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Glenn Beck

Are Dems Turning Conservative?; Colorado Congressional Candidate Weighs In on Issues; Hillary`s Green Party Candidate Ignored by Press?

Aired November 06, 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: Well, there it is. Election day eve. Will the Democrats be opening the presents tomorrow?
Plus, why the Saddam Hussein verdict is not going to affect the election at all. That and more, next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is brought to you by Saddam Hussein neckties. Stylish, sexy, and strong enough to hold a 30- pound man. Saddam Hussein neckties: fashion of mass destruction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right. There are a couple of things that were big news this weekend.

First, Saddam Hussein found guilty and sentenced to death, and evangelical leader Reverend Ted Haggard admits his sexual immorality with a male prostitute. What affect will these two stories have on the election? Zero, none. And I`ll tell you why later on in the show.

But first, here`s the point tonight: the Democrats will win tomorrow. But, contrary to everybody`s opinion, the upcoming election is not a rejection of George Bush and traditional conservative values, nor will it be a referendum on the war.

Now here`s how I got there. Everybody is saying how the Saddam verdict is going to change the election in favor of the Republicans. I think that`s ridiculous. Everybody`s also saying "it`s the economy stupid". Even with the Dow as high as it is and unemployment as low as it is -- 4.4 percent, that`s almost employment -- that is not going to have an impact.

Even though these factors should add up to a Republican victory tomorrow, they`re not going to, most likely.

How is it that the party that I don`t think stands for anything is in the lead? Well, that`s because they`re running against another party that also stands for nothing.

I do believe that the Democrats will win tomorrow, but not the Nancy Pelosi/Howard Dean Democrats. The Democrats of 2006 are slowly starting to resemble my grandfather`s Democrats, those JFK Democrats. The party that represent the working man, God, conservative values.

If this election truly was, as Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi put it, a referendum on the president and the war, well, then how do you explain someone like Joe Lieberman who appears to be cruising to a victory in Connecticut? He voted with Bush on the war and he stands by it.

Some other key races seem to suggest that Democrats who embrace, not reject, conservative values, are leading as well.

For instance, in Montana, Senate candidate Jon Tester -- he`s a Democrat -- he holds a slim lead. He says he would have voted against the Patriot Act. Now when I read that, I thought, well, of course, no surprise there. But the reason he said he`d vote against it is because he believes it would restrict people`s access to guns. He`s a Second Amendment guy.

He also opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants. I don`t know if you`ve checked in the last couple of years, many Republicans aren`t that conservative. I don`t think he`s going to be having lunch with Nancy Pelosi discussing these issues any time soon, but still.

The point goes on. In Pennsylvania, the Democrat Bob Casey beating incumbent Senator Rick Santorum. Well, guess -- guess which candidate is pro-life and who said he would have voted to confirm Supreme Court Judge Alito? Yes, you`re right. Both of them.

In my opinion, Rick Santorum is the Churchill of our times. That`s the guy I would vote for. But to the average person, Casey is not a nut job Democrat. In fact, women`s organizations originally protested Casey`s candidacy.

Wait a minute. I thought he`s in the party of Nancy Pelosi.

And in Indiana, congressional candidate Brad Ellsworth has signed a pledge promising no tax increases, saying that more than enough money comes in to the federal government. What upsets people is how the government spends it. Sounds almost Reagan-esque, doesn`t it?

These candidates are not by any stretch of the imagination textbook conservatives, but they seem, at least on the surface, to be reasonable on core issues.

What these and other races around the country indicate: that Americans by and large have centrist values which lean conservative. Values like small government, low taxes, and standing up for what`s right, as opposed to standing up for what`s left or right.

Americans are not necessarily against the war. I really truly believe they`re against fighting the war incorrectly or without a plan. The most important message that is being sent this election is this: Republicans, if you would have stood for these positions, we would have voted for you again. If you won`t stand for them, we`ll vote for someone who claims they will and give them a spin.

So here`s what I know tonight: Republicans are probably going to lose tomorrow, but not because of the war, not because voters are rejecting conservative values. They`ll lose because they`ve lost their virtue. They are seen as greedy with power, the same way the Democrats were seen when they got demolished in 1994.

I also know I actually feel bad for some of these new Democratic candidates. Jon Tester in Montana? This is a guy whose hand was severely injured from his days working in a butcher`s shop. He`s a simple, plainspoken guy who seems to share my grandfather`s values.

But he and other Democratic candidates who`ve been recruited by Chuck Schumer and the like, they`re being led right into a liberal butcher shop, where I believe Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean are waiting to run their centrist beliefs right through a meat-grinder like a hunk of veal.

Now here`s what I don`t know: will the real Democratic Party please stand up? If they win, which value system will we see? I think it`s going to be civil war. Is it the grand -- the values of my grandfather and JFK, or the values of Michael Moore?

I think I know the answer. But Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross is a member of the Democratic "Blue Dog Coalition".

What do you say the answer is, sir?

REP. MIKE ROSS (D), ARKANSAS: Well, Glenn, I can tell you that, among Democrats, there`s a lot more that unites us than divides us. The Republicans have divided us. They`ve divided America, and America has had a belly full. And that`s why I think you`re going to see the Democrats regain a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday night.

BECK: OK. Mike, let`s cut the -- let`s cut the bull crap there. Because I tell you, that was one of the most divisive statements you could have started with.

It wasn`t the Republicans that have divided us. It`s both parties that divide us. And when are people on both sides of the aisle going to learn the lesson, we don`t care about your stupid parties? We want you to get something done.

ROSS: I think the American people are ready for a change, and I think you`re going to see it on Tuesday night. And the kind of change you`re going to see you mentioned earlier in the program, Glenn. I mean, we`re not defeating Republicans on election night with liberal Democrats. We`re defeating Republicans on Tuesday with conservative to moderate Democrats.

BECK: Right.

ROSS: And as a result of that, you`re going to see -- I`m in the middle. I know that`s where my district is. That`s where the Blue Dogs are. That`s where we`re trying to bring America back to, and certainly that`s where we`re trying to bring the Democratic Party back to, is to the middle.

BECK: OK. So then how are you...

ROSS: We want to govern from the middle, and we want to govern by cleaning up the mess in Washington and putting an end to the partisan politics.

BECK: That`s great. That`s great. And if you can do that with the moderate Republicans, good for you. But let me try to figure out how you`re going to defeat the power of the party which is so far left it has abandoned the people like you. How are you going to defeat...

ROSS: Glenn, you`re reading from the Republican Party playbook. They`re trying to scare people into voting for Republicans...

BECK: I am reading from common sense. Look, Mike. I am not -- listen to me. You know what? I voted for Joe Lieberman. I will vote for people who will get the job done and not -- and not turn this into partisan politics.

ROSS: Here`s my point. Glenn, here`s my point.

BECK: Yes.

ROSS: Is that -- is that the Republican Party wants you to believe that, you know, that if you elect Democrats that the party is going to be governed from the left and we`re going to see the left extreme and all that.

Here`s the truth. The truth is that Democrats are going to retake the House on election night. But we`re not going to defeat Republicans with liberal Democrats. We`re going to defeat Republicans with Blue Dog Democrats, conservative moderate Democrats like Heath Shuler of North Carolina, Ken Lucas and Mike Weaver of Kentucky.

BECK: I get it. Mike, we don`t argue...

ROSS: Baron Hill in Indiana, Ellsworth.

BECK: We`re not arguing on that.

ROSS: Well, here`s my point.

BECK: You`ve got a civil -- you know, Mike, as well as I do, there is a civil war going in with the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

ROSS: I don`t buy that, Glenn. I don`t buy that at all.

BECK: Come on.

ROSS: That`s from the Republican Party play book. There`s a lot more that unites us than divides us. We`re going to be all be together when it comes to raising the minimum wage for working families to ensure that 46 million people in this country without health insurance today get it. Ensuring that the Medicare Part D prescription program is fixed for America`s seniors instead of being rigged by the big drug manufacturers.

BECK: OK.

ROSS: So there are things within our party that unites us. There are some things that divide us, and here`s what significant for you to know, Glenn. That come Wednesday morning, the Democrats will control the U.S. House of Representatives and the largest group within the Democratic Party will be what? It will be conservative Democrats. Imagine that.

BECK: So, you -- when you have -- when you have the ways and means committee run by -- who is it going to be, Conyers? When you have Nancy Pelosi running the House, you believe that these Ted Kennedys of your party are going to take a backseat to the Blue Dog Democrats?

ROSS: I believe the Allen Boyds, the John Tanners, the Mike Rosses, the Dennis Cardozas of our party is going to bring our party back to the middle, which is where America is, where I am and certainly where my district is.

BECK: I cannot tell you, Mike, how much I hope you are right, sir. Thank you very much.

ROSS: Glad to be with you, Glenn.

BECK: You bet.

ROSS: Thank you.

BECK: Coming up, our series "Vote American" in the home stretch. Republican congressional candidate Rick O`Donnell on the key battleground state in Colorado joins me for a candid discussion.

And Saddam is sentenced to death. The president praising it on the campaign trail, but will it make a difference to voters? I`ll give you "The Real Story" coming up.

Also, I promise, no political discussion whatsoever with "Arrested Development" actor Tony Hale. We`ll talk about "Stranger Than Fiction". The buzz on this movie with Will Ferrell is phenomenal. Don`t miss it, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: I don`t know about anybody else, but I`m excited tomorrow`s election day, because that means Wednesday we can get back to normal.

There are a few races that could decide the control of the House. Colorado`s Seventh District is one of the most important races.

Joining me now is the candidate for the other team, Republican Rick O`Donnell, Republican Rick O`Donnell.

Rick, gay marriage, immigration reform, evangelicals paying for sex and crystal meth. Are you sure you even want this job at this point?

RICK O`DONNELL (R), COLORADO CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: You know, the good thing is none of that has to do with me. So I can just focus on the big issues facing the country.

BECK: Right, OK. Let me start -- let me start with this. And I just finished up a conversation with a congressman here, and I`m so sick of politics. I can`t stand it. Neither party, it seems to me, has a soul. What are the Republicans even standing for at this point?

O`DONNELL: You know, there are a few key things. If you go to my web site -- it`s RickODonnell.com -- you can read my platform. It`s about making our economy strong and making sure we`re competitive as China and India get more competitive globally.

It`s about reforming our tax code and junking the whole tax code because it`s unfair. It`s filled with these loopholes. It`s about securing the border, stopping illegal immigration. It`s about fixing our healthcare system and trying to break the gridlock we have in our healthcare debate to actually make sure that everyone has health insurance and it`s affordable.

BECK: OK. Let me stop you here, because you`ve got the Democrats who are, you know, the Cindy Sheehans, Ted Kennedys of the world, Howard Deans, and it`s nice that you say these things, but I`ve got to tell you, I trusted you with my vote last time. Not you in particular, but the Republicans.

I`m for immigration, but you guys didn`t do jack on immigration. You say you want to control spending, but you guys spent money like it was water and we were living in the Fiji Islands. I mean, what happened?

O`DONNELL: You know, part of the problem is I think both parties are to blame for putting petty partisan politics ahead what`s good for the country.

I`m a Republican and I`m the first to stay Republicans haven`t done everything right, but the Democrats are just running on anger. They`re running on complaining that everything is bad and blaming everything on the president but not really offering solutions.

So I`m not your typical Republican. I don`t excuse the fact that Republicans have done too much pork barrel spending. But I think two parties in Washington, really the old guard is what`s got to go and we need a new generation of leadership.

BECK: Yes. But do you believe this is a referendum on Iraq?

O`DONNELL: I do not. The No. 1 issue I get asked about is immigration reform. By everyone, by women, by seniors, unaffiliated voters. They`re more concerned about border security and stopping illegal immigration than any other issue by far.

BECK: You know, I got to tell you. I don`t think that that is a Colorado phenomena. I think the Republicans lost touch with the American people on spending and immigration. That`s when the whole thing started to unravel for the -- for the Republicans. What makes you think that if you were entrusted with power again that you could actually respond to the American people?

O`DONNELL: Well, one, I think the American people spoken loudly and clearly that they do want secure borders, that they want spending constraints. And so you`re going to send to Congress a lot of people who want to fight for that.

I`ve done a lot of work here in Colorado government trying to reform our spending, reduce state spending. And I`m going to take those ideas and that success we`ve had here to Congress. And I think you`re going to see a lot of new faces in Congress from both parties, frankly. And they`re going to focus on those issues.

BECK: All right. I -- we have to -- in fairness we invited your opponent, Ed Perlmutter, to appear as well. He declined. However, he did provide a statement, and you can find it on the web site in its entirety, but here`s a portion of it.

He said, "I apologize that I could not speak with you in person, but thank you for the opportunity to participate on the GLENN BECK SHOW through this brief statement. I am encouraged that all the polls have given me a strong lead, but I`m leaving no chance and spending every last minute meeting with voters and asking for their support.

"I`m running because I care about our country. I believe it`s time for a change. I believe President Bush and the Republican Congress has taken us down the wrong path -- and one-party control -- has led to one was thinking."

He goes on to say, "I`m proud of my record and I`m proud to be endorsed by nearly every newspaper in Colorado, as well as numerous police, veteran and citizen -- senior citizen organizations. I want to go to Congress and fight for a change, and together I believe we can make it happen. I`m Ed Perlmutter, and thanks again for the chance to speak to your viewers."

What is a difference between you and Ed?

O`DONNELL: I`m the candidate of ideas. If you go to my web site I`ve got detailed plans about immigration, taxes, Social Security, healthcare.

If you go to his web site, you get nothing but the same old platitudes. It`s the Democratic National Party`s playbook. It`s the poll tested answers, but it`s not genuine solution. It`s not thoughtful ideas.

Regardless of party, I have some ideas on my web site from Democrats. I have ideas from Republicans. The difference is he`s going to give you the same old partisan politics. I`m going to give you real ideas and honest answers.

BECK: Rick, wish you the best of luck tomorrow. Thank you very much.

O`DONNELL: Thank you very much.

BECK: You bet. Back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Is the secret to Iraq that people don`t understand Iran?

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: I think that what has been hard to keep a focus on, given the difficulties in Iraq is the central role that Iraq plays in a changed Middle East.

This is the Middle East that, after all, produced the ideology of hatred for al Qaeda that produced September 11. And Iraq is -- Iraq is a centerpiece of that. It`s a critical state.

Iran, which is Iraq`s neighbor, of course, would like nothing better than to be able to influence events in Iraq toward its favor, and to use that influence as a part of Iran`s effort to spread extremism throughout the Middle East.

BECK: If you could grab the shoulders of every American and just shake them and say, "You must understand this one thing," what would it be?

RICE: It would be that without Americans` leadership and American resolve, the world is a very vulnerable and dark place. We`ve seen it many times in history. And know that America has to bear a lot of responsibility and a lot of sacrifice. But without American resolve, bad things can happen. Paul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right with the election hours only away, there are some very tight high-profile Senate races that should come down to the wire. Yet, for some unknown reason that I still don`t fully understand, our political correspondent -- and I use that term very loosely -- Brian Sack, has decided to focus on what perhaps is the least contested Senate race in the entire country. My apologies in advance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN SACK, GLENN BECK POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton, junior senator from New York, holding on to her Senate seat for dear life. Her opponent on Tuesday, Republican challenger John Spencer.

Thanks largely to the extensive media exposure from his appearance on the Glenn Beck program, polls indicate Spencer is now trailing Hillary Clinton by only 32 points. And, with a margin of error of 32 points, that puts this race in a statistical dead heat.

But what about Hillary`s other opponents? Yes, there are other candidates even more obscure than John Spencer, like Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, cofounder of the United States Green Party.

Hawkins` Senate campaign is chock full of smart, innovative ideas, and yet he`s been virtually ignored by the major media outlets. If only the voters could hear what he had to say about the real issues.

Well, as a journalist, I felt it was my duty to oblige.

(on camera) Are you having a hard time getting out there to talk about the issues?

HOWIE HAWKINS (G), NEW YORK SENATE CANDIDATE: I`m having a hard time getting the issues into the big media so that the public is engaged.

SACK: Why do you think that all the major media outlets ignore the Green Party?

HAWKINS: I think the media focus on the horse race rather than the issues. We`re trying to bring forward issues.

SACK: Let`s talk about the horse race.

HAWKINS: The big thing covered in the media has been whether or not Hillary Clinton had plastic surgery. That`s the issue raised, according to "The Daily News", by John Spencer, the Republican. And so we had a whole week where that was the whole story about the race. Meanwhile, there are serious issues.

SACK: You don`t think that Hillary`s plastic surgery is important?

HAWKINS: No. I don`t know whether she had it or not, but I mean, that`s not the issue. That`s not what people care about.

SACK: Are you willing to go on record as saying you`ve never had plastic surgery?

HAWKINS: Yes.

SACK: Have you had any surgery?

HAWKINS: Yes. I had my elbow put together from an accident when I was a construction worker. Got a big...

SACK: I`m sorry. We have to cut the interview short. Someone else has the room.

(voice-over) Unfortunately, I screwed up, and I only had our crew booked until noon, but on the bright side, at least we got to meet K-Fed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Brian, I don`t even know where to begin. First of all, was that really K-Fed?

SACK: Yes. I was inspired.

BECK: Met with the Green Party and I bet K-Fed was happy about that.

SACK: Well, we asked him if he was a New Yorker voter. He didn`t recognize K-Fed, which I thought was hilarious. And K-Fed said, "Uh, no, no" and then said something about living in L.A.

BECK: So gosh darn it. I wish I would have known what the Green Party stood for. But there are the third party candidates. Who else is out there running against Hillary?

SACK: William Van Aukin from the Socialist Equality Party.

BECK: Yes.

SACK: And we actually tried to get him on the show, and he declined at the moment.

BECK: Really?

SACK: I don`t know why. We had Jimmy McMillan, the Rent Is Too Damn High Party. And we called him last week, but he got back to us on Sunday. So apparently, the phone bill was too damn high.

BECK: Really?

SACK: Yes.

BECK: Wait a minute. So his stance is that the rent in New York...

SACK: Is too damn high. And that`s their platform.

BECK: Wish we could have in-depth on that one.

SACK: Yes. It would have been a brief interview and the gist after a while. And then you have the Libertarian party. Your have Jeff -- yes, Jeff Russell. Sorry. And the Libertarians won`t come to the Time Warner building, because you have to show government I.D.

BECK: Right, OK, good. Tomorrow, Brian, thanks a lot.

And don`t forget, don`t miss the live election coverage starting at 7 p.m. Eastern at GlennBeck.com and you can catch me on CNN`s Pipeline. That is all tomorrow live. Don`t miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

With Election Day tomorrow, we`re all sitting here waiting for the November surprise. Where is it? I woke up yesterday expecting to see that Osama bin Laden had been captured on the Mexican border and water-tortured by Dick Cheney in a secret prison, and all I get is the Saddam verdict? That was a let-down. Quite frankly, it was.

The real story is that, if the Saddam thing really was the big surprise, then, come on, the Republicans are going to be pretty disappointed, unless they broadcast the hanging on TV tomorrow, which, you know, better start stringing the rope if that`s going to happen.

The Saddam verdict is a non-event. With all of the whining last week about how the Bush administration actually scheduled the verdict for yesterday, voters couldn`t care less about it. Plus, come on, do you really -- Karl Rove is much smarter than this. If there is one person out there that wasn`t sure who to vote for but now, you know, now that Saddam has been found guilty, they`re thinking to themselves, "Well, gee, I`ve got to vote for the Republicans," we`re all doomed. It`s not going to happen. It didn`t happen.

And while we`re all talking about November letdowns, let`s move onto the whole Ted Haggard, evangelical-gay-meth thing that is just as bad. If you haven`t kept up with this story, here`s the bottom line: Apparently, you can be gay if you want. You can use prostitutes, if that`s your thing. You can even cheat on your wife or use drugs if you want to ruin your life completely.

But where America draws the line is when you preach from the pulpit against those things while you`re participating in them, all of them. People apparently seem to find that just a tad hypocritical. You know, we all have our inner demons. I, for one -- I can`t speak for you, but I`m on the verge of moral collapse at any time. It can happen by the end of the show.

But the key is to embrace your faults. Acknowledge them, and work through them. People, I believe, respect that. And as a bonus, your wife won`t be thinking about beating you to death with a shovel while you sleep, but I digress.

The real story is that this is just another one of those headlines that will end up having zero effect on the election. Voters are too smart to be tricked into thinking that, you know, some guy`s sick sex life should influence an entire election in Colorado, unless, of course, unless that guy happens to be George W. Bush. Then, run for your lives.

So what do people care about? I think it`s three things. I think it`s illegal immigration, winning in Iraq, and, as much as the media wants to ignore it, the economy. A Pew research poll released yesterday shows that 42 percent of the people believe the economy is now the first or second most important issue. That`s great for the Republicans, right? Yes, not so much.

Even with unemployment at 4.4 percent, a number that economists say is, quote, "beyond full employment," end quote, the Dow is hitting record highs. Virtually every other economic indicator is off the charts. You`d think people would be pretty happy. Not so much: 54 percent of this country says -- are ready for this? -- the economy is only "fair" or "poor." Do you know how many think it`s "excellent"? Nine, nine percent of people say this economy is excellent. On the bright side, that is 8 points higher than the wealthiest 1 percent, so you got that going for you.

But you know what? That sentiment is perfect because the real story is, if Democrats do control tomorrow, take control tomorrow, here`s what you have to look forward to. Ted Kennedy is going to chair the Education and Labor Committee. Ted Kennedy and big labor, that sounds like fun. Barney Frank is going to chair the Financial Services Committee. I am not joking. In fact, tomorrow on "The Real Story," I`m going to give you a full list of what Congress looks like if these guys take charge.

The number one thing on their agenda will be to screw up the economy. And I`m not overstating or making a clown statement there. Here`s how I got there. First, they are absolutely right. When they say, "I promise not to raise your taxes," they mean it. They don`t have to vote to raise your taxes. The Republican tax cuts will automatically expire if Congress does nothing. And we all know how good Congress is at doing that.

Second, the Democrats have said the first thing they`re going to do is raise the minimum wage. We just had a blue dog Democrat about a half hour ago say that. Now, I`m no labor economist, but I am a thinker, and it sounds like a bad idea to mess with wages, considering we have beyond full employment right now. But Democrats say, "No, no, wait, look, I`ve got a report here with 350 economists, including five Nobel Prize winners, that say it`s a good idea." Well, that`s great, but what they don`t tell you is the real story.

The survey of the American Economists` Association or Economics Association, they found almost 14,000 labor economists -- that`s 77 percent of them -- believe that raising the minimum wage will result in job losses, 350 economists versus 14,000. Oh, I see how it is. When we like what the minority of experts has to say, we use them to make our case, but when we don`t like what they say -- like global warming -- we completely ignore them.

There`s a lot of real issues up for debate tomorrow, but the economy is not one of them. The Democrats, through inaction, will raise your taxes. They will -- they`ve already made this promise -- raise the minimum wage. And they will end the best economy in decades!

Now, if you still believe that their plan on Iraq outweighs all of that, then go ahead. Put them in charge. But first, would you just at least do one favor for me? Define what that Iraqi plan actually is. Go ahead. Yes, I didn`t think you could do it.

Mike Flynn, the director of Legislative Affairs at the Employment Policy Institute. Mike, the raising the minimum wage, explain how that actually hurts?

MICHAEL FLYNN, EMPLOYMENT POLICIES INSTITUTE: Yes, Glenn, thanks a lot for having me on. You know, what you have, this focus on the minimum wage is simply a symbolic action that -- you know, you mentioned how good the economy is. And I think it`s a way to try to find some measurement that we can criticize the economy.

There`s three misconceptions about the minimum wage, and this is how it hurts. One is who it goes to. The fact is the overwhelming benefits -- I mean, let`s just start from the beginning. A minimum wage is a starting wage. It`s how you start on the job ladder. It`s where you go to get skills and experience to move to higher pay. If you, through artificial mandates of government, make it more expensive to offer those starting jobs, you will have fewer of them.

BECK: This is exact -- this is the starting point of what went wrong in France with their economy, isn`t it?

FLYNN: That`s right. That`s right. That`s right. You know, 90 percent, 95 percent of us have had a minimum wage job before. We don`t have them now because we get skills, we get education, we move on. But you need that first job to get those skills.

BECK: OK. Now, I know that, a few years ago, 15 percent of the working public was on minimum wage.

FLYNN: Right.

BECK: What is it now?

FLYNN: It`s 2 percent now. And, you know, there`s this great myth that the Democrats like to talk that, except for the divine action of a government body, people don`t get raises, and that`s simply not true.

The overwhelming majority of minimum-wage workers themselves get a raise within the first year. We get higher pay as we get more skills, as businesses have to compete for our labor. The market works here, but that doesn`t work for a lot of politicians who like to provide the solution. They like to think the market doesn`t and, "Get us, elect us, we`ll be the wizards, and we`ll give you these goodies." But the thing is, there`s a price to pay for that.

BECK: You know, Mike, I think I`m sensitive to this because my father and mother ran a small bakery growing up.

FLYNN: Right.

BECK: And they were small business owners, and I know that my folks, if they would have had to raise the minimum wage, we would have laid somebody off.

FLYNN: That`s right.

BECK: We would -- or you`d cut benefits or whatever. Somebody is going to pay that price.

FLYNN: Yes. I mean, your mom-and-pop store is not necessarily going to close down, but they`ll change how they do business. They may get by with one fewer worker. They may cut the hours of those workers. And what you`re left with, after the political bandwagon has moved on and all the rhetoric`s gone away, is those very people you think you`re trying to help are the ones who are hurt by this, because they are left out of that opportunity. They`re not given the chance to get that job to learn those skills, and they pay that price throughout their entire working life.

BECK: So who is it that actually is hurt by that? You`ve got the -- you`ve got the mom-and-pop stores that are hurt by this.

FLYNN: Right.

BECK: Who else? Who are the people that work for minimum wage and keep that minimum wage job?

FLYNN: That`s right. Well, first of all, the vast majority of minimum-wage workers are not who we`re told they are. They are teens living at home. They are young adults without children. They are second and third breadwinners in the family.

However, there is this small number of low-skilled adults, high school dropouts, people without a lot of education, who rely on that job to stay within the job market. Those are the people who are pushed out.

I mean, research has found that, when the wage goes up, the business can often get higher skilled workers attracted by that wage, and they push out those low-skilled adults who rely on that job to keep going on the job ladder.

BECK: Mike, thank you very much.

FLYNN: Thanks a lot, Glenn.

BECK: Appreciate your time. That is the real story tonight. If you`d like to read more about this or if you`ve found a real story of your own, you`d like to tell us about it, please, all you have to do is visit glennbeck.com. You click on the "Real Story" button, and we`ll give you all of the details on this story and many others that we have covered in the past. We`ll be back in a minute. Stand by.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Saddam wasn`t sentenced just to death. They sentenced him to death by hanging. You know, when they go to the trouble to specify "by hanging," you know you`ve rubbed people the wrong way, don`t you think? I`m going on record stating that getting hanged may be the worst way to get executed. It`s a toss-up for me. Electrocution, getting hanged? Not sure. Whichever one`s faster, I think, is -- I mean, unless they start drowning people or death by paper cut and lemon, that would be really bad.

I`m doing everything I can to avoid hanging and electrocution. If I had to choose -- and I think we should -- but I think we should put this on the ballot, I think it should be death by chocolate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Oh, you know, I think my daily life would make an interesting book. Chapter one would be "Glenn Eats Three McGriddles for Breakfast." Chapter two, "Glenn Rambles on the Radio for Three Hours." Chapter three, "Glenn Horrifies America with His TV Show." And that would be pretty much it. So maybe not. I take that back.

There`s a new movie out, "Stranger Than Fiction." Will Ferrell discovers that his life is actually the plot of a fiction novel. I don`t know if you`ve seen the trailer for this movie, but it looks great. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, and the guy that you probably know from "Arrested Development." His name is Tony Hale. Tony joins us now.

Tony, I have to tell you, when my wife and I saw the trailer in the movie theater, my wife and I said at the same time, "Oh, he`s in it. We love him!"

TONY HALE, ACTOR, "STRANGER THAN FICTION": Ah.

BECK: Big, big fans. You`re very funny.

HALE: Oh, thanks, man. Thank you very much.

BECK: So let`s start with the movie. Tell me about it.

HALE: Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick who works at the IRS, and he begins to hear the voice of a narrator. And I play his best friend that he confides in. And the narrator kind of predicts his death, so...

BECK: Do you have a substantial role in it?

HALE: Not as substantial as like Dustin Hoffman or Emma Thompson, but, you know, I`m kind of in and out. And it`s nice to be a part of the whole thing.

BECK: I`ve said -- you know, we just -- we`re showing the clip here with you and -- I don`t know -- it looks like a vault or whatever it is, but...

HALE: Oh, yes.

BECK: ... the two of you, and I have a hard time -- and this -- I know this sounds like a slam, but I mean it sincerely. I have a hard time looking at you and not laughing.

HALE: Thank you, sir. Thank you.

BECK: So how bummed are you on "Arrested Development"?

HALE: I don`t know. It was -- when we found out it was going to end for good -- because every year we were on the bubble. Every year, we didn`t know if we were going to be around.

BECK: Did that surprise you?

HALE: That we were done officially?

BECK: No, that you were on the bubble every year. Did you guys think that it was eventually going to take off?

HALE: Yes. I mean, we had such respect for the show, so we always wanted it to take off, but there was just -- like, my people I knew were like, "Yes, I just don`t get it." You know, so some people got it, some people didn`t. But we had a blast. We had an absolute blast. And the whole thing was a gift.

BECK: Just really, really funny. I`ve got to tell you, because of the "Arrested Development" being on the bubble all the time, I really never thought "The Office" would make it.

HALE: I know.

BECK: Because they`re very similar. If you like "The Office," you would have loved "Arrested Development."

HALE: I know. "The Office" is a great job. And they`re doing well. They got the Emmy this year.

BECK: Yes, yes, very funny.

HALE: Yes.

BECK: Your dad, if I`m not mistaken, was a nuclear physicist, wasn`t he?

HALE: Yes, he was. And he gave birth to an actor.

BECK: I was going to say, how disappointed was he when you said, "Hey, Mr. Physicist Guy"...

HALE: "Hey, Dad!"

BECK: ... "guess what I`m going to do?"

HALE: "You`re smart. I`m not." No, he`s very -- his father was actually an opera singer. So he`s got a mixture of both kinds of the arts and the intelligence.

BECK: Really? Really?

HALE: Not that they can`t both be together, well, but very rarely.

BECK: Well, sometimes I don`t know. You know, I have to question your intelligence, because I have also heard that you are not registered to vote.

HALE: Oh, God.

BECK: No. Wait, wait. Wait, wait. First, before you answer, I don`t -- I like you. I don`t want to know your political views.

HALE: Glenn likes me. Glenn likes me.

BECK: I just...

HALE: I have a new baby. I have a new baby.

BECK: Yes? So do I.

HALE: So we`ve just sort of...

BECK: I`m registered. I just moved. I have a new baby.

HALE: You don`t have a new baby.

BECK: I do have a new baby.

HALE: No, I`m just kidding. And we`ve just been completely crazed, but I`m planning on it.

BECK: It`s tomorrow! It`s too late.

HALE: No, no, I`m going right there from here.

BECK: Really? You can`t register tomorrow. I can`t believe I`m talking to somebody in Hollywood...

HALE: Little do you know.

BECK: ... and trying to convince them to get registered. I don`t care who you vote for, man. You should vote.

HALE: Yes. In L.A., you can do whatever you want. You can come any time you want, and they`ll register you. Very different rules.

BECK: Right. Right. All right. So the movie opens when?

HALE: The movie opens this weekend.

BECK: And what was Will Ferrell -- don`t tell me. You know, I`m afraid to even ask this. Just lie to me even if he`s a horrible guy. Tell me about Will Ferrell in positive tones.

HALE: No. My wife actually worked with him on "Saturday night Live." She was a make-up artist. And she worked with him for seven years. And I heard the reputation that he was a really cool, down-to-earth, nice guy, and that did not change at all. He is just the most normal, coolest guy.

BECK: And so he was a nice balance to you or...

HALE: Very. I provided the neurosis; he provided the kindness.

BECK: That`s great.

HALE: No, he`s a really cool guy.

BECK: Tony, best of luck to you.

HALE: Oh, thanks so much.

BECK: And I really hope you have just great success in the future.

HALE: Thank you. Thanks for having me on.

BECK: Thank you.

"Stranger Than Fiction," theaters this weekend. Don`t miss it. Back with your e-mail in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Lots of hate mail on my interview Friday with Al Sharpton. And there`s something we need to discuss about these Friday interviews that we`ve been doing, but let me take a couple of peeks at the e-mail that have come in.

First one, "Glenn, I have not seen such softball lobbed since my daughter was in the fourth grade pee wee league. Your fireside chat with Sharpton looked like a fickle schoolgirl interviewing the captain of her football team for the school newspaper. You`d toss him a softball; he`d twist it around, throw it back in your face, and you`d giggle."

Not so much. You know, I don`t think that you`re understanding what I`m trying to do here, Jim. And I don`t think Barry does either. This one reads, "Hey, Glenn, I think you`re slipping, my friend. You built up the interview with Reverend Al Sharpton all week, how you were going to hit him with the hard questions. Well, you pulled your punches, Glenn. One homerun you did hit was with the Rolex. That was classic. And then he quickly started to backpedal and say he didn`t pay for it."

This is the one thing I keep getting praised for from all of those people who are complaining, talking about Al Sharpton`s Rolex, and here`s the clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: But at the same time, we`re not talking about this reparations from slavery. My mother -- my mother -- could not help me with my homework growing up because she couldn`t finish school because of segregation.

BECK: But wait a minute. Look at her son.

SHARPTON: We`re talking about repairing damages done in our lifetime.

BECK: Wait, wait, wait, let`s do this. Let`s do this. I`m going to do this. You do it with me.

SHARPTON: All right.

BECK: OK, right now. OK, now the other one. That`s a Rolex.

SHARPTON: Yes?

BECK: That`s an $18,000 presidential watch.

SHARPTON: And if I have paid for it -- and this happened to be a birthday gift.

BECK: You can`t -- wait a minute. You cannot tell me that you`re not an American dream. You`re an American success story.

SHARPTON: But, OK, let`s do it this way. Let`s do it this way. Whatever success I achieved, I achieved against odds...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: That`s great. Now, here`s the point that I think people are missing. I wasn`t trying to corner Al Sharpton. I said that at the beginning of the show. He is an American success story. I wanted to try to have a conversation with Al Sharpton unlike anybody else has, without setting the trap doors, because at least, when I see Al Sharpton on TV, I dismiss what he`s saying. I wanted the vibe on whether this guy actually believes the crap that he says, and he does. And I have respect for them.

That doesn`t make him any less wrong when he says it, but in this political climate, that`s a step in the right direction. Whether we agree or disagree, we have to have respect for one another or we`re never going to be able to solve anything. And at the end of it, Al Sharpton, I think, respected me, and I respect him.

Now, tomorrow, don`t miss my live election coverage starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern at glennbeck.com, also on Pipeline at CNN.com.

END