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Glenn Beck

Another Radical Pastor Linked to Obama; Vets Share Firsthand View of War; Border Agent Still Behind Bars for Shooting Smuggler

Aired April 09, 2008 - 19:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLENN BECK, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, more problems from the pulpit for Obama. Just as the Reverend Wright controversy seems to die down, because nobody in the media has a spine, a connection to another radical pastor is revealed. We`ll tell you all about him.

And as General Petraeus continues to push Congress for troop support in Iraq, House Speaker Pelosi refuses to meet with a veterans` group on the issue. So tonight, I`ll meet with them. Heroes, veterans and Marcus Luttrell.

Plus, a Hollywood legend who doesn`t lean to the left. Jon Voight on what it`s like to be a lone conservative voice in the liberal wilderness of Hollywood.

All this and more tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Hello, America.

I have to be real honest with you. Sometimes my son acts like a monkey. I just said this to my wife just the other day. He can actually hang from my arm. He`s like either a monkey or part possum. I`m not sure.

I don`t care what race your children are. Come on. Your kids are monkeys sometimes, right? You would say, "Hey, monkeys, get out of the tree."

Sometimes I think my son is more monkey than he is human. And making the connection between kids and monkeys doesn`t make me a racist. It makes me a dad.

Too bad Barack Obama doesn`t see it that way. He had one of his delegates actually step down because she used the word monkeys to describe the children playing out in a tree who happened to be African-American. Police were actually called, and they fined this woman $75 for disorderly conduct. So here`s "The Point" tonight.

Political correctness is out of control. And nobody is confronting the real offenders, because it`s election time. And here`s how I got there.

For starters, the mayor of that woman`s town says he regrets the police behavior and says she`s no racist. I don`t know if she`s racist or not. I`m not going to judge her by saying, "Hey, monkeys, get out of the tree." If it were me, I`ve got news for you, I would rot in hell before I`d pay a 75-cent fine, let alone a $75 fine, for calling a kid a monkey.

I call kids all kinds of things. I mean, are you going to fine me if I say my kid sometimes is a monster? Look at him. Sometimes he`s a punk. Sometimes a rug rat. Sometimes, he`s a monkey. They`re names for kids.

We`ve become a country that looks for racism. And sometimes it ain`t there. You`re guilty in this country until proven innocent. We`ve let cries of false racism get in the way of good judgment. Everything needs to be looked at, in context and a little bit of common sense. And Barack Obama should be ashamed of himself for asking that woman to step down.

First of all, she`s Hispanic. I thought only whites could be racist. Considering this woman`s close associates or this man`s close associations with some of the most hateful racist I`ve ever seen, Barack Obama needs a lesson in what`s really going on.

We all know about Reverend Wright and his militant black liberation theology. But have you heard of the Reverend James T. Meeks? According to the "Chicago Sun-Times," Obama regularly sought Meeks out for spiritual counsel. How many spiritual advisors does this guy have?

He was in an ad for Obama. He`s going to serve as an Obama delegate at the Democratic convention. And here is Reverend Meeks in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JAMES T. MEEKS, PASTOR: We don`t have slave masters. We`ve got mayors. But they`re still the same white people who are presiding over sisters, where black people are not able to be educated.

You`ve got the preachers that are house (EXPLETIVE DELETED). You`ve got some elected officials that are house (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And rather than them trying to break this up, they`re going to fight, too, to protect that white man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: So let me just get this story straight. So monkey is a racist slur, but slave master isn`t?

Meeks has said the black community -- in the black community the "N" word is a term of endearment. So a house "N" word is endearing? Really? I`d like to see Obama`s reaction if somebody called him that. That`s bull crap, and everybody knows it is.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says this guy is even worse than just racist. He`s also, quote, the leading voice in the anti-gay movement. Ready? Listen to this.

Meeks has reportedly blamed, quote, "Hollywood Jews" for bringing us "Brokeback Mountain." Yes, all right. Sounds like a sweet spiritual adviser.

So out of all of the spiritual leaders, of all of the faiths in the world, I mean, you could get the Dalai Lama. I hear he`s got nothing going on. Barack Obama has picked these two guys as advisers? No speech can justify those decisions.

Tonight, America, here`s what you need to know. This country is going to be set on fire unless somebody starts paying attention to the warning signs. A huge part of the country is being preached a message that is racist and anti-American and full of hate. And some of the preachers have the ear of a possible future president. Hello. Wake up.

If we don`t forget about the PC bull-crap and start calling evil and racism by its name, real racism, then we`re in for a world of hurt. If we let it happen, you know what? Hate to say it, but we`ll all look like a bunch of monkeys.

Ken Blackwell is a senior fellow for family empowerment in the Family Research Council.

Where do I have this wrong, Ken?

KEN BLACKWELL, SENIOR FELLOW, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: I`ll tell you, Glenn, you know, we are being sidetracked by a discussion around the behaviors of some folks who are outside of the pale of dignity in terms of -- human conversation.

But I`ll tell you, this is diverting us from looking at the real issue with Senator Obama. It is not his race. It is not the racialism of his pastors and his spiritual advisers. It is his radical agenda. And I think that that`s a concern.

Here`s a guy who wants to raise our taxes by a trillion dollars. Here`s a guy who says on the record that he`s for partial birth abortion. Here`s a guy who`s said on the record that he would sit down without preconditions with some of the tyrants of the world, and he has us discussing, you know, the...

BECK: I got news for you. I think this is the first time I`ve disagreed with you. You couldn`t be more wrong.

Everything you need to know about Barack Obama -- I learned this from my mother. Show me your friends. I`ll show you your future. This goes to everything you need to know about Barack Obama and his decision-making, his discernment.

BLACKWELL: We don`t -- we don`t disagree. Because my grandmother had that same saying. She also said, "Let me look at your calendar. It tells -- tells me who you work with, who you associate with and how you spend your time." This is part of a vetting process.

His vetting process started very late. It takes several years normally for you to vet candidates for the presidency of the United States. He`s been with us on short order. And now we`re doing the vetting. And people are going to check his calendar, who he associate was, what they say, because they want to get a clear picture of who this guy is.

So they`re separating him from his rhetoric, and they`re taking a look at his record. And they`re taking a look at his associates. And I`ll tell you. It fits a disturbing pattern. Here`s a guy who`s associated with some of the most radical names, the Weather Underground. And Saul Alinsky. And it goes on.

BECK: Right. OK. I`ve got to run. I`ve got to move to Lanny Davis, who -- Lanny, I love you, the former White House special counsel, Hillary Clinton supporter, fundraiser, yada, yada, yada.

Lanny, it`s like we`re matter and antimatter. We could -- we might just both disappear. I think that`s why they have us in separate rooms here.

LANNY DAVIS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPECIAL COUNSEL: Thank you for saving both of us.

BECK: I want to -- I want to talk to you, because I read your "Wall Street Journal" piece today. And I agree with you. But let me just go with the hardest question first. I agree with you, but where have you been? Is this -- is this something that you`re now putting out, because your candidate is in trouble? Or is this something that you really had believed the whole time?

DAVIS: Well, I have two reasons. I certainly do not take away Senator Obama`s sincerity, and his integrity, and his disagreement with Reverend Wright`s hate speech. And I give him credit for energizing a whole young generation of Democrats, including members of my family. So I give him a lot of credit.

I wrote this piece in agony, because I was so troubled by his failure to either leave the congregation over these many years of these hateful sermons or at least speak up against them until just recently. And then even when he ran for president, he appointed this man as a member of his official religious advisory committee.

And yet the speech that he made, which I found eloquent and moving, didn`t address the kind of concerns that I`m expressing. And I finally, after being accused of being dishonorable and poisoning the well, because I was worried about what kind of individual would sit silently while his family and his preacher, speaking on behalf of God in a church, wouldn`t speak up against this hateful speech. That I wrote this piece saying it`s time to do the answering of these questions, Senator Obama, who I sincerely respect. Now rather than wait for the general election, if you`re the nominee, when it will be too late.

BECK: So let me go there, Lanny. Because this is what I`ve been saying the whole time. I`ve been saying if I were Hillary Clinton`s adviser, I would be telling -- because I know that people are saying, "Oh, you can`t speak out about this. You can`t, because it will divide the party."

And I would have been saying to Hillary Clinton, it is your responsibility. If you really care about the Democratic Party, it is your responsibility do this. You may -- you may lose. It may not make a difference.

But if you expect him to win, you have to know that he can stand the fire and the full heat. Because if you think the Republicans and the 527s are not going to take every bit of this audio and show this over and over again and ask the question, "If this is who he picks for a spiritual adviser, who is he going to pick that you don`t know about that`s also advising him? How can he be this wrong on this?"

You`ll destroy the Democratic Party, because he`ll lose. He won`t be able to stand up for that, unless you bring it out now.

DAVIS: Well, I don`t mind somebody being wrong or making a mistake and then saying in retrospect, "I made -- in retrospect I made a misjudgment." But this goes to 2007, where he actually appointed this man to his campaign committee.

BECK: You heard the -- you heard the video of the -- the other preacher that I played. There is a third preacher out there that is just as hateful. Not as closely aligned, but this guy I just played was in his campaign commercial for Senate.

DAVIS: I mean, I didn`t know about this Reverend Meeks until this very moment.

BECK: Yes. Look him up.

DAVIS: One of the reasons that I`m for Senator Clinton and the two reasons I wrote the piece is, first, because I think she has superior judgment and experience and is ready to be president and to debate Senator McCain as an equal when it comes to a level of experience on foreign affairs, as opposed to Senator Obama. So I`m for Senator Clinton, because I think she`s better qualified.

BECK: OK.

DAVIS: But I also thought that Senator Obama needs to address these issues now, including this most recent one. Because there are a lot of people like me who are good Democrats. I consider myself a liberal Democrat, Glenn. I use the word "liberal." Unapologetically.

And if I`m this uneasy that I actually finally ended up writing this piece. There are conservative Reagan Democrats. There are moderate Republicans that we need to win that I`m afraid that Senator Obama is not going to be able to win without addressing these questions now.

BECK: Lanny -- Lanny, last question. Was it good for you? Because it was good for me just now. Good for you?

DAVIS: It`s nice to meet you. I hope that...

BECK: All right. All right.

DAVIS: Good to be with you.

BECK: You want to leave with your reputation. That`s fine.

DAVIS: Thanks, Glenn, appreciate it.

BECK: Coming up, they have been touring the country in support of completing the mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. We`ll speak to the Vets for Freedom even if Nancy Pelosi won`t. And speaking of American heroes, we`ll be giving an update on the two border agents, Ramos and Compean, who were wrongly imprisoned for doing their job.

And a reminder: tonight`s show brought to you by the Sleep Number bed. Sleep Number by Select Comfort. It`s the bed that counts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: General Petraeus is -- is back in front of Congress, and he`s talking about Iraq. Quite honestly, I haven`t been able to watch it. I just read the stuff that he said, because it`s a bunch of politicians campaigning. And that`s all it is. Making speeches.

So I say instead, tonight, why don`t we listen to some people that have actually been there? Vets for Freedom launched a national heroes tour. Veterans with firsthand experience in the Gulf region telling tales to try -- stories of good news that are often ignored by the mainstream media.

Proud to be joined by three of the brave individuals. Pete Hegseth, he is the executive director for -- of Vets for Freedom. David Ballavia is the co-founder and author of "House to House: An Epic Memoir of War." And Marcus Luttrell, a co-founder and author of "Lone Survivor."

Nice to have you guys. First of all, thank you so much for everything that you`ve done for our country and continue to do. And I can`t even imagine -- let me start here. Which is worse: actual war, where you guys know what you`re doing and everybody is a team, or coming back here and seeing how we`re just tearing each other apart?

PETE HEGSETH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VETS FOR FREEDOM: Well, it certainly is frustrating; frustrating to see how something like warfare, war and peace, which should not be politicized...

BECK: Right.

HEGSETH: ... has been so blatantly politicized here. And when you`ve got a general coming back just to provide facts, to provide an assess many of what`s happening, they happen to be good facts. Violence happens to be dropping. Good things on the political realm happen to be happening.

But people aren`t really interested in that. They want to find a political spin and use it for their own partisan political gain. All we want is a straightforward look at what`s going on.

BECK: It really -- it really truly amazes me, because I`ve got two guys that are in the service in my family. One of them spent an awful lot of time over in Iraq. And he`ll -- he comes over here and he`s like -- it doesn`t even -- what you see on TV doesn`t even resemble what is happening over there.

I saw on the -- on the -- "The View," or I saw a transcript. I`m proud to say, America, I don`t watch "The View." Barbara Walters said, yes, but the surge was working, but now -- I mean, now the surge isn`t working. We`ve had a horrible month over there.

It`s still -- I mean, 58 percent less violent than it was a year ago. How do you -- how do you deal with this?

DAVID BELLAVIA, VETS FOR FREEDOM: They won`t even sit down and -- you know, the thing is that we went to Washington and took 400 veterans of the war on terror. We brought them down to Washington, D.C. And we just said, "Let`s talk to our representatives." We pick and choose. Some people happen to live in districts that are against the war. Some people are supporting the troops.

The individuals on the other side of the spectrum believing that the surge isn`t working and General Petraeus is some political crony, they just -- they wouldn`t even sit down with us. They wouldn`t even -- literally -- I mean, how many people -- you`re talking about the environment, you`re talking about whatever issue gets you going. People disagree with you.

BECK: Sure.

BELLAVIA: You understand that. And you sit there and you listen. That`s what you do for a living.

BECK: Right.

BELLAVIA: Walking away, the intellectual cowardice of walking away from someone who has some amount of expertise, it just -- really is extremely frustrating.

BECK: Anybody want to hear the good news? I mean, Nancy Pelosi won`t even meet with you guys. That amazes me. Anybody want to hear the good news?

MARCUS LUTTRELL, VETS FOR FREEDOM: There`s plenty of them out there. And we got a chance to talk to quite a few people on the Hill. And I think we got -- we got across to some people. Obviously, some people aren`t going to -- they don`t want to hear what we have to say. And do I understand that? No, not really.

But I`ll still speak up and get in there and deal with what we can. That`s our job. I mean, not only are we fighting the war over there, and we left the war now, and we`re back over here and we just want to deliver the message. Like even when you`re seeing over there and it comes across on the TV, we watch it, too. We turn it on there and that`s not exactly what happened.

And in certain situations we`re allowed to watch it on TV while I was overseas. I`m like, I was there. I saw what happened. And we`re just trying to deliver the message.

BECK: You are laughing like you all went through this.

LUTTRELL: I understand this is the mainstream media. And they put it across on the public America. This all what we have to go off of and what they watch. This is how they`re getting their intelligence. But it`s wrong. Then that`s bad news.

BECK: I saw the editorial in "The New York Times." It said, you know, this isn`t working. And, you know, it`s going to fall apart. Yada, yada. What a success. Et cetera, et cetera.

I saw another poll in the same -- on the same day, not in the same paper, says the Iraqi people are finally starting to say, you know what? This is the right thing. Because they feel more secure.

We blew it for a while. We didn`t -- you know, we screwed up. That`s what war is. You do something wrong and you`re like, oh, crap. And then you correct it. But now the Iraqi people are starting to say, "We have hope for the future."

HEGSETH: That`s exactly right. The Iraqi people are responding to the environment that we`ve provided with the surge. I was just back in Iraq five weeks ago, walking neighborhoods that were, just a year ago, al Qaeda strongholds. And it was incredible to see the people out in the streets, girls and boys, going back to school.

And the most important part, where Iraqi security forces standing on every single street corner, defending their own neighborhoods. They want to take -- they want to take their country back. They wanted to take advantage of the environment, and they are. That`s an incredible good news story. That`s how we bring our guys back, and our guys home, and hand over secure environment to Iraqis so they can defeat al Qaeda and Iranian-backed militias themselves.

BECK: Guys, love to have you on our radio program tomorrow. Stop by Radio City, and we`ll have you on the radio program. You`re just fantastic.

And I think we`re talking to a friend of yours, Jon Voight, in just a few minutes. He`s -- I guess they`re making "Lone Survivor" into a movie in Hollywood. I mean, the world is upside-down. In Hollywood? Really?

Back in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Regular viewers of this program know the story. The border agents, Ramos and Compean, brave men who tried to keep you and me safe from gun-toting smugglers and keep them out of the country. But instead of praise, our country gave them jail time. Over ten years apiece.

Tara Setmayer has been on this story with us for a very long time. She`s communications director for Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. She also met with Agent Ramos in prison yesterday.

How`s he doing?

TARA SETMAYER, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR REP. DANA ROHRABACHER: He`s hanging in there. I mean, I can -- we can only imagine what it`s like in solitary confinement 23 out of 24 hours a day. He`s mentally exhausted. Physically, he looks a little bit better. But he`s just mentally exhausted.

And he wanted me to send you a quick note. He`s not allowed to have anything on him, so I took notes. And I just want to read this to you really quickly.

BECK: Sure.

SETMAYER: He says, "Our sincerest thanks to you, Glenn, for keeping the story going and fighting for us. You keep this story alive. Please don`t let anyone forget us. Waiting inside this box is just unimaginable. Please, don`t let anyone forget us. And God bless you."

BECK: Well, we`re not alone in trying to help people make sure that they remember both of our border agents. I think they`re our first political prisoners. What is it actually like in solitary confinement?

SETMAYER: You know, this is my fourth visit. I visited him twice when he was in Mississippi and twice now in Phoenix. And I`ve actually seen his cell. I`ve seen the segregation unit. And it`s -- it`s -- he`s in a box, literally. He has about a six-inch window. He -- his rec time is at 6 in the morning, when it used to be during the day so at least he had sunshine. Now it`s at 6 in the morning. So he`s essentially in his cell all day and all night.

BECK: What is his -- what are the guards like with him? Does he -- you know, are the guards sympathetic or not?

SETMAYER: Well, unfortunately, his guards that -- we`ve run into some trouble where they`ve editorialized at times, saying things like, "We`re sick and tired of this guy thinking he`s special." As his advocate, I made sure that the Bureau of Prisons is aware of this type of treatment and that we don`t appreciate it.

BECK: Didn`t you just have the director of the Bureau of Prisons out just the other day and...

SETMAYER: Yes.

BECK: ... he wasn`t really sympathetic?

SETMAYER: No, he wasn`t. And he actually had no plans on visiting Mr. Ramos. He was going there on a routine staff workshop, and I found out. And I said, "Wait a minute. You need to tell me the director is not going to go and visit one of the most high-profile prisoners in custody right now?" And told me no.

So we made some phone calls, and we -- miraculously, a visit was put on the director`s schedule. And he was less than accommodating. Nacho told me he talked down to you.

BECK: He looks so warm there, standing behind the podium. He looks like a warm chum.

SETMAYER: Well, you know, I thought it was important for Director Lapin, Harvey Lapin, to go and see Nacho so that he can look into the eyes of an innocent man, who he`s directly responsible for keeping in solitary confinement.

BECK: Is -- is there any chance -- what`s the status on the appeal? I know it`s going to the Fifth Circuit -- Circuit Court. Any chance?

SETMAYER: Well, we`re still waiting. And unfortunately, it`s difficult. Nacho actually says that patience has been a forced virtue for him. And that`s pretty much for everyone. We`re just waiting patiently, and we think that`s a good sign. That means that the judges are really taking a hard look at this. And we think that that means they are looking to either overturn the entire case or remand it back to trial.

BECK: Well, that`s good news, if that actually happens.

SETMAYER: Sure.

BECK: Tara, thank you very much. We`ll talk again.

Don`t forget, America, border agents Ramos and Compean, I believe they are our nation`s first political prisoners. And as long as they stay wrongly imprisoned, we will stay on this story and bring you the truth behind the politics of this nightmare.

And make sure you look for my special, "On the Border." For more details, logon to GlennBeck.com. That`s coming soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Welcome to the "Real Story." When Charlton Heston died last weekend, America not only lost a great actor but they lost a great conservative as well. In a city that`s become synonymous with anti-war, anti-president, sometimes anti-American rhetoric, Charlton Heston was the exception. He was fearless, confident, larger than life. But the real story is Mr. Heston wasn`t the only conservative in Hollywood. It`s just that most of them decided that speaking out isn`t worth the price. There is a new McCartheyism that goes on in Hollywood.

Actors and actresses just earn a paycheck, call the time just as much as you and I do. It is no different than somebody that works at some sort of a coal company deciding it would really probably be a bad career decision to go on TV and speak about the dangers of global warming and coal.

But there are a few people in Hollywood that have the stature to overcome the usual hesitations. I want to introduce to you one of them. You probably know -- in fact, I know you do. Jon Voight, Oscar-winning actor, probably know him from his films "Mission Impossible," "National Treasure," yadda yadda, the list goes on and on. Jon, how are you, sir?

JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: I`m great, Glenn, thank you.

BECK: Good to have you. You know we just had Marcus Luttrell on a few minutes ago. I know you are one of the guys that`s actually trying to make -- have this made into a movie.

VOIGHT: Yes. That`s -- well, it is being made into a movie by very good people, I believe. And, you know, I`m happy to se that event happen. All too few films deal with the subject matter in the proper way.

BECK: It amazes how Hollywood just seems to just constantly beat the drum of negativity and yet, if you look at the box office numbers, all of this -- all of the stories that have done well, especially recently, are hero stories. We are looking for a hero. We have "Spiderman," even your movie, "Transformers." We are looking for good, you know, winning over evil kind of stories.

VOIGHT: I agree with you. It is very interesting the phenomenon that`s happening. I think it comes from trying to be politically correct that we -- we don`t want to offend any murderers, so we try to make the villains in these pieces nondescript.

Sometimes we go back to the Germans or the Russians. We can`t say it as it is. Listen, Islamic extremists out there who want to kill us. We can`t say that. So we turned to other villains. And over the years, we have identified people in -- let`s say, in our intelligence services as the villain or this or that and recently of course, as you mentioned, in the last year or so, we have had some very anti-American films as a result.

I think they start believing their own stuff. Then they say oh I see, we are the villain. But, of course, the good news is that the American people seem to understand.

BECK: You know the rest of --

VOIGHT: And stay away from.

BECK: The rest of the world doesn`t. The rest of the world is watching the films. I have to tell you, I`m sure you know about the Oliver Stone film that`s coming out about George W. Bush that is - I mean, so full of untruths on what little I have seen. You know what? That is going to be gobbled down by so many people as actual fact.

VOIGHT: I`m very sorry to hear about that. You know, it is an interesting thing. When I was growing up, I was born in 1938. Figure out how old I am. And when I was a young boy, I remember the victory gardens and I remember the patriotism that surrounded that effort. And thank god we had the patriotism because we certainly would have, you know, lost that battle with our allies.

And I remember the -- the core values that I was taught of, you know, love of god, love of country, and allegiance to our president, represented that country. If you say those same values today in Hollywood, unfortunately they say oh, you are a Republican. Or you are a conservative. As if it is a bad mark against you. And I -- it is very sad that has taken place. That --

BECK: Why? Jon why is it like that? Why?

VOIGHT: Well, I -- I think that there is a -- there are a lot of people who can, you know, give the gradual evolution of that -- the demise of, you know, those values. But it is interesting to me, you know, when I think back to the great president John F. Kennedy, and I -- actually, I brought his inaugural in case I wanted to quote it.

But you know, he said in that inaugural address, he said, ask not what your country can do for you. But what you can do for your country. When I look at the candidates on the left side and the -- unfortunately, I have to say that the Democrats have turned very far left in their platform, it seems like they reversed it in a very short period of time since John Kennedy. Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country can do for you.

It is quite disturbing, really. It gives me a great deal of fear and trepidation for the state of our country at this moment in time.

BECK: You are not alone on that one. You know, we -- I don`t even know when we saw each other, six months ago we saw each other. We had dinner. You were -- I have to tell you, having dinner with somebody from Hollywood is something that you are like oh, this could turn really ugly, really fast.

It was really -- a great evening. But you told me -- I don`t want to out anybody but you told me that you were having dinner with people in Hollywood. And you are trying to build -- you are trying to coax them out of the shadows and say come on, man. It is OK.

VOIGHT: You know, you really -- you seek friends who are up on the important information of the day. You -- you seek friends who are like- minded perhaps and recognize the dangers that are happening. And certainly - and I found a lot of friends. I have to say I found a lot of friends. Perhaps little by little those people being more and more vocal. But --

BECK: Is there real fear, Jon? Is it -- it sure sounds like McCartheyism.

VOIGHT: Yeah. There`s something going on. But you know, I -- I have a little bit more insight than perhaps most -- just because of my age. I went through the `60s. I was a young actor who wanted to make a career for himself and I wanted to go to classes. And I really wasn`t interested in going to war.

Of course, you know, we had the Vietnam War and I joined the reserves. And then, you know, spent that time wondering whether I would be called up. And then I was -- then I made a success of myself. I was in Hollywood. I was with the young people in Hollywood. And there was this tendency in the young Hollywood to be very left at that time, and against the war. And we felt we were being very patriotic.

I was young, I was not so, you know, informed. And I went along with the programming. By the way, Glenn, it was a party line. And the party was the communist party. They were backing a lot of those marches and organizations. The STS, the student organizations at that time had communist affiliations.

This is something I only realized much later. But then I saw -- I was actually espousing some of those sound bites and points of view and we were saying that, you know, we were the problem in Vietnam.

If we take ourselves out of the mix, these people will come together south and north. And they will embrace each other and it will be peace. We certainly know what happened there. After we pulled out of Vietnam, forced to by the so-called peace movement, what happened was a bloodbath, an unparalleled blood path, 2.5 million people being killed in Cambodia and South Vietnam.

We did not do one thing to help our allies in that part of the world, the people that we supported all that time. We didn`t even -- Congress didn`t even -- didn`t even sign off on bullets for them. Left them totally unprotected. And then you see the peace movement looked at that and what did they do? They celebrated a victory. They never looked at the consequences of their actions.

BECK: It is really amazing to me how many people -- look, I have been wrong. I don`t know how many times in my life.

VOIGHT: You have? Oh, my.

BECK: I thought you watched this show, Jon. I`m wrong all the time. But at least I`ll have the courage to say it sucks to be me sometimes. Boy, was I wrong on that.

If you don`t admit you are wrong, if you don`t self-examine, you know, what you believed and then say holy cow, I was wrong, you can make no growth. It seems like the extreme left of this country -- trying to think probably the extreme right as well, but definitely the extreme left. They just never -- you know, for instance, last year we were talking about the minimum wage act.

And I said, what`s going to happen? People are going to -- businesses will lay people off or they will cut back on hours. They`re not just going to manufacture this money. They are not the U.S. Treasury. What did Hillary Clinton say in a speech this week? She was talking to a poor woman that -- who had to be cut back on her hours and she`s not making any more money. And Hillary said, we`ve got to solve this problem. You created this problem. Yet, they won`t even self-examine.

VOIGHT: It is an interesting thing about -- if I look at the platform of the Democrats right now and I was a democrat for quite a long time. One of those that, you know, saw a different way and saw as Reagan said - I didn`t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.

Well, I think there is quite a lot of people who went through the `60s and are saying that these days. Some of them quite prominent. When I see the Democratic platform today -- listen, I want the United States to be the United States of America, all coming together. There`s -- when I`m talking about these things, I`m talking about extremist positions that are dangerous to us and that have divided us as a nation.

And when I see this platform and what is being suggested and most people who are into this battle, they are into it for personalities, they don`t understand the issues -- they don`t really know what these things foretell, these platforms. And it is socialism really essentially at the base of it. What`s wrong with socialism? You know. Say, well, the government takes care of everything. What`s wrong with socialism?

BECK: You are right.

VOIGHT: Well socialism it is -- it is akin to communism, it`s the brother of communism. I just had a very interesting experience. I went to Russia for the first time in 17 years. The last time I was there was 17 years ago. I had done a film there about Chernobyl. I met wonderful Russian people, Russian actors, of course.

But the tone there of -- right from the airport, nothing but -- weapons, always visible. The people were frightened to speak, frightened to look you in the eye. Everything was drab. Everything was -- people were without hope. This is the time of perestroika with Gorbachev. The hotels didn`t function, nothing worked. If you asked somebody to think on their own, they wouldn`t answer for fear that somebody else would criticize them and they would be in a lot of trouble. I mean, it was a very, very bad situation.

Now I go back. And this is after fall of the Soviet Union, not too long after, 17 years is little time, it was less than that really. And I go -- I see what`s happening there and it is a different place. You come off the plane. First of all, you see colors that you have never seen before in the place. The architecture is all updated and all in a short period of time. Everything is updated. The people are cheerful, friendly, helpful. You go down toward the center of Moscow and you see nothing but shops full of articles, you know, clothing and food, whatever it is. And it is just a totally different place.

BECK: Jon, I tell you what, if you don`t mind hanging out for just a second, I want to extend the break. We`ll be back with more thoughts from Jon Voight in just a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: We are back with Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, one of the few conservatives in Hollywood that at least has the courage to stand up and call himself that. I`m going to make my executive producer`s blood pressure go through the roof. I just want to give you the rest of the half-hour here if you don`t mind Jon, if you don`t mind hanging out, because I have a lot of questions for you.

VOIGHT: Glenn, let me say this. Talking about going back to Russia and seeing Moscow and all its, you know, radiance right now. Everybody talks about it being the Paris of that part of the world. It is very much like that. And the difference is what? The difference is freedom.

BECK: Unfortunately, I think, I think Putin is dragging her back. I think there is a new kind of system that is being created. It is capitalism and totalitarianism combined. That is just a combination that you`re just not going to be able to fight. It is happening in China and it`s happening in Russia.

VOIGHT: Well, let me say this from the time I spent in Russia. I did some interviews in Russia and the people were extremely open. They also had a sense of humor. And they talked about -- well, you know, this is the Putin press. They were laughing about it. Well this was impossible 17 years ago, the first time. So there is a lot of freedom there. They are able to express themselves properly. I have great hopes for that country. The prosperity that I see there, the people know it comes from the influence of the United States and when happened, dissolving of the Soviet Union.

BECK: Let me go back where we started with Charlton Heston. Did you know him?

VOIGHT: No. I bumped into him a couple of times. I saw him on stage a couple of times. A very good stage actor, by the way.

And, you know, he had a tremendous history of activism in the `60s. You know, very involved in the civil rights movement. He became the president of SAG. He contributed to our community out here. And then towards the end of his activism, he stood up for the Second Amendment. He was an interesting guy and a great patriot.

BECK: I was amazed at the -- at the obituary that was in the "Los Angeles Times," the "New York Times," everywhere. That said he marched with Martin Luther King, but at the end of his life, he started veering very right. As if you are a -- if you are a conservative you want separate drinking fountains. I found it so insulting.

VOIGHT: I absolutely agree with you. He was a patriot throughout and it was interesting. I read one of the things that said the reason he got the role of "Moses" for Cecil B. DeMille is because Cecil B. DeMille thought he resembled the statue of Michelangelo. I thought that was quite wonderful because that statue is something that is very impressive to me as well. And I said yes, that`s right, he does look a little like that guy.

BECK: I saw that you were on the road with Rudy Giuliani before he lost.

VOIGHT: Yes.

BECK: Are you supporting anybody now? Do you see any --

VOIGHT: Well, certainly I am supporting John McCain now since he`s been the Republican nominee. And he is a tremendous guy. And he`s certainly a genuine hero. And I spent a little bit of time with him. He`s very humble and he`s got a great sense of humor. So many things.

Let me just tell you something that happened might be very interesting to you. At the end of my time with Rudy Giuliani and I had never met Rudy Giuliani. I was just a fan because of what he did in New York. And I saw that, I was a New Yorker and saw that extraordinary turnaround that he was responsible for in New York. And, of course, the -- the very extraordinary way he stood up after 9/11 and gathered us all behind him. And made us feel like one nation.

And so that`s why I was, you know, asked to campaign for him. I went down and -- week and a half before the end of his campaign. And he did an extraordinary thing at the end of the time when he gave that wonderful concession speech.

BECK: Jon -- wait. Hold the thought. Sorry. I`ve got a hard network break. Hang on. Hold the thought. Sorry. We`ll be back with that. I`m sorry to do that. Right at the good part of the story with Jon Voight in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: There`s nothing like television to wreck a good story for you. We were in the middle of a story with Rudy Giuliani that Jon Voight was telling us. OK, so you are out on the campaign trail. First time you meet him.

VOIGHT: He gives the concession speech. Then, you know, everyone was kind of in a dark mood, little bit of a dark mood. I went to cheer up some of the young people who had contributed to the campaign, telling them it was part of history and they were part of and they did a great job.

And then Rudy wanted to see his close fellows and invited me in as well. And we just -- you know, had a little drink and some dinner. And he said I should perhaps say a few things. And he said, you know, I`m sorry -- I feel badly. It must have been something that I did that wasn`t enough for us at this time.

He said, but you know, I have been thinking about it - I have been thinking about it. And I will bet that all those people who are the rival to Abraham Lincoln probably thought they would make a better president but god has his way of delivering for the United States when they are in need of leadership. Just the right person.

And perhaps that`s what he is doing now. And that was such a moving thing to me to hear this -- humility but also this kind of very high-minded patriotism of Rudy Giuliani.

BECK: I have to tell you, I hope he`s -- I hope he`s right. I mean if he is right, god is working in mysterious ways because I can`t figure this one out. God knows better than I do. You are working on a movie - we have a minute. You`re working on a new movie with Colin Farrell now?

VOIGHT: Colin Farrell and Ed Norton. We did a movie called "Pride and Glory," it`s a really terrific family movie. I say family, the cop family. But not a family movie. Good, tough movie and great acting.

BECK: Yes, OK. Jon, it is a real pleasure, just a real pleasure to speak to you and god bless you and your courage and anything I can do to ever help the people -- Hollywood, just come out of the shadows, man.

VOIGHT: Listen, you are such a talented guy, Glenn. Glenn, I think you`re so talented and you know, when I met you, I was very, very impressed with you. People usually say to me, gee, I didn`t know you were that tall. When I saw you I said I didn`t know you were that tall. You are such a stately fellow.

BECK: That`s me.

VOIGHT: And you are very gifted.

BECK: No, no keep going.

VOIGHT: Grateful for your presence on the airwaves.

BECK: No, keep going, no, I mean it. Give more compliments my way. I didn`t believing that acting there. Jon, thanks a lot man, I appreciate it. We will see you again.

Don`t forget, if you watch this program and you ask yourself, how can I get some more Glenn Beck? Easy answer, "Fusion" magazine. Your only source for enlightenment and entertainment. You can order a copy and receive the latest issue by going over to GlennBeck.com right now. From New York, good night, America.

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