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Glenn Beck
For Insight into Immigration Debate, "Ask a Mexican"; What`s the Real Dirt on Bird Flu?; "American Idol" Paris Bennett Dishes on the Show
Aired May 09, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GLENN BECK, HOST: Today on the show we`re going to talk about a couple of things that might freak you out just a little bit. Illegal immigration and the bird flu. But you know, the good thing about bird flu, on the way over here today I was thinking, you know, that bird flu thing, it doesn`t scare me. I mean, I`m not like some whacked out germophobe or anything.
I`m also wearing my Tamiflu underpants, but more on bird flu here in a second.
First, a new poll is suggesting that American support for illegal aliens has fallen in recent weeks. No.
I have no idea if it has anything to do with last week`s boycott, or that truly awful Spanish version of "The Star-Spangled Banner". I mean, forget about where you stand on immigration, as a music fan, you should have been offended. That song sounded like Enrique Iglesias threw up on a mariachi band and then recorded it. I`m just saying.
But here`s some free advice for illegals. Asking for rights and demanding them are two different things. I`m sorry, I mean, but to a lot of us, it felt like you were doing the latter. I mean, you shot yourself in the foot.
See, America is kind of like a big pizza, or, in this case, a big quesadilla. If I order a quesadilla, I`ll gladly give you a piece. But don`t grab the whole thing and say it`s mine. I mean, it seems like America`s response to your whole "one continent, this country`s really ours" shtick? Not so much. You know?
The bottom line is, I`m pro-immigrant. I think everybody I know is pro-immigrant, but anti-illegal activity. We want you to come here. We want you to bring your culture here. Melt with ours. You make us stronger. Just don`t try to conquer our culture. I mean, I enjoy a tangy salsa. No, I do. But that doesn`t mean that I`m ready to abolish sour cream. You need both ingredients for the perfect quesadilla.
And you can`t spell "quesadilla," without "USA". I wish I was wearing a flag pin.
I think the illegal immigrant movement has really hurt itself with the protests. And here to remind me that illegal translates into "ilegal" in Spanish, is Gustavo Arellano. He is the writer of "OC Weekly", "Ask a Mexican."
Hello, Gustavo.
GUSTAVO ARELLANO, COLUMNIST: Hey, amigo. Glenn, how`s it going?
BECK: How are you? Very good, sir.
ARELLANO: Yes, pretty good.
BECK: It`s good -- where are you? You`re sitting there in the library with the fancy books behind you?
ARELLANO: These are all the books that I stole from the Mexican government on how to sneak into this country that they just put in a couple years ago.
BECK: Is that what it is? OK.
ARELLANO: Yes, I`ll sell you five for a dollar.
BECK: Do you have a Mexican/English dictionary in there? I mean, what part of illegal do Mexicans not understand?
ARELLANO: The legal part, as always. Illegal is a word in English, not in Spanish, and of course Mexicans don`t speak English. So how are we going to understand that?
BECK: Come on, no, seriously. I mean, what am I missing here?
ARELLANO: Well, again we have to remember that a lot of the illegal immigrants are all poor people, coming from impoverished nations, so they`re not going to care about coming into this country legally. What they want to do, of course they want to do it. That`s why they`re agitating to become legal immigrants or citizens, but when you`re starving, you`re not going to wait in line. You`re just going to cut in the front of the line.
BECK: So let me ask you this, which did more damage for the immigrant cause? Was it the Spanish version of the "Star-Spangled Banner" or the boycotts? I mean that.
ARELLANO: Oh, my God.
BECK: Come on.
ARELLANO: It is the most horrendous thing since Ricky Martin, you know, shook his bonbon with President Bush during the 2000 elections.
BECK: Much more offensive, and that was -- that`s saying something.
ARELLANO: I know. No. Well, it`s interesting with these rallies and boycotts. I think especially, I think what pissed a lot of Americans off was the boycott, assuming that someone pulling yourself out of the national economy is supposed to argue to everyone else that you are a member of that economy. That really doesn`t make any sense to me.
BECK: I mean, it just -- it just doesn`t -- it doesn`t feel right. You know, I saw a Zogby poll. Fifty-eight percent of Mexicans agreed with the statement the territory of the United States Southwest rightfully belongs to Mexico. I mean, it -- it turned into something entirely different. I mean, why do Mexicans believe that, you know, portions of the U.S. is stolen country and theirs?
ARELLANO: That`s an interesting poll. In Mexican schools they do teach what is history, which was that that the Southwest United States was a part of Mexico. That`s history.
Now whether Mexicans, even though that poll does say something. I really think when they come to this country they`re not looking at it as sort of a reconquista thing. That`s what the Aztlanistas want you to believe.
BECK: I will tell you, that`s the message that I think a lot of Americans got.
ARELLANO: Definitely. Well, what`s happening with these protests, you do have a lot of the Chicano movement or whatever coming in and taking hold of these protests or organizing these protests. But when you have -- you talk to the actual Mexicans themselves, actual immigrants, they`re just going to say, "Huh? Aztlan? What the hell is that? I`m here to work, and I`m here to send money back to Mexico, and I`m -- more importantly I`m here to work."
BECK: Well, I know that -- you`re an immigrant. Actually, you`re a son of an illegal immigrant, who`s now against...
ARELLANO: A former illegal immigrant.
BECK: Right. Well, once an illegal immigrant, always an illegal immigrant.
ARELLANO: Yes. Tell that to my dad.
BECK: He`ll choke me, won`t he?
ARELLANO: Yes. He`ll break a bottle of tequila on your face. I`m kidding. Just kidding.
BECK: You have melted -- you have melted into our society, our culture. Haven`t you?
ARELLANO: Oh, yes.
BECK: The problem is, is a lot of people get the feeling that -- you know, America is a country, it`s kind of like a big living room, man. You come on into my living room. I want you to hang out with me. You know what I mean? But don`t come in and then just pee all over the carpet and say, "Hey, this place is mine. This is my couch." I mean, I invited you in. Now come on, be a part of the family.
ARELLANO: Definitely, and I think that`s what they`re trying to do that by the very fact that they`re saying we want to belong to this country. That`s their way of saying, hey, we want to be Americans, too.
Of course with the current legal immigration system, it`s kind of hard to become a legal immigrant. So what are these people reduced to do? They`re reduced to going onto the streets, and saying, "Hey. Hey, pay attention to us; make us legal immigrants, even though we are here in this country illegally."
This is really an act -- this is really the last, like, act that these people can do before, I don`t know, go back to Mexico or something.
BECK: All right. Gustavo, thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
ARELLANO: Hey, thanks a lot, Glenn.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Glenn Beck.
BECK: All right. We -- we have the bird flu. I mean, on the list of deadly diseases which are kind of sort of funny-sounding, bird flu falls right between SARS and Monkey Pox.
But I mean, I got to tell you, bird flu is no laughing matter, I mean, especially if you`re, like a whacked out germophobe like I am. It really bothers me, and there are people that are saying this is coming, and you`re not taking it seriously enough.
How serious is the threat? Well, serious enough for ABC to air a TV movie in sweeps called "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America". I mean, you know, it`s almost as serious as the movie from Al Gore on global warming that he put out last year. And I`m telling you, the New York Public Library is going to turn into ice in about 20 minutes. But I digress.
I`m no programming genius, but I mean, what do you think people are going to watch tonight? You know, the bird flu corpses or "American Idol"? I mean, you be the judge. I mean, Katherine definitely looks healthy. You know what I`m saying?
So, you know, are you going to get bird flu from eating buffalo wings? Or what`s really the story on this? Joining me is Laurie Garrett. She is from the Global Health Council on Foreign Relations. She is a serious person on this. She is currently writing a book about the global impact of infectious disease and was a consultant on the ABC movie.
Laurie, I have actually heard people say that ABC is taking this thing and hyping it up, and other people are saying, no, no, man, it is this bad. And before we start, Laurie, I`ve got to tell you I am this close to being Howard Hughes. I am almost afraid of doorknobs, so don`t hype it. What`s really happening with bird flu?
LAURIE GARRETT, GLOBAL HEALTH COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I don`t think the movie is sensationalized. I think it`s pretty straight ahead of what would happen if this virus, which currently is not a risk. It`s currently basically very dangerous for birds, but not for human beings. Only about 200 people have gotten it, a little over half of them have died. It`s very lethal if you do get it. But it hasn`t yet mutated into a rapid human to human transmitter.
BECK: Right. And that`s like the only thing that`s left, right?
GARRETT: Well, yes.
BECK: Right.
GARRETT: The thing we don`t know, and there`s no way to know in advance, is if it makes the mutational change, will it still be super- lethal? Or is there some kind of a genetic trade-off?
BECK: OK. So tell me, because I mean, this movie has bodies piling up, and neighborhoods quarantined, barbed wire, and people burying Grandma and Grandpa in the back with Fluffy the cat. I mean, is this real stuff? Or is it a movie? What are the odds that this is going to turn out this way?
GARRETT: Look, there`s no way you can answer that, because you don`t yet know what the exact powers are of the virus that mutates to become a human to human transmitter.
But I will say that a lot of what we came up with for this picture was drawn from what America went through in 1918 with the flu. And that was a flu that had a less than two percent fatality rate. H5N1, this bird flu right now, has a 55 percent fatality rate in human beings. Actually in Indonesia, it`s running 88 percent of the people who get infected die of it.
BECK: All right. So this is a real test on how serious you think this is. Do you -- are you stocked up on anything at home? Do you have the tuna fish or anything? I mean, I do, but I`m whacked out of my head.
GARRETT: Well, I think you have to understand. I go to epidemics. I`ve been in Ebola. I`ve been in drug resistant TB. I`ve gone to cholera epidemics, plague, you name it.
BECK: That is so weird, I hang out there all the time, as well. I mean...
GARRETT: Yes, you strike me as that kind all right.
BECK: Yes, sure.
GARRETT: So for me practical ways of protecting myself are what interests me. And I`m not a stockpiler. But I suppose if I had a large family of small children, I might be thinking about certain things I`d want to make sure were at home that were just basic food items. What worries me is that a lot of people are stockpiling drugs, and I think that`s a very bad idea.
BECK: Yes, I`m not. I want you to know. Not me.
GARRETT: Yes, I heard about the Tamiflu underwear.
BECK: Listen, I read a stat today. We have spent $3.8 billion on bird flu since December. I mean, how can we spend that kind of -- I mean, if I was spending that kind of money with PBS, I`d at least get a tote bag. What did we spend that money on?
GARRETT: We haven`t spent it. That`s incorrect. We`ve appropriated it. Congress approved it. The White House requested $7.1 billion. Congress came through with $3.8 billion. The biggest chunk of it is going to try to figure out ways to make vaccines against bird flu and be anticipating what it might mutate into.
BECK: Good, because I was thinking, man, I haven`t even gotten like a federal mask in the mail or anything. Man, how did we spend that money?
GARRETT: I think you would look good in a big bird outfit.
BECK: Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thanks, Laurie.
Nigeria has actually made a radio jingle on how not to contract bird flu. The jingle actually told people not to touch or eat bird poop. I mean, we need that information? Don`t touch or eat it? I mean, I think we got that? Don`t we? Do we need that commercial here? As a public service, we`ve put together for you, too, for the dummies in America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP0
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the father of two small children, I understand the importance of educating our kids about the dangers of bid flu. So we put together this catchy jingle to help you and your kids remember how to stay safe, because bird flu is no laughing matter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (singing) If you want to stay healthy so much, there`s just one thing you don`t want to touch. It`s the feces, the feces, the feces. Try your very best, don`t touch or ingest bird feces, bird feces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECK: "TIME" has come out with its own top 100 most influential list. The head people at "TIME" magazine took a vote, and apparently, they know exactly who you look up to.
I looked through the list. I don`t see anybody who`s actually on this list that shapes my life.
Ang Lee is also on the list. I mean, he`s a decent director and everything, but what -- how is he really influencing me? What is he influencing me to do? Go to a mountain and question my sexuality? I mean, I haven`t done it yet, although I have looked at a horse in a whole different light.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECK: Oh, yes I have.
Well, it`s Tuesday night, and every Tuesday night at my house, I do the same thing. I slip on my bathrobe, dim the lights, fix myself some warm milk, and, like millions of Americans, settle down for another episode of "American Idol." Actually, it`s honestly more like me in my underpants and a half gallon of ice cream.
But anyway, with all the horrible news that`s out there, from gas prices to Iranian nukes, I mean, there`s to me at least something undeniably comforting about watching, you know, people sing pop songs on "American Idol." It`s like a big, warm hug for the brain. Isn`t it?
But last week the adorable and talented 17-year-old Paris Bennett got sent home. Why, America? Why? Here now, from "American Idol", finalist Paris Bennett.
Welcome to the program.
PARIS BENNETT, "AMERICAN IDOL" FINALIST: Hello.
BECK: Hi, Paris, how are you?
BENNETT: I`m doing fine. How are you?
BECK: You have the most incredible singing voice to be matched with the little Mickey Mouse voice that you have as a speaking voice.
BENNETT: Thank you.
BECK: You actually come from a family that is singing background. Is it your mom or is it your grandma that was, like, a Grammy award winner or something?
BENNETT: Both my mom and my grandmother. Both were in the group called Sounds of Life. My grandmother was actually the lead singer, and my mom was a member, as well as my great-aunt.
BECK: You know, I was watching, because this is the first year that I`ve actually watched every episode of "American Idol", and you have such joy when you walk out on stage. And I was amazed to see that when -- when you tried out, you were saying, "I`m not going to follow the family thing. I`m not going to do music," right?
BENNETT: Yes, I had a moment in life where I wanted to just do normal things. And I was going to go ahead and do the whole senior year through and go to college and take studies for an ob/gyn. And it all related back to music, so I did "American Idol", and this is where I am.
BECK: So what`s next?
BENNETT: Hopefully, I`ll get a chance to do a jazz album, a jazz Christmas album. And maybe from there I`ll go ahead and do voice-overs and maybe some movies, and do some acting. It`s just anything (ph).
BECK: You are the most versatile I think of anybody -- I mean, Chris, everybody`s rooting for Chris. I`m rooting for Taylor. I think he`s tremendous, but you, like, were -- every different style you could do. I mean, you were very versatile. What`s your favorite? Is it jazz?
BENNETT: Jazz is my favorite. That`s my absolute favorite. I`m a really big, big fan of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, and there were a number of other great jazz singers. And so jazz is definitely my first love.
BECK: My wife and I were sitting there with the kids, and we watch "American Idol", and every week they`re like, "Hey, you were voted off, congratulations, sing." I mean, what is that like? What was going through your head?
BENNETT: That was actually fun to me.
BECK: Really?
BENNETT: When he said you`re going to the bottom two, I got up and I gave him my gum.
BECK: Did you know?
BENNETT: And he put it in his hand, and I did my thing. And I came back up, and I lined up with Elliott. And I just kind of had prepared myself to leave. And I knew that once I left, it would only just be the beginning. So I was happy.
BECK: Who do you think is going to win?
BENNETT: I don`t know. America has so many different starts and changes.
BECK: I saw -- I thought, no, there`s no way Taylor is ever going to win, and yet I saw on "USA Today" I think this morning or yesterday that said that for "USA Today" readers he`s off the charts. He`s, like, No. 1, double the amount of votes than Chris. And of course, know, "USA Today," not a lot of teenagers are reading "USA Today".
Bennett: I think they have some things that may account for a great "American Idol", and I think Chris has aspects that count on "American Idol". And actually, all of them do. The last four all have something that will make them be a great "American Idol."
BECK: My sense is that Ryan Seacrest is about this tall.
BENNETT: I think we were friends because of his height. Like, he could talk to me eye to eye. That was a great part...
BECK: He looks like a little teeny, miniature man, you know what I mean on television? When -- who was the "Chicken Little" kid.
BENNETT: Kevin.
BECK: Kevin. He was on, and he was standing, and he made...
BENNETT: That`s my best friend.
BECK: Really? Nice kid, nice kid. Paris, thank you so much. Best of luck to you.
BENNETT: Thank you.
BECK: Really appreciate it.
BENNETT: Thank you very, very much.
BECK: You bet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Coming up on GLENN BECK.
BECK (voice-over): So, here`s a question. Does this guy get to watch the season finale of "Idol" from supermax? Dear, sweet...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: I just want to say one thing about your Big Mac thing last night.
BECK: Yes.
CALLER: I watch the Discovery Channel, and I`ve seen "Shark Week," and dang Glenn, you devouring that Big Mac was worse than a great white devouring a seal.
BECK: David, come on. You tell me that wasn`t one of the best moments on cable news?
CALLER: It had to be. I think it had to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECK: I want you to meet Morty. He is my 93 -- and by the way, I apologize for that last night. My 93-year-old driving instructor. We went out to drive together so he could assess my skills in driving. And let`s say it didn`t work out as well as I`d hoped. We`ll show you the whole thing in just a couple of minutes.
But first, we have some important things to address in today`s "Quality of Life" market update. This is where we choose a bunch of stories and then, you know, make a completely subjective judgment as to whether your life is better or worse because of them. Let`s get right to it.
The stock of Iran is trading down big after that country`s president sent a rambling and scathing letter to President Bush. The president of Iran, who I`ve just totally given up on trying to pronounce his actual name. I call him President Tom. Sounded to me a lot like Michael Moore in the letter, touching on everything from the failure of democracy to the supposed lies about Iraq to the global hatred of the American government.
Now, I will tell you that I read the entire eight boring pages of the letter, and I just kept thinking about, "Wow, I mean, I wish I were the president, because I would love to be the one writing the letter back to him."
I think it would go a little something like this: "Hey `President` Tom, how`s the weather? I hear it could be 10,000 degrees there soon. We should chat. See you, George."
Also tonight, the stock of David Blaine has plummeted. You probably already know the story by now, so I mean, let me just play you a clip from Blaine`s physician, Dr. Murat Gunel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURAT GUNEL, DAVID BLAINE`S DOCTOR: So his skin and feet obviously was a problem. And the main issues we thought are two, No. 1 is in the hand, especially the skin problem, which should be a reversal, but if it`s deeper, he is actually reporting some feeling changes. If his nerves are affected, he could lose his manual dexterity, fine-motor movements, which could affect how he does his magic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECK: Hold on just a second. I mean, did he say "magic"? I think I heard him say the word "magic." Call me old-school here, Doc, but I thought that when professional magicians tried a trick, you know, it was supposed to actually work. I mean, you never saw David Copperfield go out there, like he was going to make the Statue of Liberty disappear and then sit there looking dumb when it didn`t go anywhere.
David, let me ask you a question. Did you even try to hold your breath for nine minutes prior to last night, or was that, like, your first time? Because, don`t get me wrong, I am no illusionist, but I am a thinker. And my guess is that most magicians actually practice the tricks, you know, before you perform them on national television.
Let me ask ABC this question. If I tell you that I can levitate, do I actually have to, like, float around the studio first, or will you just hand me a primetime special?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECK: Was anybody really on the edge of their seat last night with David Blaine? Oh, he could -- we`ve got to get him out of there. He could drown! Oh, please, remember the guy`s a magician. He`s a Harry Houdini wannabe.
And so if he made it to nine minutes, he really felt that there would be too many questions that would be being asked and people saying, "Wait a minute. How did you break the record? Did you break it legitimately," and he didn`t want any questions asked of him. That`s why he was brought out, "Oh, I almost died in there."
Of course, didn`t he lose like 20 percent of his body weight or something like that? I mean, it`s -- you know, I mean, if you can`t get a McRib in through a tube to me, I don`t want to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECK: That`s pretty much a general rule of thumb for me. Why do people even care about David Blaine? You know, maybe because most days all we hear about are people like, you know, Zacarias Moussaoui, a guy we`d like to put in the tank.
But I don`t know if you`ve heard, Zacarias has had a change of heart about all of this. All of a sudden, he has newfound respect for America`s judicial system. Yesterday, Moussaoui actually tried to withdraw his guilty plea from being part of 9/11, saying his confession was "all a lie." Yes.
And now he actually believes that American juries can be fair. So, "Gee, could maybe I have a new trial?" No, Zack. No, sorry to say you`re spending the rest of your life in Supermax.
You don`t get to make, you know, sweet, tender love to those 72 heavenly virgins. And, in fact, I`m going to go a step further: When you`re involved in the death of 3,000 innocent people, you get this, yes, a three-way with Bea Arthur and Helen Thomas, while David Hasselhoff sings. Oh, it`s great. Didn`t teach you that at terrorist school? Oh, that`s too bad. What a shame.
But here`s what actually bothers me: When these sick freaks disappear into places like Supermax -- which, by the way, I mean, it sounds kind of like a feminine hygiene product, doesn`t it? -- do they actually disappear? I mean, why does this guy even have access to a phone?
Jonna Spilbor is the criminal defense attorney and analyst that is going to give me hope, please, that this guy`s not going to become the next Tookie Williams.
JONNA SPILBOR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Is that what you want me to say?
BECK: Yes.
SPILBOR: Because I can`t. I wish I could, Glenn. I wish I could.
BECK: Why? So help me out: Why is it that it seems like sentences don`t really mean anything in America anymore?
SPILBOR: Well, you know, we are very concerned with defendants` rights. And this guy, as much as we love to hate him, he`s a defendant. Now, what`s the -- his first line of attack is going to be, "The waiver of my trial was not knowing and voluntary. I didn`t know enough about the American justice system. I was a little crazy from being in solitary confinement." If that is true...
BECK: You actually -- yes?
SPILBOR: ... he could get a new trial.
BECK: You actually think this...
SPILBOR: A trial on the issue of guilt.
BECK: You guys think -- you actually think that this guy is, I mean, nuts. I mean, I do, too, but not...
SPILBOR: Yes, oh, yes.
BECK: ... so nuts that he can`t stand trial. But you think he`s really nuts?
SPILBOR: No, I don`t think he`s certifiably insane that, you know, we should put him in a mental institution. I think he`s a whack job. He was a very difficult client for his attorneys.
We don`t know whether he`s telling the truth when he says he was involved or when he says he wasn`t involved...
(CROSSTALK)
BECK: Don`t care anymore.
SPILBOR: ... what he did or didn`t do.
BECK: I don`t care anymore. I mean, you know, I`m going to take you at your word once. We already did. I`m not changing the game. Do you think he`s guilty?
SPILBOR: I think, like the jurors thought when they gave him life instead of death, that this guy was a very low-level player. I mean, let`s remember, where was Moussaoui on 9/11? Moussaoui on 9/11 was sitting in a clink somewhere. He was arrested on immigration charges.
He wasn`t directing the show; he wasn`t communicating with anybody. So, you know, he wasn`t even there. As far as, you know, who he knew and what he knew, listen, if we had him locked up three weeks beforehand and the government didn`t know what he knew, we screwed up.
BECK: Tell me...
SPILBOR: So I don`t really think that he was a heavy player in this.
BECK: I mean, before I get the 24-hour Ebola virus and just blood starts spurting out of my eyes, please tell me there`s not a chance this guy gets a new trial.
SPILBOR: All right. There is a slim chance that he gets a new trial, because, look...
(CROSSTALK)
BECK: Let me ask you something. Aren`t you frustrated? I mean, we`ve got people molesting children that get out and just like, "Hey, yes, I know, but he spent his eight months in jail."
SPILBOR: But I can promise you this: He will not just walk out of a maximum-security prison. If he gets a new trial...
BECK: You swear...
SPILBOR: I swear.
BECK: ... in the name of Allah?
SPILBOR: That I swear. And he will never be able to say, "Hey, thanks for the free food. I`m out of here, folks." He will get a do-over, and he might get an opportunity to prove whether he was actually guilty or innocent. Remember, in this case, he pled guilty. We were only sitting in a trial to determine whether he lived or died.
BECK: I`ve got to tell you, I don`t know how you do it every day, you know, where you would walk into a courtroom, and you would, you know, sit there, and you would try to put somebody behind bars, and then knowing that there`s a shot that the whole thing`s going to be turned upside down just because somebody knows how to play the system.
You know what? Here`s one: Dennis Rader. Did you hear about Dennis Rader and the BTK, where he got a little good behavior time?
SPILBOR: Oh, well, he`s never going to see the light of day, no matter how much...
(CROSSTALK)
BECK: No, no, wait, wait, wait. He got good behavior time. He`s gotten extra benefits because of good behavior.
SPILBOR: OK.
BECK: He was binding, torturing and killing people. Isn`t it time to stop giving brownie points out, you know, when you make the decision you`re going to bind and torture and kill people?
SPILBOR: Yes, I can`t argue with you on that one, but, you`re right, he`ll never get out. But, yes, he`s going to get an extra five minutes in the gym or on the basketball court or wherever they play in these lockdown, and that does happen. And you`re right to be mad about that. I don`t dispute that.
BECK: Let me ask you this: I think that a lot of people with Moussaoui wanted him to get the death penalty, not out of anger or anything else. I`ll bet you -- I`m not for the death penalty, but I talk to people on the radio show all the time who are.
And it usually will come back down to this: Glenn, if you don`t kill them, they`ll get out. I think a lot of people wanted Moussaoui to be killed because of this very thing. They knew that he was smart enough to manipulate, and he would -- you say he will never get out, but, I mean, he`ll at least be able to continue to make headlines.
SPILBOR: Perhaps, but he`s never going to get out, and we don`t know how involved he was in the terrible death of 3,000 people. But, you know, look, if he did get the death penalty, his appeals are automatic. At least this way -- now, there`s an unlikely chance -- at least this way he could give up, Glenn, and we won`t hear about him forever.
BECK: Oh, I should be -- I mean, we`re not torturing him. I`m not advocating that or anything else, but, for the love of Pete, put him in a hole and leave him there with no phone access.
Jonna, thank you so much. I appreciate it.
SPILBOR: Thank you.
BECK: Let`s go straight to the Hill now, Erica Hill. She is the anchor now of "PRIME NEWS TONIGHT." It started yesterday at 6:00 Eastern time. She is also -- hello, Erica...
ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Oh, no.
BECK: Oh, yes. So I`m thumbing through "People" magazine, because I usually read it...
(LAUGHTER)
... beauties around the clock. And there are you are at 4:00 a.m., one of the most beautiful people on planet Earth.
HILL: Exciting stuff.
BECK: And I`m thinking there`s 24 hours in the day, and everyone got their own hour, and, surprisingly enough, even in a 72-hour day, me and Alan Colmes not making this list.
HILL: Still not -- I mean, how did that happen, Glenn?
BECK: I don`t really know.
HILL: You got to have your people talk to somebody. I know you have people.
BECK: Oh, yes, no, I`ve got lots of people. All right. So tell us what`s happening in the news.
HILL: OK. First thing we`re going to touch on: a new day, a new look at the president`s approval rating. This is something that gets a lot of attention. A little bit of good news for Mr. Bush, a slight jump. His approval is up two points since April to 34 percent. That`s according to a new CNN poll. His disapproval rating now stands at 58 percent. That`s actually down two. More than half of those who disapprove of the president`s performance cited the war in Iraq.
BECK: You know, I got to tell you. I mean, there is so -- I mean, to me these polls are so simple. The war in Iraq, I mean, good heavens, man, George Bush is the anti-Ronald Reagan. He is the worst communicator ever. I mean, he`s Helen Keller with no hands.
The guy cannot communicate -- help him, Tony Snow. I have no idea what we`re doing in Iraq anymore. How is that thing going? Could I hear a good update from time to time?
HILL: Well, maybe you could ask some questions. Maybe you`ll get some answers.
BECK: No, no.
HILL: You don`t know until you ask, Glenn.
BECK: Nobody`s really talking to me.
HILL: You`ve got to try first, remember?
BECK: Yes, all right, sure.
HILL: OK. All right, this next one, let`s be realistic. It`s no secret that women have a certain affinity for footwear. I mean, I`m totally guilty, right?
BECK: Yes.
HILL: Yes, well...
BECK: Well, I mean, I don`t know about you personally, but...
HILL: Well, apparently you have a thing for women`s footwear, too, but that`s for another show. Certain women, though, may want them more than others.
In San Diego this morning -- check this out -- two women allegedly tried to steal some pretty pricey Italian shoes from an upscale boutique. The adventure there, though, just the beginning. They led police on a chase at speeds of up to 100 miles an hour. They were hurling the spike- heeled shoes at the officers as they tried to escape.
BECK: Look at this. Look at that.
HILL: How about that for a weapon, huh?
BECK: What are you doing? What a bunch of idiots. You know, I love these high-speed chases. People are so stupid. The dumbest one -- I swear to you I saw this -- the dumbest one I ever saw was a high-speed chase in Hawaii.
HILL: You can`t go that far.
BECK: Where are you going? You`re going around...
HILL: The island is only so big.
BECK: It`s like, you know, being chased by the police at the Indy 500. I mean, just block it once and eventually they`ll come around to you.
HILL: Pull into the infield; nobody will find you there.
(LAUGHTER)
BECK: I know.
HILL: All right. This one`s getting a lot of attention, too, today. In New Orleans, some residents of the Lower Ninth Ward being told they can go home. And it`s pretty much impossible to forget -- there it is -- what the neighborhood looked like after Katrina hit.
But here`s the deal: This week, the state health department saying that tap water in basically a 10-block area of the neighborhood is safe. That area is on higher ground. So that`s the area that got the all-clear. Other areas, though, still need to boil it.
BECK: May I be completely politically incorrect here?
HILL: Well, that`s rather out of character for...
(CROSSTALK)
BECK: Yes, I know. Why are we rebuilding New Orleans? I mean, you know, God bless it. I know it`s a unique city, et cetera, et cetera. But why are we rebuild -- because we`re not going to do it right. I mean, we`re having a hard enough time building one wall. We`re actually going to build another wall?
You know we`re going to lose interest; we`re not going to spend the money that it really takes to build it right. The thing`s going to get blown over by a storm again. What are we doing? If we`re going to do it, at least, please let`s do it right.
HILL: That one really gets you going.
BECK: Yes, no, it does.
HILL: We`re going to have to cut you off there, though.
BECK: I know.
HILL: You`ve got the rest of the show to do.
BECK: All right, Erica, thanks a lot. Check her out, "PRIME NEWS TONIGHT." That`s CNN -- actually, it`s tomorrow night at 6:00 Eastern time here on Headline News.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECK: All right, this next story is going to make you think twice before ever deciding to mix drinking and mowing. In Ohio this past weekend, after a very, very brief low-speed pursuit, police pulled over 50- year-old Dondi Bowles and charged him with one count of MWI, that`s mowing while intoxicated.
Here`s the exciting footage, captured by the police dash-cam, showing Bowles trying to explain to the officer that he wasn`t drunk, he was just disoriented and rushing to vote on a crucial piece of Capitol Hill legislation. Really, officer, that`s it.
No, if the drunken lawnmowers won`t kill you, maybe the elderly drivers will. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, currently there are 24 states that don`t have a single safety provision in place when it comes to seniors renewing their licenses.
You can be blind as a bat and in a coma, and they`re still going to let you drive. Should we be worried? I decided to ask an expert, somebody with experience, somebody like -- I ain`t kidding -- a 93-year-old driving instructor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECK (voice-over): Arriving at Morty`s house, I didn`t know what to expect. Ninety-three-year-old, I mean, that`s so old he was probably 70 when my denim jacket was last in style.
(on camera): Mr. Morrison, how are you, sir?
MORTY MORRISON, 93-YEAR-OLD DRIVING INSTRUCTOR: Hello.
BECK: Nice to meet you. Good to meet you. Are you ready?
MORRISON: Sure.
BECK: All right. Let`s go.
Ninety three years old.
MORRISON: Next week, 94.
BECK: I got to buckle up here, Morty. A little safety. How important is it to stay focused?
MORRISON: That`s your major purpose. This is not a joyride. When you`re driving, you have to keep your mind on the driving. There are too many distractions, whether it`s a cell phone, or your cassette that you`re changing, or the lady who`s breastfeeding a child, or the man who`s shaving, or drinking coffee.
BECK: Hang on just a second. Hey. Hi, sweetie. I`m sorry, I lost my train of thought. What were you saying?
MORRISON: People are not aware of what they should be doing when they drive. They`re not aware that advancing age impairs their ability, their reflexes.
BECK: Should they test you again? Do you have to know everything about how many feet from a fire hydrant? Because I couldn`t tell any of that.
MORRISON: Oh, no, no. They should check my hearing. They should check my eyesight. They should check my physical condition.
BECK: Do you drive?
MORRISON: Are you kidding? Of the people I know, I`m the only one I would trust to drive at 90.
(LAUGHTER)
BECK: I think I`m completely lost.
MORRISON: Right turn.
BECK: Turn here? You remember taking your first driver`s test? What was the name of the horse?
(LAUGHTER)
Do you still have to learn hand signals?
MORRISON: No.
BECK: No? When did that go out? I remember I had to learn hand signals.
MORRISON: It was this and this. Now they give you a finger.
(LAUGHTER)
BECK: Yes, now they give you just one.
MORRISON: They don`t give you a hand signal.
BECK: Oh, that`s a hand signal.
(LAUGHTER)
What do you think of multitasking in the car? Have you ever seen the TV show "24"?
MORRISON: No.
BECK: It`s full of action. I like to watch it, because, you know, it`s like an edge of the seat...
MORRISON: While you`re driving?
BECK: Yes. Bad idea?
MORRISON: Why?
BECK: Radio is totally cool, isn`t it?
MORRISON: It`s a distraction.
BECK: No, no, listen to the question carefully. Radio -- remember, I`m on radio -- radio, totally cool.
MORRISON: Cool?
BECK: Right.
MORRISON: In what way?
BECK: Totally fine.
MORRISON: I don`t care for it.
BECK: No?
MORRISON: I don`t need the entertainment.
BECK: No, no, I think you`re misunderstanding me. Remember we talked? I`m on the radio?
MORRISON: You know where you`re going?
BECK: No, I have no idea. What are your tips for staying young?
MORRISON: Good diet, stay away from fast foods. I mean it. Eat wholesome.
BECK: I don`t believe Taco Bell is actually considered fast.
MORRISON: Be interested in everything. I`m interested in any subject. I don`t think people will live on Mars. We could change to the metric system, because I think it`s very practical. I`m not crazy about any instant coffee because the resemblance to real coffee is accidental.
When I was a kid and I had a cold, my mother gave me a dried raspberry tea. My mother loved wrestling. I didn`t. We didn`t have milkshakes; we had malteds. I`d like a good New York corned beef sandwich.
BECK: Do you think you`ll be driving until the day you die?
MORRISON: The reason I renewed my driving license for six years is I want to see if they`ll give me a new license when I`m 100 years old.
BECK: We`re going with you to the driver`s license bureau when you go.
MORRISON: Good. All right.
BECK: When you`re 100, we`ll take you.
MORRISON: I keep telling people...
BECK: If you`re not too afraid of driving with me, we`ll go.
MORRISON: ... we`re going to have -- we`re going to have a real celebration on that day. You`re still blinking a left turn.
BECK: Oh, sorry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BECK: I`ve got to tell you, I had just such a great afternoon with Morty. He is one of the sharpest guys and a better driver than I am. He`s now 94. Back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECK: Well, I mean, one day on the air, and apparently a lot of people hate me. But you know what? I`ve hated myself almost my entire life, so you`re a rookie. Stand in line.
Ken from Seattle writes, "I`m removing CNN.com from my favorites until racist Glenn Beck`s show is canceled."
I mean, it`s interesting to me how we come into situations with our minds already made up. You know, I mean, maybe you will eventually think I`m a racist. I mean, I don`t know how, but, hey, you know, it`s your opinion to suck the facts out of.
But I think you`re jumping the gun here. I mean, yesterday, I made fun of a short white guy, Tom Cruise, a bald white guy, Brian Whitman, and myself, a balding white guy, all the while calling a Mexican immigrant an American icon and drooling all over myself to meet President Palmer from "24."
It`s because of uniformed opinions like yours, Ken, that I`m now going to have to delete KenFromSeattle.com from my favorites list, even though it does have the best e-mail and horoscopes.
Next to Miami, "You are a terrible human being. The show is, in short, an abortion. Signed, Liberal in Miami."
So someone who`s a liberal calling the show an abortion? I think that means you support it, right? And I happily accept your endorsement.
Susan from Ann Arbor says, "Glenn, leave your glasses on or take your glasses off. But, please, stop playing with them. Also, you looked great" -- oh, I know what you`re saying -- "but you sort of laugh like a girl. Hopefully, you`ll get your masculinity back soon. Good luck!"
Sarah, I hate to break it to you, but there`s very little masculinity to start with. And, apparently, that was a major topic of discussion.
Jeff Fuigham wrote in, "Glenn, love the show, but you had way too much makeup on."
OK, Jeff, I mean, I get it. I mean, as a guy, I`m a little troubled with the whole TV makeup thing. And there is a part of me, however, that, you know, wants to pull out of the studio and drive directly to the mall and accessorize this outfit every night. But, believe me, you haven`t seen a picture of me on TV with no makeup. And it`s not pretty.
So do we have it? Do we roll that? Yes, I mean, it was a while ago, I mean, back in my "Baywatch" days, but woof.
If you want to get in on the hate-mail parade, go ahead and e-mail me at glennbeck@CNN.com. That`s it for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Don`t catch the bird flu. Seacrest out.
END
