Guest: Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune

"Sometimes I scare myself, in a good way. I told you Tuesday that the anti-war press would remain silent for one day after the brutal murders of Privates Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker, and then start banging the drum again. The usual suspects - the Boston Globe, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the San Francisco Chronicle - are all ready to exit Iraq. But other papers like the Arizona Republic, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Wall Street Journal feel as I do, that the Bush administration must fight these savage terrorists harder. And, of course, I am the topic of discussion because I want a tougher approach in Iraq. Don Wycliff wrote this in the Chicago Tribune: 'If intellectual dishonesty could be said to have a face, I saw it Tuesday evening as I watched Bill O'Reilly's program on Fox News ... We've got to get tougher and more aggressive, he opined ... And the Iraqi government ought to declare martial law in some parts of Iraq ... Bill, that is so-o-o-o Saddam of you ... but if you put the blame where it really belongs, you have to say bad things about some people for whom you have been a cheerleader ... It's OK, Bill. Nobody who cares about the truth takes you seriously, anyway.' We asked Don Wycliff, who teaches media criticism at Notre Dame, to appear this evening. He agreed, but then cancelled one hour before air time. So much for the 'Fighting Irish.' Wycliff is one of the 'Hiding Irish.' If you're going to launch personal attacks, sir, at least have the courage to back them up. Cowardice is not becoming."

Fox News Video: FoxNews.com

The Factor was joined by syndicated columnist Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune, who defended Don Wycliff and the op-ed. "Follow the logic, Bill. You praised the way Saddam Hussein ran the government and said we ought to have martial law. The fact is you can't have martial law if you have an inadequate police force and an inadequate army, and that's what Don Wycliff is talking about. It's very well known that you have been defending the administration's side in this war." The Factor ardently disputed the assertions of Wycliff and Page. "I never praised Saddam Hussein, that is a lie and a distortion. I said he ran the government in a totalitarian way and didn't have an insurgency because he ran it that way. If you are going to say the blame for the brutal mutilation and murders lies with the American government, I believe that is grossly irresponsible. Wycliff blames the American government. He's a coward and he can only take cheap shots at me. The difference between me and this guy Wycliff is that I want America to win, and I don't believe there is an equivalency between the United States military and the terrorists."

Guest: Author Phil Kent

In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week, political cartoonist Mike Luckovich depicted US interrogators as masked torturers. Author and journalist Phil Kent called it a new low for the Atlanta daily. "This cartoon is the lowest of the low and the whole town is talking about it. This is the biggest disconnect I've ever seen between a newspaper and the people it's supposed to serve. They're very anti-business, anti-free enterprise, and I would not be surprised if another newspaper springs up in Atlanta." The Factor added that editorial page editor Cynthia Tucker and the paper are simply out of touch. "This paper is not balanced at all. Its circulation is plummeting and it has staked out radical left territory. It does not reflect the values of Georgia or Atlanta."

Guests: Attorney Joseph Casas

Seven Marines and one sailor have been charged with killing an unarmed Iraqi civilian. The Factor laid out the allegations against the men. "The military says a civilian was dragged out of his house and shot, which is why they charged the eight service people with murder." Attorney Joseph Casas, who represents Private First Class John Jodka, said the military's case is flawed. "My client adamantly denies the charges. On that particular night he was participating in an ambush patrol, much like they do any other night in Iraq. My client was interrogated for 7 and a half hours without bathroom breaks or food breaks, and was told that if he didn't sign a statement he would be facing the death penalty."

Guest: Sportswriter Laurence Holmes

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called sports columnist Jay Mariotti a "piece of _ _ _ _ " and a "fag." Chicago sports reporter Laurence Holmes explained that the enmity between Mariotti and the Sox is long-standing. "This goes back at least a decade. Jay Mariotti had a run-in with some players and with the White Sox owner, and he calls Guillen the 'Blizzard of Oz.' Guillen explained the gay slur as saying he was trying to talk about Mariotti's lack of courage." The Factor asserted that Ozzie Guillen's anti-gay language landed him in foul territory. "I understand Guillen's frustration, but to use a gay slur is terrible. It puts Guillen in the position of losing all credibility. It's foolish, and Guillen should know better."

Guest: Geraldo Rivera

Geraldo Rivera provided his thoughts on the savage murder of two US soldiers in Iraq, and the call by some politicians and newspapers for a withdrawal. "The only way we can find an honorable exit from Iraq," Rivera pronounced, "is to stay the course. For a smart man like John Kerry to suggest a date certain for withdrawal only aids and abets the enemy, and the Democrats are in their own self-destructive behavior once again. I'm telling the American people right now that Bush is right." Rivera also advised The Factor to ignore attacks by newspaper opinion writers. "You are bigger than them, and why should you give a damn? I don't even know anyone who reads editorials, and all these papers are losing circulation on a daily basis."

Guest: Actor Robert Duvall

75-year old actor Robert Duvall is back in the saddle, starring in a 4-hour made-for-TV movie called "Broken Trail." Duvall revealed to The Factor which of his movies are his personal favorites. "I was fortunate enough to be in some of the biggest hits, 'Godfather I and II' and 'Lonesome Dove.' 'The Godfather' was more brilliantly directed by Coppola and it was great story telling. Halfway through the first one, we knew were in something special." Duvall also put forth an explanation why so many in Hollywood lean to the left politically. "When people go extreme left, it kind of assuages the guilt of having money and more privileges than the underdog."

Many of you wrote about the proposed boycott of BP gas by Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Some excerpts:

Mel Flint, Yucca Valley, CA: "Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are just trying to shake down another company."

Danny Miller, Quincy, FL: "Bill, I am a southern conservative. But I'm behind Sharpton and Jackson. Let's kick some sense into the greedy oil companies."

Robert Coleman, Longwood, FL: "Higher gas prices eliminate unnecessary driving, conserve oil, and decrease pollution. You are wrong about the oil companies, Bill."

Steven Rosenbaum, West Palm Beach, FL: "O'Reilly agreeing with Sharpton and Jackson signals the coming of the Apocalypse. What say you, Bill?"