"On Friday we reported that 51-year old Charles Rust-Tierney, an attorney and former head of the ACLU in Virginia, was arrested and charged with possessing child pornography. Agents found videos in his home of little girls being violently raped by adults. The two biggest left-wing news outfits in the country, the New York Times and NBC News, ignored the story entirely. These news agencies are no longer objective - they exist to push secular progressive agendas and disparage traditional points of view. Journalism in this country is at a low point, and it comes right before one of the most important presidential elections in history. We in the press have been granted special privileges by the Constitution; those privileges are now being abused by corrupt editors and TV executives. If NBC News and the New York Times can explain why they didn't cover the ACLU debacle, I'd like to hear it. If not, all Americans should turn away from them."

News Link: Former ACLU head charged w/possession of child porn

Guest: Rev. Al Sharpton

Al Sharpton has received some startling information - according to genealogists, his ancestors were once slaves owned by the family of the late Senator Strom Thurmond, an ardent segregationist. "It was just a stunning thing to me," Sharpton told The Factor. "When you get the actual details of your family background, it means a lot. The media is responding to the fact that it was this arch-segregationist family, but I would have had the same reaction no matter who it was. What's important for me is to know that my great-grandfather was a slave, treated as property and not a human being." The Factor empathized with Sharpton's astonishment. "The shock to you is that you now have proof that your family was brutalized by the system, brought here and treated as a commodity."

News Link: Al Sharpton's ancestors owned by Sen. Strom Thurmond's family

News Link: Sharpton may get DNA test soon

Guest: Fox News analyst Gen. Wesley Clark

There is mounting evidence that Iran is supplying weapons to terrorists in Iraq, and is also developing nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, former Democratic presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark is taking a tough stand against any U.S. military intervention. Clark, now a Fox News analyst, laid out his plan for dealing with Iran via diplomacy. "The idea is to stop them from getting nuclear weapons, and we have to talk directly to the Iranians and lay it on the line. We're the big dog on the block, and we've got the pistol at their head. If we don't want to be forced to use a military option against Iran, then we should take the initiative in this dialogue right now." The Factor questioned why the onus should be on the United States. "These guys are defying the world. Why can't the United Nations do something? Because they're impotent. If everybody put sanctions on Iran, they would have to stop. "

News Link: More evidence of Iran-made explosives in Iraq

News Link: U.N. Security Council may slap new sanctions on Iran

Related: Gen. Clark's StopIranWar.com

Guest: Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly

The Supreme Court has decided to let stand a lower court ruling that allows New York schools to ban the nativity scene, even while displaying the Jewish menorah and the Muslim crescent and star. Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly analyzed the court's decision. "The reasoning was that just because the school district allows a Muslim religious symbol and a Jewish religious symbol, does not mean they have to do the same for Christians. This was not entirely surprising because the Supreme Court is all over the map in this area." The Factor was baffled by the case. "This is such a blatantly discriminatory policy, and now we have a legal discriminatory policy in the New York public schools."

News Link: SCOTUS punts on NYC nativity case

News Link: SCOTUS tackles high-speed police pursuits

Guest: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

In his new book, New York Senator Chuck Schumer lays out a strategy for his Democratic Party. "The book is mainstream and moderate," Schumer explained, "and it's aimed at what the middle class really wants. Middle class people feel that neither Republicans nor Democrats talk to them - if we as Democrats talk to them, we'll be the majority for a long time." The Factor described most of Schumer's recommendations as conservative and common sense, with one exception. "I like your book, but you don't mention border security. And this is going to hurt the Democratic Party. The reason the Democratic Party won't take a strong stand on the border is because they don't want to alienate Hispanic voters."

Featured Book: Positively American: Winning Back the Middle-Class Majority One Family at a Time by Sen. Chuck Schumer

Guests: Fox News analysts Kirsten Powers & Michelle Malkin

As mentioned in the Talking Points Memo, some media outlets have ignored the story of Charles Rust-Tierney, the former Virginia ACLU head arrested for possessing child pornography. FNC analyst Michelle Malkin reiterated that a double standard exists in the mainstream media. "I don't think there's any question that if Rust-Tierney had been the head of the Virginia chapter of the Christian Coalition, this would have been on the front page of the Washington Post. The failure to cover the ACLU guy is a perfect example of the media ignoring stories because they don't bolster their own agenda." But Kirsten Powers argued that the story doesn't merit major coverage. "This guy is a former president of an ACLU chapter, not the current president. He's obviously very disturbed and deserves to be arrested, but this doesn't have any bearing on the ACLU. It is not national news when the former head of an office does something." The Factor passionately disputed Powers' take on the coverage. "This guy was deeply involved with trying to keep filters out of libraries. Doesn't it have a bearing that a guy working against Internet porn filters is a pedophile, if convicted? The ACLU is actively involved in lawsuits blocking filters and a pedophile's behind it. C'mon!"

Guest: Author Dr. Debra Mandel

There are now photos on the Internet showing 20-year old American Idol contestant Antonella Barba in various stages of undress, and actually having sex. The Factor opined that the Internet, while a fantastic tool, also has the power to ruin reputations and lives. "This can happen to anybody, and it is happening every day. I'm not sure if the message is getting through that this is an entirely different age, there is no privacy, and you can be destroyed in the blink of an eye." Psychologist Debra Mandel advised people to remember that anything they do can wind up on the web. "You're right, Bill, this is very scary stuff. And this tends to happen to people who put themselves in positions that are more compromising. We have to do is be very thoughtful about the people we hang out with, where we go, and what we do with our bodies."

News Link: Explicit images of Idol contestant

News Link: 'Idol' Contestant Linked to Racy Web Photos

Featured Book: Healing the Sensitive Heart by Debra Mandel

Your weekend e-mails dealt with a variety of recent segments. Some excerpts:

Bob Farkas, Morristown, NJ: "O'Reilly, the former president of the ACLU in Virginia is found with child porn and you're surprised?"

Judith Gregory, NJ: "The ACLU defends NAMBLA so why is anyone surprised? I pray there will be an investigation of that organization."

Frank Klobucar, Fort Gordon, GA: "Mr. O'Reilly, I'll not watch the Factor again. You said the Iraqis aren't doing enough. The police and military in Iraq come under fire on an hourly basis."

David Bella, Morrison, CO: "I think the reason the Iraqis won't stop terrorism is that they don't trust us."

Dave Shoopman, Fremont, CA: "Where is the french-kissing Madonna now that Britney Spears is falling apart? I pray for her recover."