"President Bush has ordered a number of captured terrorists transferred from CIA custody to the Defense Department, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the master planner of 9/11. In addition, the administration has clarified what can not be done during interrogations of suspected terrorists - no physical pain, no dogs present, no hoods, no dunking in water. Only psychological tactics can now be used by the military. This is a good news, bad news situation. Shortly after 9-11, Talking Points called for a definite set of rules about interrogation. However, the President may now be a little too lenient. Sources tell us that the foiled terror plot in London was partially derailed by Pakistani interrogators who learned the names of the plotters from a captured Al Qaeda big shot. Believe me, Pakistani interrogators are not abiding by President Bush's new guidelines. But there's no question the USA is under pressure to treat terror prisoners gingerly. The ACLU and others have succeeded in demonizing America, and those American thugs at Abu Ghraib gave the far left all the ammunition it needed. The key question is whether the new guidelines will help us. Soft interrogation is not going to make us safer, but the hope is that the world will see the USA bending over backwards, even while dealing with the most vicious killers on the planet. I'm not counting on it."

Fox News Video: FoxNews.com

Guest: Author Juan Hernandez

The Los Angeles Times opposes a wall at the border, doesn't want deportation for illegals, and even opposes the term "illegal alien." Now the paper has editorialized that people who want strict border controls "demagogue" the issue. The Times refused to send a representative from its editorial board, but author Juan Hernandez tried to explain the paper's viewpoint. First, The Factor asked a direct question: "If I don't want people from other countries coming here illegally, why am I a demagogue?" Hernandez sidestepped the question numerous times, but laid out the arguments for mass immigration. "We need 400,000 new immigrants a year. Let us come in legally. What we want is a protected border. We don't want terrorists coming into this country, but Mexico is not the problem."

Guest: John Mattes, Fox 6 San Diego

San Diego television reporter John Mattes was brutally attacked by a suspected con man and his wife. While Mattes was conducting an on-camera interview, alleged scammer Sam Suleiman began punching the reporter in the face and head. Still reeling from his visible injuries, Mattes told The Factor about the story he is investigating. "This is a massive real estate scam where people were buying homes under fictitious names, renting them out, and not paying the mortgage. According to our information, Mr. Suleiman was using fictitious names to buy homes illegally, then taking all the money out of those homes." Mattes added that the con involved not only financial machinations, but threats of bodily harm. "Every person we've interviewed for this series has felt threatened. One man said they threatened to break his legs and rape his wife. But Suleiman and his wife are out on bail, out on the streets of San Diego."

Guest: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney

Harvard University has invited former Iran President Mohammed Khatami to speak at the school this weekend. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney explained why he is refusing to provide protection for Khatami. "On the 5th anniversary of an extraordinary tragedy in America, you don't welcome a person who has preached the destruction of Israel, who developed nuclear technology, who has praised Hezbollah. He has been an advocate of terror and radical Islam. It's adding insult to injury to do it on September 10th and expecting my taxpayers to help fund his appearance." While agreeing that Khatami is a villain, The Factor expressed a desire to interrogate the Iranian. "This is obviously an anti-American and anti-Jewish guy. But if I could get Khatami on this program, I would like to grill him in a very pointed way."

Guest: David Zolman, Principle Voices

Some polygamous Utah sects are demanding that their "plural" marriages recognized by the state, and former state representative David Zolman explained why he wants the ban on polygamy lifted. "The ancestors of these people have been in Utah for 200 years. These are Americans who have had plural families for many generations and have had success raising their children. They value their children and they value education. I support what consenting adults do, as long as children are not harmed." The Factor vehemently disagreed. "When you say this isn't out of the norm, you're crazy. Polygamy is against the law, and there's a reason - polygamy is for young girls to marry older men and the state to pick up the tab because they can't support the 20 or 30 children. You are never going to legalize plural marriages."

Guest: John Walsh, "America's Most Wanted"

As "America's Most Wanted" begins its 20th year on television, host John Walsh provided his take some recent developments. First, he praised The Factor for exposing retiring Vermont Judge Edward Cashman. "Many people are frustrated by judges who are appointed for life or judges like this who are not regulated or monitored. I commend you for shining the spotlight on this judge." Walsh also hailed legislation named for his son Adam, who was abducted 25 years ago. "There will now be sex offender registries in every state, even in liberal states that don't want a sex offender registry. There is mandatory collection of DNA from sex offenders and 500 new marshals on the street."

Guest: Bernard Goldberg

Finally, author and long-time CBS correspondent Bernard Goldberg analyzed Katie Couric's debut on the CBS Evening News "This is not a slam," Goldberg said, "but the show was too feminine and soft for my taste. But I'm not the audience they're aiming at - if she gets the women who watched her on the Today show, she'll be a big success. If she does not, it's a $15 million a year mistake." Goldberg also questioned whether network news even matters. "I don't think most Americans care. The evening news was once a big deal, but it is not any more. The Factor agreed that evening news shows are pass�. "By 6:30 in the evening everyone already knows what the news is. The news audience has been dropping like the numbers of people who go to church on a weekly basis."

Many of you sent emails about the death of animal trainer Steve Irwin. Some excerpts:

Adam Schmitt, Birmingham, AL: "Excellent story on Steve Irwin. Truth is, no lesson can be learned from his death. It is analogous to being struck by lightning."

Doug LeGrady, Tigard, OR: "Jim Fowler is full of it. I've worked with bees all my life and know that nature is unpredictable: Cross the line and evolution will dissect you."

Fred Tippens, New York, NY: "Steve protected animals with great zeal. He was a no spin guy."

Other viewers wrote about the impending retirement of notorious Vermont Judge Edward Cashman.

Ray Nathan, Sylvester, GA: "Hey, Bill, I made a bet with my friend that you would take credit for Cashman quitting and toot your own horn. I won."

Gene Leimer, Bridgeport, NY: "Bill, as a retired detective who saw first-hand that some judges gave inappropriate sentences to child molesters, thanks for expediting Judge Cashman's early demise."