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Glenn Beck

Madonna: Adoption or Accessory?; Is This the End of Days?

Aired October 18, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

GLENN BECK, HOST: Coming up, Madonna. Her African adoption. Is that an act of kindness or the new slave trade? Quite honestly.
And our weeklong series, "Porn: America`s Addiction", continues with a look at the future of pornography, next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is brought to you by foreign babies. Looking for a perfect stocking stuffer this Christmas? Why not take your private jet to an impoverished country and buy a beautiful new foreign baby? Foreign babies, because tiny dogs are so five minutes ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Well, apparently, Madonna`s the latest to catch African baby fever. I hope she is OK.

A day after whisking 13-month-old David Banda from his home in Malawi, Madonna wants to adopt yet another baby. This time, she feels like she may want to buy a girl. That`s great.

Man, you know, I was thinking about it today. Maybe I should buy a black baby. It`s great. My family -- let me tell you something, my family is a lawsuit waiting to happen. We`re all white. Yes, I think it might be time to accessorize. Perhaps with one of those really cool Chilean babies? Those are supposed to be huge in `07.

Here`s my point tonight: everybody should have one. Angelina Jolie taught us they`re cute, they`re loveable, they`re so darn gettable. You heard it here first: skinny jeans are out, black babies in.

Here`s how I got there. People who want to adopt a child usually have to wait up to five years, and they spend a huge chunk of their salary to become parents. Not Madonna. No, no. She`s got gold records, cutting edge music videos. Yes, she still had to pay, but she cut in front of the line.

So let me get this straight: Hollywood doesn`t like it when I`m very un-PC and I say that radical Muslims want to behead us, but it`s totally fine for a white person to go to Africa, line up 12 kids and pick their favorite one, get back on a private jet to London and have their people take care of all the messy paperwork?

Isn`t this just like the first episode in "Roots"? The only thing that`s missing is the actual slave ship. Can you imagine the backlash if someone like, let`s say, Trent Lott did that?

Look, I`m an adoptive father. I was one of the really fortunate ones. It was an eight-month -- eight-month process, and my son`s birth mother is truly a hero. If it turned out that she couldn`t afford the baby, and that was the deal, and I had a half a billion dollars in the bank, then I`d want to make sure that they were taken care of and maybe keep the family together, rather than just buy the baby.

More importantly, my wife and I were there for the birth. And when our child was born, and he was handed over to us, it was the most profound and spiritual, moving moments of my life.

But Madonna kind of went the other route. Sure, yes. She picked a baby, bought it, and then flew home. Oh, by the way, then her nanny took the baby and delivered it to her. How obscene is that? Her first job as an adoptive mom, and she has somebody else do it?

Some people would say the kid hit the jackpot. Instead of living in a poor village, he`ll grow up in the lap of luxury. That is the quintessential American argument. It`s not about a big house. It`s not about money. It`s about family.

You know what? I said the same thing about Elian Gonzalez a few years ago, and I hacked off every conservative in the U.S. I said that Elian Gonzalez belonged in Cuba with his father. His father was the important part.

Now, let me hack off all the liberals and say the same thing about little David Banda. I do hope he grows up to be a happy person, but if he is, it`s not going to be because of money. It is better to grow up poor, with your father and your grandparents who love you, then to grow up rich, get followed by the paparazzi everywhere and, you know, wake up with mom having a fake British accent.

Let me ask you? Am I the only one who wonders how long it will be before little David grows up and says, "Oh, geez, there`s mom on TV again in nothing but her underpants, being nailed to the cross"? Only time will tell.

Here`s what I know tonight. I know that children are our most precious cargo. I always thought that I really understood that, but I didn`t. I didn`t until my wife and I were unable to have a child of our own. I had taken the ability of having children for granted, and I didn`t realize what an amazing gift it really is. Does Madonna get that? I hope with everything in me that she does.

There is -- there is something, however, to be said for going about it the right way. What Madonna did is the epitome of the ugly American stereotype. You know, it`s like somebody went to Italy -- and you know this has happened -- somebody saw the statue of David and went, "All right. How much for the big naked dude over there? Come on. Everybody`s got their price."

We`re called ugly Americans for a reason. What a surprise that the latest example came from a Hollywood star.

Here`s what I don`t know: am I just part of the media that`s dog piling on Madonna? You know, she wrote an open letter to the press and said that she didn`t cut in line. She made this decision months ago. She followed all the proper laws. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

But one guy who does know is Harvey Levin. He`s from TMZ.com.

Harvey, does $3 million dollars in aid need to be in quotes? Did she buy the child? Is it really aid or was that just let me buy the child?

HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: You`re such a cynic.

BECK: I know. You know.

LEVIN: Here`s what I know. I know that -- that celebrities can grease the wheels in adoptions and not just adoptions in Africa, but I`m talking about right here in these United States it can happen.

They deny it. I mean, everybody officially denies it, but I`ve actually looked at this story and talked to people involved in the process. And, yes, rich, powerful people can push it along and, especially overseas, when you dump $3 million into a project in a poor nation, things tend to happen.

BECK: Well, but this is a country that you`re not even allowed to take the child out of the country for this kind of adoption. And then beyond it, I have heard stories -- and maybe you can verify this -- that what`s her husband`s name...

LEVIN: Guy Ritchie.

BECK: Yes, Guy Ritchie. That his family has said they`re afraid that this is just kind of an accessory kind of thing. This is the new Hollywood Cabbage Patch kid.

LEVIN: Well, I`m not going to...

BECK: I`m just being real with you.

LEVIN: I`m not going to ascribe motives to her that she`s basically trying to be the new Angelina Jolie. I mean, I don`t know what her motives are here, but you know, what I can tell you is that celebrities can grease the wheels. It does happen.

It does just seem kind of weird that all of a sudden that, you know, Africa is all of the rage. I mean...

BECK: Let me tell you something. You know it and I know it. Maybe I`m the only one frank enough to say it.

Paris Hilton had the little dog Tinkerbell, and then she -- all of a sudden she adopts some other dog, and Tinkerbell is out on the corner kicking rocks, saying, "What the hell happened to me? I thought I was the new hip dog." And he changed it.

And then it was the Prius. Now it`s a little black baby. Angelina Jolie started it. And come on.

LEVIN: Well, no, no. Here`s where I`m going to disagree with you. I don`t think calling it a little black baby is what -- is what is the rage.

BECK: It is an accessory.

LEVIN: No, no, no. I disagree with you. It`s more about Africa. It`s more about stars becoming saviors.

BECK: Really? Well, you know what? Let me ask you this: is it really about Africa? I believe it with George Clooney and Darfur. He`s been there a billion times. I believe it with Angelina Jolie. She lived it. Madonna, come on.

LEVIN: No, no, but here`s what I`m saying, Glenn. What do you think about New Orleans? Do you think really that this whole thing with Katrina was all as heartfelt as everybody made it seem?

Celebrities were flocking there because it was the thing to do. Celebrities are pack animals. They follow the pack of other stars. So I don`t think it`s, gee, we want to adopt a black baby. I think Africa now is all the rage. You know, you change Africa maybe someday to Kuwait. I don`t know. You get a big star getting a lot of good press, and I think you`re going to see a lot of other celebrities adopting them automatically.

BECK: Exactly right. You say that I`m wrong, but I`m right.

LEVIN: No, no, no, no...

BECK: The child is the new Prius to Hollywood.

LEVIN: Well, you know, but here`s the deal. It`s Africa that`s the new Prius. The kid isn`t the Prius. The kid goes along for the ride.

I don`t think it`s so much, you know, we`re going to adopt black babies. Because they could be going everywhere for that. They could be in the United States for that. I think it looks so humanitarian. And Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pulled it off so well. That I think, you know...

BECK: It -- is it just me? When you saw this story and you saw they lined up 12 kids and she just picked one out of a lineup. Did -- I mean, did it seem a little like the slave trade to you?

LEVIN: You know, Glenn, seriously, I think you`re actually more cynical than me.

BECK: It`s Hollywood! It`s Hollywood. She`s nailed to a cross. Come on, how much credibility does this woman have?

LEVIN: You know, look, I mean, you can`t -- you can`t say that she hates motherhood. She`s already got two kids. You know, she is a mother by all rights and accounts. And you know, how do you know that she doesn`t really want this kid?

What I`m saying is, I think it`s icing on the cake for celebrities right now. It just seems too weird that all of a sudden Africa is "the place" now to go and adopt kids. And I think that`s the element here, and I think that`s the wild card.

BECK: OK. Thank you so much for the great conversation.

Now, celebrities are, you know, of course used to special treatment, the private jets, the personal assistants, their own private wing in rehab. So should adoption really be any different?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Coming up, President Tom is not the only one with his eyes on Armageddon. Why administration officials are getting briefed on end time prophecy.

Also, with only three weeks left before the election, what the heck happened to Hollywood? The celebrities on the extreme left have fallen silent. We`ll find out why in "The Real Story".

And the third part of our series, "Porn: America`s Addiction". I have seen the future, my friend, and well, it`s disgusting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Can you imagine if Trent Lott would have gone over to Africa, lined 12 children up and said, "I`ll take that one," gone on a plane, had somebody else deliver it to his home? Can you even imagine what people would have said? My gosh, Madonna can do it.

The part of the story that hacks me off that I read today was the fact that she looked at the second child, a little girl, and she said, "Oh, that one looks like me. I`ll take that one, too. Can you wrap that up? We`ll come back and pick that one up."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Now, to everybody who says that I`m overreacting when I say that our enemies want to destroy us and they`re trying to bring about Armageddon, here is what President Ahmadinejad said a few months ago.

Quote, he prayed to God to "hasten the emergence of your last repository, the Promised One, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace."

I read that the first time and thought, am I missing something here? I`ve got to be wrong. I mean, they don`t really want to bring about Armageddon, do they?

Joel Rosenberg has been called to the White House to brief the administration on an "end of days" scenario. He joins us now.

Joel, I read this in, I think it was "Rolling Stone" magazine, and they`re trying to -- they`re trying to say, "Oh, look, he`s being controlled by the Bible." Does the president believe these are the end of days?

JOEL ROSENBERG, AUTHOR, "EPICENTER": Well, I -- I did speak at a White House Bible study. It was actually last year. I`ve spoken to a number of congressional leaders and homeland security, Pentagon about my novels, which are based on Bible prophecy.

I have not met with the president of the United States.

BECK: Right.

ROSENBERG: And I can`t tell you what he believes. I have a feeling, based on my conversation with friends at the White House, he`s got -- he has a full plate. You know, he`s more concerned about what Ahmadinejad believes about the end of the world than -- than spending time on this himself.

BECK: See, here`s -- here`s the interesting thing that I think that Christians understand that are looking at, you know, "end of days" stuff. It doesn`t mean that it is going to happen.

ROSENBERG: Right.

BECK: It means that there are a certain series of events, that if you don`t stop them or reverse them, they will happen. Am I wrong? It`s not a doomsday scenario.

ROSENBERG: Well, it`s a little combination of both. The Bible does lay out a whole series of things to watch for that would indicate that we are living in the last days. One of them is a Russian-Iranian alliance with Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and a group of other countries that will attack Israel.

Now, those events that the Bible predicts, those will happen. But we don`t know yet if we are there...

BECK: Right.

ROSENBERG: Obviously, Russia and Iran...

BECK: But you -- but it`s also...

ROSENBERG: ... are building an alliance now that has not happened in the 2,500 years since the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel wrote it.

BECK: Right.

ROSENBERG: So it`s intriguing.

BECK: But you could also slow that down. You could -- if that alliance happens, you could do things to prevent it. You know, it`s not inevitable that this is the time, even if that alliance is formed.

ROSENBERG: The timing is the key for Jews and Christians, which is are we ready? Now events can converge, and then, you know, you have a situation in which the Soviet Union, as I describe in "Epicenter," in 1967 in that war and in `73 was right on the verge of sending ground troops into Israel.

I got the NSA/State Department/White House transcripts of how close they came. But they didn`t. So those looked like apocalyptic moments...

BECK: Right.

ROSENBERG: ... but God kicked the can up the road, as it were. And the United States was a key player in that.

BECK: OK.

ROSENBERG: So the question is will we deal with Iran now or are we going to wait for them to launch an apocalyptic war against us?

BECK: OK. Now Joel, when you were at the Pentagon and the White House, et cetera, et cetera, what were their questions? And what are they -- more importantly, what are the answers that you gave them and what are the answers that you -- that the American people should hear?

ROSENBERG: Well, the question that`s been most interesting among these various administration and congressional officials is, are you saying that the Bible talks about an alliance between Iran, Russia and a group of Middle Eastern countries to attack Israel at some point? And the answer is yes.

Ezekiel, chapter 38 and 39 describe what Bible scholars call the war of God and mad guy. I had a high-ranking congressman say right to me, "Are you kidding? I mean, I`ve never even heard of this, of Russia and Iran forming an alliance."

The word Russia is never used in the Bible. Persia is the name for Iran, and you have to do historical detective work to discover what the ancient names correspond to in modern times. And I do that in the book.

But it is quite fascinating. Because as I said in the 2,500 years since Ezekiel wrote the prophecy, Russia and Iran have never had an alliance, but they are developing one right now. And that`s what is so chilling, in light of what Ahmadinejad is saying, that he believes the end of the world is rapidly approaching.

BECK: Right.

ROSENBERG: There`s sort of convergence there.

BECK: Here is the -- here is the thing. We have to finish this conversation on the radio tomorrow. I`d like to spend some real time with you on this stuff tomorrow. Because the interesting thing to me is, even though I may not believe it, Ahmadinejad does believe it.

What is the -- what is the latest poll? What is the percentage of Americans that believe that we`re living in the end days?

ROSENBERG: We did an exclusive poll for this new book "Epicenter", and we found that 42 percent of Americans believe we are living in what we call the last days.

That includes 40 percent of self-described Democrats, 57 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 25 believe we are living in the last days. It`s a striking number and helps you understand a little bit of Americans` anxiety about the Middle East.

BECK: OK. Joel, we`ll talk to you tomorrow on the radio.

ROSENBERG: Sounds good.

BECK: Thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Every day you can hear my radio program on stations all across the country, including WOAI in San Antonio, Texas. And if you can`t find an affiliate in your area, please signup and listen on line on my web site at GlennBeck.com.

Now Melanie Morgan is with us from 560 KSFO in San Francisco. She is the co-author of a new book called "American Mourning". This is the story of two families, Melanie, and how they handled the death of a child in a war in Iraq. One of them is Cindy Sheehan, right?

MELANIE MORGAN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yes. And as a matter of fact, the other part of the story that`s even more compelling, really, than Cindy Sheehan is the fact that her son, Casey Sheehan, was best friends with Justin Johnson and became very close during their military training at Ft. Hood in Texas, and then they were shipped off to Iraq. And tragically, they died within six days of each other.

But what we learn after following both of the families for the past two years, is that Justin Johnson`s father and mother, Joe Johnson, are so interesting. Joe Johnson ends up joining the military at age 45, enlists as a private and goes over to Iraq to avenge his son`s death.

So we have the peace mom, Cindy Sheehan, who became a media spectacle for two years. And then you have another man, very quietly determined to go after the real killers, the terrorists, the Islamic jihadists over in Iraq, and avenge his son and Casey`s death.

BECK: OK. So do the families know each other?

MORGAN: No, they don`t, and Jan Johnson actually e-mailed to Cindy Sheehan and tried to communicate with her after the death of their sons, but Cindy Sheehan refused to return any e-mail from her.

BECK: So this is not a Cindy Sheehan talk trash book. Because honestly, I`ve heard so much. Is there anything new about Cindy Sheehan that I don`t already know?

MORGAN: There is a lot of new things in there. Not a lot. I mean, this isn`t about Cindy Sheehan.

BECK: Right.

MORGAN: There are a few things that people aren`t going to know about her..

BECK: Like what?

MORGAN: ... that you read about in our book "American Mourning".

But -- well, for instance, that she was a woman who was an activist long before she became the peace mom and famous woman in America and face of the anti-war left.

BECK: Right.

MORGAN: She was a youth minister in Vacaville, California, in which she was fired from that job, because she was -- ends up trying to take revenge upon two archbishops that she blamed for her dismissal. And that`s, you know, part of the story. You know, she has created a biography for herself...

BECK: Right.

MORGAN: ... that has been carried by the mainstream media and never ever questioned.

BECK: It was never -- it was -- she was like this before her son died, and that is the part of the story that has always fascinated me.

What did Johnson`s father do before his son died?

MORGAN: He was actually a builder and contractor, but he had been an alcoholic and admitted that. Then cleaned up, found God, went straight and narrow. And then after his sons joined the military, he decided he needed to do the same thing and re-enlisted as a private.

BECK: Holy cow. And so -- how long did he spend over in Iraq?

MORGAN: He spent a year over in Iraq, and it was an amazing thing. He went over there, and he had an opportunity -- he found some terrorists out on patrol. And he had an opportunity to put the gun to the head of the suspected terrorists and blow them away.

And nobody would have ever said anything at his unit, but it turns out that he decided he`d had enough for his thirst for revenge and decides to come home and be with his wife and complete his mourning and their mourning together.

BECK: Yes. My father has always taught me that life is just a series of choices, and it`s interesting to see two people choosing very different paths. Melanie Morgan, thank you.

MORGAN: Thank you, Glenn.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Welcome to "The Real Story." This is where we try to cut through the media bull crap and figure out why a story is actually important to you.

Today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Asia, meeting with officials about the North Korean nuclear test. The trip comes as CNN is reporting that North Korea has gotten word to China that they may perform as many as three additional tests.

Meanwhile, the president continues to be asked: Where`s the line? Where`s the red line here that they can`t cross? And he responds in the same way every time: Quote, "We want to solve this diplomatically." Well, yes, we do.

But the real story is the red line has already been drawn. It is called the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States. Ever heard of it? Yes, neither had I. Listen to the words of Condoleezza Rice yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I reaffirm the president`s statement of October 9th that the United States has the will and the capability to meet the full range -- and I underscore full range -- of its deterrent and security commitments to Japan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Wow, the treaty is between the U.S. and Japan specifically call for us to maintain our nuclear deterrent capability and to respond, not just when Japan is actually attacked, but even when an attack is just imminent.

Although everybody is focused on the Rice quote, there is another quote later in the press conference from the Japanese foreign minister that was even more compelling. He said, quote, "There`s no need for us to have nuclear weapons, as the Japan-U.S. security framework will be activated for the defense of Japan."

Put all of these comments together, and the real story becomes much clearer. As much as everybody wants to believe in diplomacy -- and I hope that it works -- it may not matter at all. The red line has already been drawn. And even if there is just an imminent threat against Japan, we are bound by treaty to act. If that happens, no one, not the U.N., not China, not Russia, will be able to stop us from responding with our ultimate weapon.

Next, just because North Korea has taken over the headlines this week doesn`t mean that radical Muslims still don`t want to behead all of us. But sometimes even radical Muslims can make me belly laugh, and this week I`ve got an example of it.

There was a posting on one of the top five extremist Web sites, and it was alerting Muslims to yet another disgusting insult to their religion from us infidel American pigs. It seems that the Zionists over at Apple Corporation -- you know, the company that obviously hates Muslims -- they have erected a structure outside their new store in Manhattan called "Apple Mecca." Really?

According to the Web site, the structure was built like a cube to deliberately mock the Kaaba, a sacred Muslim symbol. And even worse, the store is serving alcoholic beverages at a bar solely to ridicule Muslims.

But the real story is that, aside from Apple actually opening a new store here in Manhattan, pretty much every other fact in that story is wrong. The store is called Apple Store Fifth Avenue, though I can see how you`d confuse that with "Apple Mecca." It does have a bar, but it`s a genius bar where they fix iPods, moron.

And the cube, that`s out front. It couldn`t look less like the Kaaba. First, I want you to see a picture of the Kaaba. Here it is. It`s a big cube, and they walk around it, and it`s got the pretty, gold writing and stuff on it. Nice looking cube, right? Now look at it next to the Apple cube. Oh, my gosh, how humiliating! They don`t like anything like each other.

What was Steve Jobs -- peace be upon him -- thinking? I just don`t know. This is just yet another example of unbelievable propaganda and insanity that is out there to incite Muslims against us. But the worst part is that hardly anybody ever is paying any attention to it.

That`s why we`ve been bringing you our "Missed by the Media" series of video from the Middle East. And we`re also very happy to announce that we`re going to be bring you an hour-long special -- it`s our first -- dedicated to showing you all of the propaganda and the hate from the Middle East that we have found. It is riveting stuff, and I promise you it will give you a whole new perspective on that perfect storm that is coming our way.

And finally tonight, with the elections closing in, everybody is focused on the Foley scandal, or the Reid scandal, or the Weldon scandal, and whatever scandals they`ve got in store for us in the next couple of weeks. But people are forgetting what they`re not seeing this time around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM ROBBINS, ACTOR: A chill wind is blowing in this nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: There it is. Where are the celebrities? Where`s the Hollywood activists who just love to use their fame as a platform for their politics? The real story tonight is they haven`t gone anywhere; they`ve just learned their lesson.

Michael Moore and Danny Glover haven`t stopped hating the president, but now they realize nobody wants to hear from them. Now, these people may be obnoxious, but they`re certainly not stupid. I`m sure that Democratic strategists have gotten the word out that their biggest enemy this year is a large turnout from the Republican base. And what better way to incite the Republican voters than to show up to the polls, you know, with the celebrity followers after they`ve done something stupid like the Dixie Chicks did?

Think about it: There`s only one case so far of a celebrity using politics this year. It`s Barbra Streisand. What happened the day after she performed that stupid little skit with a Bush impersonator at her concert? Yes, front page news, top story on all the talk shows. It was looped all day long on FOX. It was everywhere. That`s a nightmare scenario for the Democrats.

And they know that the Republican voters who usually don`t care would literally walk through a wall of fire to vote against the idiocy of people like Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn and Barbra Streisand. Celebrities have not changed their mind; they`ve just learned to shut their mouths.

And the lesson for all of us here is to be really careful for what you wish for because, just like political correctness, the hate and the rage hasn`t gone away. It`s just now buried deep inside.

Allison Weiner, she is a "New York Times" reporter who wrote a story this week about this exact topic. Allison, have they learned a lesson or are they just smelling victory?

ALLISON HOPE WEINER, "NEW YORK TIMES": I think that they learned a lesson not to celebrate prematurely and, you know, not to count on election results until they`re actually in hand. I think that`s really what I heard when I was interviewing Democrats out here.

BECK: OK. So it`s not about the box office, because I think part of the lesson that they should have learned is, you know, people -- I like to watch -- for instance, one of my favorite new shows is "Studio 60." I think it has turned off so many conservatives because the first two episodes were, "I hate George Bush and, you know, damn all the Christians," and so many people just were driven from that message. And they`re missing a good show, where one of the strongest people on it is a good Christian model.

WEINER: Well, yes -- go ahead.

BECK: So have they learned this, have they learned this lesson at all, that it hurts them to speak out?

WEINER: Well, I think for certain Democrats and certain Democrat activists, it certainly hurt their careers, you know, that they go to the forefront and they speak out against the war in Iraq. And certainly that happened with Sean Penn, and it does happen to some of the actors who are out there in front.

I don`t know if they -- I don`t think they`ve lessened their activism though. I mean, I have to disagree with you in terms of that. I think that Sean Penn is working on a movie right now. I believe that a lot of the different activists are out there. Christine Lahti is out there campaigning. And, you know, there are different actresses and actors who are still campaigning.

I think that where they`ve learned their lesson -- and certainly what I found in my interviews -- is that they`ve learned their lesson in terms of not counting things, you know, not counting a win before it actually happens.

BECK: OK, so then explain to me why they`re not having the big Hollywood blowouts for fundraisers and they`re having the small, "Hey, let`s just get together and just keep it real quiet and let`s meet at a house" kind of fundraiser?

WEINER: What I heard from the people that I interviewed and the different producers and different directors -- and I talked to quite a few Hollywood Democrats for my piece, and a few Republicans, who gathered...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: Wait a minute. So, in other words, you talked to Bo Derek and Tom Selleck?

WEINER: I found another one.

BECK: Really?

WEINER: No. But I did speak to Hollywood Democrats. And I think what they`ve learned is that, a month out before the election -- and my piece was about three weeks before the election -- that a lot can happen. That`s a long time in politics. And that they certainly, according to Lawrence Bender, who`s a producer, that you can`t count the Republicans out and that you, you know, need to be cautious about the polls, because the last time around in 2004, they thought that that election was theirs.

And they`re suffering a little bit from having had those parties at that time and, you know, getting all excited. Out here in California, a lot of the Democrats believed that they had won before the polls even closed. So it was a bad night for them.

BECK: You know, I`m so interested because -- I mean, I`d like you to name names. I`d like to know who those conservatives are. But let me go this way. Do the Republicans and the Democrats out there, do they coexist? Are they good to each other? Because you would think that they would just hate each other. It seems so mean.

WEINER: No, it`s business. I mean, it`s a business. I mean, if you have to make -- I mean, what you were saying about "Studio 60," I mean, that`s a piece of art. And I`m sure there are plenty of Republicans that work on that. I know there are.

BECK: Yes.

WEINER: You know, they`re sending out something that, you know, Republicans aren`t liking or they don`t particularly like the message of it, that`s another issue. But when people come together here, they are here to do business and to make money.

BECK: Right.

WEINER: And if that means -- you know, I mean, so, no, you can go to a party and you will be talking to Republicans. I think the situation now is that, with the Democrats feeling optimistic, more Republicans are being invited over for dinner.

BECK: Great. Thanks a lot, Allison.

WEINER: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: You know, there aren`t that many industries that have taken advantage of technology quite like the porn industry has. I want you to think about it. First, the printing press was invented, porn magazines. The telephone invented, phone sex. VCR, home porn. DVD, better quality home porn. Internet, streaming porn. Cell phones, mobile porn. It`s unbelievable.

So what could possibly next? You sure you want the answer to that? Welcome to a creepy combination of sex and technology, a combination that seems to be missing one very important thing: another person. Welcome to the future of porn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): Looking for porn? Well, chances are you don`t have to go very far. Gone are the days of stealing glances at dirty magazines, sneaking into the back of the video store, or hiding behind the curtain of a peep show. Now, porn is just a point, click or download away.

It used to be sex-driven 900 numbers, but it`s the Internet that has truly become the playground for porn-makers and porn-lovers, kind of like the social lubricant for the sexually challenged. And now, beyond the webcams, the fetish sites, the cybersex chatrooms, there is a new wave of porn. The future is about what you feel, as well.

ERIC WHITE, FOUNDER, VIRTUAL REALITY INNOVATIONS: Well, the product is a virtual reality sexual stimulation system; essentially, it re-creates the action as you`re watching it on the screen. The videos are shot from the perspective of the man`s eyes.

The machine, which he wears on his penis, re-creates what`s happening in the movie exactly, stroking, vacuum, and also simulates some other actions in time with the movie. So you actually feel as if you`re there.

BECK: Today it seems nothing is off-limits. Even your iPod can be - rated.

LAYNE THRASHER, HEAD OF OPERATIONS, DANNI.COM: The second that the Video iPod came out, the very next day companies were selling iPods loaded up with their own company`s adult content and allowing you to purchase iPod four-minute videos as a la carte offerings from their Web sites.

BECK: Porn is -- no surprise here -- the number-one money-maker on the Web. And as long as there`s money to be made, porn purveyors will keep pushing the envelope.

BILL ASHER, CEO, VIVID ENTERTAINMENT: The end game is eventually you`re going to have your TV set hooked to a computer box -- it`s already starting -- that you`ll be able to watch anything you want whenever you want. You will be able to do anything you want with it easily, and it will be at your fingertips.

BECK: But with all this technology, we just might be overlooking one little thing called human relationships. As far as Eric White is concerned, you don`t need to bother with a date anymore. He has actually eliminated the human side of sex, really.

WHITE: The ultimate goal is to have as realistic a sexual partner as you could possibly have, to have something that`s hard to distinguish the difference between. We`re building this for the average guy, you know, that can afford a computer and, you know, for the expense of what you pay on one good date, you know, now you`ve got something -- you`ve got an experience that you can have any time.

BECK: And that, my friend, is a scary thought.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: I mean, is anybody surprised the guy who`s -- I swear to you, we couldn`t show it to you on television. It`s disgusting. You use it in cow barns, I swear to God. And is it a surprise that that`s what the guy looks like that`s working on this new technology?

Porn is everywhere. And it is clear that there is much more to come. But with that, there is also the fear that we as a society may become desensitized to this absolute filth. What`s worse, I have a real concern that we are raising a generation of kids that will see porn as just a part of sex or that`s what sex is like.

Robert Peters, president of Morality in Media, a group which is created to combat pornography and indecency. He`s also an anti-pornography attorney.

Robert, you and I may disagree, because I believe you have the right to make porn. I just wish we would stop consuming it. But people say -- I`ve heard it from one person, I`ve heard it from a million people this week, "What difference does it make if it`s just me in the privacy of my home?" Can you answer that?

ROBERT W. PETERS, PRESIDENT, MORALITY IN MEDIA: Well, it was an interesting comment that one of your speakers in the spiel before, talking about how they were going to make this as real as possible. And there was an article in the "New York" magazine, actually October 20, 2003, almost three years ago, written by Naomi Wolf. And she was making the point, talking to women, particularly in Manhattan, that more and more young women are discovering that a growing number of guys would rather stay home and look at pornography on the Internet -- and, of course, masturbate to it -- than have an actual real-life relationship with a woman.

And, you know, I mean, even one small repercussion of that, apart from the fact that there are going to be a lot of lonely people, is that, you know, we`re talking -- you know, as a society, we`re talking about, you know, how we actually need children because, you know, there`s a growing senior population.

And here at a very time when we should be strengthening the family and encouraging people to have children, we`re developing a technology that`s going to pull off a whole group of eligible young men who would rather view pornography and masturbate to it than get married.

BECK: You know, it`s really intriguing to me that we are a society where it`s not like it used to be. It`s everywhere. It`s in our music; it`s on our television; it`s absolutely everywhere. And it`s really all about me, and what I want, and instant gratification, is it not?

PETERS: Oh, very much so. I mean, you know, I think probably the number-one effect of pornography, at least a harmful effect -- and actually it doesn`t require any proof of causation -- is within a marriage.

You know, you stop and think, particularly if a guy gets hooked on pornography and begins to spend a lot of time looking at it, a few things can happen. Number one, he`s not going to want to have sex with his wife at all or, when he does, his mind is going to be on someone else. And a second thing is that he`s going to want to act out the sex, and, you know, that sometimes may be pleasurable, other times it`s going to be a problem.

BECK: Robert, thanks a lot.

PETERS: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Aren`t you glad we`re back in the election season again, so you get all of those annoying, recorded phone calls, "Hello, friend, I`m a celebrity actor that you`ve grown to trust because of my fatherly roles on television shows that you reminisce about reminding you: vote for the guy I`m currently campaigning for or your children will all suffocate in a dry cleaning bag"?

You know, maybe we`ll get some calls on North Korea. And if we do, they`ll probably have a script exactly like Don from Canada`s e-mail. He writes, "Glenn, the world did not change last week with North Korea and their nuclear test. It changed on August 6th and 9th, 1945, when the only country to possess an atomic weapon decided to use it. And may I point out: Your country still is the only holder of that title."

Well, that is true, my friendly Canadian. I suppose we all could have laid back on the beautiful shores of Hawaii -- you know, while they were on fire -- and waited for millions of our own soldiers and, I may point out, Japanese soldiers, to die instead of ending the war in a week. I hate this argument.

And the other argument I hate is, "Why can`t Iran not have them with North Korea? You`ve got nukes. Israel has nukes." Yes, yes, we do. Oh, we also have a long record of using them responsibly, which I might want to point out. Get used to it. Or realize the U.N., you know, they won`t do anything if you make them. You can join our fancy nuclear club. Come on in. The water`s fine.

And this one comes in from Vanessa in Reno. "Hey, Glenn, I am so sick of the double standards in this country. It seems like every race, every religion, every celebrities has a different standard than everybody else. How do we stop it?"

Vanessa, I am on your train, man. It is a huge problem that stems directly from political correctness. One double standard that you didn`t mention is leniency that seems based solely on looks. Do you remember Deb LaFave? She is the teacher -- oh, yes -- she was the one hooking up with a underage student, wound up only getting, you know, house arrest. Why? Because she looks like that, that`s why.

And now, the most egregious example has happened, where a woman convicted of helping terrorists gets only 28 months in prison simply because she`s smoking hot, activist and model Lynne Stewart, a radical attorney who admitted intentionally breaking the courts rules to help a convicted terrorist communicate with other terrorists through the messages in the press.

When will this nonsense end, when somebody is given leniency just because they`re incredibly attractive? Just because Lynne Stewart oozes sex doesn`t mean she shouldn`t be treated just like everyone else, no matter how yummy she is. See you on the radio tomorrow, you sick, twisted freak.

END