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Glenn Beck

9/11 Miniseries Raises Controversy; Does Iranian Leader Want to Subdue West?

Aired September 08, 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`s question, can a conservative agree with Bill Clinton? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. You`re looking at him.
And, as evil as President Tom from Iran is, there is somebody worse. Who? I`ll tell you. Coming up, now.

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode brought to you by ABC and their new miniseries, "The Path to 9/11". Who needs facts when you can have factutainment?

BECK: Welcome to the show. What we really try to do on this program every day is try to take the thing that everybody is talking about and then look at it without the PC lens and try to squeeze all the politics out and tell you what it really means.

Today, the main headline is that Bill Clinton is upset at this new ABC movie, and ABC is folding. Well, here`s what the headline would be if everybody would think it through, be honest, and stop playing political games: Bill Clinton is right.

Let me say, I know I`m on CNN Headline News, but I`m a conservative, and it kills me to agree with Bill Clinton. I`ll explain how I got here in a second, but first, let me play for you Bill Clinton`s reaction to ABC`s "The Path to 9/11."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want people to tell the truth and, you know, not to pretend it`s something it`s not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: He may not be the best torch bearer for "I want people to tell the truth." It is wrong to contradict the official 9/11 Commission report. The September 11 tragedy is far too important of an event in our nation`s history to be handled carelessly.

But, with that being said and if you agree with that now, and you`re a liberal, if ABC is wrong, then so are Michael Moore and Spike Lee. When it comes to movies about tragic, real-life events, especially with what`s going on in the world right now, common decency must prevail over politics.

What conservatives are stunned by today is just the sheer gall of these righteous, self-righteous liberals who would dare call foul over the inaccuracies of "Path to 9/11" when they didn`t make a peep over the glaring half-truths and flat-out lies in movies like "Fahrenheit 9/11".

In fact, they did make a peep. They raised that flag. They carried Michael Moore -- well, this is pretty hard to do; they didn`t literally do this. They tried to hoist Michael Moore up on their shoulders.

And then you have Spike Lee`s new documentary about Hurricane Katrina. Welcome to my world, Tim Robbins. Not so fun, is it?

President Clinton, I agree with you. You`re right. These movies about 9/11 have to be factually accurate. But President Clinton, where was your outrage when the other team was suffering under the cloud of misinformation? Remember, based on a true story goes both ways, my friend.

Here`s the kind of little white lie in "Path to 9/11" that has liberals up in arms. There`s a scene where Madeleine Albright supposedly alerts Pakistan to assure them that a missile strike is aimed at Osama bin Laden and not coming from India. Albright says it never happened. Well, she`s right -- kind of.

The call was actually made by the vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. So the event in question did actually happen, just not exactly the way the filmmakers presented it. Welcome to Hollywood.

Now, you take that and you compare that against the claims made by some in Spike Lee`s new film that`s been playing on HBO that George Bush blew up the levees in New Orleans. Are all accuracies created equal? I don`t think so. Where`s the outrage on that?

Plus, if we start editing out every scene in a historically-based movie that isn`t completely true, everything Oliver Stone has ever shot will be cut down to the opening and closing credits.

So, here`s the thing. I`m all for honesty. When it comes to the portrayal of a sacred event like 9/11, we have to be honest. But I believe we dishonor honesty when we don`t pair it with consistency. With an event like the tragedies of the Twin Towers and the factual evidence surrounding it, isn`t the plain truth enough, Hollywood? What piece of fiction could ever hope to compare with the drama, the intrigue, the sheer emotion of the facts?

There are already far too many conspiracy theories out there. We don`t need any more misinformation to feed the beast.

So tonight, here is what I know. I agree with Bill Clinton. But I don`t think for the same reason. Nine 11 is untouchable. It should never be used for political purposes. We should adopt a zero tolerance policy for anything that veers even slightly from the cold, hard truth of that date.

You know, I saw "United 93". It was a faithful portrayal of the events leading up to 9/11. As a result, the message -- did you see it? Please, if you haven`t seen it, see it this weekend. The message is as honest as it is powerful.

We`ve taken too many liberties with too many of our nation`s defining moments. September 11, we must draw the line there.

I also know that, like it or not, Bill Clinton did play politics when it came to terrorism and Osama bin Laden. He hoped for the best, didn`t necessarily prepare for the worst. And you know what, let`s be honest, America; Bush did the same thing his first year in office.

The reality is, if we had taken the terrorist threat as seriously as we should have, as early as we should have, security lines would have been at the airport and they would have been hours long. And September 11 would have never happened.

But you know what? You wouldn`t have stood for it. You wouldn`t have. You did the same thing. How do I know? Because I wouldn`t have stood for it, either.

September 11 was a wake-up call for all of us. It was a hard lesson learned. Now, let`s not forget the lesson.

Here`s what I don`t know. When`s America going to wake up? If there is some truth in this 9/11 movie, it`s that politicians can -- have made grave errors in judging potential threats in our nation`s security, and they`re still doing it. Bill Clinton and George Bush did it with Osama bin Laden, and some in Washington are doing it today with Iran.

And you know what? We`re making the same mistake, as well. Many Americans aren`t paying attention to it. We`re currently in a new kind of pre-9/11 period, and the time to address Iran as a very real threat and a dangerous threat is right now. Unless we learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. But we`re smarter than that.

I also don`t know who ABC expects to take the path to 9/11 seriously. I mean, obviously, liberals have some problems with it. And conservatives, I mean, I can`t imagine the thinking behind the following quote: "`The Path to 9/11` is one of the best, most intelligent, most pro-American miniseries I`ve ever seen on TV, and conservatives should support it and promote it as vigorously as possible."

Lucky for me, I can ask the woman who made that bold statement. Her name is Govin -- I can`t say your first name. I`ve rehearsed for about 20 minutes.

GOVINDINI: Govindini.

BECK: Yes. Murty. How are you?

MURTY: Doing very well. Thank you, Glenn.

BECK: Good. Now you and I are going to disagree.

MURTY: Yes, I know.

BECK: You`ve seen the movie. Your friend also wrote the movie. Let`s be fair.

MURTY: Well, he`s a colleague of mine.

BECK: OK.

MURTY: I wouldn`t say he`s a close friend, but I know Cyrus (ph) quite well. He`s a writer/producer, and he did an outstanding job.

BECK: OK. I don`t really want to talk about the movie, per se, because I would -- I think that what has conservatives so riled up on this is the amazing hypocrisy.

MURTY: Well, it is an amazing degree of hypocrisy, because let`s remember something -- we have now Senate Democrats and House Democrats formally asking ABC to cancel this miniseries.

I have never, in all my years in Hollywood and in studying Hollywood history, seen a situation where Republican politicians have called the head of a network and demand a miniseries be canceled and -- no, no, no, let me, please, let me finish.

Senate leader Harry -- Senate Democrat leader Harry Reid and four other Senate Democrats yesterday wrote to ABC making veiled threats that they would pull their broadcast license...

BECK: I know.

MURTY: ... if they didn`t cancel the ABC "Path to 9/11" miniseries.

BECK: Right.

MURTY: This is an outrageous interference with the civil liberties offense and a grave offense on our First Amendment rights.

BECK: I agree with you. I agree. I agree. I read -- OK, now for the -- enough of the grandstanding. I agree with you. I read the letter from Harry Reid. I find it just as outrageous. I see the threats in it, and it`s -- it`s outrageous. It is.

However, let`s not, as conservatives -- I`m conservative, you`re conservative. Let`s not have rose-colored glasses here and not be able to see through the fog. The exact same thing happened with the Republicans. It was called "The Reagans", and CBS flushed the movie. And it moved to Showtime. Yes.

MURTY: Glenn, Glenn, Glenn...

BECK: Yes.

MURTY: When The Reagans happened it was because of public pressure from the public calling it.

BECK: Right.

MURTY: You did not have Senate Republicans and Senate and congressional and House Republicans, let me repeat this...

BECK: Not true.

MURTY: When "The Reagans" -- when "The Reagans" miniseries -- did you have Senate -- Republican senators and congressman writing CBS and threatening to cancel their broadcast license if they didn`t pull...

BECK: No, they did not -- wait a minute. Hang on just a second. That is -- see, here`s the problem with America today. You get -- we`re too conservative. And you and I cannot...

MURTY: We`re just having a discussion, Glenn.

BECK: But you`re not -- you are spinning. Harry Reid did not -- yes, yes, you are -- Harry Reid did not threaten their license. He did grandstand. He did things that I found despicable, but he did not threaten the license.

When it came to "The Reagans", you did have people in Congress writing letters to the networks saying, "This is an outrage. You need to -- you need to edit this. You can`t run this this way. This is not the truth, et cetera, et cetera." You had the same thing going on. You had the people, you had the conservatives, all whipped up...

MURTY: I`ve not...

BECK: Go ahead.

MURTY: I`m not seen a letter to that effect. And were they -- was the Senate leadership, was the Republican leadership of the Senate writing CBS making veiled threats -- and they were veiled threats about...

BECK: No, you are correct. You are correct on that.

MURTY: ... turning the broadcast licensing pulled. This is really outrageous. I`ve never seen the like. And it`s a huge problem.

This is a docudrama. Why not just let ABC show it, let the American public see it? Because what`s really interesting here, Glenn -- and look, I`m interested in the truth, too. I`m a creative person.

BECK: Yes.

MURTY: I care passionately about the truth and about creative freedom in Hollywood. It`s what I`ve devoted my life to. And it`s why I started the only conservative film festival in Hollywood so that conservatives have some freedom of speech.

BECK: OK. I`ve got to go.

MURTY: OK.

BECK: And I appreciate -- I appreciate the freedom of speech thing, however, not with 9/11. Let`s keep it to the facts, just the facts. Thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Now, with all of the talk about Iran lately, it seems like President Tom has been around forever, but the truth is that he`s only been in office for a little over a year now.

And although he`s made, you know, a great first impression with sensational statements about wiping Israel off the map -- oh, those were fun -- and putting an end to the west, the truth is, the president in Iran is kind of like that bold voice that was coming from behind the curtain in "The Wizard of Oz". You know, "I am the great and powerful" -- not so much. Sounds pretty menacing when you`re there with the scarecrow but when you pull the curtain aside, you see the reality.

Unfortunately, in this case, the reality is even spookier, because it is the supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khameini, who is really pulling all the strings since 1989 and has created an environment where basically nothing can happen in Iran without his expressed written approval.

I want you to think about that when you read a quote or when you hear me read this quote from President Tom that you`ve probably never heard before. I hadn`t heard it, either, until President Bush referenced it in a speech yesterday, and I ran to look it up. Listen to this quote.

"If you would like to have good relations with the Iranian nation in the future, bow down before the greatness of the Iranian nation and surrender. If you don`t accept to do this, the Iranian nation will force you to surrender and bow down."

Well, let`s talk with the U.N., shall we?

Iman Foroutan, and he is the executive director of the Iran of Tomorrow movement.

Doctor, who is this guy who`s behind the power? First of all, does he agree with what President Tom just said?

IMAN FOROUTAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IRAN OF TOMORROW MOVEMENT: Absolutely, Glenn. Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran, he`s the one man dictatorship that he is in full power in charge of all the treaty sections of the government, the judiciary, the congress and the executive. He has the veto power over every single item that is passed by the Congress and the president.

So indeed, both Ahmadinejad and all the clerics who have been ruling the country, what we have to understand is that they`re going with the fundamentals of this Shiite sect says. They`re fanatics.

No. 1 is that the 12th imam is going to come on the day of the apocalypse and Ahmadinejad is trying to hasten that. So when the cities and the world is filled with blood, and this 12th imam is going to come out of the well on top of his horse and save the world. And basically kill all the infidels.

BECK: Let me stop you here for just a second, because this is kind of frightening, because I`m seeing things I`ve been saying for a while. All of this stuff is connected. President Bush finally came out a couple of weeks ago and said it`s all connected.

We saw a line -- in fact we have it here -- from Osama bin Laden. He has declared that the capital of the califate will be in Iraq. He said, quote, "I now address the whole Islamic nation. Listen and understand. The most serious issue today for the whole world is this third world -- Third World War that is raging in Iraq."

The capital of the califate, that`s where Osama bin Laden says it is. This is also where this ayatollah says it`s going to be, is in Iran, and that is biblically Babylon, is it not?

FOROUTAN: Very close. In today`s Iraq, as you know, there is the Shia sect. There is this city called Karbala, and that`s where the Imam Ali, the first imam of the Shia sect, is buried. So -- and that`s where the -- Muqtada al-Sadr is, and obviously, we know that he`s funded and supported by Iran and the Islamic Republic.

So all these are connected. And there`s documentation, many documentations, that over half of the insurgents inside of Iraq is supported, has been funded and planned by Iran.

BECK: All right. Now I want to give you -- I only have a minute, and if you can help me quickly. There is -- there is a word, T-A-Q-I-Y-Y-A. I`ve never seen this word before. But apparently this is Islamic law that allows you -- for instance if you get into negotiations with the United Nations, you can lie as long as it services Islamic goals. Is that right?

FOROUTAN: Absolutely. If I understand it correctly -- correctly, you`re referring to the word taqiyya. That`s the third fundamental law of the Shiite sect of the Muslim people.

Basically, what it says is that go ahead and sign any contract with anyone, including your enemies, and knowing well that you`re lying and you have no intention to do what the contract says, as long as it`s saying that it`s going to benefit, you know, Islam.

Therefore everything that the Islamic Republic in Iran has signed or will sign with the U.S., western countries, or United Nations is all a lie. They`ve proven it in the last 20 years, and they definitely will not honor their contract or whatever they`ve signed for.

BECK: Dr. Foroutan, thank you so much.

Now I want to go to some headlines that Iranians are reading today. This is the stuff for them, not for us. And the supreme leader is making the news.

Headline from the "Tehran Times". "Big Powers Ignite Wars to Sell Arms." The article here claims that the goal of the U.S. is to hold back Iran`s development by keeping the region in constant strife.

Here`s the quote from the ayatollah himself: "The western countries give arms to regional states in return for oil money so the grounds for wars and conflicts would remain in the region."

It took me a while. I had to read this a couple of times to see if I got this right. The richest country in the world is only over in Iraq for the money. Never mind the threat of suicide bombers, the desire to wipe Israel off the map, the nuclear weapons, or that crazy desire to hasten the return of the 12th imam by causing global chaos.

Get this straight. We`re there for one reason and one reason only, to defend our way of life and to wipe these people off the face of the earth.

Stick around. More ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Every day, you can hear my radio program on stations all across the country, including 830 KLAA, new station in Los Angeles and 850 WTAR in Norfolk, Virginia. Dave Glover on our affiliate in St. Louis, KFTK 97.1 FM.

Hello, Dave.

DAVE GLOVER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Glenn, how are you doing, buddy?

BECK: Pretty good. I got hammered today for what I said about the Crocodile Hunter.

GLOVER: I heard that. We were about to go into the same belly of the beast. I`m about to talk about it myself.

BECK: Really? I -- you know why -- you know what I said? Who`s surprised by this? I mean, you know, I feel bad. He`s got a family and everything else, but he was wrestling crocodiles for a career.

GLOVER: You know, he seemed like a -- he seemed like a nice guy. I`m sure he loved his family. No one wanted to see this happen.

BECK: No, no.

GLOVER: But this is -- to me, he`s the modern day equivalent of the guy 100 years ago would travel with the circus and put his head in the lion like Roy Horn. These are the kind of things that happen.

BECK: Exactly right. Exactly right. So is this politically incorrect to say -- to say this, coupled with, you know they have videotape of the getting the dart in the heart.

GLOVER: You know what? It probably is. It probably -- my wife, who rarely gives me career advice, told me don`t talk about this. It`s too soon. And I told her those kind of things don`t apply anymore when you put yourself in the public eye, like Steve Irwin did, made a lot of money from it. People are going to talk about it. But I -- I was surprised about what passion people have on both sides of this.

BECK: Well, here`s the thing that really bothered me. If you read any of the stories, they all said the same thing, that you know, this is the way he would have wanted to go. Who would -- who is swimming around thinking, "Geez, if I could just get a dart in the heart right now, it would be great." Nobody wants to go at 43 years old. That`s outrageous.

GLOVER: That`s the part that really got to me. And every local news station scrambling to get an expert on stingrays.

BECK: Right.

GLOVER: And you know they`re going to -- first of all, this video should never be seen by anyone.

BECK: It`s going to be.

GLOVER: Secondly, within six weeks it will be the most viewed video of all time. But the bad, sick thing is it`s not going to be on the Internet. Discovery will probably show it with a whole legion of professors. Because we all know, you can`t remind people enough not to swim with gigantic creatures with eight-inch poison talons. You know, people really...

BECK: You know, survival of the fitness. Here`s a guy who probably believes in evolution. These creatures are prehistoric. There`s a reason they survived. You know what I mean?

GLOVER: Very, very, sad death. There`s a guy today in Oklahoma who was killed by his own pet 14-foot python. You know, it`s kind of the law of averages.

BECK: Yes.

GLOVER: What this really speaks to are statistics.

BECK: Right. Exactly right.

GLOVER: You wrestle enough crocodiles and stingrays and poisonous snakes, how do you think you`re going to go out?

BECK: Yes. So I agree with you on the video. You say that it`s going to come out, it probably will be on Discovery. You know, I can guarantee you what`s going to happen. Because of the outrage, it will be the most watched video when it`s -- when it`s actually released. Everybody will want to see it. And it will always be put with somebody that will say, "Hey, if this just would stop one person from swimming with stingrays," like that`s an epidemic.

GLOVER: Yes.

BECK: Then it`s all worth it.

GLOVER: Right. There are people right now on Carnival Cruises getting ready to go swim with the stingrays.

BECK: Right.

GLOVER: I don`t think we`re going to save anybody.

BECK: Right. That`s right. OK. Anything else happening in St. Louis that we need to cover before...?

GLOVER: Nada.

BECK: Nothing. Not a damn thing.

GLOVER: Not a damn thing.

BECK: You know, one of the -- one of the sponsors of the immigration rally in Chicago this weekend, your very own Miller Brewing Company.

GLOVER: That would be Budweiser.

BECK: Oh, that`s right.

GLOVER: But thank you for offending everyone in St. Louis.

BECK: That`s right. Talk to you soon.

GLOVER: See you, buddy.

BECK: Bye-bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Right. OK. Welcome to the "Real Story." This is where we try to cut through the media spin to find out why a story is actually important to you.

Last night I told you about former Iranian President Khatami`s current propaganda tour of the U.S. among other stops. He`s scheduled to visit Harvard University this weekend to take part in a forum called Ethics of Tolerance in the Age of Violence. I know. Pretty ironic, isn`t it?

Yesterday we focused on the fact about this story that it`s really more about us as a country allowing people like this to have a forum for their propaganda.

Well, today the real story is that someone with actual power and intelligence agrees with me. Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts. He issued a statement saying, quote, "State taxpayers should not be providing special treatment to an individual who supports violent jihad and the destruction of Israel. For him to lecture Americans about tolerance and violence is propaganda, pure and simple."

Thank you, Mitt Romney. Finally someone besides a radio talk show -- a clown basically saying what the rest of America is thinking. If you want to know the truth, don`t listen to Harvard which calls the speech quote, "a free exchange of ideas."

Listen to what Mitt Romney who says that Khatami is nothing more, quote, "than a wolf in sheep`s clothing," end quote. A wolf that we are allowing to walk right into the hen house. Mitt Romney be on my radio program tomorrow morning to talk about this, and we`ll of course keep our eye on the rest of the Khatami visit and update you as things develop.

While we`re on the topic of Iran one of the big headlines today is that the president is in the midst of a series of speeches regarding the war on terror including one yesterday to the Military Officer`s Association.

Most of the headlines today focus on the timing of the speech, just days prior to the fifth anniversary of September 11th. Unfortunately by focusing on the politics of when the speech occurred, all the journalists, thus you also, are missing the what, and that`s the real story.

Yesterday`s speech was remarkable. Because for the very first time the president used the terrorist`s own words to illustrate their intentions. We don`t have to guess what their plans are. They`re telling us. So what are the plans?

Well, first and foremost they`re working to establish a caliphate. Listen to this, please. The caliphate is a concept of a one world government -- sound familiar -- that begins with the unified Middle East governed by an extreme Islamic law. But the real key is how the caliphate ties into the war on terror. Listen to the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: They`ve made clear that the most important front in their struggle against America is Iraq. The nation bin Laden has declared the capital of the caliphate. Hear the words of bin Laden. "I now address the whole Islamic nation. Listen and understand. The most serious issue today for the whole world is this third world war that`s raging in Iraq."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: When the leader of your enemy tells you that this is World War III and that the central front of the war is in Iraq, you don`t cut and run. If you leave, you lose. Not just in Iraq, not just the whole Middle East. But World War III and the result will be exactly what they`ve been planning all along. A caliphate. A united Islamic state that would rival the greatest superpowers the world has ever known based squarely in the home of ancient Babylon. You do the math.

A few weeks ago I brought you a story about Kalie McArthur (ph). She`s a young mentally disabled girl who was sexually abused by her peer counselor in the stairwell of her school.

We spent a lot of time talking about the case and tonight we`re continuing to follow it with the real story, and that`s unfortunately this isn`t an isolated incident. It is something that happens far more than we want to believe, oftentimes in small little farm communities where everybody just sweeps this stuff up underneath the rug.

And in this case there`s a story of a 17-year-old special needs student from Alabama. She has an IQ of 49. She was sexually assaulted by the coach at the school until a TV viewer who was personally involved brought this story to us it had received virtually no attention.

So we investigated it. And in this month of my magazine "Fusion" we told the whole story, and it led us in a direction we never really expected.

This story really is about how we`re failing to protect the weakest among us. Just hours after the alleged assault, the young girl told her story to three different teachers. They were all special ed teachers. They did nothing.

Two days later after they did nothing the girl finally got up the courage to go to her mother. Told her mom. Both mom and child went to the school to the principal with the same allegations. Nothing. Nothing happened. Then they went to the police.

When the police arrived at the school, all four educators were arrested. Teachers each found guilty of failure to report a crime and sentenced to, get this, 40 whole hours of community service and $100 fine.

The principal was acquitted of all charges. Now, Randi Clark, is the girl`s aunt and Dana Gantry is the family`s attorney. Guys, first of all, I don`t want to spend time on the coach. He`s been indicted on a felony charge, but this is really about the school and the teachers, isn`t it?

DANA GANTRY, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY, Absolutely. It`s definitely about the school and the teachers and their just absolute lack of responsibility toward this child.

BECK: Right, and the teachers -- it`s my understanding at least according to our own magazine here, they were trying to put a guilt trip on your niece?

RANDI CLARK, AUNT OF GIRL: : That`s correct. They did do that.

BECK: In what way? How did you mean that?

CLARK: I mean with retaliation against her since she`s gone back to school. Retaliation as far as her being in a class and having to take care of children that are in wheelchairs, that are in hospital beds, and when I say take care of, I mean feed, clean up after, clean up dishes, mop the floor, vacuum the floor instead of being in curricular classes.

BECK: All right. Dana, help me out on this. The district attorney or the assistant district attorney is quoted in "Fusion" as saying this, quote, "there seems to be a level of cover-up at the school. I think it`s clear that the teachers tried to cover it up to assist Mr. Moore. They did nothing to help the victim."

What was the cover up?

GANTRY: Well, I think that the issue, Glenn, at that point in time was probably just trying to cover up the actions of one of their fellow coworkers. I want everybody to understand we have I think the finest district attorney here in Russell County, Alabama anywhere across the country. He`s a wonderful man and a wonderful prosecutor and I think he`s going to attempt to see to it that justice is served in the case.

But the school board is still -- this child is still not matriculating through school. This child is still being held back, she`s still not in any type of core class, she was pulled out of this special needs program last year when this incident occurred, was not allowed to matriculate last year, is not in a program this year at this part of this year where she`s matriculating, and that`s just absolutely deplorable.

BECK: This is not a civil suit, you`re not looking for many or anything. What are you looking for in the lawsuit?

GANTRY: Well, at this point in time there`s no civil suit that`s been filed. I`ve been asked by the family to simply try to straighten out this little girl`s educational situation. They want this little girl to matriculate as best as she can and to have the same opportunities to do the best that she can do with her situation. And to be able to go along in school as if this incident never occurred, and it seems like since this incident`s occurred, the school`s not done anything but retaliate against this young child.

BECK: It doesn`t sound like -- In the article it doesn`t sound like this is the kind of district that does anything. This is, correct me if I`m wrong, this is the seventh teacher in the last year that`s been arrested for some sort of allegation of crime?

GANTRY: That`s my understanding. I`d have to refer any of that to the district attorney`s office. That is my understanding, and I want to make it clear I`m not saying at this point in time that there`s not a civil suit. That is just not been filed right now at this point in time. We`re still awaiting the trial of the coach who actually perpetrated the crime. We`re just not at liberty to say at this point.

BECK: Randi, real quick, we have to break but how is your niece?

CLARK: Sure.

BECK: How is she?

CLARK: She`s very hurt. She`s very upset. And very untrusting of adults.

BECK: Thanks, guys.

CLARK: She expected these teachers to help her.

BECK: As I think we all would. That is the real story tonight. We`ll follow it up.

Now, if you would like to read the article in "Fusion" magazine, on this case, you can do it for free, or if you`ve found a real story of your own that you would like to tell us about, please visit glennbeck.com/realstory. There you`re going to find the archive of the stories that we`ve covered along with a form to submit your ideas directly to us.

This Monday, September 11th, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, CNN Pipeline will play CNN`s original coverage uncut, unedited, as it happened live on CNN five years ago. To find it, log on to cnn.com.

RICHELLE CAREY, CNN HN ANCHOR: Hello, I`m Richelle Carey with your "Headline Prime" news break. A new Senate intelligence report said Saddam Hussein saw al Qaeda as a threat, not an ally. Republicans say that`s nothing new but Democrats called it a devastating indictment of the Bush administration`s attempt to mislead Americans into believing Saddam was linked to al Qaeda.

Authorities believe they`re closing in on a fugitive accused of killing a New York State trooper and wounding two others. Dozens of law enforcement officials have surrounded an area near the New York/Pennsylvania state line. The military says the U.S. Air Force major who disappeared earlier this week in Kyrgyzstan is alive. Major Jill Metzger was found in the capital of the central Asian nation.

And the Red Cross has been fined $4.2 million for failing to fully comply with blood safety laws. It comes from a recent FDA review of Red Cross recalls between 2003 and 2005. That`s the news now. Keep it here. Thanks for watching. I`m Richelle Carey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, in her long and distinguished film career, actress and children`s book author Jamie Lee Curtis has seen it all. Whether it`s being terrorized in "Halloween," she switched bodies with Lindsay Lohan in "Freaky Friday," she had to strip down to her underpants for Arnold Schwarzenegger in "True Lies," nothing`s ever fazed her. That is until she met me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: You are terrified of me.

JAMIE LEE CURTIS, ACTRESS: I`m terrified of you simply because you have a doom`s day clock behind your head that the guests .

BECK: We`re four minutes away.

CURTIS: I understand.

BECK: This is a four-minute interview. This is the way you`re going to spend the last minutes of your life.

CURTIS: And then I can call home.

BECK: May not if it runs long.

CURTIS: I`ll leave before then.

BECK: So the new book you have is "Is There Really a Human Race?"

CURTIS: Which according to you there isn`t.

BECK: Not much longer.

CURTIS: Not much longer.

BECK: Tell me the reason for this or the point of this.

CURTIS: The reason for this is as simple as every book I`ve ever written which is the need of a child. My son asked me that question, that exact question. "Is there really a human race?" And he asked it with tears in his eyes. I don`t remember what happened. Somebody made fun of him at school. Somebody said something maybe he didn`t need fast enough.

BECK: What did he mean by that?

CURTIS: He meant is it a freakin` race, mom? Am I in a race and you didn`t tell me? I have a number on my back that I`m doing that no one bothered to mentioned that I`m in a race? And hearing the term the human race .

BECK: I`ll read the book, but what was the answer? Don`t -- spoiler it.

CURTIS: It`s not a spoiler. I was so moved by the question, and that it made what popped in my head right away was what I suggested as the marketing line for the book which is if you don`t ever ask the question you can never find the answer.

To me it was like he opened a door to something that I`d been dealing with my whole life which is competition. I`m insanely competitive.

BECK: I know. I have to tell you I`ve read a little bit about your life, and some pivot points in your live, and I`m in recovery as well.

CURTIS: Are you?

BECK: I have profound.

CURTIS: Dude.

BECK: Don`t use dude on my or I`ll snap. Doomsday.

CURTIS: Can I ask you a question about Mel?

BECK: About who?

CURTIS: Mel Gibson?

BECK: Yes.

CURTIS: Because for someone who`s in recovery and I`m in recovery ..

BECK: Don`t even have to ask the question. Bull crap. There is no - - were you going to say does that make you -- do you think -- the guy is clearly -- that`s not booze related? You think so?

CURTIS: I think we need to be compassionate.

BECK: I am compassionate.

CURTIS: We need to be compassionate to the disease and understand that. I was shocked at how many people would be so quick to just - to .

BECK: Come on. When you were at your wildest out of control .

CURTIS: I was never, I was the most controlled addict you ever met. Which is why it went on so long. No one new. No one knew. One friend of mine knew. One friend of mine called me on it. But my husband didn`t know. I was hidden. I would never, ever .

BECK: I think alcohol is just makes you more free to be who you already are. You know what I mean. It accentuates everything. If you have dark spaces, you pour alcohol and drugs, it just makes you more .

CURTIS: I felt like we missed a big point which was alcoholism. I think out of all of it what we forget is alcoholism.

BECK: My daughters, I look at the culture and society that we`re in, and I see how difficult it is for them to remain confident in just being a human being. Because society is just jamming down their throat you`ve got to look a certain way.

CURTIS: No.

BECK: No. I know.

CURTIS: No, you don`t have to wear a little mini skirt and thigh highs to be popular today? And sing songs about oral sex?

On a daily, hourly, however many times if I hear those songs on the radio another time? And I`m a liberal. You know.

I mean I can`t imagine what our little 10-year-old girls, and our 10 year old girls are getting their period now because they`re so over sexualized and over stimulated by the media, by music and what they`re hearing. And we`re talking about free radio. We`re talking about free radio. What`s happening?

BECK: I know. See, this is great. I`m conservative, you`re a flaming liberal .

CURTIS: You`re a conservative, and I came on your TV show? Where`s my press agent?

BECK: It`s hard to believe it, I know.

You`re tremendous.

CURTIS: You know why? Because you`re at least honest with who you are, and you have every right to believe what you believe. God bless you.

BECK: Good luck with your book.

CURTIS: I`ve got a smile on my face now.

BECK: I think she likes me now. All I had to say was I`m a drunk and she likes me.

CURTIS: You know why? It`s such a badge of honor to say that you have a problem and you`re willing to deal with it. I only wish our government could do it.

BECK: Oh, jeez.

CURTIS: I`m sorry. OK, go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Spending some time with Jamie Lee Curtis who I liked from the beginning and in the end she liked me as well. It got me thinking. First of all it boggles the mind how many Hollywood types are actually afraid of people like me because I`m an evil conservative. In fact, I`m actually convinced that Jessica Alba continues to turn down repeated invitations to come on this show. Jessica, the door is always open for you.

But you know what? Through this interview were discovered a surefire way to make Hollywood starlets like you. Who knew it would be this easy?

ANNOUNCER: Are you having problems scoring with the chicks? Then why not pick up a copy of the "Glenn Beck Guide to Scoring with the Chicks." Chapter one. Tell her you`re a drunk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I`m in recovery as well.

CURTIS: Are you? Dude.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The end.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Lots of hate mail about a conversation I had on the radio today about Steve Irwin.

Tara in Pennsylvania says Glenn, "Steve Irwin just died and you can`t rush to the radio to make light of it. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Tara, I wasn`t making light of the situation, it was tragic, it`s horrible, especially for the family. But Tara apparently isn`t the only person who missed that.

Vincent in Orlando wrote in, "Glenn, I listened to the radio show today and you have to help me out here. It sounded like you were trashing Steve Irwin. I love the show, so I know you`re not an idiot. What the hell were you talking about?"

All right. Vincent, here it goes. Most people are saying one of two things about Steve Irwin. Number one is, "This is way he would have wanted to go." Really? He wanted to die thousands of miles away from his family in a freak accident where a fish puts a dart in his chest right before his 45th birthday? Hmm. Well, let me go on record and say that`s not the way I want to go.

Have you ever seen "The Notebook"? There`s an exit plan. Lying in bed with my really wrinkly wife, right there in my arms at 325 years old. I personally would like about 60 percent less Alzheimer`s, but that`s just me.

The phrase, "This is the way he would have wanted to go" -- come on, that`s something that people who are still alive say to make themselves feel better

On the other side are those saying the second thing. Of course he died. He was stupid. I`ve got news for you. Steve Irwin wasn`t stupid. But let me show you a little resume, video resume, actually. There he is.

There is the snake bite to the face and the croc biting off his hand. For some reason they`re in slow motion. I don`t know why. Then the snake bite to the face again, then the boar warthog thing that`s eating a knee.

Look, the guy new he was putting himself in constant danger. It is literally his entire job description. He was filming a documentary called "The Ocean`s Deadliest." He knew the risks. He weighed them. And then he went ahead anyway. He lived to build a sanctuary for these animals and he`ll be remembered for believing in protecting animals more than protecting himself.

Or at least he believed in protecting animals when he wasn`t occasionally stopping by to wrestle them on camera which isn`t really the way I would protect them but, hey, I`m not an animal expert, I`m just a thinker.

You can hate mail me now at glennbeck@cnn.com or you could, I guess, just sit back and think really hard about it and maybe I`ll hear you telepathically. After all, it`s the way Steve would have wanted it. Really.

END