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Glenn Beck

Is Hillary Clinton Spreading Rumors about Senator Obama?

Aired January 19, 2007 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

GLENN BECK, CNN ANCHOR: Question tonight, is the Clinton camp already doing some underhanded Obama bashing. If not, who is?
And why on earth would Shawn Hornbeck`s parents allow him to face the media spotlight, Oprah Winfrey, so soon? All that, and more coming up.

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is brought to you by Presidential Exploratory Committees-R-Us, if you enjoy playing make believe or just need to raise a few million dollars, come on by because everyone`s welcome at Presidential Exploratory Committees-R-Us.

BECK: I can`t believe it, we are still nearly two years away from the presidential `08 election and gloves have already come off. The candidates are getting ready to rumble. There is a blog report out today.

Now, I saw this on FOX News this morning and it is an outrageous claim that Barack Obama spent at least four years studying at a madrassa, which is a Muslim seminary in Indonesia. The report goes on to suggest that the information was leaked by a political opponent within the Democratic Party. I wonder if the name rhymes with Killery Hinton.

It`s widely known that most madrassas are funded by Saudi Arabia. Experts agree that the variety of Islam taught in these Muslim schools is Wahhadism. This is the most radical, extreme and anti-American form.

Before I go any further, it was a little misleading the report I heard today. I want to be very, very clear. The source of this story is a conservative blog. So, the odds of this being true pretty darn close to zero.

Here`s the point tonight. There is no confirmation, no evidence, nothing, that Barack Obama attended a madrassa. We contacted his office for a definitive answer. We were told, no comment.

However, what is confirmed by this report is just how dirty the political candidates -- on both sides -- are prepared to play. I can`t help but get the feeling, and I`m not connecting it to this story, but if you live in Chappaqua, New York, and you hear a strange grinding noise coming from the Clinton estate, it could be Hillary Clinton sharpening her knives in the basement.

Here`s how I got there. You know, I have my doubts about Barack Obama`s qualifications to be president. I just don`t see it, at least not now, anyway. And I`m a conservative and he`s a liberal.

But to his credit, Barack has been very forthcoming about his past. He`s talked about that he tried pot and cocaine -- and he went a step further and said, he did inhale. Good for you. And thank you for telling us the truth and telling us first.

In today`s political climate, it`s wise to air your dirty laundry before anybody else does. But the decision to release this absolutely unsubstantiated claim that Barack lied about his past, to imply somehow or another that he`s been indoctrinated in radical Muslim ideals, is not only irresponsible, but it reeks of desperation.

Now, who`s that desperate? You know, no matter who leaked this statement, Democrats? A Republican? A yeti? The Tooth Fairy? I don`t know. There are a few characters out there that have a lot to gain. And there is no one with more to gain than Hillary Clinton.

Now, I am not in any way saying she released this. Remember, it came from a conservative blog, but if her campaign did smear Obama, then they have set a new high in low blows. Hillary is in old guard politics. I believe that`s the way she perceived and a sketchy move like this is even more dated than her hair style.

Maybe that`s why lifelong Clinton supporters are leaving her campaign like rats jumping off a ship. Three of her closest confidants have already defected to rival campaigns. Now, I knew that Hillary was a political animal when she didn`t throw Bill Clinton`s clothes out on the lawn of the White House after the Lewinsky scandal. I would have paid money to see that.

She made a deal, I believe, to run for the presidency. And she is playing all the angles to stay in the game. Write this down -- I`m predicting tonight Hillary Clinton will not be the Democratic nominee for president. I want you to know, I say write it down, so you can cross it out when I change my mind in about six months.

Even though I think that releasing this report about Barack Obama was dirty pool, now that it`s out, we have to deal with it. So, tonight, here`s what I know. Rumors are going to fly this campaign season, and it`s our responsibility as voters and Americans to separate that fact from fiction. Because this one report is on this one blog, does that make it true? No. Not even close to it.

But as a voter, now we have to investigate it. A candidate`s past should be reconciled with their present. What I don`t know is, how nasty can this race get? I mean, if this is the sign of things to come, this election will seem more like extreme fighting matches than any kind of democratic process. At least, it`s not on pay-per-view.

Larry Sabato is the director of Center of Politics in University of Virginia.

Larry, where do we even start on this one because we don`t even know if this is true or not. Who has the most to gain by leaking this report? Let`s start with just, let`s just start with Hillary Clinton. What does she have to gain by having something like this out?

LARRY SABATO, CNTR. FOR POLITICS, UNIV. OF VIRGINIA: Well, she has a lot to gain, but as you suggested, Glenn, so do a lot of other people. It`s like a murder mystery and you`ve got so many motives from so many people.

Hillary Clinton, obviously, is being challenged seriously by Barack Obama. He`s moved up to take the lead in New Hampshire. He`s very close to her in some other states. She`s not doing terribly well in Iowa, either. She would like to do some real damage to Obama because Obama, right now, is getting all the positive publicity and she isn`t.

BECK: What would you think the possibility would be that it would be leaked out and made to look like it came from Hillary Clinton, but it actually came from someone in the Republican Party? Is that possible?

SABATO: Of course it`s possible. We`re talking about politics here. You know, these people don`t read the Bible as much as they read Machiavelli`s "The Prince". So they have al motives. And remember the Republicans also fear Obama. They really do. They view him potentially as a stronger candidate in the fall than Hillary Clinton. They would like to take care of him, too.

BECK: OK, but the consequences of releasing something like this not having it be true -- or even releasing it, having it true but then, having it come back and traced back to you, doesn`t that do more damage than what would be done to Barack Obama?

SABATO: Of course, if it can be traced. These people are very good at making sure there are no fingerprints. They will contract it out through two or three intermediaries to a consultant. What do consultants do for a living? They claim they run campaigns. They actually orchestrate character assassination. It`s true on both sides of the fence.

BECK: Here`s the amazing thing. I don`t think the story themselves -- Barack Obama is very, very good. He has come forward with a lot of the stuff in his own life and answered it. And that`s very, very smart because you can`t have a card played against you if you were the one that played the card.

But really, in today`s world, isn`t it how you answer things and not necessarily what it was? If Barack Obama came and said, yeah, you know what, all of that stuff is true. And here`s what I learned from it, and it changed my opinion for the positive on America or whatever, he`s the kind of guy that can answer that, and make his weakness into a strength.

SABATO: Precisely. The most important thing to do is to disclose immediately everything and do not lie. The second thing you should do, Glenn, pardon me for mentioning another show, but Barack Obama or any other candidate should pretend to be a guest on "Oprah", telling a life story. And as you suggest, telling what they`ve learned from the mistakes they`ve made, Americans eat that up.

BECK: Now, let`s just assume for minute that this story is true with all the ramifications that it was a, you know, a Wahhabist kind of school. If that`s true, is it a fair question to go and ask him and say, what does that mean?

SABATO: Oh, absolutely. Look, if you want to be president of the United States and the most powerful person in the world, with the authority to destroy the rest of us, you had better be willing to answer any question about your background. You`d better believe that`s a legitimate question. I`d ask it myself.

BECK: Okay, Larry, thanks a lot.

SABATO: Thanks, Glenn.

BECK: Election is still a long way off but so far, you know -- you know next week that the Democrats are actually doing a nonbinding resolution against the president`s plan? I mean, all I keep hearing is how Bush is failing in Iraq. You`d think by now we`d hear about the plan for Iraq. Do they have a plan? If so, I`d like to hear it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The Democratic Party`s alternative solution to solving the problem in Iraq.

(VIDEO MONTAGE OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERS, SAYING NOTHING)

And that was the Democratic Party`s alternative solution to solving the problem in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Coming up, less than a week after Shawn Hornbeck was discovered alive after four years, his parents take him and put him on "Oprah." Not really sure this was parenting at its best. Did it do more harm than good?

Plus, speaking of harm, if you`re getting your news with a slant, wouldn`t you want to know that up front? I`ll tell where you I`m coming from every single night. I`m a conservative. Some guys don`t tell you that. The real story on media bias coming up.

And who`s a better driver, a man or a woman? Do you really have to ask? Come on, we know the answer. Actually, it may surprise you. Don`t miss it coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK (ON THE RADIO): Shawn Hornbeck was on "Oprah Winfrey" yesterday and I really want to know, who thinks this is a good idea? To put your son on the "Oprah Winfrey Show"? Would you put your son on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" less than a week after he comes home after being trapped in a house with some guy -- who most likely was using him as a sex slave?

The only way I could consider doing this is if I was thinking about putting a pool table in that boy`s room. And then they find him. And then I`m like, damn, now I`m not out the pool table.

You know what, Shawn, I`ll tell you what -- welcome back and everything. I don`t get my pool table now, but I`m getting a free trip to Chicago and staying at the Ritz and meeting Oprah Winfrey, all right? I don`t get the pool table. I`m staying at the Ritz and you`re coming along.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Seriously, that`s the only thing that would make me do it and I would never, ever do that. These two young boys are safe at home. The scary freak accused of abducting them finally behind bars. He faces felony kidnapping charges. I hope the guy never sees the light of day ever again.

But is this -- you know, as one chapter of this story in Missouri is ending, another one is beginning. Questions being raised. Yesterday Oprah Winfrey had the opportunity to ask some of them, and she sat down with Shawn Hornbeck`s mother and stepfather to find out, you know, how they`re dealing with the scope of abuse their son may have endured. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: You think he was sexually abused?

PAM AKERS, MOTHER OF SHAWN HORNBECK: Yes.

WINFREY: Do you think he was -- do you think he was tortured?

P. AKERS: That I don`t know yet.

CRAIG AKERS, SHAWN HORNBECK`S STEPFATHER: Well, you know, there`s more than one kind of torture. There`s mental torture. There`s physical torture. I have no doubt that, you know, mentally, that he`s not the same boy that he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK, for the record, Shawn wasn`t in the room when the parents discussed his possible abuse. There is no mention of sexual assault charges facing the kidnapper, not yet, anyway.

But here`s what really bothers me about this case. Sean Hornbeck, gone for four years, god only knows what this kid had to suffer through. I`m a parent. You know, I can understand wanting to get answers about what happened, but for the life of me, I can`t understand how any parent would explore those questions on national television.

These kidnapped boys have suffered so much in private, do they have to be -- do they have to be forced to suffer in public as well? Just to satisfy, what, our curiosity? Again, we`re watching man`s inhumanity to man for entertainment purposes.

Now, as I sit here, and I become a blowhard, I want you to know, I didn`t ask for the interview and the reason why I didn`t even occur to me is because I knew we wouldn`t get it. It`s going to go to somebody like Larry King or Oprah Winfrey, got it.

Now, with that being said, had I been offered the opportunity to interview them, being in the media, could I have, or would I have actually said no? To be honest with you, I`m not sure. I think I would have asked different questions, like, why are you even here? Jeff Gardere, is he a clinical psychologist.

Jeff, why are those parents on television? What do you think that was all about?

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I`m sure they would probably tell you, Glenn, they`re there are in order to publicize the work that they`ve done with children since their son was abducted.

But I agree with you, this is a time when the parents should be chilling out, if you will, with their child, bringing some normalcy back into this life, just getting him familiar with the family once again. And here they are traveling out to Chicago, and just causing a disruption in this kid`s life, who should be healing right now, emotionally.

BECK: How do you even get past this? Here`s a kid who hasn`t been in school for years, says he`s looking forward to going back to school. And having your parents not just openly discuss it, but on "Oprah Winfrey", say that you were sexually abused by a man. You know what kids are like.

How does that kid ever recover from, not only this whole tragedy, but then, having it exposed to how many millions of people by Oprah Winfrey, that you were somebody`s sex toy?

GARDERE: You know, I did a couple of commentaries on the girl who was beat up by some of those other girls, and then they put it on the Internet. You know what, this isn`t so different. Here`s this kid who really does need to heal, who probably has post-traumatic stress disorder, and lord knows what else, because he was probably tortured. He was probably sexually abused.

But yet, now, he has to see this over and over again, and we get to see this drama on this TV show. I guess if it`s any TV show that it has to happen, at least Oprah Winfrey is someone who has the skills to do this as gently as possible.

BECK: I know, but you know what, I`m a fan of Oprah Winfrey. I think she`s a miraculous woman, who we -- you know, you watch and she puts a lot of good into our society. This one, not so much, because I can`t figure out what the good is in this. What is the good here?

GARDERE: I think the good would be that the parents get to publicize what they`ve done with kids with their foundation. We get to get some hints, or some clues as to how we can keep our kids safe, and what they may be going through. Even if they`re not abducted, but are being sexually abused by an adult, and we don`t really know about it.

So, there`s certainly lessons that we can learn. But it`s certainly a lesson perhaps at the misery and at the sacrifice of this young man`s survival.

BECK: I will tell you, in my first response when I heard the question, "Do you think he was sexually assaulted?" I think, as a dad, I think I would have said, you know what, I don`t know -- and even if I did know, that`s a family issue. And one that also will be resolved in the courts. I would never say that on the air. My son could say that when he`s ready to say that, but --

GARDERE: Yeah, yeah.

BECK: But I would never say that. There`s no good to come out of that for your son.

GARDERE: Well, you know, they`re probably not really thinking. They`re being lulled into the interview. But what surprised me was the second question, after asking whether he was sexually abused, now you ask was he tortured? Well, duh. What`s the difference?

If this kid was sexually abused, raped, of course it was a torture. But that being said, it`s so hard to criticize these parents because they have been through so much. But, you know, for heaven`s sake, let this kid heal.

BECK: Let the whole family heal. Jeff, thanks a lot.

GARDERE: My pleasure, Glenn.

BECK: Up next, is a man who is suing a group of homeless people for $1 million. They`re homeless, because they make their home right in front of his business. Does he really think that they can pay? We sent Stu out to the streets, live to the scene to get some answers. That`s coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Millions of my radio listeners know Steve Burguiere as Stu, my executive producer and head writer. He`s now on the streets of New York City in a very swanky antique store on Madison Avenue, where there`s some controversy going on.

There is a grate, right behind Stu, if we can show it. There`s a grate where a homeless man usually is sitting. He`s sitting there by choice. The store owner doesn`t like it, is suing him now for $1 million to move.

The antiques owner is now currently in Europe, I believe. He`s at least out of town. And the homeless man is, I don`t know, maybe on a potty break, but Steve Burguiere is there to tell us the story.

Stu, you kind of feel -- when you hear this story, the first thing you feel is bad for the homeless guy. Going awe, jeeze, he`s living on the street. But that`s not really the story here, is it?

STEVE "STU" BURGUIERE, GLENN`S MAIN MAN: Well, you got to feel bad for the guy. It is cold out here. It`s not just rich people cold, it`s really cold.

BECK: Right.

BURGUIERE: You know, you`ve got basically a situation, though, that a lot, these guys that are out here living on the streets, are doing it essentially by choice. New York does a ridiculously good job working with these people and getting them off the street. There`s only about a 1,000 people in all of Manhattan living on the streets and only 4/100ths of the population living on the street in the entire city.

So, you`re talking about an incredible effort. These guys will come out and they will essentially search for people. Part of their job is to figure out ways to get, to essentially lure these people in to take their services. And basically, what they have done is, the problem is, do these guys a lot of times there`s restrictions on the shelters.

You got guys want to stay drunk. They want to drink. That`s unfortunately a big problem. And they don`t want to go to the shelter because they can`t be drunk at the shelter.

BECK: OK, so this, so the people who run the shelter, they know this guy, they know him by name. If I`m not mistaken, there`s a shelter right around the corner, or in that general area, that he could go to and he refuses to. He wants to live on the street.

BURGUIERE: Oh, yeah. That`s the biggest problem. They, if you want a bed in New York City, you can find one. Essentially, you find a pay phone, you get a bed. Just dial 311, they`ll walk you through the entire process. These guys basically are having the trouble of not finding enough beds for people but trying to get these people to actually go to them.

BECK: I got to tell you, I find it amazing, so many people you see on the street and they`ll choose to live out there when the Ritz Carlton usually has a room that, and you can call, you know this, Stu? You can call and they`ll deliver food right up to you.

BURGUIERE: Yeah, an amazing thing, Glenn, they don`t have any restrictions. They`ll actually bring the alcohol to you right up to your room.

BECK: All right. All right, so, isn`t this kind of a case of eat the rich, in a way? I don`t know anything about this store owner, but this guy is really hurting this antique store business because he`s doing what?

BURGUIERE: Oh, well, he`s going to the bathroom out in front of the place. He`s spitting. He`s harassing customers. He`s changing. They`re littering in front of the store. It`s so easy to take a shot at the big rich guy because there`s a homeless guy out front.

But this guy is choosing to not use services. He wants to live out here and this guy`s got to have a right to run his business. This is America, it`s a capitalist system, and you know what, a lot of rich people are going into this store. And rich people don`t want to be sworn at on their way in. You`re going to bring your family out to go shopping on Madison Avenue for that?

BECK: I got news for you, man, I can go into Wal-Mart and be darn near penniless and don`t want to be sworn at. You should be able to do this with a homeless, even 17-year-olds kids can`t just hang out in front of on store.

Stu, thanks a lot. We`ll be back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Do you remember last week, when New York City was hit by a really strong smell of natural gas, sort of like the whole city would ignite if somebody would just light a match? Somehow, officials were still able to come out, I mean, right away and say, "I want you to know, it has nothing to do with terrorism. No reason to panic, people. Move along, nothing to see here."

Then, just a couple of days ago, officials in New York and New Jersey concluded their investigation and made the long-awaited announcement to what caused that smell. Here it is: The official cause of the multi-state gas odor was: no idea. No, seriously. I mean, not the slightest clue from these clowns.

The real story tonight: I don`t really feel so safe anymore here in New York City. I mean, this is the largest city in the country, and it was literally blanketed with the smell of natural gas. And the city`s response to the media was, quote, "Well, you know, odors are elusive."

Really? So, how could you be so sure that it, you know, wasn`t some sort of terrorist dry run? When you`re closing your investigation without, I mean, even the teeny weenie, little itsy bitsy idea of what might have caused it, you could come out and say, "It definitely wasn`t this, though."

You know, I hate to be Mr. Logical here, but if you don`t know what the smell was, how could you possibly be sure what it wasn`t? And, honestly, if you are telling the truth, and you really don`t know what caused it, could we maybe keep that one to ourselves? I`m just thinking that maybe we should keep that info from the terrorists.

Right now, in my head, at least, I`m seeing a bunch of extremists in Afghanistan looking at each other saying, "This is total sweetness. They just invented our next attack for us, and they`ll never see it coming. Just make it smell like egg salad."

I`m a big fan of the show "24." The other night, the season premiere was on, and in it they contemplated locking up Muslims in prison camps. Quote, one argument was, just it will make the American people feel better. Well, you know what? I`d just like to state here, I don`t want to just feel better about our security. I want to actually be better when it comes to our security.

So I want you to keep working on this one, New York and New Jersey, until you figure out what that smell was, where it came from, and how it spread, instead of just giving up because, well, you know, odors are elusive, really.

Next, I`m kind of a rookie in this whole cable news business -- you know, like you couldn`t tell from watching this show every night -- but well before I walked through the door here, I already knew that each of the news networks had a distinct political reputation. So when Bill O`Reilly from FOX News recently accused NBC of being liberal, it wasn`t, at least to me, exactly like finding out Bruce Willis was dead at the end of "Sixth Sense." Oh, jeez. Did I wreck the end for you?

The real story tonight is that Bill O`Reilly is wrong. Networks themselves don`t have a political leaning, but those people on the networks do. And the people who work in the networks do, as well. The only question is whether they`re going to tell you about it and be honest with you.

I have two big disclaimers that we try to make almost every show, and we`ve done it since the first show on this network. The first one is, I`m a conservative. I`m not a Republican; I have conservative leanings, hard ones.

Now, that doesn`t mean that I`ve tattooed the seal of the Republican Party on my back or that I have Karl Rove on speed dial -- I still actually have to dial the number with my fingers -- but that does mean that I look at issues through a certain prism. We all do.

My other recurring disclaimer is that I`m not a journalist. Honestly, I think they may have injected me with a device someplace in my neck to remotely electrocute me if I even go near the CNN newsroom, and I like it that way. So, other than making sure that my facts are right, you know, sometimes, everything you hear on this program is based on my opinion, and I`ll tell you that right up front. That`s the way it should be.

My problem with the shows that aren`t honest about either of these things is that it really leads to trouble. Shows that have a bias but won`t admit it or shows that blur the line between opinion and journalism are going to be the death of us. Keith Olbermann`s show, "Countdown," great example of that, but not the only one.

To my knowledge, this guy has never declared any political position. And when he was asked about it, he responded, and I quote, "I like to think of myself politically as correct." Well, that must be great on Central Park Ave.

That`s cute and everything, and I know you were joking there, Keith. Yet I watch your show, and I ask anybody else who watches your show, even for a day, you watch that show and you`ll see, it is absolutely filled with political opinion, 99 percent of which is clearly liberal, which is fine, if you`d admit it. You know, it`s at least anti-conservative.

For example, some of his special comments are basically personal monologues which almost always include vicious attack on the president or people like me. But now, Olbermann would probably respond saying that he`s only interested in going after power, not politics. Yet virtually none of his special comments have ever seem to be directed at Democrats. And, Keith, don`t look now, but the Democrats are in power.

But my point really has nothing to do with Keith Olbermann and the substance of his opinions. He can have them; he`s entitled to them. That`s what made America great: people having different opinions.

What I do have a problem with is the context. It is dangerous to portray yourself as politically neutral but then give damning monologues about our president in the same show that you run real NBC News packages or an interview with an NBC reporter live at the White House. It`s like mixing the op-ed page with the front page of the newspaper. Sooner or later, nobody`s going to be able to tell which is which, and that is when we`re all in trouble.

But I don`t want you to be misled here. This is not a monologue about Keith Olbermann. He`s really only one example. On the other side, I saw a FOX News program promo the other day that said something like -- and I`m paraphrasing -- Bill O`Reilly, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Alan Colmes, we are America`s newsroom.

What? I mean, I know Sean Hannity. I like Sean Hannity. I don`t think he wants to be in the newsroom. We don`t want any of these guys near the newsroom. They`re opinion guys.

The only people I do want there are people like Tim Russert. Tim Russert`s a guy you can watch for weeks and still have absolutely no idea what his personal political views are. But on cable news, where almost every show now is centered around a host`s opinion, people like him are rare.

And if you haven`t noticed, I`m not one of them. And I don`t claim to be.

Matthew Felling, he is the media director for the Center for Media and Public Affairs. Matthew, am I whining about nonsense here, or should there be a line?

MATTHEW FELLING, THE CENTER FOR MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Well, there should be a line, and the problem is, where do you draw it? Because just like the odors in New York City, objectivity is a little elusive, as well.

I think that one man`s bias is another man`s editorial discretion. I think that what Keith Olbermann would say would be that, you know, what I`m just laying out the stories as they present themselves, and I have on the "Washington Post" reporter or the "Times" reporter and we discuss it up.

Yes, he tosses in some comments here and there, but the fact that he`s presenting the news while also tossing in some commentary makes it a very, very elusive sort of way to grab a leash around it and say, "You know what? That`s bias right there," because it just creeps in here and there.

BECK: See, again, I don`t have a problem with somebody presenting the news. I don`t have a problem with Olbermann in his opinions. I mean, I do. I think he`s wrong, but he has a right to those opinions, and he can say those things. But my problem again is, you need to say, "Look, this is a show that is based on opinions. And when I`m questioning, when I`m even looking for the guests, you know, my opinion influences it."

FELLING: Yes, it reminds me, back in the `80s, when Michael Jordan was at the top of his game and people said, "Michael, why don`t you go out there and stump for some candidate?" And his answer was, "Well, you know what? Because Republicans buy shoes, too."

I think that there`s this feeling out there that, if you go out like a Glenn Beck or if you go out like somebody and say, "Here is what I am, red, white and blue, call me conservative or call me liberal," then you`re automatically going to slice off a little part of your audience that might not have clued into that fact without you laying it out there.

And I think that it`s a very weird phenomenon we have in media, because there are some places where they wear their bias like it`s a badge. I mean, if you turn on Al Franken or if you turn on Rush Limbaugh on the radio, they make no bones about it, and people love them for it.

But somehow, when you put a camera in a studio, the rules start to change. And I`m still trying to understand why that has to be, because we are so partisan, and we`re so politicized in America, but I think there is a certain audience that will just run to somebody, like they run to a Franken or like they run to a Limbaugh, who represents their views.

BECK: See, I got to tell you, I don`t think -- and maybe it`s just me -- I don`t buy into the bull crap that I`m getting the news on these opinion shows, on these shows like mine, that these people are not biased. They all have their -- they`re opinion shows. And I think that`s what is causing so much distrust with the American people: They don`t believe the news anymore.

The news from CNN and the news from FOX should be exactly the same. The shows that maybe they put on that are based in opinion may not be, but the news should be relatively the same.

And the best example of that, again, I go back to Tim Russert. Tim Russert, I`ll see one story he`ll say, and it will piss me off, because I`ll be going, "Oh, look at the slant on that." The very next story, I`ll be cheering and saying, "Yes, you nailed that one." That guy is a journalist, and there`s a difference between the two, is there not?

FELLING: Yes, it is definitely. There is a huge difference between the Russerts of the world and the Brokaws and the Williamses and Gibsons. And let`s not go so far as to say Couric, but there`s a big difference between the people who are the news presenters and then there are the news commentators. And a lot of people have a problem distinguishing the two.

BECK: Well, that`s because they`re not pointing it out. Matthew, thank you very much. That`s "The Real Story" tonight. Back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CROMWELL, ACTOR: My sense today is that the president of the United States is incredibly disconnected from what is happening in this country, vis-a-vis the war, health care, jobs. We have this fiction that is created in the paper, and we see him at his ranch, but we have no idea whether this man actually understands...

BECK: Well, I mean, there`s a huge...

CROMWELL: ... that Cindy Sheehan is standing out in front of his ranch protesting.

BECK: Oh, do we have to go down this road? I mean, I`m glad that we have eight limits as a term limit, especially now, because there`s no way you could live in that kind of world and stay connected to the real people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right, that was a bizarre conversation with James Cromwell today. Now, there is nothing better than getting into the car going for a nice, long drive. I can`t wait for spring to arrive when you can roll down the windows, I can pop in my Air Supply`s greatest hits eight-track, and hit the gas. Oh, yes, oh, yes, brother.

Guess what? Turns out that doughy white guys like me with Air Supply not exactly the safest guys on the road. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK (voice-over): You`ve heard the old cliche about women drivers, yet for some crazy women, there`s a generalization floating around that assumes that women make lousy drivers. No, that`s not true at all. Get ready to throw that stereotype right out of the window once and for all.

According to a new study, the really dangerous drivers are actually men. The study found that male drivers have a 77 percent higher risk of dying in a car accident than women. Why? Apparently, men drive faster, take more risks, and we`re more likely to drink and drive.

So who`s the riskiest demographic? Well, believe it or not, not your wild drag-racing, easily distracted teenage son, but actually your doting, sweater-knitting, coupon-clipping, safety-comes-first grandmother.

The study also found that statistically, if you really, really want to play it safe, then your best bet is being a 4-year-old girl riding a school bus or minivan while you`re stuck in traffic during the morning rush hour in one of the New England states during the month of February.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Paul Fischbeck, he co-authored the traffic safety survey. Paul, where did you get those stats at the end? I mean, really, New England is the safest place in America?

PAUL FISCHBECK, PROFESSOR, CARNEGIE MELLON: As strange as that may seem, that`s the fact. And it`s much safer than other areas of the country.

BECK: And how did you come up with all of these facts?

FISCHBECK: Well, we basically used two government databases that have been around for many, many, many years. And we just did the ratio. We looked at fatalities per mile traveled or per minute of travel.

BECK: Now, I mean, do you have any idea what the correlation is? Why is this happening like this?

FISCHBECK: Well, it`s interesting. If you look at the risks as they vary across time of day, when you`re stuck in a traffic jam, you`re not driving very fast, and it`s hard to have a fatal crash.

BECK: Yes, OK, so like New York and Boston, it`s a nightmare in traffic. Now, I don`t think anybody is surprised by, you know, the 80- year-old that`s driving down the street because -- a total nightmare. Is there a difference between an 80-year-old guy and an 80-year-old woman?

FISCHBECK: You know, I haven`t looked at that. But with this Web site, it`s very easy to go through and to explore these differences and make those comparisons.

BECK: OK. And you found -- you don`t know how miserable you`ve made my life this weekend. I`m going to get home and my wife is, "I told you that I was a better driver, and here it is." My wife -- you know what? I`m the worst driver in the world because riddled with ADD, and I`m not paying any attention at all. Is it just the ADD guys that are really bad? Or what is it with women that makes them a better driver?

FISCHBECK: Well, I think that they tend to drive more during the safer hours of the day. So, you know, whose driving around at 2:00 a.m. in the morning? It`s a lot of guys in pickup trucks. And that`s when the high risks are.

BECK: Just want you to know that my wife has had two accidents in the last five years, and I`ve had zero.

FISCHBECK: Yes, yes, but this is not accidents. This is not -- this is fatalities. And next year...

BECK: So, in other words, what you`re saying is, she might have two accidents, but the next one I have I`ll die in? Thanks!

FISCHBECK: That`s what we`re saying.

BECK: What a great way to go into the weekend. And also you found that winter is the safest time?

FISCHBECK: Yes, it`s the same thing. In the wintertime, people tend to drive more slowly. And, therefore, they have less potential for a fatal crash. They may have more fender-benders, but they have less fatalities per mile driven.

BECK: You know, I saw a report that came out today that said that -- "Consumer Reports," you know, they did this car seat thing. And apparently they tested it at too high of a speed. They were supposed to test it at like 35 miles an hour. They were testing these car seats at 60 miles an hour, and so some of them didn`t test real well, because that`s not what they were supposed to be testing them at. This is still the safest place in the car, isn`t it, if you are in a car seat in the back?

FISCHBECK: Yes. And if you look at the risks, for instance, of, you know, a 3- to 5-year-old, they`re by far the safest traveler in a vehicle.

BECK: Right.

FISCHBECK: They`re in the middle of the back seat of a minivan in a car seat with a mom driving. You`re winning like four different ways.

BECK: Right. And the Web site, if you want to check this out, is what?

FISCHBECK: I wish you wouldn`t ask me that right now.

BECK: All right, I`m wait. We got -- all right, I`ll tell you what, we`ll try to put it up on the screen later.

FISCHBECK: Yes, put it up on the screen. That would be great.

BECK: Paul, thank you very much. We`ll be back with your e-mail in just a second. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Let`s get to some e-mail. Charlene starts us off. She says, "I went to the ATM the other day, and after I made my language selection -- I`ve grudgingly become accustomed to this now -- I was surprised to find a new screen pop up and said, `You`ve selected English as your default language. Is this correct?` What`s going on? Is the ATM mocking me now or have I been magically transported to a foreign country by aliens and I not know about it?"

What kind of aliens are you talking about, the ones in spaceships or the ones crossing the border illegally at night? I guess we have all become accustomed to choosing English at ATMs every time we grab some cash, but for that reason, the idea you`re describing actually sounds like a good one. If they`re asking for a default language, then hopefully they won`t be asking me every time. It will just recognize what language we want when you put the card in. Please, every bank in America, adopt this policy. I`m begging you.

Vernon writes in, "Glenn, aren`t we getting to the point where the Christmas decorations need to come down? I mean, I`ll give you a week after New Year`s Day, but that`s it, brother. There`s no excuse to have lights and inflatable Rudolphs on the front lawn anymore."

You know, Vernon, this has been a big passion of mine for the last couple of years, and I have found a couple of exceptions to this rule. Number one, major tragedy in the family. Number two, a listener on my radio program wrote me and said she`s leaving them up until their son, who`s in the military, comes back from overseas. You can still have a Christmas at home, OK. I`ll give you a pass on those two, but that`s it.

I actually took a picture of a house that I passed by on my way home. Here it is. You have the icicle lights, the full-colored lights, even the lights and the reindeer up on the lawn. This, by the way, wasn`t taken on December 17th; it was taken on January 17th. In fact, last year -- and I`m not making this up -- you could have taken this picture on March 17th. They didn`t take them down until St. Patrick`s Day. I`m not kidding! My neighborhood is being held hostage!

I love Christmas. Favorite time of the year. I`ve got two trees in my house. More poinsettias live in my house than people live in most states. But honestly, if I get to July 4th and I`m still looking at your frigging Christmas lights, I`m calling homeland security.

All right, have a great weekend, and we`ll see you Monday right back here, you sick, twisted freaks. And, by the way, please, have a happy holiday. Take them down! Take them down!

END