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Glenn Beck

Political Correctness Taking Over Illegal Immigration Dialogue; Game Show Based on Profiling; Prodigy Inspired to Paint by Visions of God

Aired December 14, 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: All right, coming up, how illegal immigration and political correctness are destroying the middle class.
Plus Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller drops by to talk about profiling. Politically correct. You bet. That and more next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is brought to you by the Radish Council of America. Savory, delicious radishes. The only vegetable that won`t kill you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I`ve got to tell you, it`s great to be back in New York. My Christmas comedy tour is almost finished. We have two more shows over the weekend. Our long, national nightmare will soon be over. At least that national nightmare.

But illegal immigration and political correctness, those nightmares continue, and we need to wake up quickly. Nearly 1,300 employees of Swift and Company, their meat packing plants across the country, were arrested in massive immigration sweeps on Tuesday. It`s all well and good, but the illegal immigrants were probably coming every here to feed their families.

The real criminals: the Swift Company, which hired all of these illegal workers, did they get charged with anything? No. The CEO of Swift said that his company doesn`t condone the practice of hiring illegals. Really? Gee, you could fool me. In fact, fool me once, shame on me. Fool me 1,300 times, shame on you, Swift.

Here`s the point tonight. Illegal immigration is a huge issue that is going to lead to the destruction of our middle class if we don`t talk about the problem and solve it.

The problem here is, though, when somebody does talk about it, not only are they shouted down, called racists, but their lives now are being threatened.

Here`s how I got there. Last month Colorado Representative Tommy Tancredo touched on a wave of controversy when he likened Miami to a third world country, mostly because of illegal immigration and a lack of assimilation. Tancredo was invited to speak at a Florida restaurant this past week, but his appearance was cancelled when the restaurant apparently began receiving death threats. That`s right, death threats.

Now, you can disagree with Tancredo all you want. Engage in that robust debate that makes us quintessentially American. But threaten to assassinate someone because you don`t like his point of view? That actually does sound something like you would find in a third world country.

Political correctness has its roots in the old Soviet Union. I don`t know if you know this. Back then in the beginning of the Soviet Union, if someone was caught saying something that was out of line with Lenin`s thinking, according to Trotsky, they`d be taken away for reeducation until they were politically correct. That`s where it came from. And that`s exactly what`s happening today in America.

You know, how can we live in a country that can`t debate things anymore? We`re going to disagree. But we don`t have to be disagreeable about it. Let`s not threaten to kill each other.

While Miami might not be a third world country yet, as Tommy Tancredo suggested, something dire is definitely happening in Miami and many cities all across the country.

And what`s happening? The middle class is disappearing, which is what happens when you have a lot of money in the hands of a few people while many people live in extreme poverty. This cannot stand. It will spell collapse. It may not be politically correct to say it, but it`s true.

So here`s what I know tonight. The illegal immigrants at the Swift Company should be arrested and returned to their home country. But to really stop the problem, the demand must go away. And the only way to do that is to do what Ronald Reagan suggested in the `80s, severely punish the companies that hire illegals.

I also know we must be able to have a civil debate in this country without calling each other racists or threatening each others` lives. Our real enemies are overseas. They are -- they are counting on us splitting here in America. And the more we split ourselves from each other, the more vulnerable we become.

Illegal immigration is a small but vital part of what I have been calling, "the perfect storm." It is coming.

Now, here`s what I don`t know. How far and deep will political correctness go? How long will it be before we, as a nation, collectively stand up against the forces of political correctness which will lead to our destruction?

With me now is Mario Loyola. He is from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Mario, what is it I`m missing here?

MARIO LOYOLA, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: I think the most important thing to remember about what Congressman Tancredo said is that he made himself look a lot worse than he made Miami look.

I mean, Miami is an ultra modern, ultra cosmopolitan city, probably as cosmopolitan as any city he`s ever been to. So you know, to limit Congressman Tancredo`s right to make himself look like a country bumpkin is not something anybody should do out of concern for Latino sensibilities. That`s for sure.

BECK: OK. I think we`re coming to a point here where we are -- where we don`t have freedom of speech anymore. We have freedom from speech. And you kind of just touched on this. Where everybody is -- everybody is "Oh, I`m offended." Well, you have a right to be offended, and I have a right to offend you in America.

Don`t you think that we`ve gone from freedom of religion to freedom from religion and freedom of speech to freedom from speech?

LOYOLA: That`s right. And freedom -- the freedom from being offended by absolutely anything that anyone may say or think around you has gone way too far. And because it turns out to be just an excuse to tyrannize.

I mean, I remember, I went to the University of Wisconsin, which is the Stalin version of political correctness. And then I mean, I heard someone say we were looking at apartments one day and I heard someone -- one of the people that was -- one of our roommates was talking about -- future roommates, was talking about how in this house we want to keep our speech gender neutral. Well, that excludes all Latinos, because Latinos spend all their time talking about women. So what else are we supposed to talk about?

BECK: So what kills me is -- I mean, if you lived in Madison, oh, you`ve seen the worse of the worse. We just had this at Columbus University, where you had -- what do you call the guys who are sitting on the border, the patriots -- what do you call it? You know what I`m talking about. The Minutemen, thank you. I could only think of the patriots. The Minutemen, their went to go speak -- the head guy of the Minutemen went to go speak on the border and the socialists overrun and turned over the podium.

LOYOLA: Yes. It was assault. It was simply assault what they did. And by the way, Columbia University has released no statement around whether these kids who committed criminal assault under the laws of New York are being prosecuted, whether -- you know, Bollinger is nowhere to be seen, the head of the university.

And people really need to pay attention to the university aspect of this. Because a lot of kids like me, who may not be of a super-liberal vent, see what the climate of opinion is of the faculty and decide not to study Ph.D.s in history.

BECK: That`s exactly what happened to you, isn`t it, Mario? If I`m not mistaken, you wanted to be a Ph.D. in history and you knew, "I`m not going to be welcome here."

LOYOLA: Yes. I mean, I just -- all I did was -- once I understood the disagreements that the professors in the history department were having amongst each other, I realized that it was exactly the same disagreements that we were having at the age of 18 plus, you know, more sophisticated vocabulary.

BECK: OK.

LOYOLA: And that just didn`t seem smart to me.

BECK: Mario, you said, I read someplace that you believe that the solution to illegal immigration is leveling the playing field. When I read that I thought, well, gee, that`s kind of what`s happening, except we`re not bringing Mexico up. Mexico is bringing us down because we`re destroying our middle class here in America.

You can`t have a wildly uneducated poverty-driven society like it is now in Los Angeles, and expect that to last. Can you?

LOYOLA: Well, I think that -- don`t -- don`t underestimate the capacity of the American economy and of American civilization, really, to bring these people up to a very high standard of living.

I mean, in Miami, for example, I think that the immigrant population has a higher level of general education and standard of living than the average American. So -- and they arrived here with just what they had in their suitcases.

So I think that the important thing is to eliminate the -- the supply from Mexico of labor that can`t be used in Mexico because of the -- a lot of archaic protectionist economic policies that they have in Mexico, bring Mexico`s economy up, while eliminating drying up, like Reagan said, the demand in the United States, by making sure that employers audit and take a close look at the people that they`re hiring.

BECK: Mario, thank you very much. I appreciate it. And you know, political correctness is rearing its ugly head everywhere. Now it`s starting to rear its ugly head in Christmas again.

But you know what? I want to go right on record and say -- sorry, this holiday -- sorry, this Christmas season, I`m refusing to cave in to political correctness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: We here at GLENN BECK would like to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas. Oh, and of course, a happy Hanukkah and good Kwanzaa. Can`t forget the Muslims. All right. Here goes nothing. From all of us at GLENN BECK, happy Kamahanukwanzmas.

What? I left out the pagans? OK, how`s this? Happy fricking winter. Yes, that sounds good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is GLENN BECK.

BECK: All right. Coming up, profiling. Like it or not it`s part of our lives and now the premise of a new game show, kind of. Politically incorrect discussion with Penn Jillette next you don`t want to miss.

Plus, in tonight`s "Real Story", an update on Iran`s Holocaust denier conference. Here`s a little hint. They`ve decided they want to wipe out Israel.

And new fantasy epic "Eragon" hits theaters tomorrow. We`ve got its star. And if you`ve got teenage girls, set the TiVo. They`re going to want to watch this one over and over again and maybe pause it. I know, I know. Don`t miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: The thing with the security at the airports, come on, man. Why is it we`re never ahead of them? Why is it we got a guy -- we got guys with Gatorade, and we`re like, wait a minute, he`s got explosive stuff in bottles. We should ban bottles.

The next time I`m in an airport I need to duct tape to wrap my head up so it doesn`t explode when I see the sign: "Don`t bring fireworks on the plane." I get it! I`d like a sign that says, "Don`t bring this on because that`s what they`re probably working on next." Can we get ahead of these guys?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Federal sources have reportedly confirmed that five of the six imams who were removed from a U.S. Airways flight in Minnesota last month are trying to reach now an out-of-court settlement with the airline. I don`t know what the airline would be settling for.

To recap, on the flight, the imams apparently screamed "Allah" repeatedly. They made references to Osama bin Laden. They changed their seats to the exact seating configuration used by the 9/11 hijackers.

This is probably a whole lot of nothing, probably just wild coincidence, but I can understand the suspicion here. Am I alone in that? I mean, what do I know, I`m a rodeo clown.

The next person who tries to blow up a plane could look like you, could look like me. Could look like our next guest, Penn Jillette, or even Bea Arthur.

Profiling is a subject of a new game that Penn is doing on NBC. Starts Monday?

PENN JILLETTE, HOST, NBC`S "IDENTITY": That`s how I`m going to spin it. I mean, it is the lightest possible side of that kind of profiling thing, you know. What do you think a nuclear physicist looks like?

BECK: But that is profiling?

JILLETTE: Absolutely. Snap judgments. You know, my partner, Teller, has a wonderful expression where he says, "They say don`t judge a book by its cover. What else are you going to do? Read the book in the book store?" You must do that kind of stuff.

And every day, every waking hour of our lives when we`re around another human being, we do make snap judgments. We must to stay alive.

BECK: What was the book by Gladwell, the guy who wrote "The Tipping Point", the other book that he wrote that was about snap judgments?

JILLETTE: Oh, right.

BECK: Most people are right, their first instinct.

JILLETTE: Yes.

BECK: But they screw it up because they go no, no, no.

JILLETTE: Was it called "Snap" or something? It was called something like that.

BECK: "Tipping Point"?

JILLETTE: No, that was the other one.

BECK: That was the other one. Don`t remember.

JILLETTE: We need a research staff here. Get on that.

BECK: Somebody tell us what that is, will you?

JILLETTE: I think that, you know, you have -- and because of being a magician...

BECK: "Blink".

JILLETTE: Good.

BECK: Just got it in my ear.

JILLETTE: Because of being a magician, I`m very aware of it being nothing superstitious, nothing supernatural. But that doesn`t mean you don`t trust your instincts. We get huge amounts of information that we process without even knowing how we`re processing it.

BECK: Sure.

JILLETTE: And on the game, it`s all the light side of that. You know, you have 12 strangers, 12 identities and if you match them up, you win a half a million dollars.

BECK: OK. So is this -- I mean, are you guys trying to thwart the person or is this just...

JILLETTE: No, no, no, no.

BECK: It`s not like you`re picking somebody who clearly doesn`t look like...

JILLETTE: We don`t pick anybody that looks like they couldn`t possibly be it. But yet, there are stuff you mess with. Like, when you see the phrase, rocket scientist.

BECK: Right.

JILLETTE: Is that gender specific?

BECK: Right.

JILLETTE: And that`s something that you have to think about. And I find that you automatically play this game. You see 12 strangers; you wonder about them. And it`s really nice to trace back why you`re thinking those things. What are you looking for in a fire eater?

BECK: So how -- so how -- how good are the contestants? What have you found?

JILLETTE: Well, that`s what -- that`s what interests me so much. When they first told me they were doing another big-money game show on NBC, you know, "Deal or No Deal", Howie`s show, it`s a coin toss. There`s no information given in that case.

And Saget`s show is trivia. It`s how much knowledge you know.

But they told me -- it was just in passing during the pitch -- they told me that they had an FBI profiler who was never wrong. They had been running all these tests and they had experts there, and he was just uncanny. And that really blew my mind. Because it meant there was a skill that we weren`t really able to label that this guy, because it`s life and death with him, had learned.

And when you se people coming up, people who, like, work at a Starbucks, people who, like, sell cars, they`ve been sizing people up a lot. And just looking at them and maybe hearing a few words are -- and thinking -- they can tell a tremendous amount.

BECK: I mean, profiling, I`ve walked into stores before in jeans and sweats and a T-shirt, and I`ve been completely dismissed, where you know, I shouldn`t have been dismissed.

JILLETTE: Sure. Of course.

BECK: That happens to everybody.

Do you believe that we should profile -- I mean, I know you are...

JILLETTE: A doctor?

BECK: No, you`re an uber libertarian.

JILLETTE: Yes.

BECK: So you don`t believe -- I mean, you believe, if I`m not mistaken, I should be able to pack a weapon on a plane.

JILLETTE: Well, absolutely. My feeling has always been, and this is kind of nutty, let the bad guys do the profiling. Let the good guys be fair and honest.

If you let anybody on an airplane without any search at all, when the terrorists are going to take over the plane, they have to look around the airplane and go, guy with the long hair, could be Vietnam vet. Could have a gun. I don`t know.

Old lady, might -- she might have a gun with her. That guy might have a knife.

BECK: Right.

JILLETTE: This guy might be crazy enough to jump us right away.

BECK: Right.

JILLETTE: Let them do it. Let the bad guys do the profiling.

BECK: Love that. You are Bloomberg`s worst nightmare. You`re the guy...

JILLETTE: I just think that, you know, there was an expression that, oh, I don`t know, some crazy person said, live free or die.

BECK: Right.

JILLETTE: Give me liberty or give me death. And either of those two things, you say them in an airport right now, you`ll be out on your ass.

BECK: The imams, do you think that it was -- do you think the airport -- the airline had a right to say, hey, you know what, many things going on in the air. We should take care of this.

JILLETTE: I would like airlines to be private. And if they`re private, they should be able to refuse service to anyone, and that should include people that they think are dangerous. But the airlines are subsidized heavily and kind of public. So now it becomes something we have to discuss and vote on. And it`s very, very tricky.

And that`s why my heart is with this idea of searching everyone at the airport and doing all of this, but the inefficiency is heart breaking.

BECK: We`d never get on a plane.

JILLETTE: Exactly. Unless you take my idea for an airline, which I`m telling you right here, Bacon and a Kiss Airline. You have to eat a piece of bacon and kiss someone of the same sex. Then you can get on the airplane. If you do that, you`re totally OK.

BECK: OK. I don`t think that`s...

JILLETTE: Bacon and a Kiss Airline. Think about it. Put your money into it. We would be fabulously wealthily.

BECK: Penn Jillette. Thank you very much. We`ll see you Monday on NBC. Thank you.

All right. Back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: If you like commercials, then you`ll love Glenn`s new podcast, the best phony commercials of 2006, an assortment of truly stupid commercials hand-picked by Glenn and guaranteed to be at least 50 percent smaller than the ones normally seen on TV. Check them out by going to CNN.com/podcasts or iTunes. Then download Glenn`s podcast, "Sick, Twisted Freak".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. This holiday season is in full swing. Can`t you just feel it? Your head is about to explode. People fighting over PlayStations and crappy, condescending movies are coming out about Christmas. And the phony holiday parties that everybody dreads.

I said it before, and I think it bears repeating: we have really lost the real meaning and spirit of this season. I hope that the next story is going to put it all back into perspective for you.

It`s an extraordinary artist that paints about love and faith, the very things we need to remember this Christmas. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): A self-taught artist who says her inspiration comes from above. Paintings that are spiritual, emotional, and created by a 12-year-old prodigy.

AKIANA KRAMARIK, PAINTING PRODIGY: This painting is called "Father Forgive Them." I conceived this painting at the age of 9.

BECK: Her name is Akiana. She picked up the brush at just 6 years old, but the visions -- what she calls inspiration from God -- started when she was just 4.

FORELI KRAMARIK, AKIANA`S MOTHER: The first time when she came to me, I knew it was real to her what she was saying. Visions of God and things she had seen, places that she has visited.

BECK: She began to describe to her mother in great detail her visits to heaven.

A. KRAMARIK: All of the colors were out of this world. There were hundreds and millions of more colors that we don`t know yet. And flowers were crystal clear.

BECK: Her mother, remarkably, was an atheist, the concept of God never discussed in their home.

A. KRAMARIK: I explained to her, you have to believe me. This is a different way that -- a way that`s so mysterious that God wants me to go through.

BECK: To 4-year-old Akiana, God quickly became a part of her daily life and eventually became a part of her family`s life, too.

F. KRAMARIK: I think that God knows what he puts our children in each family.

BECK: Akiana describes God as vividly as she paints him.

A. KRAMARIK: God looks to me like a bold light. He`s pure. He`s really masculine. He`s really strong and big. And his eyes are just beautiful.

BECK: Her talent doesn`t stop at her artwork. Only a few months ago she decided to learn the piano and is now already composing her own music. But it is her painting that truly captures the incredible spirituality of this young girl.

A. KRAMARIK: The visions to me I felt was like he`s explaining himself to me and what he does to this world.

BECK: She is a self-taught painter. And as she grows older, her paintings grow more expressive. More colorful, more complex. A girl, who armed only with a brush and some paints, is determined to capture the essence of her faith. And hopefully, along the way, inspire others to feel the same way.

A. KRAMARIK: The most important thing in this world is faith. Without faith, you cannot communicate with God. It`s just so beautiful there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: It`s great to be back in New York, where we`re getting ready this weekend to finish up our Christmas comedy tour. And I want to welcome you to our "Real Story" segment.

Earlier this week, the prime minister of Israel gave an interview to a German television station in which he seemed to confirm that Israel is part of the nuclear club. Now, that would be a big deal, because Israel kind of has this longstanding policy of what they call "nuclear ambiguity." Translation: "I`m not saying we have nukes. But I`m not, not saying that either."

But the next day, the prime minister`s spokesperson quickly denied that, saying that Israel will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons in the Middle East. So, guys, which is it?

Well, the "Real Story" is, yes, Virginia, Israel does have nukes. They`ve got a lot of nukes. If you want to get specific, Israel probably has the sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the entire world. What fascinated me about this story was the outcry from the rest of the world after the prime minister`s comment. They were like a bunch of spoiled, bratty, little kids complaining to their parents, "Mom, how come Israel gets to have nukes and we don`t?"

Well, rest of the world, you want to know why? It`s actually very simple. I like to think of it as an exclusive club, kind of like the Augusta National Golf Club. The membership is closed. In fact, the only way to get into this is if the current members say you can. But unlike Augusta, we will actually let women into this club, just not crazy women.

The only real requirement for membership in the nuclear club is that you understand that nukes aren`t meant to kill people. In a twisted way, they`re actually meant to save lives. Here`s what I mean by that.

We didn`t drop atomic bombs on Japan because we were renegade cowboys looking to create a new world order by wiping out a nation. We actually dropped them because we wanted to end the war. We dropped them because studies showed that fewer Americans and fewer Japanese would be killed if we dropped an atomic weapon.

Unfortunately, for countries like Iran, they don`t really want bombs to prevent wars; they want them to start wars.

When the leader of a country is so insane to believe that killing hundreds of millions of people would help create the chaos that he needs to bring back the Mahdi, or his version of the messiah, the fact that he`s also starting a nuclear program, not really a coincidence, but maybe it`s just me.

Here`s another little nuclear rule of thumb I think we should all live by. If your leader decides to hold a conference on whether the Holocaust really happened, yes, I say you don`t get the official members` jacket. That`s exactly what they`ve been doing in Iran this week.

So let me give you the real story. In fact, let me give you the real story directly to President Ahmadinejad or President Tom, as I like to call him, and all of the other idiots that attended the conference: The Holocaust happened. Millions and millions of people died. Everyone who was involved admits that. That includes the survivors, all the way down to the little German guards who worked in the death camps.

You know, I know you were just a twinkle in Satan`s eye when it all happened, so it might be fun for you to play revisionist history decades later, but the only thing you`re proving with this conference is how crazy you really are.

Now, most nut jobs would be happy with just, you know, holding the conference. You know, not President Ahmadinejad. No. He actually decided to use his speech at the conference, disputing the deaths of millions of Jews, to call for the deaths of millions of Jews. It`s a classy move, quite honestly.

Quote, "The Zionist regime will be wiped out soon, the same way the Soviet Union was, and humanity will achieve freedom."

So let me see if I have this right: The Jews have to die for the sake of all humanity. Is that kind of like saying we wouldn`t have all the problems with Jews if there just weren`t all these Jews here? Where have I heard this one before? This has got to be the third or fourth time this guy has publicly said that Israel will soon, one, cease to exist; two, disappear; three, vanish; or my personal favorite, number four, burn in the fire of the Islamic fury.

When are we going to pay attention to this guy? History has proven that truly evil people have all one thing in common: They don`t hide their intentions. They don`t try to be coy about their plans. Hitler wasn`t. It was in "Mein Kampf," and neither is President Tom. We have to take these guys at their word.

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to set down with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One thing he said to me that just sticks in my mind was this quote: "The Jewish people are not again going to be set up for a second Holocaust by a man who denies the first Holocaust, as he prepares for our mass annihilation."

A global Holocaust is coming, if we don`t pay attention. Do not be fooled! The timing of the prime minister of Israel`s comment about their nuclear capabilities wasn`t a mistake or a slip of the tongue. Israel recognizes the threat. They see the trains once again rolling down the tracks, and if we won`t act, mark my words, Israel will.

I just hope, when that time comes, they`re not going to be the only ones standing against this evil, that this time around envisions the deaths of hundreds of millions of people.

Peter Brookes, he is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Peter, you`ve been following this Holocaust conference. What exactly was said there?

PETER BROOKES, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: There are a lot of things, and you covered it. He talked about wiping Israel off the map, or basically wiping Israel out, that it will be destroyed.

One of the other very interesting things he said, when he invited -- when he greeted, you know, these disgraced academics, members of the KKK, neo-Nazis, he said, you know, welcome to Tehran, and feel free to enjoy free speech where freedom-seekers live. I mean, this is such a joke, considering the fact that even basic Iranians, everyday Iranians, cannot express themselves. They don`t` have civil liberties. They don`t have freedom of speech. This is a disgrace.

BECK: Well, he`s been emptying out the universities, has he not? I believe he arrested students who spoke out.

BROOKES: Yes, that`s right. He had a speech earlier this week at a local university in Iran, and there were students who spoke up. They`re very unhappy with the situation in Iran, and they were arrested and dragged away. I mean, there were people who would be put in jail. People would be beaten. I mean, all of this sort of stuff. And it`s just the height of hypocrisy. Beyond disgrace, it`s the height of hypocrisy, as well.

BECK: So I actually -- when I saw David Duke there, I thought, "Gee, the only one that wasn`t there was Jimmy Carter."

(LAUGHTER)

But maybe Ahmadinejad just didn`t want to invite Jimmy Carter, because he was like, "Oh, he`ll discredit the whole conference. That guy`s always wrong."

BROOKES: Well, you know, Glenn? You know, the good thing about this is that, you know, fortunately, there were only about 60 or 70 people from about 30 nations. I mean, it was a very limited number of people that we, you know, certainly wouldn`t embrace ourselves.

BECK: OK, so but my point was, with bringing up David Duke was, he said that this has all been blown out by the Zionist media, this has been blown out of proportion. He`s not claiming that he`s going to wipe Israel off the map. He says it`s just going to collapse through economic collapse or whatever happened to the Soviet Union. There was no threat there.

BROOKES: So why go to the conference? I mean, the purpose of the conference was to be anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. Look, Glenn, Iran wants to be the leader of the Muslim world. And if you`re going to let somebody like this to be the leader of the Muslim world with nuclear weapons, we`ve got real problems on our hands.

BECK: So you say that it`s anti-Israel, but it is more than that, because it`s also -- the next step, from what I understand, is he`s going to go to conference on how Americans and Europeans have wiped out the Indians. I love that Europeans can wipe out Indians, the American Indians, but we`d never wipe out Jews.

This guy is -- this guy is laying the foundation for all of the world`s disenfranchised to come to him to be the leader, is he not? He`s looking for global domination.

BROOKES: Absolutely! I mean, this is like the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union used to do this during the Cold War. They`d invite people there to say how things weren`t as equal as they were reported in the West; things weren`t as fair as they purported in the West. I mean, this is the same sort of -- these are Soviet tactics.

I don`t think he has a chance of being a leader of the world. He wants to dominate the Middle East. He certainly wants to do that, and he certainly wants to be the leader of the Muslim world.

BECK: Well, OK, but he is -- I mean, I think he`s delusional enough to think that he could be the leader of the world, just as delusional as Hitler was. He is trying to build -- and, Peter, please tell me I`m wrong.

When he gave a speech a few weeks ago, he spoke directly to the Muslims that are living in Europe. And he made a plea to them. I don`t care if you`re Shiite or Sunni, I can unite them, and that we can finally band together. The time will come to rise up. He is trying to reach across all lines and trying to bring back a global Islamic government where he`s the head. Please tell me I`m wrong.

BROOKES: No, you`re not wrong, Glenn; that`s the problem. The fact is, is that Iran`s foreign policy is three things: destroy the big Satan, the United States; the little Satan, Israel; and export Shia fundamentalism. They want to export their brand of Islamic fundamentalism across the world, and including to places where there`s large Muslim populations, which includes Europe.

BECK: All right, Peter, thank you very much. That`s "The Real Story" tonight.

BROOKES: Thank you.

BECK: If you`d like to read more about this or if you`ve found a real story of your own, please tell about it right away. Visit glennbeck.com and click on the "Real Story" button.

Now it`s time to check in with Nancy Grace to see what she`s got coming up on the show tonight. Nancy, what`s happening?

NANCY GRACE, CNN HOST: Three American men stranded on Oregon`s Mt. Hood, day eight. Last known alive inside a cave hollowed out of ice and snow. Did they send out urgent SOS`s by cell in the last 72 hours? Wind, sleet and snow at 100 mph. Can they be saved? And what are the legal implications of the rescue?

And tonight, Glenn, she drove her BMW to take her dog shopping in one of the most expensive malls in the world. But she forgot one thing: to take her baby in, leaving the toddler with the valet. Can you say felony neglect?

And legal battle: Is Miss USA set to lose her crown, Glenn?

BECK: Don`t forget, you can check out Nancy tonight at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Holiday season is all about the movies. Well, kind of. You know that Christ thing, but that`s a different story.

One of the movies that`s creating tons of buzz is an epic fantasy adventure called "Eragon." It is taken from a book that incredibly was written by a 15-year-old kid in Montana. He overcame all of the obstacles to get the book published, and now it is an international bestseller that my teenage girls rave about.

The movie is going to hit theaters December 15th. They`re expecting it to be as popular as "Harry Potter." It`s about dragons, magic, destiny. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... where it is about you, Eragon. It is your fate to be a dragon rider. The Vartan (ph) need a rider if they are to defeat Doseph (ph) and the king.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t ask for any of this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you were chosen, nevertheless. A dragon will only hatch if it feels the presence of its rider. It`ll wait forever if it has to, but now it`s found you. It will serve you and only you, and that`s put your life in danger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Now, that strapping young stallion of a star is 18-year-old named Ed Speleers. He is playing Eragon, has an incredible story of his own.

Welcome to the program, Ed.

ED SPELEERS, ACTOR, "ERAGON": Thanks for having me on.

BECK: Now, you actually were like in a few high school plays, and now you`re Eragon?

SPELEERS: Well, something like that, yes. I was sort of just minding my own business, just doing school plays, as you say. And I just had an opportunity to go for an audition. And, you know, being someone who always wanted to be an actor from the young age, I think it was (INAUDIBLE) to sort of go for, I guess.

BECK: I mean, I`m just looking at you, and I hate you already, just because of the way you look. Do you realize how many chicks you`re going to be able to score with, if that was indeed your intent?

SPELEERS: You can`t be that bad for yourself, Glenn, I`m sure.

BECK: Yes, you`re creeping my kids out right now. You shouldn`t have said that to me, because they`re -- you know what? I will tell you this: Both my daughters, they love the book "Eragon." One`s 18. One`s 15. I mean, this is such a great book, and they are nervous about the movie. Were you a fan of the book?

SPELEERS: I was a fan of the book, yes. And I`ve read both of them now, as well. So, you know, I`m a big book fan anyway. And I think Christopher`s writing is fantastic. And, you know, I`ve heard he`s happy with what we`ve been doing, as well.

BECK: I mean, because he wasn`t real involved in this, was he?

SPELEERS: He wasn`t necessarily involved in so much of the making, I mean, because he was very busy promoting his second book, "Eldest," touring around Europe. But, you know, he`s consequently had some involvement, I think, and he`s seen certain things. And, you know, the feedback from him is positive. And I think that`s, you know, important to have an author on your side.

BECK: Right. Now, have you -- by the way, we`re just seeing the effects of you riding the dragon for the first time. I saw, what, a couple of weeks ago I saw about 15, 18 minutes of the movie. The special effects are...

SPELEERS: Beautiful.

BECK: ... absolutely incredible. Have you signed a multiyear deal or a multi-picture deal with this?

SPELEERS: I mean, obviously, there`s potential for a trilogy, so, you know, my name is sort of penciled in at the moment with interest, to sort of to tie that up, but we have to see what happens in December and also see what happens next year, as well.

BECK: Right. I mean, I feel -- the "Harry Potter" thing, have you ever watched the "Harry Potter" movies?

SPELEERS: Yes, yes, I`ve seen the movies, yes.

BECK: That kid that plays "Harry Potter," he`s going to be like 57 years old by the time they finish. He`s going to be like, "And I really"...

(CROSSTALK)

SPELEERS: He`ll look like Gandalf by the end of it.

BECK: He will. He will. So who`s your biggest role model?

SPELEERS: I have many. I mean, there`s...

BECK: Your biggest. Who`s the one that`s really influenced you the most?

SPELEERS: Influenced me, I mean, my career has only just started. But certainly to inspire me to be an actor, the likes of Steve McQueen and James Dean are probably right up there.

BECK: Personally, who is it?

SPELEERS: Personally? It`s -- yes, James Dean.

BECK: James Dean?

SPELEERS: Yes.

BECK: I hope -- gosh, I hope your career doesn`t end like his.

SPELEERS: Oh, no.

(CROSSTALK)

SPELEERS: I quite want it to be a little sort of more fulfilled than that. But, certainly, a take on his style would be -- or make it my own style, but certainly, you know, I mean, just the manner -- I mean, his quality was sensational, I thought.

BECK: Yes, interesting. I believe both of them were race car drivers or fanatics. On a personal note, will you just say hello to my daughters Hanna and Mary?

SPELEERS: Hi, Hanna and Mary. How are you?

BECK: Yes, well, it`s a dream come true. Right now they`re at home watching television going, "Dad!" Ed, thanks a lot.

"Eragon" hits theaters December 15th. Don`t miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Time for the e-mail, which, by the way, is short for "electronic mail." Yes, it`s true. Look it up.

Don in Virginia writes, "Glenn, would the Republicans stoop so low as to cause a senator to have a stroke? Hey, the Russians used other methods to get rid of a spy. In this day and age of new technologies, I wouldn`t put it past anyone in official office."

Jeez, why didn`t I see this one coming? The answer to your question, Don, you dope, is no! But, you know, you bring up something that makes this whole situation just so unbelievably agonizing to me. When I first saw this, is this a big story? Yes, it is. Yes, because a U.S. senator is in critical condition.

But it literally amazed me how fast people -- at least in television - - jumped right to partisan political talk. If Johnson dies or if he can`t serve, will the Republican governor name another Republican, thus changing the balance of power in the Senate?

Honestly, who can tell the difference between a Republican and a Democrat? And who cares about all this political crap? I can`t take it.

Other than the fact that one is trying to take us to hell in a truck - - I believe that is the Republicans -- and the other is trying to take us to hell in a Learjet -- which I believe are the Democrats -- what difference is there between the two? Can we wait just a few hours and pray the guy is OK before we check the area for polonium-210, please?

Mary Lynn in Chicago writes, "Glenn, I know you`re going to berate me for this" -- no, not me -- "but I`ve decided to take the rest of the holidays off from worrying about Iran. I just need a couple of weeks where I can focus on stories like the really tall guy saving the dolphins. I hope you understand."

Mary Lynn, actually, I totally understand, and I`m there with you, baby. All I want to do is hang out with my wife and kids and look at our Christmas tree, maybe a little drool coming down and cookie in my lap. Nothing wrong with that this time of year.

In fact, let me give you a little present: 7`9" Mongolian herdsman, tallest man in the world, was called in to take his long arms and stick them inside of two dolphins` mouths and pull out plastic shards. I kid you not. Hard to imagine what conversation led to that happening. "Hey, that dolphin over there is sick." "Yes, well, call the tallest man in the world. Use his arms."

I mean, I don`t think I would have even taken that suggestion seriously, but, you know, maybe it`s just me. I`ll be sure next time that I have a clogged drain I will call the most anorexic person in the world to reach down in the drain and snake their arms around the pipes. I`m just saying.

Regardless of height, you can e-mail me now at GlennBeck@CNN.com. And we`ll see you back here tomorrow.

END