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Glenn Beck

Madonna, Still Shocking After all These Years?; Record Exec Weighs in on "American Idol" Final

Aired May 23, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s the biggest star on the planet. She`s made out with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jesus. Now, Madonna`s at it again with her brand new album, "I Hate You, Your Family and Your Beliefs". It features all new songs like, "Poop John Paul", "I Saw Mommy (expletive deleted) Santa Claus", "Kabba-Labia" and many, many more.

Act now, and you`ll also get the new Dixie Chicks album, "Will Sing for Food". Madonna`s "I Hate You, Your Family and Your Beliefs", only available from K-Hell Records.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GLENN BECK, HOST: OK. The people who went to Madonna`s concert last night in L.A. last night shelled out $380 a ticket to see this. Oh, look at that, a little pop star hanging from a cross and a crown of thorns. Let me tell you, that`s worth every dime that you paid. Really, seriously.

Hey Madonna, will you do me a favor? Knock off the Christ-bashing for 10 minutes, will you?

You know, it`s actually -- she doesn`t even offend me anymore. I`ve just -- I`ve gone numb to her Madonna`s antics. What really bothers me is the hypocrisy.

Last year, when she was promoting her horrible children`s book, Madonna said that we shouldn`t let our kids watch TV. Americans have to stop doing that. There`s too much filth on television. Gee, Madonna, why would you think there`s too much filth on TV?

I mean, look at this. I`m not even sure, but I think I`m getting crabs just from watching this. Really. In fact, if you`re at home, grab some penicillin, swallow it. Otherwise, you`re going to be peeing cookie dough tomorrow.

Seriously, do you remember when Madonna made out with Britney Spears at the MTV Music Awards? What was that, a year ago, two years ago? Apparently, that confused her daughter, Lourdes, which is a stupid name. She asked her mom, she said, "Mom, are you gay?"

Madonna`s response? In the fake British accent. "I`m the mummy pop star and she`s the baby pop star." I`m actually quoting. "And I`m only kissing her to pass on my energy." By "energy", Madonna, if you mean cold sores, then yes, you`re probably -- you`re right. You probably were passing on your energy.

Madonna`s latest antics has everybody shocked. And I don`t know why honestly. She`s been the one-trick pony since 1983. Same stuff. The only thing that shocks me any more is when people are who they say they are and they don`t play games with who they are, just to make money.

Instead of humping a stack of bibles, Madonna, maybe you should lose the fake British accent, act your age, spend a little more time with your kids, and leave mine alone. That, Madonna, would be truly shocking.

Now president of the Catholic League, Bill Donahue, is joining us.

And -- and Bill, let me ask you a question. Madonna, she`s old, she`s irrelevant. Are you going to let this get under your skin?

BILL DONAHUE, PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC LEAGUE: Well, I mean, I`m just so fed up with it. What a limited repertoire. You know, 20 years ago, we could have understood it.

BECK: Sure.

DONAHUE: But here she is. Here she`s pushing 50. She`s still going back to the same well of anti-Catholicism. She says she`s a mother. She`s a mother all right. And she`s all of a sudden protective of her children, but what about somebody else`s kids?

BECK: Is that amazing?

DONAHUE: We thought we got rid of her.

BECK: Yes.

DONAHUE: We thought that she jumped ship from Catholicism. She went over to Kaballah. Good luck guys.

BECK: Let me ask you. She`s got a little Sinead O`Connor kind of thing going in her. Don`t you think? I mean, like Sinead O`Connor just does everything she can to take down the church. And I think Madonna is the same way.

DONAHUE: Yes. I guess she can`t sing and dance and carry herself on her own merits. Sinead O`Connor had even less talent than Madonna, which is even surprising, given the fact that, you know, she`s got to have more than cold score sores, by the way, Glenn. We`ll do this thing here. What she could have, I don`t even want to talk about it on this TV show.

BECK: I just -- I don`t think you`d ever get clean, seriously, after a night with Madonna.

Aren`t you -- let me play the devil`s advocate with you. Aren`t you giving Madonna and me, too, and "The Da Vinci Code" exactly what they want? I mean they want publicity. They want people talking about it. They want people boycotting them. In fact, let me say this. Please, someone in America, I`m begging you, please boycott this show. It only helps.

DONAHUE: Well, it`s true. But it`s somewhat of a double-edged sword. You see, if this was a Madonna wannabe, I would ignore her. But you can`t ignore Madonna. She is a pop icon.

"The Da Vinci Code" produced by Ron Howard, Sony, Columbia Pictures, again it`s not some third rate house, so you can`t ignore it if you`re concerned about Catholic bashing.

Now the hypocrisy is evident. You couldn`t even show a depiction of Mohammad in most TVs and most shows and the newspapers, because the guys with the machetes may come after you.

BECK: Thank you for bringing that up. Can you even imagine if Madonna were on stage -- and she wouldn`t do it -- being, you know, nailed to a crescent? Can you imagine the outrage in America?

DONAHUE: The boys with their machetes I think would pay her a visit, and that would maybe teach her a lesson.

BECK: It`s not just the boys with the machetes. There would be all of the people on the left would be marching and saying, you shouldn`t do that, why can`t you respect these people? We`ve got to understand these people. Why is it cool in America to bash Christ or to bash the Christian church?

DONAHUE: Well, you`re right. All the chatter in this country about diversity and tolerance, when it comes to Christianity there`s something else going on.

Look, our culture teaches freedom means the right to do whatever you ought to do. The Catholic Church teaches freedom means the right to do what you ought to do. Some people see that as constraining. I don`t. I see it as liberating.

But we have this natural disjunction, this natural disharmony between the dominant culture ethos, which prizes libertinism, the absence of restraint and the Catholic Church.

But you know what? Why don`t they pick on somebody else? It`s getting very tired, very old, and I`m fed up with it.

BECK: Yes, you`re -- I don`t think people are even hearing it anymore. We were talking on the radio show today that, you know, I`m getting to the point where people are always saying you`re a racist, you`re a hate monger, whatever. I`m about ready to embrace it.

I mean I`m not. I`m not a racist. I`m not a hate monger, but the words are becoming meaningless. It`s almost -- it`s almost what people did with McCarthy. McCarthy used to say, "Well, that person is a communist." Now it`s a joke.

These words aren`t going to mean anything anymore, because it is constant -- we`re constantly getting Christianity bashed. We`re constantly be called -- being called a hate monger, et cetera, et cetera. It doesn`t mean anything anymore. You`re going numb, aren`t you?

DONAHUE: Well, yes. That`s right. You become anesthetized to it. But, you know, some of those people who want to shut you up or shut me up...

BECK: Yes.

DONAHUE: ... are the real problem in our society. I mean, the political correctness is really totalitarian in its mindset. And the hypocrisy, you`re right, the double standard is worse than culturalists (ph).

BECK: Bill, I appreciate it. Thank you very much for your time.

DONAHUE: Thank you.

BECK: You bet.

ANNOUNCER: This is GLENN BECK.

BECK: I`ve got to tell you, I cannot wait to go home, get away from all the garbage of the day and just slip into my jammies and watch the final performances on "American Idol."

Who`s going to bring it home tonight, Taylor, Katharine? I`ve got to tell you, there`s a lot more at stake for these two than just winning the TV talent show.

In every year except one, the winner of "American Idol" has gone on to sell a million records and concert tickets, while the runners-up? Eh, not so much.

Case in point: season one, Kelly Clarkson was the champ. She sold 7.5 million CDs. Her concerts have grossed almost $25 million. By contrast, the guy who came up No. 2, Justin was his name, sold about 200 pocket T`s while working at the Gap in San Jose.

I personally believe that the country needs more gray-haired, overweight celebrities. So no matter how he does, Taylor is my man.

It`s anybody`s guess who`s going to win tonight. But are there any superstars in the making? I really thought Chris was. But who has a shot at a big music career, if anybody? Who`s also destined to, you know, sell me my next Whopper Junior?

Tom Vickers has been in this business longer than any of these contestants have been alive, well, at least Katharine anyway. You were an A&R executive for Capitol and Mercury records. Who has the broadest appeal?

TOM VICKERS, FORMER A&R EXECUTIVE: I`m going to think Taylor. He`s the perfect match of hip and corny.

BECK: Yes, let me ask you this. I think if I were Michael McDonald I`d be shaking in my boots tonight. I`m like I`m going to lose that cell phone contract or whatever it is I`m singing songs for. Because I think he is the new Michael McDonald. The guy sounds like him and everything else.

VICKERS: I would agree. The only thing I think Taylor has to be careful of is not getting too close to being the next Michael McDonald.

BECK: Yes.

VICKERS: Like I don`t want him to do an album of Motown covers, for example.

BECK: Well, I didn`t want Michael McDonald to do that either. So you know.

Is there anybody that you saw that, as a guy who`s been in the record business forever, is there anybody that you saw and went, "That person is a superstar"?

I think Chris has the best shot. Did you get that feeling from anybody?

VICKERS: Yes, Chris has the best shot as a band leader, as a front man for Creed or one of those type of bands.

BECK: Yes.

VICKERS: Angst rocker.

Katharine, I think, is absolutely gorgeous. And what she`s going to need is great songs and great material that resonate with her. If there`s a problem with her, there`s a disconnect between what she`s singing and the look on her face while she`s singing it.

BECK: She is almost -- she`s just -- she`s almost too Hollywood. You know what I mean? I think Taylor seems real. He is who he is. He`s doing it because he loves. Elliott was the same kind of way. She`s more of a package, isn`t she?

VICKERS: Exactly. I mean, she grew up in Sherman Oaks. One of her parents was a vocal coach. And she looks the part.

BECK: Yes.

VICKERS: But I don`t always get the sense that she`s feeling the song when she`s singing. And...

BECK: How much -- how does the package -- I got to be very careful of this conversation. How much does the whole package mean in this? Do you have to have that anymore? Or is America kind of getting to a place where a gray-haired dumpy guy who just really feels it is what you`re looking for? We`re looking for something authentic, aren`t we?

VICKERS: Absolutely. It`s always a question of style over substance, and Taylor has the substance, whereas Kat may have the style.

BECK: Tom, you know, as I`m watching this, I can`t help but think how many times, I mean I see these people and I think enjoy it man, enjoy every step. Because I say this about myself all the time. You know, enjoy every single day because, you know, this show could be over in, well, ten minutes, honestly. But enjoy the ride.

How many of these people do you think are going to be, this is going to be the highlight of their life and they`re going to be trying to relive these years? And they`ll have a little sign in the front of a Holiday Inn that says, you know, former "American Idol" contestant?

VICKERS: No, I hear exactly what your saying. Ask Rubin Studdard, who was -- where is he now? You know, I mean, he`s still on the radar screen, you know, as a blimp maybe.

But the key I think is that they should enjoy it and, in the case of Taylor you really genuinely get the feeling he is enjoying it.

BECK: OK. And one word answer. Do you see a superstar in any of the contestants? Yes or no and name.

VICKERS: Boy, that`s a tough one. Superstar. I would say Taylor has a good long career in front of him. I don`t know about superstar.

BECK: OK. Thank you so much, sir. Appreciate it. Have a good night.

VICKERS: Great. You, too. Thank you.

BECK: You bet. Bye-bye.

ANNOUNCER: Coming up on GLENN BECK...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY ROTH, OWNER, PREVIOUS PETS: We carry a beautiful line of little dresses, little party outfits. Different colors, different patterns.

ANNOUNCER: No, not for you. For your little dog, too. Coming up, unbridled consumption. Guess how much this will set you back? No, really, guess.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Under the legislation, Jews would have to wear little yellow cloth strips. Now I`m reading this and I`m thinking this can`t be. I mean, you guys remember the whole Hitler thing. Right? That didn`t work out too well for him. Maybe I`m just a little sketchy on history.

Iran is just feeling a little, you know, cocky because we`ve lost clout with that whole weapons of mass destruction "Washington Post," you know, we didn`t find them, blah blah blah, but I got to tell you. If you start busting out, you know, you got to wear this little yellow symbol there on your chest, I think you`re just increasing the chances of the 3,000 degree summer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right. Yesterday, we kicked off our "Unbridled Consumption" series, where we shed light on how we`re just spending ridiculous amounts of money on things like cars, TVs and plastic surgery instead of on, you know, books, tuition, food.

Today, we are going to focus on pets. And it`s a full-fledged freak show coming your way. If you are feeding your dog table scraps and water, well, you just might as well be abusing that poor animal.

My German Shepherd Victor dines only on Kobe beef and people who want my autograph. He`s also had Lasik surgery and paw implants. Doesn`t your pet deserve the finer things in life? These enlightened pet owners think so. Watch and learn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): For too long, man`s best friend, no, not that one. Yes, there. That`s better. Man`s best friends have been treated like third class citizens. Forced to sleep on the floor, eat table scraps or even worse, wear those silly things around their necks.

In fact, there`s even documented proof of some pets being dragged naked through public streets on a leash. Oh, the humanity.

But the future is looking up for these long neglected creatures. Thanks to a few good men and women who are working overtime to ensure that dogs will no longer be treated like the animals you know that they are.

For years Chloe and others like her were denied opportunities afforded to more evolved species. But that`s all changing now. In large part due to humanitarian efforts like these.

CHARLES FAGAN, RALPH LAUREN: We love to welcome pets into our store. And help sort of customers sort of bring the personality of their dog sort of out through the charm of our clothes.

BECK: And their efforts seem to be sort of working, sort of.

FAGAN: There`s no question that, you know, your pet absolutely in Ralph Lauren`s world expects and deserves the same quality that they get in the grown up line.

BECK: And that`s because in Ralph Lauren`s world, customers aren`t judged by the color of their fur or lack thereof but on the content of their credit limit.

FAGAN: The cable knit cashmere sweater is $125. The iconic knit shirt is $45. And then the prices vary for the novelty items, the skull and crossbones sweater, for instance, is about $65. The special red riding jacket is about $395. And the leather leads and the crocodile leads range in price from about $195 to $500.

The dogs actually get excited in the store when they get dressed.

BECK: And if you think these dogs are excited now, think how they`ll feel when they discover that new doors are opening up for them everyday. Precious Pets is considered one of New York`s finest upscale pet boutiques. Disagree? Let`s ask this unbiased person.

ROTH: Precious Pets is considered one of the city`s finest upscale pet boutiques. We have a magnificent, magnificent grooming salon with the top talent in the city and a really loving and unusually creative day care facility for the very, very lucky dogs that get to come and play during the day.

I would say the most popular spa treatment that we offer in the grooming salon is the hot oil massage. We offer a full line of nail polish colors. We do French manicures with the white tips, anything that the dog wants. Whatever is safe, healthy, not humiliating to the dog, we`ll be happy to accommodate you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s the United States of America. Anything goes, you know.

BECK: Maybe she has us confused with Amsterdam. But because this is the United States, these dogs have the inalienable right to pursue happiness.

ROTH: We carry a beautiful line of little dresses, little party outfits. Different colors and different patterns. The smaller dogs, particularly Yorkies, Shi Tzus, Chihuahuas, seem to be going tremendously for this kind of merchandise. It`s truly beautifully made. You just have to touch it, feel it. It`s like butter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) And I`m one of those people. I`ll admit it.

ROTH: This whole line is created in Italy, and the skins are from Italy and it`s all hand sewn by Italian artisans. It`s extraordinary quality.

And here`s your fellow.

It`s not a dog. It`s not really a pet. It`s really a member of the family.

BECK: A member of the family that likes to drink water out of the toilet. But hey, let`s not let that get to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Welcome to today`s "Quality of Life" market update.

In the highway transportation sector, news about James McGreevey`s upcoming memoir has the stock price of highway rest stops going down. And believe me there was no pun intended there.

The former gay governor of New Jersey -- well, actually he`s still gay, but he`s no longer the governor. You know what I mean. McGreevey`s upcoming autobiography, entitled "The Confession," paints a picture of a man who chose to stay in the closet rather than risk his political future.

In an excerpt published by the "Newark Star-Ledger," McGreevey writes, and I quote, "I settled for detached anonymity of bookstores and rest stops. A compromise, but one that was wholly unfulfilling and morally unsatisfactory." Not to mention here, James, just a little hazardous to the wife and kids. I`m just saying.

The stock price of veggie burgers is going up on news that Kristen Bell might actually have eaten one at one point. PETA has announced the winners of their annual world`s sexiest vegetarian poll, which I voted in, and I can`t wait to see the winners. Drum roll please. Or not. Kristen Bell and Prince.

Kristen Bell, the gorgeous star of the UPN hit show "Veronica Mars" won hands down. Now, I`ve never seen the show, but I imagine she plays some sort of vegetarian detective, maybe from outer space with special powers. Maybe.

And then of course, there`s Prince. At least, I think that`s what we`re allowed to call him now. Right? Prince?

The competition with Prince in the male category was very, very tight this year. Some of the other very sexy vegetarians that he beat out include Corey Feldman, Don Imus and the always sexy vegetarian Weird Al Yankovic. Pretty much makes you want to have a burger, doesn`t it?

On a related story, the international federation of meatpackers chose their sexiest carnivore, and for the sixth year in a row, the winner is: Kobiyashi. There he is. All right, I`m making this one up. But let met tell you this, Kobiyahsi, we got your number, and America won`t be defeated again, brother!

And, finally, a bit of good news, New Orleans. The city of New Orleans, the stock is taking kind of a slight upswing. After being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and spending the last nine months living in temporary living quarters, 19 residents of New Orleans are finally back home.

The evacuees returned early Monday afternoon to Louis Armstrong International Airport, and there they are. They were welcomed by a purple carpet and a brass band, as well as hundreds of well wishers. Look at that, little penguin.

FedEx donated the chartered flight and $100,000 to help them get them back on those teeny little penguin feet. I don`t know about you, but I`m thinking this city has its priorities down.

On a related note, there are still 200,000 people from New Orleans who are still living in temporary housing. But aren`t those penguins cute?

All right. That`s it. We will be back. Kenny Chesney is coming up in just a few minutes. You don`t want to miss it. Oh, and something that will make your head explode on immigration. Next!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen to Glenn`s suck-up at the end of this interview. It is agonizing.

BECK: Why do I have to suck up to her after it`s over?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you`re giddy with the fact a pretty girl is talking to you and you don`t known know what to do with yourself. She just gave you a gift. Listen to this. She gave him a gift of a pen, and listen to how pathetic this gets.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BECK: Wow. Thank you very much.

MOLLY SIMS, MODEL: Thank you so much.

BECK: They`re beautiful.

SIMS: They`re beautiful.

BECK: So are you, more on the inside than the outside. I love it. Thank you.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BECK: She is. I stand by it. She is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More on the inside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She could be Mother Teresa on the inside and she`s still more beautiful on the outside.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right, no sucking up to guests.

Now, let me ask you this: What`s that topic that haven`t talked about for a while? Oh, I know: immigration. It`s great. I can talk about that for hours, days, in fact.

The president of Mexico joined 10 percent of his country and came to the U.S. today, just as Congress races to pass some sort of immigration reform bill by the end of the week. And, oh, no, then it will be fixed.

Vicente Fox says he`s optimistic Washington will do something, but astutely observed -- and I`m not kidding; this is a quote -- "the whole enchilada" has yet to be approved. Yes, actually said that.

Mr. Fox`s term as president ends in December. And pretty soon, he doesn`t have to worry about it anymore, but we do.

I want to say this right on the outset. I`ve said it a thousand times: I love immigrants. They make us. They have melted into our society. They have built our country. But the president`s security program, an absolute joke. Illegal immigration costs taxpayers $60 billion a year. Companies that hire illegal aliens should be deep fried in some sort of hot spicy salsa.

Juan Hernandez is here. He`s the former special adviser to Vicente Fox.

You`ve got a book out. It`s called "The New American Pioneers: Why Are We Afraid of Mexican Immigrants?"

I`ve got to tell you: I`m not afraid of Mexican immigrants. I`m not afraid of immigrants. I`m not afraid of illegal immigrants. I just don`t want illegals here. How is that not understood?

JUAN HERNANDEZ, FORMER SPECIAL ADVISER TO VICENTE FOX: Well, Glenn, to start with, I`m almost afraid to be fried in your salsa here on your show by having the title of the book.

BECK: You know what, Juan? I`ve got to tell you. I`ve been excited about this interview and dreading this interview with you, because if you were somebody in the Bush administration, I would be just as angry and frustrated as I am with you. I mean here you are, somebody who has advised Vicente Fox, and I don`t understand it. I don`t understand your point of view at all.

HERNANDEZ: Well, don`t be frustrated, Glenn. Most of the United States of America would like to pass an immigration bill. Most would like a reform. Most would like that the undocumented be documented, if a five- point criteria is met.

Real quick, number one, that there are no criminals in the group. Number two, they`re not taking jobs away from anyone. Number three, that they pay taxes and Social Security. Number four, that they work on their English. And number five, that they pay a fine. If that criteria`s met -- and I believe that the immense majority meet that criteria -- let`s go ahead and document them.

BECK: Here`s the frustration level with Vicente Fox. Stop lecturing me about my country. Stop telling me I can`t put people on the border. You know, he comes out there, everybody`s indignant. "How dare you put military on the border?" Really? Why don`t you tell me what`s on the southern border of Mexico? Why don`t you tell me about the southern plan that started in 2001?

HERNANDEZ: And you`re right, there`s a lot that Mexico can do. But let`s remember that Mexico...

BECK: Wait, wait, wait. No, no. Wait, no don`t go by that. What is the southern plan? The southern plan, there are thousands of military on the southern border with Belize, and Mexico, and Guatemala. Last year -- I believe it was last year, maybe it was 2004 -- over 200,000 illegals shipped back through the southern plan. Don`t tell me I can`t put military on my southern border when Mexico does it.

HERNANDEZ: No, I think that if you listen carefully to Vicente Fox, he`s a friend of the United States. He`s a friend of George Bush. He studied up here. He was president of Coca-Cola International.

I mean, he understands what the United States needs to do, and that`s one of the reasons why he`s up here, by the way. If you listen, this is sort of a victory trip up here. He brought democracy to Mexico.

No, but, wait a minute, I think that we don`t want to have south of here, by the way, a Venezuela. I think that we need to work with Mexico.

BECK: You`re exactly right. You`re exactly right. I harbor no ill will or feelings for Mexico, for the Mexican people. I really don`t. It`s a screwed-up country. You know it as well as I do. I mean, my gosh, corruption is rampant. And don`t get me wrong: We`ve got a few corruption problems here, as well.

But I have no problems with Mexico itself, but please let me protect the security of my own country without calling me a racist or a Mexico hatemonger.

HERNANDEZ: Well, but, you know, I think that -- and if you`ll allow me, Glenn...

BECK: Sure.

HERNANDEZ: ... but I think that this week, until next Wednesday, let`s try to solve the United States and then I`ll talk to you about solving Mexico. But in this country...

BECK: No, no, look, I have...

HERNANDEZ: But let me just say, in this country we need a reform. And by the way, I`m a conservative. I`m not a liberal. I`m with the pastors Joel Osteen, Robert Morris, we`ve created -- by the way, let me launch right here with you a Web page called ChurchandImmigration.info. That is conservatives speaking about the importance of legalizing the undocumented. Let`s solve our problems here today.

BECK: I can`t get past the word "undocumented." They`re illegal. Mexico, please, taught calling the kettle black. Stop lecturing me from Mexico and telling me that I have to call them undocumented when illegal immigration in Mexico carries a two-year prison sentence, two years!

HERNANDEZ: I`m not lecturing you, and I think you agree, but I`m not saying that today...

(CROSSTALK)

HERNANDEZ: But today, these individuals who appear without papers, illegals, whatever you want to call them, they`re not criminals today. Now, there are the Sensenbrenners of the United States -- and the nation is divided -- but there are the Sensenbrenners that would like to make them criminals. But up to today, it`s like a misdemeanor.

BECK: No, when you say...

HERNANDEZ: All it is, it`s like going too fast when you`re about to get your wife to the hospital.

BECK: But you know what? Sensenbrenner is saying that and saying, you know, let`s make it criminal. Mexico would immediately say, "Oh, how dare you make these people criminals. They`re just trying to feed their families." Mexico themselves, again, carries a prison sentence of two years.

I mean, I can`t take the hypocrisy from Mexico, preaching to me what I can and can`t do, a sovereign nation, when I harbor no hatred, no ill will towards Mexico, and yet I`m made to feel like I`m a racist because I want to protect my southern border.

HERNANDEZ: You know, we could discuss the laws of Mexico, and I`m sure that we need to change a lot of laws down there. I`ve lived in Mexico. My dad is a Mexican attorney. And he would probably not agree with the way that you`re presenting it.

But the point today is that we have some laws here that are not fair and they`re not fair to the United States.

BECK: Right.

HERNANDEZ: You know, forget about Mexico. They`re not fair to the United States, to the employers. And I know that you want to fry them in hot salsa, but the employers, it`s not fair for them, either.

BECK: Figuratively speaking.

HERNANDEZ: They`re being told, "Don`t hire them, don`t hire them, but it`s OK if you`re going to build a hospital. Don`t hire them, but we`ve got to make Highway 35 longer."

BECK: No, it`s not right, it`s not at all, in any way, shape, or form, to hire them. Juan, thank you very much. Appreciate your time.

HERNANDEZ: Thank you, my friend.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi there.

BECK: Oh, hello. How are you, Erica?

HILL: I snuck up on you.

BECK: Oh, you know what? I`m sorry. I was just -- I got so side- tracked with Juan.

HILL: You`re all fired up there.

BECK: I am a little fired up. You know, he`s a nice guy. You know...

HILL: Seems like a lovely man.

BECK: He is. And I hope he went away feeling the love in the heart that I have for him.

HILL: How could he not?

BECK: Let`s go "Straight to the Hill." Erica Hill, oh, she`s the lovely right here.

HILL: Right.

BECK: She is from "PRIME NEWS," Headline News, the show that precedes this show at 6:00 Eastern.

HILL: Tune in everyday.

BECK: Well, yes. Erica, what`s happening in the news?

HILL: A reminder first (INAUDIBLE) no matter how careful we are, we are still vulnerable to identity theft. This after 26 million veterans learned that the hard way.

Here`s what happened. A disk with their personal information, including Social Security numbers, went missing. It was stolen earlier this month from the home of a Veterans Affair Department employee. Still not clear why he took that disk home...

BECK: Yes, that`s -- you know, that`s an interesting thing. I mean, why exactly would you take that home? How do you take 26 million names and Social Security numbers home?

HILL: It`s a lot of information. So, yes, they`re looking into that one. He`s on leave right now.

BECK: Sure.

HILL: The good news, I guess, here is it happened almost three weeks ago. The Veterans Department saying, hey, the reason we didn`t say anything is because we didn`t want these people to know what they had, but so far no data has been misused...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: Do we know what else was stolen from his house, a TV?

HILL: It was a laptop, I believe, an external hard drive, and I think there might have been some other things on a dresser that were taken.

BECK: OK, well, it`s perfect...

HILL: Maybe some coins.

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: I`m sure those names and numbers are perfectly safe now.

HILL: But just in case, real quick, I want to let anybody watching know, if they think their information might be among those 26 million, call 800-FED-INFO or go to FirstGov.gov. You can get some more information there.

BECK: OK. Next?

HILL: Next up, he`s a plastic surgeon. He`s a black belt. And on a recent L.A.-bound flight, he also became a hero. Dr. 90210, real name, Robert Rey, and another passenger restrained an 80-year-old man on the American Airlines flight last night.

BECK: I heard this story. He`s an 80-year-old man.

HILL: Well, but here`s what happened. I mean, especially after 9/11, you know, as we`ve talked to a number of flight security specialists, they say, hey, after 9/11, nobody is going to sit back and let anybody head towards the cockpit. Apparently, he got out of his seat as they were getting ready to land, shoved a flight attendant, marched toward the cockpit. Everybody else went into action to...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: I`ve actually been on a plane, and I`ve stood up, because I was on with an unruly passenger. And it was about seven days after September 11th. And I actually stood up to -- you know, and the stewardesses just turned around. But this is a particular case where, come on, he`s 80.

HILL: Hey...

(CROSSTALK)

HILL: ... but we weren`t on the plane.

BECK: The news stories are -- and he`s got a black belt. Here`s the black belt you need, "Hey, old man, sit down!"

HILL: Maybe he`s a black belt, too, who knows? We weren`t on the plane. We don`t know.

BECK: "I`ll give you such a chop here." Come on, like he was posing any real problem. Erica, thank you very much. We`ll talk to you tomorrow.

HILL: See you then.

BECK: Bye-bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right, country music entertainer of the year is Kenny Chesney. Well, actually, that was last year, but he`s up for the title again tonight in Las Vegas at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which is kind of the Oscars of country music artists.

He`s performing live tonight, which means Taylor and Katharine are going to have some serious competition on TV tonight, unless the Dixie Chicks are right and there`s only toothless rednecks watching country music.

Here he is. He`s with us now.

Boston fan, I take it?

KENNY CHESNEY, COUNTY MUSIC STAR: What gave that away?

BECK: I got to tell you, I`ve had...

CHESNEY: No.

BECK: Not at all? I`ve had so much e-mail from my radio listeners who have said, "Tell him to take the hat off. I want to see the top of his head."

CHESNEY: Well, tell them to take their hat off.

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: Congratulations on the nominations. Are you excited for tonight?

CHESNEY: Thank you, man. Yes, very excited for tonight. I really am. You know, I mean, we worked very hard out on the road, and we have a lot of fun all at the same time.

But being nominated for entertainer of the year like I am tonight, it`s very satisfying, because I do feel like that`s what we do best, and I do feel like, you know, that`s where I`m in my zone is when I`m on stage. And it`s kind of odd that it takes 20,000 people to make you feel comfortable, but that`s I swear to God that`s how it is right now.

BECK: No, I can kind of understand it in a sick sort of way. Let me ask you this. And I don`t want to know your politics. Please, I don`t care if you`re for a war, against the war, for Bush, against, I don`t care, and I don`t want to know about.

CHESNEY: OK.

BECK: But I did want to ask you about the Dixie Chicks and what they`ve been say saying about country music fans lately. They`ve been saying that basically a bunch of rednecks, et cetera, et cetera. Here you are wearing a Boston hat. Who are the country music fans of today?

CHESNEY: Well, I don`t know who their fans are, but I take very good much pride in knowing who mine are. I have a very diverse, passionate fan base that are -- and right now, you know, not to sound conceited or anything, but all over the country.

And so I`m very honored that, when we go and play places, like when we were playing Madison Square Garden, we sold out. When we were playing the Patriots football stadium, we got, you know, a lot of people coming to see us play. And it makes us feel good, because it`s a very diverse group of people.

BECK: You know, I think that there`s a difference now between, you know, the old country fan and what there is now. You know, I just saw Martina McBride at Radio City here in New York City. She was fabulous. And crowd was the same. And I think there`s a yearning for, you know, just real values now, you know what I mean? And that`s what -- country music is just authentic.

CHESNEY: I think that`s a fair statement. Yes, and I work very hard at trying to find some songs that people are going to be able to sink their teeth into and live their life with and, you know, have it be a part of their life, you know, and I think that`s what`s so great about our music.

BECK: But then you go right to "Gin and Juice," which you got to love, you got to love.

CHESNEY: I do. I mean, you know I do. I told you I was very diverse on musical taste. And I love it. You know, I got a lot of guys in rock `n` roll that are very good friends of mine, you know, so -- and they have a mutual respect for me, and I do them, and their music and the kind of music they make, and it`s vice verse. It really, really is.

BECK: Who were your influences growing up? Who left a mark on you?

CHESNEY: Who left a mark on me?

BECK: Yes.

CHESNEY: A lot of the guys that left a mark on me were singer- songwriters. Now, don`t get me wrong; I love, you know, going to the Van Halen concerts and I loved going to, you know -- I love that kind of music. But I loved Bruce Springsteen, because he was a singer-songwriter. I loved Mellencamp. I love Jimmy Buffett. And I love Jackson Browne. I loved Roger Miller.

And I loved a lot of these guys that wrote their own songs and sang them. And so those are the guys that, when I was a kid, that I listened to all the time. And that`s who, that`s what turned me on and made me want to make up stuff for a living.

BECK: Did you write "Who You`d Be Today"?

CHESNEY: I did not. I could have. I had a very good friend that was killed in a car accident in Jacksonville, Florida, in the mid-`80s, when he was 17 years old. And I think everybody has that person in their life that never really got to realize their full potential as a person.

And when I first heard the song "Who You`d Be Today," it killed me, because I thought of that person. And I thought to myself, you know, everybody has somebody in their life that they think of when they would hear that song. That`s why I felt it was a very powerful song, and it proved to be right. You know, and so it`s a very great moment of our show right now.

BECK: Real quick, we`ve only got a couple of seconds left with you. I just saw Michael Buble in concert. He is one of the best entertainers I`ve ever seen. I have not seen you in concert, but I hear you`re tremendous, and you`ve just been nominated for entertainer of the year.

Besides you, who would be -- who is the best you`ve seen on stage?

CHESNEY: Probably Springsteen. I would pay money to see Springsteen. When I go to a concert, I want to have fun. Our concerts aren`t the kind of concerts where you just kind of sit down, and relax, and enjoy the music. You know, it`s loud, and there`s a lot of energy in our show.

And that`s the kind of shows I`m drawn to and that I want to go to. So it`s been that way ever since I was a kid, when first got into Van Halen and first got into, you know, all the Aerosmith. I mean, I would go see Aerosmith again. You know, I love those guys.

And, you know, so I loved music that kicks me right -- you know, when you go to a concert, and the drummer hits the kick drum, and you feel it right there, and you a still feel it when you leave, that`s the kind of music I like to go see live.

BECK: Right. Kenny, best of luck to you tonight.

CHESNEY: Thanks, man. I`m going to need it. Thank you very much.

BECK: You bet. Bye-bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Hate mail kicks off today with an all-time classic. Oh, it`s about the war. "Hi, I overheard you discussing that your daughter was going to college. I know how much you support the war effort and was hopeful that maybe she could serve in Iraq with the infantry in order to pay for it. It would be a shame if she missed out on that great opportunity. Thanks, scumbag."

I actually think he may have meant to call me a scumbag, but the way it was written, it actually said his name was scumbag. So thanks for the e-mail, scumbag.

What you don`t understand is: My daughter hasn`t missed out on the opportunity to serve. She has that opportunity. She decides whether to use it or not. I know this because we have what`s called an all-volunteer military.

Every soldier who served in the country in Iraq has chosen to be in the military. And, for that, they deserve our greatest gratitude.

But to act like they don`t know what they`re getting into is quite honestly an insult to them. I mean, how dumb do they have to be? Any job that trains you how to use a machine gun -- ha, ha, ha -- what do you think you`re going to be doing with it?

And if my daughter does choose to serve, I will understand the risks, but I`ll also be very, very proud, like I am Bo, my nephew, who`s serving currently. I hope this explains it to you, scumbag.

Sid writes in, "Hey, Glenn, love your show, but why don`t you ever shut up and just listen to what your guests have to say?"

Thanks, Sid. I appreciate it. Here`s actually a piece of what Sid`s talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So officials are reminding them keep your distance...

BECK: Yes, no, I lived in Florida...

HILL: Don`t feed them.

BECK: Yes, no, I live in a place...

... the t-shirt was removed.

... no, no, no, Michael, I am not wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK, I`ve got to be honest with you. Like most Americans, I`m going to blame something else and act like it`s totally out of my control.

I`m infested with ADD. Let me put it this way: If attention deficit disorder is a fat tourist in spandex, I`m frickin` Disneyworld, man. The second I figure out where my guest is going, my mind starts screaming, "Ask the next question! Ask the next question!"

When I proposed to my wife, she hadn`t quite reached the "s" in yes when I said, "Where do you think our third kid should go to college?" I`d tell you more about it, but honestly I lost interest in this question and have started thinking about pudding, for some unknown reason.

So you can e-mail me at GlennBeck@CNN.com.

Tomorrow on radio and TV: Global warming and "American Idol." And why is Al Gore always talking about the least relevant of the two? See you tomorrow, you sick freak.

END