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Glenn Beck

Signs Pointing to Armageddon?; Author Claims to Be Descendent of Christ

Aired August 09, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode of GLENN BECK is brought to you by the friends of Ned Lamont, the official hijackers of the Democratic Party. Ned Lamont; he`s not just a nail. He`s the last nail in the coffin.
GLENN BECK, HOST: Well, everybody is talking about politics today, and we will, too, later on in the program. But first I want to talk about something much more important. August 22, it is the day that Israel might be wiped off the map leading to all out Armageddon.

August 22 could be the day that makes people who are the most skeptical about my World War III theory say holy mother of God, what`s happening? August 22 could be the day that agnostics get down on one knee and start to pray, "Sweet Jesus, are you coming today?"

What I`m about to tell you nobody else is going to tell you. Honestly, it gave me great pause today, because it`s verging on the edge of insanity. It really is. With that being said, the source is so good there`s no way I can`t tell you this news.

Let me make this clear. This is not my theory, and I hope that it`s wrong. Princeton University`s Professor Bernard Lewis, this guy, look him up. He has been called the most influential post-war historian of Islam and the Middle East. He is suggesting that Iran`s Islamic end of times prophecies could be fulfilled on August 22. This August 22, 13 days from now.

August 22 is, in the Islamic calendar, the date that Soledad (ph), a 12th Century Muslim warrior, entered and conquered Jerusalem. It is also the date when Mohammed flew up to the furthest mosque, a.k.a. Jerusalem, then to heaven and then back again.

So to Muslims, I guess, August 22 is like Christmas and Thanksgiving and New Year`s all rolled up into one. Here`s what is truly frightening. My theory all along has been that Iran has caused the current chaos in the Middle East to divert attention away from their nuclear program and stall for time.

President Ahmadinejad has repeatedly stated that he wants to personally bring back the 12th imam by destroying Israel. That`s Armageddon. He says that he would respond to the west`s question about his country`s nuclear program at the end of August.

That`s the thing that bothered me a couple of months ago. Now he`s insisting that he will respond on August 22. Again, I`m not saying that this is going to happen. I mean, a lot of dates come and go, and nobody`s the wiser, but at a time when we are in the early stages of World War III.

Here`s something, you don`t let 11 Egyptians go missing and wander around our country. I told you about this one last night. There might be something up with the 11 missing Egyptians with no visas, might not be. Turns out three of them are now in custody. I am not saying that these guys are terrorists. They`re probably just dumb students, you know, goofing off or whatever, but in these times, you can`t make those assumptions. You`ve got to put the political correctness aside and let me show their fricking pictures on television.

We`re fighting not only for the existence of our country, but according to Bernard Lewis, possibly the existence of the entire planet.

Bernard Lewis, this guy is a noted and respected scholar. Me? I`m a clown with a talk show. If that guy makes me look like a skeptic, please, it`s time to take notice. He`s not just talking about World War III. He`s talking about the possible apocalypse in 13 days.

So here`s what I know tonight. Anybody who`s saying that Iran equals the Cold War Soviet Union is not only wrong. They`re delusional and they`re dangerous. Yes, both of them have had tendencies towards evil, but the leaders of the Soviet Union didn`t have a death wish. These guys do.

There is no deterrent with these guys. They want to kill us even if they die doing it. In fact, death may be an incentive for them.

I also know that while I may not believe in coincidence, there are far too many scary things piling up at the same time. Is it a coincidence that the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict started after Iran`s nuclear program was being scrutinized? Is it a coincidence that the Shias are now rising up in Iraq after the Iran program has been scrutinized? Is it a coincidence that Bernard Lewis thinks that August 22 might be the day that Iran`s apocalyptic prophesy might be fulfilled? Is it a coincidence that Iran says they`ll give us an answer on August 22? Is it a coincidence that 11 Egyptians went missing in our country?

Maybe one of these is coincidental. I`d pull the lever on the Egyptians, but all of them happening at the same time? Come on.

Now here`s what I don`t know. I don`t know if anything`s going to happen on August 22, and honestly I really hope and I believe that nothing will happen. But we no longer live in a world that makes sense. I mean, anything can happen.

I don`t know why there are still eight missing Egyptians walking around America and nobody`s freaked out by it. Look at it this way. If there were Swedes, we`d be showing their pictures because we`d say, "Oh, they`re probably looking for meat balls and got lost and now they`re looking for some more porn (ph)." We`d be showing their pictures on TV. God forbid we show the pictures of the Egyptians.

Jim Carafano from the Heritage Foundation, the homeland security experts. Are these guys just lost students, Jim?

JIM CARAFANO, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Well, I`ve got to tell you one thing. For 2000 years people have been predicting the end of the world, and some day somebody`s going to be right.

BECK: Yes, that`s right.

CARAFANO: Well, let me tell you about -- students -- students that come here to go to school, they have to get a visa. That`s in addition to getting their country`s passport. They`ve got to get a piece of paper from the United States saying it`s OK to come here.

You know, hundreds of thousands of students come here every year. Before 9/11 the best way to get into this country and stay here illegally was to get some sort of visa -- student visa, so this system was abused left and right. So this is -- this is the kind of the classic way to get here and stay here.

The bad news and the good news. I mean, the bad news is the 9/11 hijackers did this. They actually came as students, got student visas and overstayed them.

BECK: Sounds awfully familiar.

CARAFANO: Now but they weren`t the world`s smartest -- you know, they weren`t brilliant. They were just doing what everybody else is doing. So this is, you know, people try this all the time.

But let me tell you what`s different since 9/11. We`ve always had this computer system called SETUS (ph). It`s the student exchange system, that you know, the universities have to report the people have to apply. It all goes into a computer and stuff.

Before 9/11 we didn`t pay any attention to that. This could have happened. These 11 guys could have gone away for the weekend and we`d have never known.

BECK: Sure.

CARAFANO: Since 9/11 we`ve taken that much, much more seriously, and the news, the big news is we know that they`re missing. And we know they`ve overstayed their visa because, you know, four or five years ago we couldn`t have told you that. Now...

BECK: Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait. Before you paint a picture of sunshine and lollipops, I will give you this. Three of them have already been caught today by the FBI.

CARAFANO: Right.

BECK: That`s great news. You`re right. The system is playing itself out. We`ve been alerted.

However, there is no system that alerts us -- correct me if I`m wrong -- that alerts us that, unless you`re going to school, that you`ve overstayed a visa. There`s a lot of people. There`s nothing, no bells and whistles that go off that say, "Hey, you`ve overstayed your welcome here."

CARAFANO: They`re actually putting a system in place to do that. It`s called the U.S. Visit. It takes time. Because 40 million...

BECK: They`re just putting this into place now? It`s the five-year anniversary.

CARAFANO: That`s right. Forty million people come and leave the United States every year. And that is the economic life line of this country. So we`ve got to do this and we`ve got to get it right.

Let me tell you what`s really important. I`m really glad that people are excited about this, and I`m glad that they believe it`s a problem. Because we do have a problem. Half of the people that are illegally in this country came here through illegal means. We talk about we`ve got to seal the border.

But that`s ridiculous because most of the people -- at least half of the people that come here illegally, come here legally and they just stay. So we`ve got to enforce our immigration laws and we`ve got to send a hard message. And the reason why I`m really glad they`re tracking these guys down, because they`re sending America is not a free lunch anymore. You can`t come here and just like decide we`re going to blow off the laws.

BECK: But you know what? I find it amazing, I mean, in the times that we live in, I mean, we just -- forget about what Bernard Lewis has said. You know, maybe and probably not, nothing will happen on August 22.

But we`re just a few weeks away from the anniversary of 9/11. You cannot play little games anymore. We can`t waste any time. Why -- why is it wrong for a media like me to be able to put pictures of these guys and say, "Hey, these guys are probably innocent. There`s probably nothing going on, but keep your eyes out for these?" Why isn`t the government asking us to help?

CARAFANO: Well, I don`t know because, you know, I don`t know how they shape their investigation. You have to remember there are tens of thousands of people who are illegally in this country every day that we`re tracking down.

And what`s most important is we`re tracking down first the people that we really are worried about. Just because they`re Egyptians is interesting but meaningless.

As a matter of fact, Al Qaeda -- this is well-known -- for years now has been trying to recruit blue-eyed people like, you know, Richard Reid, people with passports, people that don`t even need visas to come here as their agents, because they know that we`re looking for these people.

The odds are actually that only a stupid terrorist would try this, because they know the one thing we`re looking for is people using the student visa.

BECK: Come on. Jim, Jim, only smart terrorists? How do you be a smart terrorist? You`re going to blow yourself up.

And by the way, blond hair, blue eyes. If I go missing, you have my permission to put my picture on TV.

Jim, thanks a lot.

By the way, since we`re here at Armageddon for a second, remember "The Da Vinci Code", where they talked about Jesus had ancestors? Coming up in a second, I`ve got a woman who claims to be the direct descendant of Jesus, and I`m told not a nut job. Wait for this one.

Now, while everybody -- nobody really seems to be too concerned about the eight missing Egyptians. We are. And we`d like to do everything we can to find them. And I think our efforts are already paying off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The FBI wants to know if you`ve seen any of the following Egyptian students missing since July 29. El Sayed Ahmed Elsayed Ibrahim, age 20. Ibrahim may have shaved his mustache since this photo was taken.

Ahmed Mohamed Abou El Ela, age 21. May also be going by the name Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Mohamed Abou El Ela.

Moustafa Wagdy Moustafa El Gafary, age 18. El Gafary may also answer to the nickname Sparky.

Mohamed Ragab Mohamed Abd Alla, age 22. Abd Alla may or may not be accompanied by his camel.

Here are the rest: Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed El Moghazy, Ahmed Rafaat Saad El Moghazi El Laket, Ebrahim Mabrouk Moustafa Abdou, Mohamed Saleh Ahmed Maray, Eslam Ibrahim Mohamed El Dessouki, Alaa Abd El Fattah Ali El Bahnasawi and Mohamed Ibrahim Fouaad El Shenawy.

If you know the whereabouts of these men, please call the FBI immediately. If you know how to correctly pronounce their names, well, call us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALLER: I love the apocalyptic show. I just want to say quickly, and I want to make sure I understand exactly where you`re coming from.

BECK: Yes.

CALLER: You -- I want to make sure what you`re telling me.

BECK: Yes. All right.

CALLER: I don`t want to make a mistake. What you`re telling me is don`t bother paying the rent this month.

BECK: No, that`s not what I`m telling you.

CALLER: You`re telling me just go ahead, charge all those credit cards up.

BECK: No, I`m not.

CALLER: And you`re saying when you buy the flat screen, don`t feel bad about feeling extra for overnight delivery, because you don`t want to spend 1/14 of your time left on the planet with a regular TV.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right. You really can`t walk into a book store these days without tripping over some religious themed novels like "The Da Vinci Code." And people are buying them, because they`re ending up on best- seller lists.

But books dealing with religion, not really without controversy. It`s the story of a sacred bloodline between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. And if that weren`t controversial enough for you, now comes a new author who claims to be the descendant from that union.

Kathleen McGowan says she has proof that she is from the sacred bloodline. Her new novel, "The Expected One", is a work of fiction with semiautobiographical story lines woven into it.

What -- what is your proof that you are the descendant of Jesus Christ?

KATHLEEN MCGOWAN, AUTHOR, "THE EXPECTED ONE": Well, first of all, I`d like to do a little bit of clarification on that because this has been a very sensationalized story.

And what I`m actually saying in the book is if you -- if you accept this idea that there is a bloodline, and I certainly do, then given 2,000 years of reproduction, that the bloodline is huge. There must be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of descendants.

BECK: Well, what is your proof that you are one of the hundred million descendants of Jesus Christ? This is a pretty -- pretty large claim.

MCGOWAN: Well, it`s actually not really a very claim.

BECK: Yes. No, it is. It is. I mean, let`s not quibble over, you know, descendant of the savior, but pretty big.

MCGOWAN: No, because here`s the thing. I mean, I realize for Americans this is a particularly new idea over the last few years, but this is a -- this is a concept that has been fairly common in Europe for a very, very long time.

BECK: Say it. It`s not just in Europe; it`s coming from France. It`s coming from France.

MCGOWAN: It is. You know.

BECK: So is eating snails. Come on.

MCGOWAN: It`s also coming from Scotland and it`s coming from Wales and it`s coming from a number of other places.

BECK: What is -- let me get back to what is your evidence that you are a direct descendent of Jesus Christ?

MCGOWAN: There`s no evidence in terms of genealogical -- there`s no genealogy to date back that far.

BECK: Right.

MCGOWAN: Anyone who tells you they can track it through genealogy is not telling you the truth, because we didn`t keep genealogy in the dark ages and, certainly, in France during the revolution so much material was destroyed.

What we work -- what we work on, Glenn, is we work on tradition. There are certain family names that for hundreds of years have been considered traditional bloodline names.

And when I started this research I had no idea that I had any connection to it whatsoever. It was doing work in France when it was pointed out to me that my maternal grandmother`s family name...

BECK: France again.

MCGOWAN: Yes.

BECK: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You didn`t know -- when you started your research you didn`t know you were a descendant?

MCGOWAN: Oh, I had absolutely no idea. No idea whatsoever

BECK: Come on. Stop.

MCGOWAN: No, it`s true.

BECK: A hundred and 50 years ago a guy named Peter Emanuel lived in my family. You know what he was famous for in my family?

MCGOWAN: What?

BECK: For throwing a pony over a hedge. Not kidding you. That story has lasted in my family for 150 years. The story that you`re related to Jesus Christ didn`t make it in your family?

MCGOWAN: Here`s the thing. I grew up in a very ethnocentric Irish family. I was very close to my father`s side of the family, which was the Irish side. And I was a very intense Irish girl.

The French side of the family was my father`s side of the family. I wasn`t so close to them. I wasn`t that tied into the family line. We did have, you know, the crazy...

BECK: I don`t care if they`re having to send you smoke signals at family reunions. In my family, at least, the "we`re related to Jesus" would come up. You`d hear that story.

MCGOWAN: You know, I did have an uncle who was very fond of telling us that we came from a very important bloodline, although he was obsessed with Marie Antoinette. So he was -- he was particularly interested in the French royal side of our bloodline tradition. Actually more so than the more royal side.

But you know what? But I really do want to emphasize, Glenn, that this is not about me saying I`m anything unique. I`m saying that it`s everywhere. It`s the guy who bags your groceries. It`s a bank teller, saying it might be the homeless guy on the street and maybe, just maybe, we`ll all treat each other a little bit better if we have this idea that the bloodline of Jesus is everywhere. That`s my point.

BECK: But it`s not -- look, you know what? I didn`t understand everybody getting all upset about Mary Magdalene and Jesus being married. It really doesn`t matter for me. The message was the message, and he came and he atoned for our sins and everything else. And that still works.

The thing is that where it breaks down is -- is the expected one, and that`s the name of the book, the expected one.

MCGOWAN: Right.

BECK: Is the expected one. I mean, don`t make me go out and buy the book. Is the expected one the guy who`s bagging the groceries? Is that what this is?

MCGOWAN: No. That`s not what it says. First of all, I want to say in terms of the book there`s 20 years of hard research in this book. This is not strictly a sensational claim. This is 20 years of me on four continents investigating the legend of Mary Magdalene all over the world and incorporating in -- that into this.

"The Expected One" deals with the prophecy that comes from the early Middle Ages from a very famous medieval character named Matilda of Tuscany who talks about the idea that women will come forward in the future and tell the truth. And that`s what -- that`s what the book title comes from.

BECK: Women lie all the time, Kathleen.

MCGOWAN: They do?

BECK: Trust me. I`ve been married twice. I know these things. I do. Kathleen, thanks a lot, best of luck.

MCGOWAN: Thank you so much, Glenn.

BECK: Bye-bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, welcome back to the program. Been an interesting ride so far, hasn`t it? It`s only going to get better.

Melanie Morgan is here with us from San Francisco, 560 KSFO.

Hello, Melanie. How are you?

MELANIE MORGAN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hey, Glenn, how`s it going?

BECK: I`m good. You know, every day we try to have talk radio hosts on because, A, I`m a talk radio host. My name is Glenn and I`m an alcoholic and a talk show host, which I don`t know which one is worse. But I really believe that talk show hosts, because they talk to so many people they just have a vibe of what`s really going on in America. What`s happening in San Francisco?

MORGAN: Well, I`ll tell you what`s going on today in Crawford, Texas. We`re all talking about what`s happening there. And listen, I`ve been to Crawford, Texas, and I`ve been to Iraq in the summertime, and I`m going to pick Iraq every time, because at least it`s a dry heat.

BECK: Yes.

MORGAN: What`s going on is Cindy Sheehan, and you won`t hear this or see this on the Associated Press wires or Reuters, but because I have some inside information. Cindy Sheehan has left Crawford, Texas. She bailed out late last night in a big huff.

Now I don`t know exactly what happened, but I can tell you is that just the day before there was a federal court ruling that came down that basically said that there`s no camping that`s going to be allowed around the president`s ranch, that it`s unconstitutional.

And as you might have remembered, Cindy Sheehan was the one who was there last summer. She brought 4,000 or 5,000 of her friends. I brought 4,000 or 5,000 of my friends. And we had a big hoo-ha down at the ranch. And the people in Crawford weren`t real thrilled by all that. So they got involved in the court system. And...

BECK: I will tell you this, Melanie. When I first saw this, I don`t like the idea that we can ban free speech. I don`t like the idea that, you know, you can`t just set up shop someplace and say, "Hey, wait a minute. I`ve got something to say."

However, when you really look at this situation it`s more than that. I mean, people were living in ditches and setting up impromptu camps for the summer. I mean, it was a real pain in the neck for the people who live there.

MORGAN: Oh, yes. There was a lot of guitar strumming late at night, a lot of "Kumbaya" kind of stuff. There was a lot of marijuana smoking. Yes.

BECK: Get those guitar strumming people out of here.

MORGAN: But I have to tell you, you know, the reason why I support this ban, this constitutional ban that the judge handed down is because look, otherwise there are some seriously crazy people out there in this world, and you know, the peace movement might not want to remember Abraham, Martin, and John, but some presidents have been seriously dead as a result of people getting too close to them.

BECK: Do you think -- has anybody -- I have a sense that this whole Israel thing is just completely off the map, the radar for most people. I don`t know anybody who`s talking about it. Do you get that same thing?

MORGAN: I`m talking about it. I`m talking about it right and left, and for the same reason, because I`m concerned people don`t understand and don`t care, because they don`t seem to understand that there`s a link between Israel`s security and American security. And that`s what scares me.

BECK: OK, so give me the link. Because I agree with you, the only reason why I`m interested, but I don`t think people understand how they`re linked. Give me your best shot on that.

MORGAN: OK. Israel is the only free democracy in the Middle East right now, and they are going in and they are killing off a bunch of serious bad ass terrorists. And in doing it, that is going to result in our being safer because those are the same terrorists who want to kill us.

BECK: Did we just use bad ass? I mean, you look like -- you look like such a sweet, nice mom. Bad ass?

MORGAN: I feel very strongly and very passionately there`s some dangerous evil people in this world.

BECK: All right. Melanie, thanks so much.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right, this is the part of the program every night where I tell you what the real story is. You know, the media seems to get the real story wrong almost every time. So today, if you`re talking election, I`ve got three stories about candidates who lost for very different reasons than people might think.

First up, unfortunately as a woman that we`re all very familiar with, Cynthia McKinney. The story is today that McKinney claims she lost because of the news media, because, you know, she`s black, the electronic voting machines weren`t working, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Here`s the real story. Cynthia McKinney lost because even the most experienced players in the world series of race card poker are sick of her. She`s pulled out the black ace from the bottom of the deck so many times that everybody knows the game is fixed and nobody wants to play anymore.

But the saddest part of the story is that there are real race issues in America. There are race issues with some candidates; there are real voting irregularities and real problems with the media. But people like McKinney have exploited those things for so long, I don`t know about you, I`m completely numb to them, and that is a crime.

Now, my good friend -- and I say that sarcastically -- Lionel Rivera, mayor of Colorado Springs, who we had on this program last night, lost. Mr. Rivera was running for Congress on his stellar record of protecting his disabled constituents from being sexually assaulted in the closets of their own schools.

If you don`t know the story, Kalie McArthur, she`s a mentally disabled girl, IQ of 50, she was sexually assaulted by her peer counselor in her high school. Well, after weeks of ignoring me, Mayor Rivera finally came on the show yesterday. Horrible.

It`s crazy. I mean, a politician wanting some airtime the day of the election? It`s nuts. Turns out apparently running on a platform of ignoring sexual abuse against the handicapped not quite the juggernaut we all thought it was. Get this: According to some polls, Rivera was actually a nine-point favorite in mid-July when this story first started breaking on this program. We started asking for some accountability, and he was stonewalling.

Yesterday, he pulled 12 percent of the entire vote. He finished fourth place, 15 percentage points behind the winner. Oh. But don`t worry, Colorado Springs, the mayor isn`t going away. After his loss last night, he said, and I quote, "I guess I can thank the voters for keeping me here as mayor. They just didn`t want to let me go to Washington, D.C., and I can certainly understand that."

Wow. And so can I, Mr. Mayor. Seriously. I mean, after all, not everyone has the skill, and the determination, and the leadership ability that`s required to ignore sexual assaults against handicapped children. It`s great.

Finally, my favorite story from the primaries yesterday, Joe Lieberman losing to Ned Lamont in Connecticut. Now, the picture that most people in the media have focused on today is this one. But the picture that you should be looking at is this one. Yes, that`s Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton, the new face of the old Democratic Party.

The real story today is that the Lieberman loss is just a microcosm of everything that`s going on with the Democratic Party. They think they have figured out what the secret is to get back into power, is being anti-war, anti-everybody who`s ever supported the president on the war.

And you know what? Temporarily, it`s probably going to work, you know? But it`s like the baseball player that takes steroids. I mean, it`s going to get you noticed for a while. You might even be a fan favorite for a while. But when the steroids wear off and people see you for the freak that you`ve turned into, you`re left with nothing but a worn-down body and a fan base who thinks you`ve played them for fools.

So, Democrats, listen to me. You will probably win in `06. But mark my words: Come `08, the party will be over. Once people realize how short-sighted your anti-war vision really is, you`re going to swept out and, just like the steroid-using athlete, left with a base who knows they`ve been played for fools.

John Mercurio, he is the senior editor of the "National Journal`s" "Hotline." Hey, John.

JOHN MERCURIO, SENIOR EDITOR, "NATIONAL JOURNAL`S" "HOTLINE": Hey, Glenn. How are you?

BECK: Very good. Is there any doubt in your mind that Joe Lieberman wins as an I as opposed to a D?

MERCURIO: Oh, I absolutely don`t necessarily think he can win as an I at this point. Look, I think the entire Democratic establishment is going to come out against him, except for a few moderate-to-conservative senators. He might be able to rely on some of the Republican base, but, look, you`re going into an election year where being a Republican, especially in a state like Connecticut, being in support of this war and being as close to the president as he is are three strikes against you.

BECK: You really think that Lieberman will lose?

MERCURIO: Yes, I definitely think he starts as an uphill climb. I bet you the next poll that comes out in this race -- Quinnipiac has been doing polls -- they`ve been very, very close to what the actual electorate is saying -- is going to show him down by double digits. Part of that will be a bounce from Lamont, but I think part of it`s going to be the actual electorate.

BECK: Now, so what does Lieberman do to combat that? He would have to -- I mean, the Democrats -- he`s just going to be cannibalized.

MERCURIO: Well, he does what you already saw him do today. He runs. He starts to walk away slowly but surely from the Democratic Party. He came out this morning on all the morning talk shows and on every show he said, "My country and my state are more important than my party," which every Democrat who`s ever worked for him and given him money probably said, "Well, great, you know?" So now he`s going to run and he`s going to try to appeal to moderates and to Republicans.

BECK: But wait a minute. You had last night -- you`ve got, you know, a percentage of people who -- I mean, he didn`t lose by a landslide.

MERCURIO: True.

BECK: You`ve got people who say, "You know, I`m a Democrat, and, you know, I`m a moderate. I may not be happy with the war, et cetera, et cetera, but I`m not going to throw Joe Lieberman out because of that."

MERCURIO: But, Glenn, he is a three-term incumbent, and this is not, you know, the kind of challenge that he should be facing. He`s only the fourth senator to be turned out since 1980, and the last high-profile senator to be turned out was Fulbright in 1974. This is a big deal.

BECK: Oh, no, I`m very well-aware of it. I just have to tell you that I think Joe Lieberman is going to come out and he`s going to say this war is not just about Iraq. This is much bigger than that, and you need real leadership.

He is going to paint the Democratic Party, at least in Connecticut, as being taken over by the Cindy Sheehans and Michael Moores of the world. And don`t you think that`s going to really hurt the Democrats nationally or not?

MERCURIO: I think you`re probably right, it could hurt the Democrats nationally. He gave a speech, Lieberman gave a speech on Sunday where he came out, he articulated his position on the war, he explained why he actually has opposed President Bush on several issues. And in the Democratic primary, that`s a speech he should have given two months ago, because I think what it really did was sort of remind people that he does have a relatively good Democratic record. But, yes, going to November, it`s really, really an uphill climb out there.

BECK: I mean, you don`t have to -- you won`t have a Democrat, a high- profile Republican having to point out it`s a group of nut jobs now running the party, between Howard Dean, and Michael Moore, and Ned Lamont, and Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson. You`ve got a respected Democratic senator saying those things.

MERCURIO: Right. Well, but what I think what he`s going to have to do, again, going into November, is rely on the support of Republicans and independents, and that`s why he was on the phone today with Karl Rove who said the president wants to help you. But is that really the kind of help that Joe Lieberman needs in the state of Connecticut, where his approval rating is 27 percent?

BECK: No, it`s not. I think, if I were Joe, I would have said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

John, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

We do happen to have the very first campaign commercial from Joe Lieberman and his campaign. He is not wasting any time. He is going on the attack. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE LIEBERMAN IMPERSONATOR: Hi, I`m Joe Lieberman. For almost 24 hours now, you, the people of Connecticut, have had a taste of what it`s like under the leadership of my Democratic primary opponent, Ned Lamont. From the moment Ned Lamont claimed victory last night, our state has experienced a dip in consumer confidence, rising gas prices, and a sharp increase in humidity.

In a nutshell, Connecticut`s going down the crapper. Now I feel it`s time for a change. No more business as usual. On November 7th, vote for Joe Lieberman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

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

BECK: I hope you`re not going to make this a hostile work environment again today. I was talking...

HILL: You know, that`s the last time I try to pay you a compliment. I tell you, you look nice...

BECK: I was talking to my wife last night, and she likes you. Now, let`s leave it alone.

HILL: All right. Well, I don`t want to upset Mrs. Beck, because I have a feeling I would like her, too.

BECK: The only reason why I`m just hammering you on this is because I get so much mail from people who say, "Erica mentions her husband all the time because she`s sending you signals she`s just not interested."

HILL: I saw that thing that you guys did. And my husband saw it, too.

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: All right. What`s happening in the news?

HILL: All right, we`re going to start off -- you know how you like to do a British accent, Glenn?

BECK: Yes, I do, yes.

HILL: How about a little news from across the pond?

BECK: All right. Go ahead.

HILL: Right. An editor at the British tabloid, "News of the World," one of three men arrested for tapping phones at the home of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall. One of the guys out on bail, the other two still being questioned at Scotland Yard, according to the A.P.

Police believe -- get this -- other public officials` phones may have also been tapped, and because of the possible security implications, anti- terrorism officers are now leading this investigation.

BECK: I`ve got to tell you, I don`t want to be the guy who has to listen to the, you know, conversations with Prince Charles. He`s a disturbing dude.

HILL: Well, that`s the thing is, I mean, how much interesting stuff are you really getting?

BECK: No, not an awful lot. You couldn`t pay me enough to do it.

HILL: Not so much. OK, so that`s one job we can cross off your list.

BECK: Yes.

HILL: All right. Here`s another one for you. You know, we hear so much about America`s growing waistline. Now we`re learning that can of soda a day can equal an extra 15 pounds a year. Soft drinks have a direct connection to America`s growing obesity problem, according to some researchers at Harvard`s School of Public Health. They do say soda is not the sole cause here. Those findings were published in the American Journal of...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: Let me tell you something. I`m going to get -- standards and practices are going to go crazy on this. Coke Zero, no calories, no sugar, it is the best -- Coca-Cola Company, I love you for Zero.

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: And if you ever drop it, I`ll hunt you down like the dirty dogs that you are. Thanks a lot, Erica.

HILL: Have a good night.

BECK: Bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I`m going to make a confession. I don`t think I`m nuts. That`s exactly what people think when they`re nuts. People who are nuts never think they`re nuts, which to me is proof positive I`ve got insane.

There`s a good possibility I`m complete -- because it runs in my family like a pack of wild elephants, and that`s not me saying that. Oh, yes, that`s one of my psychologists or psychiatrists from years ago that said that. Holy cow. This is a quote. You don`t want to be sitting on somebody`s couch when they say this to you. "Holy cow, man, insanity runs through your family like a pack of wild elephants," end quote. Well, here I am, the biggest elephant of the bunch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I`m sorry, man, but it`s true. I feel like I`m losing my mind. You know why? Because of people like the ACLU.

Separation of church and state, listen to this. You`ve probably heard the phrase a million times. And if you`re like most people, you think, "Oh, yes, that`s in the Constitution." Well, you would be wrong. Constitution actually says -- and I quote -- "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Keep that language in mind as I tell you how the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana is objecting to a government plan to build a memorial for Hurricane Katrina victims on privately owned land with private cash. Why do they object? Why are they wasting everybody`s time arguing against something that`s simply meant to memorialize the lives of 129 perished residents? Religion.

See, the memorial will feature a cross that bears the likeness of the face of Jesus. I say that because the ACLU guy is here, and ACLU and Jesus, they don`t get along.

Michael Gross is a former ACLU attorney. Hello, Michael, how are you?

MICHAEL GROSS, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: You`ve got me mad already. You`ve got me mad already.

BECK: That`s not hard to do.

GROSS: There are lots of very religious people who fight to separate church and state, who remember that the first words of the Bill of Rights say what you just quoted. You think that`s important or do you want to trash it?

BECK: Here`s the deal. Here`s the deal. The Constitution -- the reason why our founding fathers wanted to make sure that there was not -- you know, the separation of church and state that you all love is because they wanted to make sure I couldn`t say to you, "You`ve got be a Scientologist to run the town." That`s what it was about, Michael, you know it and I know it.

GROSS: Was it? They knew what it was like to live under a theocracy. And if you had the brains that lots of really serious Christians do, you`d know you don`t want to be in government and they don`t want government in the church. Come on, give me a break. You don`t really want to mix those two. Keep them separate.

BECK: I don`t think you should mix -- I don`t know what the medicine that you`re on, but I don`t think you should mix that either, because it makes you testy quickly.

GROSS: I am. I`m very provoked.

BECK: I know, now listen, I don`t want to provoke.

GROSS: Because you said that people who believe in separation of church and state are not religious.

BECK: Look, I never said that. Go play the tape back. I never said that.

GROSS: You said, because Jesus` face is on there, the ACLU can`t take it.

BECK: Come on, Michael.

GROSS: What, do you think it makes a difference? Would you like to see it maybe with the Muslim emblems or the Star of David?

BECK: Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. Please, let me ask you this.

GROSS: What do you support?

BECK: If this was a giant -- and, please, I don`t mean to be offensive here, but if this was a giant male member on private property with private money, you people would not be involved, guaranteed.

GROSS: Cut it out. This is not a private project, and you know it.

BECK: Really? Yes, it is. Explain it to me, Michael.

GROSS: OK, it is on government land.

BECK: No, sir.

GROSS: Well, the parish president was being advised here by a law firm of Dewey, Cheatum and Howe. He doesn`t know what he`s talking about. The fact that the tidal waters have eroded and left a bank of land doesn`t mean that it belongs to somebody privately. If it did, then that person can put up anything they want there. It`s public land, and don`t put up a religious symbol on public land.

BECK: You don`t have to have a heart attack.

GROSS: What`s so tricky about that?

BECK: Listen, here`s the deal.

GROSS: It`s important.

BECK: Hang on. I let you have your time. Let me have my time now.

GROSS: Sure.

BECK: Here`s the thing. Here`s the little bank, all right? Here`s the river. It`s not being built here because Jesus made the water go in through natural erosion. The bank is public. This is private land. But the water has eroded that, so now the private land, that`s where the statue is. And you guys are trying to claim, "No, no, that`s public, because it`s right next to the water."

GROSS: You took a baptism from Mel Gibson.

BECK: Oh, that`s -- you know what, Michael?

GROSS: The courts have made it real -- that`s wrong, Glenn. It doesn`t belong to the public. And would you tell me what the parish president, which is what normal people call the mayor, is doing giving away public land to private use?

BECK: What does that mean...

GROSS: Who is he giving it to?

BECK: Wait, wait, what does that mean, "what normal people call a mayor"?

GROSS: There was, before Louisiana was part of the United States of America, a parish, and so the parish president, under the king of France, which was a theocracy, which our president, Jefferson, was smart enough to buy...

BECK: Michael...

GROSS: ... and give us Louisiana separated church and state.

BECK: ... you have to pick the things that piss you off. You really do. You can`t be pissed off about everything.

GROSS: Not everything.

BECK: You can`t. Michael, thank you much. I`ve got to run, but it`s always a pleasure to have you on, sir.

Time to check in with Nancy Grace to see what she`s got coming up on tonight`s show -- Nancy?

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Hi, Glenn. Tonight, live to Selmer, Tennessee, and the mystery surrounding the shooting death of a highly popular local minister. He was found dead in the church parsonage. Alleged shooter: the preacher`s wife. Today in court, the defense wants the confession and the murder weapon, a .12-gauge shotgun, out of evidence.

And, Glenn, the royals in Great Britain wire-tapped. If it can happen to them on their personal phone calls, it can happen to you.

BECK: Let me tell you something. First of all, Nancy, I`m a little uncomfortable with you mentioning church so close to Michael Gross, and I mean that. You can see her tonight immediately following this program at 8:00 and 10:00 Eastern.

And tomorrow on our show, I`ll be telling you about a story about two Border Patrol agents from Texas who are facing 20 years in prison because they shot an illegal alien they thought was smuggling drugs. Don`t miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Time for another edition of "Ask Glenn," because, I mean, we`ve got two solid minutes, man. I don`t know how else to fill it.

Neil in Dallas writes, "Glenn, did you see that thug attacking that helpless 62-year-old woman at the liquor store? What the hell is going on with this country?"

Correct answer, really: the apocalypse. No, check the clock. Oh, yes. We`re just about five minutes away from doomsday.

Here`s what he`s talking about. The guy walks up, hands this woman a bottle, and then smashes it over her head. It`s absolutely unbelievable. Watch this. Boom! I mean, is that craziness?

But, wait, if you see to the woman`s left are her two grandchildren watching all of it happen. This guy`s a real gentleman. She`s now in fair conditions. He`s also the suspect in this brilliant attack where he breaks a guy`s jaw at a McDonald`s. See the old man standing there? Watch him. Boom!

I mean, some would say he`s a loser for taking cheap shots at old people, but, I mean, those people don`t realize he got away with two full dollars, which is approximately halfway to a number four value meal. So he`s probably picking McDonald`s because of McDonald`s well-known lax legal system. I mean, Hamburgler seems to continue to get caught stealing, and does anybody do anything about it? No!

Jackie in St. Louis writes, "Glenn, have you seen the Web site, HelpGlennGetJessica.com? Apparently somebody heard that you wanted Jessica Alba on the show, and there`s an underground movement to make it happen. We`re here for you, man. Jackie, St. Louis."

Jackie, well, first of all, here`s the clip that Jackie`s talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: This is so uncomfortable, because she said, "Who`s your fantasy guest?" And I said, "Fantasy guest? Jessica Alba." And she said, "Why would you want to talk about Jessica Alba?" And I laughed at her, and I said, "There`s nothing deep here. It`s exactly what you think it is. I mean, jeez. Of course."

Oh, I wanted to talk to her about politics and what she thought about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. I`d like to look at Jessica Alba up close; that`s what it`s about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: It`s true, man. Now, a Web site is up, and I would like to say that a bunch of listeners and viewers are banding together to make my Jessica Alba dreams come true. But if you read the fine print and their stated goal, it`s to, quote, "get Jessica`s attention so we can all enjoy the uncomfortable pauses, inappropriate remarks, and general awkwardness that is sure to result from any interview with a hot woman."

Thanks, guys. Jess, call me?

END