deadline will have to be pushed back. Iran is dragging its feet about the scope of the inspections."

Guests: Bill Chair & Walter Manzke
An upscale Los Angeles restaurant is adding a 3% fee to every bill to pay for employee health care. The Factor spoke with the restaurant's owners. "This is a way of taking a portion of the gratuity and dispersing it to the kitchen," Walter Manzke explained, "but you should tip as much as you always do." Co-owner Bill Chait added that the Affordable Care Act is not the reason for the surcharge. "This has nothing to do with ObamaCare. We could have called this 'kitchen appreciation,' and maybe in the next restaurant we will do that."

Guest: James Carville
The Factor asked Democratic strategist James Carville about the Obama administration's response to various global hot spots. "It has been announced that Iran has agreed on a framework to resume talks," Carville said, "so these sanctions seem to be working and things are moving in the right direction." Turning to the violence in Ukraine, Carville also endorsed President Obama's approach. "The truth of the matter is that President Yanukovich was actually elected and it's a Democratic country. I think he's a bad guy, but he's been elected and I am not in favor of any U.S. hard power."

Guest: Leslie Marshall
FNC contributor Leslie Marshall entered the No Spin Zone to field email submitted by some angry viewers. One of them, Floridian Helen Louise, accused The Factor of being disrespectful toward Vladimir Putin. "I agree with you," Marshall declared. "This guy is a bully who imprisons people who speak their mind and supports countries that are enemies of the United States. He's also not in favor of equal rights for gays." Other viewers are peeved because The Factor has characterized President Obama as a "patriot." "The definition of a 'patriot' is a person who loves, supports, and defends his country," Marshall reported, "and whether or not you like President Obama, I believe his sincere intent is to improve the nation." The Factor again opined that President Obama is not intentionally harming America: "The far right thinks he is subverting the nation and the Constitution on purpose. I respect that point of view, but it's not based on fact, it's based on opinion."

Guest: Megyn Kelly
Police in New York State want to give drug tests to teachers at an elementary school where heroin was found in the faculty bathroom, but their union is advising the teachers to refuse being tested. Fox News host and lawyer Megyn Kelly elaborated on the disturbing story. "This is outrageous and something needs to be done," she pronounced. "This school goes from preschool through 6th grade, and someone is shooting up heroin! The union seems much more interested in protecting the teachers than in protecting the safety and lives of the little ones. All eight of the teachers who had been seen going into the bathroom initially agreed to a urine test, but then the union got involved. It's disgusting!" The Factor concluded, "The union is supposed to look out for the kids as well as the teachers, they should advise the teachers to take the drug test."

Guest: Adam Carolla
Police in New York State want to give drug tests to teachers at an elementary school where heroin was found in the faculty bathroom, but their union is advising the teachers to refuse being tested. Fox News host and lawyer Megyn Kelly elaborated on the disturbing story. "This is outrageous and something needs to be done," she pronounced. "This school goes from preschool through 6th grade, and someone is shooting up heroin! The union seems much more interested in protecting the teachers than in protecting the safety and lives of the little ones. All eight of the teachers who had been seen going into the bathroom initially agreed to a urine test, but then the union got involved. It's disgusting!" The Factor concluded, "The union is supposed to look out for the kids as well as the teachers, they should advise the teachers to take the drug test."

When it comes to sleazy and dishonest reporting, the website Salon.com is right up there at the top of the dubious list.

Joyce Roberts, Lake San Marcos, CA: "Hey Bill, cheap shot to President Obama. He is taking advantage of playing golf in our wonderful state, and if he didn't play, the economy would be worse. You should salute him."

David Earle, Longmeadow, MA: "Talking Points got it right. We essentially live in a big terrarium, and we should all keep it clean."

Dr. Samuel Spoto, Matthews, NC: "75% of today's kids have no clue what's going on because they are texting, playing video games, or watching trash TV."