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Glenn Beck

Are We Too P.C. Over Islam?; Did Terrell Owens Attempt Suicide?

Aired September 27, 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: Coming up, why I am mad as hell and I`m just not going to take it anymore. Just a little hint. It has something to do with political correctness and Islam.
Plus the latest on the Terrell Owens story. Did the all-star wide receiver really try to kill himself? That`s next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is sponsored by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We may be 0-3, but hey, at least we`re not killing ourselves over it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I just want to warn you. I`m all fired up tonight.

A renowned opera house in Berlin has canceled a production of a Mozart opera because they were afraid to offend Muslims. Apparently, there`s a scene in this version of the opera which features a king carrying the heads of Jesus, Buddha, and the Prophet Mohammed. Wow, that sounds good.

Now here`s why it was canceled. The Germans really aren`t worried about offending, you know, the Buddhists or the Christians. No, no, no. They`re just worried about the Muslims. All over the world we`re fricking retreating, and it has to stop now.

Here is tonight`s point. I can see the future, and here`s what it looks like: we are going to lose this war unless you are as sick and tired as I am of being called a hate monger.

Here`s how I got there. You can`t even mention Mohammed in a knock- knock joke. Not that I have a good one or anything. But you can`t without getting burned in effigy. But Jesus? Oh, he`s fair game.

For example, remember the singer Charlotte Church? When she was a teenager, she was a nice girl. She had a cute little song called "Blessed Jesus". Well, I think she`s trying to change her image. She`s now got a new talk show in England, and here are just some highlights from the first episode.

First she called the president, President Bush, a four-letter word that I can`t mention on our air. She said the pope was a Nazi. She stuck a wad of chewing gum on a statue of baby Jesus. And then she dressed up like a nun while pretending to eat Ecstasy-covered communion wavers and act all high. And that`s great.

So just to sum up here, Christ bashing on TV, oh, that`s fine. But Mozart? An opera in Germany with Mohammed in it? Oh, no, not so much.

I am sick and tired of everybody else`s little complaints about how offended they are. I am sick of everybody being a loving, non-racist person except for me. I am really sick of everybody else`s religion being off limits except for mine. I`m sick of being called a hate monger.

I am mad as hell, and I ain`t going to take it anymore! And I know that sounds a lot like the movie "Network", because it is. But until everybody opens up their window and screams it at the top of their lungs, nothing`s going to change.

The small part of this story is that political correctness is going to cripple our children. If they`re not able to handle someone saying something bad about their religion, what the hell are they going to be like when they enter the business world?

The bigger part of this story is that, by continually buckling under pressure, we are killing ourselves. They complain about a cartoon, and we retreat. The pope makes a speech, and we retreat. They complain about an opera; we retreat a little more. Pretty soon we`re going to be backed up right against the wall. And you know when your back is against the wall, you know what happens? Yes, usually, you`re facing a firing squad.

We have made too many compromises and too many retreats already. Not again. The line has to be drawn.

But how is it? How is it that I have to apologize -- oh, and they`ll be pounding on my door to make me apologize for this monologue. But yet nobody gets pissed off -- in fact, the media doesn`t even bother to cover something like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking foreign language)

GRAPHIC: We have ruled the world before, and by Allah, the day will come when we will rule the entire world again. The day will come when we will rule America. The day will come when we will rule Britain and the entire world, except for the Jews.

The Jews will not enjoy a life of tranquility under our rule, because they are treacherous by nature, as they have been throughout history. The day will come when everything will be relieved of the Jews, even the stones and trees which were harmed by them. Listen to the Prophet Mohammed, who tells you about the evil end that awaits the Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I am mad as hell, and I`m not going to take it anymore.

Don`t tell me that this war is about what we`re doing over in Iraq. Bull crap. You know it and I know it. Look at the words. Listen to what they`re saying.

Here`s what I know tonight. I have absolutely no desire to offend anybody about their religion. We can all live together. But we are in a fight for our lives here. I refuse to listen to a group of people who say that we`re offending them and yet they make speeches like that one that you just saw. They kidnap journalists. They behead prisoners. They blow up school buses. I don`t give a flying crap if I offend those Muslims.

But by the same token I also know that when good, moderate Muslims reached across the table, speak out about terrorism and smearing of other religions and then back it up with action, which is apparently missing too much in our society, well, you know what? Then we can talk about the Mohammed cartoons. And we`ll all have a big hug and we`ll share a Coke and sing "Kumbaya" on a mountain top. Won`t that be fun? But until that happens, sit down, shut up.

Here`s what I don`t know. Why is it OK to bash other religions every two seconds? I just saw it. Anybody see "Studio 60"? Just saw it. Nobody sets fire to anything. They`re bashing Jesus and Christians. But boy, everybody walks on eggshells the minute you say anything about Islam.

Ibrahim Ramey, he is from the Muslim American Society`s Freedom Foundation.

Ibrahim, I`ve got to tell you, I`m at the end of my rope on this. Tell me your perspective, sir, as a Muslim.

IBRAHIM RAMEY, MUSLIM AMERICAN SOCIETY`S FREEDOM FOUNDATION: Well, my perspective, first of all, in the name of God, most beneficent, most merciful, thank you for your invitation to be here.

My perspective is that we all ought to be trying to not look at political correctness but moral correctness. It is wrong to bash a person`s religion. It`s equally wrong to respond violently.

What I`d also like to say, just as a point of information is that Islam is the only non-Christian religion that reveres Jesus as a messenger of God. And we certainly would not ever think of reciprocal action against Christians in any way that defames Jesus. Nor would we sanction the defamation of anyone`s religion in the name of a political agenda. It`s simply wrong, as is the violent reaction that we`ve seen on occasion from that.

BECK: OK. I know that -- I appreciate your attitude. But I know that there are a lot of people that are watching right now, and they`re saying, "What the hell is he even talking about?"

I`m asking you, sir, about the reaction to the threats that are made, the language -- the pope makes a speech where he says -- you know, did you read the pope`s speech, sir?

RAMEY: Yes, I did.

BECK: OK. What was his point?

RAMEY: He made several points. The first was an inaccurate -- mischaracterization of Islam that I don`t think was done in a malicious way. The second point I think was that religious violence is wrong. And on the second point we are in total agreement.

BECK: His bigger point, sir, was that it was a slap against the west, saying we are becoming an irreligious society. And you can understand why people are upset because we`re not teaching it in schools, we`re saying, you know, you can`t be a man of faith and a scientist. That was his bigger point.

And yet you have people going out on the streets threatening his life and killing him. That`s the point, sir, is that I don`t understand who these people even are.

RAMEY: Well, understand that the gasoline of violence and war is simply igniting extremism all over the world. And certainly, the extremism of some Muslims is reprehensible.

BECK: Wait. You said the gasoline of what, sir?

RAMEY: The gasoline of violence.

BECK: Uh-huh.

RAMEY: Of the war and the continued war and the threat of more violence...

BECK: Please, sir...

RAMEY: Pushing extremism...

BECK: Please do not try to tell me that it is because of the war that this is going on. Sir, this has been happening -- Osama bin Laden said he was going to come and kill us all and slit our throats in the 1990s. Don`t talk to me about the war, sir.

This is an Islamic extremist -- there are fundamentalists who want to rule the world. You know it and I know it. You might be in denial. I am not.

RAMEY: I`m not in denial of anything, sir. But let me also say one other thing, and that is simply that extremism is not a viable option for anyone at any time in history.

And what I would propose to you and particularly to other criticism or to Christians listening to the broadcast is that now is the time to try to elevate the dialogue, not based upon some understanding of political correctness but rather on an understanding of moral correctness.

And that means that Muslims need to look at their response, but we also need to look at what`s being provoked -- what`s provoking the kind of response you`re seeing...

BECK: Sir, I completely agree with you if it wasn`t so insane. I completely agree with you. I have no desire -- I think it`s reprehensible to make fun of Jesus and everything else. I think it`s equally reprehensible to make fun of the Prophet Mohammed. However...

RAMEY: Peace be upon him.

BECK: What happens is -- what happens is you get to a point where you`re like me right now. I am so frustrated, because sure, it`s horrible to do those things. However, then they set the world on fire. And they`re using that. They`re using a politically incorrect cartoon to do that very thing.

RAMEY: I don`t believe that the United States of America, given its prestige, its history, its technology, its prowess in so many ways, is going to be set on fire by anyone.

BECK: Oh, you...

RAMEY: But let me also -- let me also say that there are nine million Muslims roughly in the United States of America that are not pursuing a violent extremist agenda. And as a matter of fact, the Muslim American Society has been encouraging people to become more civically involved in voting and youth service and...

BECK: Sir, I appreciate it. I`m out of time. I appreciate everything you`re doing. I would like to see a few more Muslims pick up a gun and go fight for our side. Thank you very much for your time.

Coming up, Terrell Owens, he is back...

RAMEY: War is not the answer.

BECK: Of course war is not the answer, he says.

Back in the news, an apparent suicide attempt. The cause maybe?

And a loophole in the Constitution. Illegal immigrants are jumping right through it. We`ll talk to a congressman who`s trying to close it. Also, one community is up in arms about an energy drink with a bit of a drug connection. I can`t imagine why that`s a problem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Self-hating egomaniac. That`s what our problem is with our whole country. We`re self-hating ego maniacs. We`re the greatest country on the earth. We`re wrong. Who are we to say that we -- we`re the greatest country on the earth. Why should we say what the rest of -- shut up. Self-hating egomaniacs. Look how great we are. So many bad mistakes. We beat our chest.

That`s what Terrell Owens does. He beats his chest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right. Fantasy football players everywhere stunned this morning to learn that -- the news that Dallas Cowboys all-pro wide receiver Terrell Owens rushed to a hospital. Initial reports suggested it was an attempted suicide.

Terrell himself had a press conference this afternoon, and here`s what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRELL OWENS, DALLAS COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVER: There was no suicide attempt. I think it`s absurd. You know, I don`t think I would be here if I had taken 35 pills.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: So while the sports world is all up in arms on what`s true and what isn`t, you kind of have to consider the history of this guy, whose career has been marked by several odd incidences. Kind of just a bad track record off the field in Philadelphia.

What`s the real story here? Terrell Owens, is he depressed? In need of some serious help? Or was this just really an accident with vitamin supplements being misplaced with painkillers?

ESPN`s "SportsCenter" anchor Kenny Mayne. He`s on the phone with us now.

Kenny, you saw the press conference. Which is it? Was this a mistake, or is this -- was this a suicide attempt?

KENNY MAYNE, ANCHOR, ESPN`S "SPORTSCENTER": Well, I`m certainly -- should preface it by saying I`m not an expert on all that. But I buy what he`s saying. I don`t see him as the suicidal figure that -- it was pretty shocking to hear the news when it was first reported that Terrell Owens may have committed -- or tried to commit suicide. It just doesn`t fit.

He`s gone through some issues, but it`s not a guy that you would paint as suicidal. From my viewpoint and the little I know him.

BECK: Yes, you know, I`m not a sports fan, really, but I lived in Philadelphia for a while, and this guy -- I mean, one reason why I think it could fit is the people I know, and I say this from experience because, you know, I`m a recovering alcoholic and had bouts with suicide.

But the more egotistical, the ruder you are to people, it`s usually because you`re afraid inside and you`re all screwed up inside.

You know him personally?

MAYNE: I mean, we shot some stories with him. Every time I`ve done so. With the exception of one. Remember when he signed the football at Seattle? I did a somewhat more serious interview on that incidence.

But the other time we did these little parodies for the NFL show, and he`s been the star of them a few times. And we always got along famously with him. I mean, he was fun to be around. You know, he`s not the most sophisticated guy as far as dealing with the media.

Maybe sometimes he says things and doesn`t think it through, you know, the impact, and he acts out against teammates or has his disputes with coaches and whatever. So he`s gone through some of these situations where he`s looked at from a public relations perspective.

But down deep I think he`s an OK guy, and again, I`m speaking from a great distance away. And I`m no expert on mental illness, but I wouldn`t have painted him as a guy who was subject to that.

BECK: So here is a guy who really left a really bad taste in people`s mouths up in Philadelphia. He goes to another team, and now this happens. When he goes back to his teammates, he says he`s ready to play on Sunday. His teammates, how do you think they`re going to process all of this?

MAYNE: Well, I think early on the season Tom Jackson from our countdown show, he wouldn`t have predicted this, but he kind of promised something will happen. He`s sort of -- unstable, I don`t know if that`s the right word. Just a guy that is going to pop off at the wrong time, and it`s happened time and again.

BECK: Absolutely.

MAYNE: And all that said, I still root for him. I think he`s a good guy down deep but he`s just -- who knows? Sometimes people are very talented but still kind of insecure. And they do worry about what`s written about them or what`s spoken about them. Maybe that`s his thing. Like everything we say, we have to always, you know, throw in the caveat we`re not psychologists here. I`m guessing.

BECK: Yes. His -- his publicist said in the press conference that he had 25 million reasons to stay alive. Money motivate this guy?

MAYNE: No, I think he`s more -- he`s less motivated by money, although a lot of the top players want to make sure that everybody knows they`re the best, and some people use the measuring stick of who gets paid what.

But I think he`s more motivated by performance and being on a winning team. Like at San Francisco he used to get in disputes with his quarterback and offensive coach about not getting the ball enough.

And I always took him at his word that it wasn`t he`s so selfish, he wants the team to do well. And he thinks he`s that good, so he`s being excluded to the team`s detriment. That`s how it was at Philadelphia, as well.

BECK: Kenny, thanks for the perspective. Appreciate it.

MAYNE: OK.

BECK: You bet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Thursday night, Glenn throws out the first pitch at an Angels game. Just one problem: he throws like a girl.

BECK: It`s a fricking nightmare, man.

PETE ROSE, FORMER BASEBALL PLAYER: It could be worse. They could make you sing the national anthem.

ANNOUNCER: Pete Rose has some free advice on this week`s free podcast, "Ask Glenn". Download it on iTunes or at CNN.com/Glenn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Every day you can hear my radio program on stations all across the country, including 560 WGAN in Portland, Maine. And by the way, if you can`t find an affiliate in your area, you can sign up and listen online at my web site, GlennBeck.com.

Roe Conn is in Chicago with WLS-890 AM.

Roe, did you -- did you hear the story at all today about the transfat ban that -- that is being proposed here in New York?

ROE CONN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yes, I did. As a matter of fact, they tried that here in Chicago a number of months ago. You know, we love to ban food in Chicago.

BECK: Right.

CONN: We banned foie gras. We were going to ban transfats. And you know, transfats are French fries. They are donuts. They are everything you like to eat, Glenn.

BECK: Pie. Pie has transfats in them. I have to tell you, it makes me want to have more transfats just looking at these great pictures.

CONN: Well, how is it possible that in New York you would ban French fries? There are 26,000 restaurants in New York. There are something like 12,000 restaurants here. How do you -- how do you enforce that? Are there enough police to actually do that? I don`t think so.

BECK: The real problem is -- by the way, also looking at the donuts there. I want to take -- I`m working on this. I want to take a donut, cut it, then take a big piece of meat, some Velveeta, and French fries, and a donut top. I`m not a -- I`m not a food scientist, but I am a thinker. That`s how much I want the transfats.

CONN: If I vomit during this segment, I apologize.

BECK: No, come on. I mean, that would be horrible for you, but it would be OK. I think I`m willing to experiment.

Here`s the -- here`s the problem that I see. It is -- I mean, it`s my right to eat, you know, McDonald`s French fries. And I love the way McDonald`s French fries are made.

CONN: Although they are not as good, Glenn, as they were before. Remember, they were using beef tallow in the French fries, and they were really, really, really good.

BECK: Roe, here`s what happened. If you saw the lawsuit out with the cigarette smokers who said, "Well, I thought these were light cigarettes. I`ve got to sue" -- you know what`s going to happen? People are going to sue McDonald`s because they`re going to say you weren`t using transfats. I thought these were the new healthy French fries.

CONN: These French fries are good for you. It`s healthy. Let`s talk about God as a movie producer here for just one second.

BECK: OK.

CONN: FOX, the same people who made Paris Hilton a household name and saved so many circus workers with "When Animals Attack" are going to give you a brand new studio, FOX Faith, which because of the success of "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Passion of the Christ" -- and "Passion of the Christ" made, I think, $750 million after costing under $100 million to make. They -- FOX smells the money. And so they want to do an entire studio dedicated to faith-based movies and programming.

And I can just see it now. I can see it now, "Eleven: The Lost Commandment". DMX as Moses. Can you see this? Are you with me, Glenn?

BECK: You know what? Can I tell you something? That`s what I`m most afraid of. I don`t think these guys have any clue. One Hollywood producer actually said they made "The Omen" because they knew how much people love Jesus movies. I`m thinking, they know -- they know that Damien`s playing for the other team, don`t they? They`re clueless.

Roe, thanks a lot.

CONN: Thanks, Glenn.

BECK: We`ll be back with "The Real Story" in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Welcome to "The Real Story".

And you know, a big part of what we try to do in this segment every day is to find the stories that the media has either missed or decided to spin into something misleading.

And today, I`ve got an unbelievable example of that media spin.

There`s a big story out today that references a very credible journal called "Nature," which claims that the Bush administration told the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to not publish a report that supposedly says global warming is making hurricanes stronger and more frequent. Of course, the media`s all over that story.

Take a look at just a few of the headlines that I found today. Here`s one. "Bush administration blocks report linking hurricanes to global warming." "Bush blocks global warming report." They go on, and on, and on, and on.

Here is the real story for you: If you actually read the story and not just the headline, you will see that the original reporter, who apparently has a journalism degree, unlike the headline writers, called NOAA and asked for a comment. NOAA`s spokesperson, who I could argue is a touch more credible than the "Nature" journal, said the report was actually just a two-page fact sheet that simply wasn`t ready in time to be included in the press kit.

He went on to say -- and I don`t know; this could be an important fact -- quote, "The White House never saw the report. They did not block it," end quote. The media knows that a lot of us only read the headlines, and they take advantage of that by writing them to be sensational and with whatever slant they think has the most appeal. So most of the time, if you only read the headlines, you`re only getting half the story and most likely never the real story.

Next, Senator John Warner has blocked an attempt by some prominent Republican senators to add a few illegal immigration provisions, like the 700-mile "just go around me" fence to a defense bill that is coming up to the Senate very, very soon, coming up for a vote. It is now looking more and more like, once again, no immigration bills are going to be voted on before the Senate is supposed to adjourn on October 6th.

By the way, is anybody looking into these guys` vacation schedules? You know they`re always complaining, "Oh, look at how long Bush`s vacation is." They had the entire month of August off. And now they`re going to adjourn in early October. Gee, how do you keep up with that hectic schedule, guys?

Anyway, the real story tonight is that, even if this bill were to pass and the fence magically appeared overnight, we`d still be stuck with a major roadblock and never really trying to fix the problem. It`s called the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.

That amendment, which was debated and ratified back in the 1860s, says that, quote, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States." Sounds simple enough, right? Until you consider that it was in the 1860s that the biggest thing on the mind of Congress at that time was slavery.

The Supreme Court back then had ruled that children of slaves could never become U.S. citizens, and Congress wanted to change that. Just a side note here, your honor. The infallible Supreme Court may have made a mistake? What? And Congress can fix that mistake? Wow. Maybe Congress should be using their little superpower a bit more often.

Now, 140 years after the amendment was ratified, it has nothing to do with the children of slaves anymore. Now it`s all about the children of illegal immigrants. "Oh, but, Glenn, they are slaves, you know?" Some estimates say that as many as 10 percent, or over 400,000, of all babies born in the U.S. each year are born to illegal immigrant parents.

The kids are sometimes called anchored babies because they can petition the government to make their parents citizens once they reach an age of 21, and that has led a lot of people to suspect that their parents conceived them just to get themselves citizenship.

In Los Angeles, nearly 100,000 children of illegal immigrants received free government aid this past January. Listen to this: That cost the city $23 million. Again, $23 million. That is one month in one city.

Aside from Canada and Mexico, the U.S. is one of the only modernized Western countries that allows for birthright citizenship. Try it in the U.K. or France or even Germany, and they say, "Yes, yes, yes, sure, bye- bye. Send me application, and we`ll get back to you on that."

Now, over the years, there has been a ton of attempts to change the 14th Amendment, but they`ve all failed because -- I mean, let`s play the P.C. cards face up -- no politician wants to be seen as hating newborns or, quite honestly, to be called a racist for helping repeal something that is so strongly associated with helping African-Africans.

But now another bill is under consideration in the House, and it has been gathering quite a bit of support. Representative Nathan Deal from Georgia is one of the bill`s co-sponsors, and he`s here with us.

I appreciate your efforts here, but honestly this bill has been sitting around for 18 months. What are the odds this thing`s actually going to be passed?

REP. NATHAN DEAL (R), GEORGIA: Well, obviously we have a ways to go. We have about 100 sponsors of the bill in the House. It`s a matter of educating, I think, not only the members of Congress, but also the public, as to what this issue is.

BECK: Yes, I don`t think people really understand. I mean, if you live down south, you do know what`s going on. There`s a story actually out of Starr County, Texas, where a hospital doctor has said immigrants want a U.S.-born baby. The word is out. Come to star country and get delivered for free.

Why would you spend $1,000 having a baby in Mexico when you can have one for free here in the United States?

DEAL: Well, that`s true. You know, it`s been estimated that the cost of illegal immigration is in excess of $10.4 billion a year. A good part of that is paying for the births of children to illegal immigrants in this country.

When you consider that we`re now told that one out of every 10 births in this country is to an illegal immigrant, and in my state of Georgia the cost for a non-cesarean is over $2,700, that adds up in a hurry.

BECK: Are you following the story? I saw a story in the "Los Angeles Times" that said, in South Korea, this is actually a business now, to where you can fly over to the United States, have your baby. They have car service and everything else. They help you get the Social Security number for the child, and the reason why they`re doing it is because they don`t want their kids to have to serve in the South Korean military when they turn 18.

Have you followed that story?

DEAL: Yes, I have followed that story some. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security in one of their publications indicated that there is an entire travel industry associated with trying to make sure that a pregnant woman can deliver her baby on United States soil. There are clinics that are cooperating in that effort, too, so it is getting to be a huge problem.

BECK: So, Congressman, I mean, I just want to prepare you for what`s coming. And so let me ask you the standard media question: Do you just hate babies? Or are you a racist?

DEAL: Neither one. As a father of four children and a grandfather of six children, I certainly do not hate babies. I love babies.

BECK: Yes, but you know you`re going to face this. I mean, you try to change the 14th Amendment. They`re going to say that you`re a racist. This is not what Congress intended the 14th Amendment to be used for in the 1800s.

DEAL: It is definitely not. The 14th Amendment was intended to try to clarify the issue of whether former slaves are citizens of the United States. What it has been used for now is to create a situation that is making us very unique in the world community.

Now, there are only 36 countries in the entire world now that grant birthright citizenship: the United States, Cuba, El Salvador, and we are in a very distinct minority. There are 122, none of Europe, Israel, Japan, none of those grant birthright citizenship.

BECK: So, Congressman, you know, I just have lost my faith in Congress actually doing anything on this. I think there`s a conspiracy, quite honestly, going on of trying to make us kind of the European Union. How many people are really ready to fix this in the members of Congress?

DEAL: Well, I think we have a ways to go, as I indicated earlier. And we`re continuing to do that. We`re gaining co-sponsors virtually every week, and that`s a good sign. But we don`t have enough time, obviously, in this Congress to get it done, but I`m going to try again next Congress if I`m back.

BECK: Thank you very much. Appreciate it, Congressman. That is "The Real Story" tonight. And if you`d like to read more about this or if you found a real story of your own, please tell us about it. Visit glennbeck.com. Click on "The Real Story" button.

All right, let`s go "Straight to the Hill" with Erica Hill, the anchor of "PRIME NEWS" on Headline News. Hello, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hello, Glenn.

BECK: Last night, Larry King had Anna Nicole Smith`s, well, lawyer -- I was going to say...

HILL: Right.

BECK: ... you know, the one that`s taking advantage, apparently, of attorney-client privileges, if you will.

HILL: Oh.

BECK: And he said what exactly?

HILL: He said, Howard K. Stern, who is Anna Nicole Smith`s attorney and friend, said last night he is actually the father of her newborn daughter. There`s been a lot of question about who the father is. She wasn`t talking about it. Recently, another photojournalist came out and said, "Hey, it`s me." And last night on "LARRY KING LIVE," he said, "No, I`m the guy."

BECK: OK, may I ask an honest question? And you`re a journalist, so I don`t know if you can answer this question.

HILL: Yes, Glenn?

BECK: Will you try?

HILL: I will try.

BECK: OK. Do you even care who the father is of her child? Do you think America cares?

HILL: You know, I`m not sure.

BECK: Yes, it`s a journalist...

(CROSSTALK)

HILL: And as for why America cares, I believe that America has sort of this odd fascination with celebrities.

BECK: I don`t think she`s even a celebrity, Erica. Thanks. Back in a flash.

HILL: See you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I remember telling you at the time of the smoking ban, you know, I like it, but only because I`m selfish. We should let the market figure it out, but when has the market ever worked anything out? We need socialism.

I`ve got to go to restaurants where I`m guaranteed to not smell anything I like, not guaranteed because, you know, the market worked it out. It said, "Boy, I bet there`s a lot of people that wouldn`t like to smell smoke, so I`ll make this a no-smoking restaurant." I want it because the government stepped in, because they know better than us.

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BECK: Coming up with a new name for a new product is one of the hardest things to do. Businesses spend millions of dollars on focus groups, and studies, and experts, just to come up with the right word or the right phrase.

For instance, this show spent something like five (INAUDIBLE) dollars coming up with the name of this program. Ha, ha, ha, yes. So when a new energy drink decides to call itself something ridiculously stupid, like Cocaine, you`ve got to wonder: Were they just trying to create some controversy and media attention so they could get a boob like me to hold up their stupid can on television and give them some free advertising? Yes, probably.

For the record -- and much to the disappointment of a lot of recovering alcoholic primetime cable talk show hosts -- the drink doesn`t actually contain real cocaine, but it does have 280 milligrams of caffeine per serving. That is three times more than a double espresso, so including a class-A narcotic might not even be necessary.

Najee Ali, he is a community activist who`s organizing a national boycott against the Cocaine drink. Najee, the guy who is the founder of this company says, "Oh, please, kids already know about cocaine, so what`s the difference?"

NAJEE ALI, DIRECTOR, PROJECT ISLAMIC HOPE: Well, Glenn, right now we`re having a war against drugs here in the United States, and certainly cocaine is a killer. It`s devastated numerous families across America, ranging from President Bush`s own family to many poor families in South Central L.A. where I live and work out. So this is not just a black problem; this is a national problem that cocaine has devastated and destroyed lives.

BECK: Hold on. Why do you say this isn`t just a black problem? I mean, is that the target? Is this a black-targeted product?

ALI: Well, cocaine has destroyed many lives in the communities of South Central, where I live and work at, and many residents are outraged. But what we`re trying to say is that cocaine has destroyed and transcended other lives also, so we want to make sure that the community knows that it affects all of society, not just one segment. And that`s why this energy drink is so dangerous.

BECK: Yes, I have to tell you, I`m a recovering alcoholic and former drug user. And I used cocaine, and it was -- I mean, it`s a horrible, horrible drug that, if I wasn`t just -- if I was more stupid than I am, I`d be dead right now because of it.

So the product is called Cocaine, and they obviously called it that for a reason. And let me play devil`s advocate with you. Aren`t you playing into exactly what they want? They want somebody to stand up and say, "This is an outrage," because then people will do what we`re doing right now.

ALI: No, not at all. In fact, I want to thank you for your courage and your conviction from beating cocaine and doing what you`re doing now. But more importantly, you`re giving us the platform to help shut this guy down.

And we`re also going to be calling for the stores to not carry the drink, because, in fact, we`re going to boycott the stores, also. So this person who created the energy drink will not have a platform to sell this drink once we get through with him, Glenn.

BECK: OK. But, again, the question really is: Aren`t you giving him what he wants? I mean, if anybody would like to protest this show, please. I mean, I`ll send a bus for you. You can picket in front of the Time Warner center. That only really helps people because the media pays attention to it.

So what is the balance here on making sure that you`re not just giving this company publicity?

ALI: Well, obviously, it gets free publicity, but it also helps us get our message out. You`re giving us a national platform to organize against him, where eventually we`ll be successful in shutting the drink down, and that`s why we`re glad you`re talking about this.

BECK: So have you seen -- they claim that there`s some sort of, quote, "throat-numbing ingredient" in the product, and yet they don`t mention what that secret ingredient is. Do you know what`s in this stuff? I mean, it`s pretty potent stuff.

ALI: Well, actually, we don`t. And, in fact, that`s caused us some concern, and we think the FDA should get involved to make sure they investigate to what that ingredient actually is. And certainly the drink itself is unhealthy for anyone to drink.

BECK: Najee, thank you very much. I appreciate it. I`ve heard a lot of stories about you, that you`re a big community activist in your area. And appreciate all the hard work on this. Thank you very much.

Now, you know, this drink is going to be gone before you know it, before it`ll ever catch on, but if it does catch on, I mean, there are probably going to be some competitors trying to get into the act. Don`t you think?

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ANNOUNCER: If you`re wound up and need to come down but quick, then it`s time to try the new soft drink that`s taking the nation by storm. Introducing Heroin, made with real turkey breast and just a sprinkle of Carson Daly. And if you have kids who are just bouncing off the walls, then why not try Heroin, Jr.? Now with twice the tryptophan. Drink Heroin today, and sleep all your troubles away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: You know, when I started this show about 20 weeks ago, there were a lot of doubters and, to be honest with you, I was really one of them. But in the short amount of time that we have been on the air, our audience has exploded. In our 7:00 p.m. hour alone, our ratings are up an amazing 99 percent since our launch last May, and you are responsible for that.

I want to thank you for inviting me into your home every night and for telling your friends about this show. I really do appreciate it, almost, almost as much as I question your judgment. I mean, you know, there`s a lot of things on television you could be watching right now.

So with all the new viewers, I wanted to take a moment to profile one individual who has taken the time to really become interactive with this program. His name is Charles. I mean, that`s what he says his name is. His name, however, is the same as an 18th-century religious leader, so I`m betting it`s an alias.

The reason Charles stands out is because he has sent us 151 e-mails since last Thursday. Not kidding you. We`ve been getting them approximately at that pace since the day we came on the air. For a while, we thought he was just some sort of computer thing that was spitting out random words, but he`s become so much more than that.

So with all the effort, I thought we should at least feature some of his intriguing insight. All of these e-mails have arrived in all-capital letters, with the entire message in the subject line. Here are a few of them. "Anyone who defies Oprah will be punished universally." "Is global golf racist in Ireland? Probably." "Four to seven is over eight is on now live, code, four plus four equals eight, not six."

OK, Charles -- oh, there`s more. Hang on. We have this one. "If I were America, I would hold Catholic priests responsible for the color realm." "We put a little pig oil in everything here in America." "At least `American Idol` votes are not rigged like Irish global golf yellow dances."

You know, I don`t think we have really spent enough time talking about the fixed Irish global golf dances, Charles.

"I bet Bush doesn`t have Bruce Lee Google the universe." "Slavery probably exists with mice." "You need friends." Yes, I need friends. Right. Sure, Charles, that`s the one who needs friends. We`ll see you tomorrow from Los Angeles.

END