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Glenn Beck

Dangers of Leftover Nuclear Arms from Russia; Tyra Banks Fires Back at Critics

Aired January 26, 2007 - 19:00   ET

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

GLENN BECK, HOST: Tonight, Bush administration and Dick Cheney go toe to toe with Iran and the gloves are finally off.
And Hollywood doesn`t seem to be behind Hillary, but that actually could be the best thing that ever happened to her. That and more next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode brought to you Crazy Nikolai`s House of Plutonium. Need uranium? We`ve got your uranium. Need weapons grade plutonium? We`ve got weapons grade plutonium. Need a detonation device? We got them, as low as $99.95. Come to Crazy Nikolai`s House of Plutonium where his customers are insane!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Oh, it`s been an exciting week on the program. Been bashed by just about everybody, but I`ve done my share, too.

After being accused by conservatives of bashing the White House all week long, today, I want to congratulate President Bush for finally not only giving us some good news, but for following through on it. He is finally addressing the dirty little secret in Washington that nobody likes to talk about but we all know is going on.

Here`s the point tonight. There is a war going on, and it extends far beyond the borders of Iraq. And you don`t hear much about it except from me in this program, but we`ve been battling with Iran for months, and I`ll make the case that we`ve been battling since 1979. We`re finally taking the gloves off.

Now, it`s not a minute too soon, because it`s either going to be us or them. And here`s how I got there. The U.S. forces in Iraq see a lot of Iranian operatives trying to sneak over the border to help the Shia insurgency, but until now, they have been restricted to, oh, a catch-and- release policy. We`d hold them for three days, learn what we could, and then we`d let them go.

I mean, why not? The catch-and-release thing working so well along our southern border with Mexico.

Today, it has come out that the president has officially authorized the military to kill or capture any Iranian operative that tries to cross over into Iraq.

You don`t bring a knife to a gunfight, and that`s exactly what we`ve been doing with Iran. To quote Sean Connery from "The Untouchables", they put one of ours in the hospital, we put one of theirs in the morgue. That is the Chicago way."

We need to see President Ahmadinejad for what he is and deal with him like the common thug that Al Capone was. It`s kill or be killed time. And I applaud President Bush for finally stepping up and letting our military do their job.

Now, just because I like the military taking a little bit more aggressive step towards Iran -- not that I want a war with Iran -- but it doesn`t mean that I can`t also appreciate a little covert action, as well.

I mentioned to you last night, and I believe this is the only place you`re hearing this news, as you may remember, before Dick Cheney was vice president, kind of in the oil business and had lot of influence.

In a hastily arranged meeting with the king of Saudi Arabia last fall, during which the White House said they were just discussing regional issues, some analysts are now suggesting, and I agree with them, that Cheney used his sway and his knowledge with our Saudi allies to dramatically lower the price of oil.

Why? Had nothing to do with an election. A lower oil price strikes blows right to the Iranian economy. Increased unemployment, a weakened economy, would inspire, hopefully, the Iranian people to rise up and topple President Tom`s evil regime.

Now, just like we saw with the Soviet Union, when it comes to collapsing a nation, economics can be much more powerful than any army, and a show of force by any army against Iran could result in Armageddon.

Should Cheney`s plan with the Saudis actually work, it could be a bloodless ending to Iran`s extremist agenda.

Now, of course, that collapse could have dire consequences, as well. I`ll have more on that in just a bit in tonight`s "Real Story", but it`s the toppling of another empire and its repercussions that I want to talk to you about first.

It seems that somebody over in the former Soviet Union had a little garage sale. The hot seller was weapons-grade uranium; 3.5 ounces of highly enriched material were seized when the CIA aided in a sting operation where an agent bought the material from a Russian citizen.

Details are still coming out. But what is clear is 3.5 ounces of enriched uranium is suitable to make an atomic bomb. It seems it`s available to anyone with deep enough pockets.

Gee, who has plenty of money that might be looking to make a nuclear weapon? Al Qaeda? Iran, maybe?

So, tonight, here`s what I know. If history has taught us one thing is that a regime is never more dangerous than right before its demise.

With the U.S. military empowered to use deadly force against Iranian operatives and the Saudis possibly putting the squeeze on Iran`s oil money, we have a shot at putting Ahmadinejad on the ropes. Now is the time to not let off the gas.

To paraphrase "The Untouchables" once again, you know what a blood oath is? Good, because I believe we just took one.

Here`s what I don`t know. If we back Ahmadinejad into a corner, how far is he going to go? A desperate man will do dangerous things with atomic material clearly available on the global market. Iran may not have to finish their nuclear program. Maybe they`ll just buy what they need and make the best play they can. After all, when there`s nothing left to gain, there`s also nothing left to lose.

Matthew Bunn, he`s a nuclear proliferation terror expert with Harvard University.

Matthews, how much of this uranium from Russia is actually out there, and who`s watching it?

MATTHEW BUNN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Well, unfortunately, we don`t really know how much might have been stolen in the past when security wasn`t good. In both the United States and the Soviet Union, during the Cold War, the priority was produce, produce, produce for the arms race and not keep track of every kilogram. And so there`s a lot of material that is just in the uncertainties of the accounting and probably never got stolen, but we`ll never know for sure.

BECK: What do the -- what do the numbers look like that we`re kind of fuzzy on? I mean, I`ve heard 70 suitcase nukes, and I don`t even know, are those little suitcases, or are those like -- I`ve heard they`re also truck- sized suitcases that are missing? Are those missing? And if so, what are they like?

BUNN: Well, Yeltsin`s national security adviser, back when Yeltsin was president of Russia, claimed that some of the manned portable nuclear weapons that have come to be known as suitcase nukes were unaccounted for. That is almost certainly not correct.

A wide range of the responsible Russian officials have explained in some detail what happened with the manned portable nuclear weapons that the Soviet Union made and, in fact, the United States made, as well.

Now, a bomb that the terrorists might make themselves if they`ve got enough nuclear material would be more like the kind of thing that would fit in a Ryder truck, not the kind of thing that would fit in a suitcase.

BECK: Three point five ounces of enriched uranium, enough material to make what size bomb?

BUNN: No kind of bomb at all. To make the very simplest kind of bomb, the kind that obliterated the city of Hiroshima, you`d need about 50 kilograms of this material. So that`s 500 times the amount in this case.

To make a more complicated bomb that would be trickier for terrorists to do, you might need 15 or 18 kilograms, still something like 150 times as much as this amount of material.

BECK: OK, so...

BUNN: What this does tell us is there`s an ongoing problem with the security for potential bomb materials. We know terrorists are trying to get them. We`ve got to move quickly to make sure that every cache of this kind of material worldwide is secure and accounted for.

BECK: One of the things I would imagine is going for us is, I mean, capitalism is really, really good and also is really bad when you`re dealing with bad people. There are people that will sell you anything, and they don`t really care.

There`s not really a 1-800 number to Osama bin Laden, is there? I mean, hooking these two people together is pretty tough.

BUNN: Exactly. One of the things that I think has helped prevent nuclear terrorism so far is the difficulty of making the connection between the guy who might want the material and the guy who`s working at a nuclear facility who might be in a position to steal it.

That connection is quite difficult to make, and we can make it more difficult with intelligence operations like stings and scams, which are already under way, but there`s more that we can do.

BECK: There`s like 40 countries that are making nuclear material. So it`s really -- is it really only a matter of time before some -- some of this stuff gets out? And with 3.5 ounces, what would you do with that? Would you have used that to make a dirty weapon or what?

BUNN: Well, there are 40 countries where this material exists. There aren`t 40 countries that can produce it on their own. It exists in both nuclear weapons programs and civilian programs, both on the case of plutonium power reactors and the case of highly enriched uranium research reactors. Some of them have very limited security.

And the 3.5 ounces, there`s really not a lot that you could do with that in the way of a malevolent action. The highly enriched uranium is not useful for a dirty bomb because it`s not very radioactive.

The whole point of a dirty bomb is to spread radiation all over the place. The radiation from highly enriched uranium is minor and weak. You can -- the smuggler was carrying the highly enriched uranium in his pocket, and that doesn`t do him any harm.

And, in fact, it makes it easier to smuggle, because a lot of the detectors that are now being installed, the radiation detectors at ports and airports and border crossings, would have great difficulty detecting high enriched uranium if it was shielded at all, even in a lead film bag or something like that.

BECK: Matthew, thank you.

BUNN: Thank you.

BECK: Coming up, a week-long with the tabloids just hammering Tyra Banks for being fat. Really? I`ll share with you what one of them said that has this supermodel on a crusade to correct body image in America.

Plus, why an economic strategy against Iran and President Tom could be just as dangerous as a military strategy. I`ll explain in tonight`s "Real Story".

And it`s Friday, end of the workweek. Most common day to -- get fired. Comedian and actress Annabelle Gurwitch talks about being fired. She made an entire film about it. I don`t think I`m in it, am I?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: The host of CW`s "America`s Next Top Model" says that her 6 -- 5`10" body weighs in at 161 pounds. I don`t know a single woman that would admit that. I don`t know a woman -- I don`t know what my wife weighs. I have no idea. She won`t tell me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Tyra Banks talk show that you just talked about. That`s a big hook of her show, is be comfortable with your body and all that other...

BECK: Good for her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No, she`s very big on the, you know, you don`t have to be a super-skinny model thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, did you pick up "The Washington Post" today? No? Not everybody reads it? Anyway, if you did miss it, like everybody in America, you missed a really nice profile in the style section about me.

I`m not -- I don`t know what it says that it wasn`t in the TV section but in the style section, but there`s one sentence in this thing that`s really been bugging me. It`s not about my politics or, you know, how poorly I treat my staff or anything like that. It`s this: "Beck, who is 42, looks more athletic and less doughy in person." Really? It`s right there in "The Washington Post". Inaccurate reporting.

Now you know just how high their standards of journalism are in "The Washington Post". They say I look athletic in person.

"Washington Post," let me tell you something, I`m 100 percent dough, and I embrace it. I mean sort of. I diet. It`s usually made up entirely of Krispy Kremes, but I do diet, and my weight is a constant struggle for me.

Actually, you know what? I`m not alone in the body image paranoia department, and that`s because I`m on TV. Before I was on TV, I was cool. I really was. Well, I wasn`t really cool, but I was OK with my weight. And my wife was fine with it, too, you know, as long as we had the lights off.

Anyway, the newest casualty in the body image paranoia department is none other than super-hot model Tyra Banks. Photos recently emerged of her on the beach looking like this. Then the tabloids started calling her "America`s next top waddle" and "Tyra Pork Chop". Naturally, just a wee bit upset.

In a new issue of "People" magazine, she admits that she was hurt by the comments, and who wouldn`t be?

Toccara Jones, she is a plus-size model, former contestant from the Tyra -- from Tyra`s show, "America`s Next Top Model".

You know what I can`t believe about you? You are called a plus-size model, but you`re like the average size of women, right?

TOCCARA JONES, MODEL: Yes, I`m a regular-size woman, but I don`t mind being called plus size, you know.

BECK: But you`re not plus size; you`re normal.

JONES: Well, who wants to be normal? I`d rather be plus! Plus one and two.

BECK: You know, I tell you, obviously, I didn`t watch the show, but we had a lot of women in the office that watched it and said that you were great because you have such self-confidence. And you would think that that would be the opposite, because you`re around a bunch of models, et cetera, et cetera. Why is that?

JONES: Well, I don`t understand when people say that because I`m around skinny women that they would think that it would be opposite, because you would think that skinny women would have the problems. They`re always starving themselves. They`re always on diets. Who wants to be around someone who`s always starving themselves, because they`re cranky?

BECK: Yes.

JONES: When you`re -- you can you eat whatever you want. You can be full of life, full of energy. I`d rather be fuller than empty.

BECK: You know, it`s amazing to me. I have three daughters, and we don`t -- we don`t bring fashion magazines into the house. I mean, you know, it`s not like I`m walking around, you know, "You will not watch this," or whatever. But I mean, you know, I don`t want them to have that image.

One of my daughters said to me over vacation, I was -- and I said, "I just can`t stop eating."

She said, "Dad, drink a glass of water first. You`ll eat less."

And I looked at her and I said, "Don`t you ever tell me that again and don`t you ever do that." It`s so hard for girls to not have this weight phobia, isn`t it?

JONES: It is very hard. I have a 13-year-old sister, and she`s in high school. And she`s a cheerleader. And I`m 5`9". I`m 180 pounds, and my sister, she`s about 5`7". She`s like 160.

And she came home from cheerleading practice and she`s like, you know, I have to lose this weight. I have to lose this. I looked at her. I said, "You look just like me." I said, "You got all the humps and bumps in the right place." And she smiled.

And it`s like, these little girls are in high school and middle school. They`re looking at these stick figures, and it`s not enough real women with real shapes and real sizes to be like, it`s OK to be yourself, to be the shape and the size that you are.

BECK: You know, I tell you, I -- you know, when I -- when I want to be nice, I`ll go shopping with my wife, you know. She -- "I want to go buy something, too."

And I`m just, "Yes, dear. I`ll go to the mall with you."

She goes. It`s the worst experience of my life for several reasons, but one is, she just gets -- and she is -- she has a beautiful figure, beautiful body, et cetera, et cetera. She tries on clothes and she`s like, no clothes are actually made for human beings. You know? The designers don`t make them for people who actually have actual, non-TV model bodies. Why is that?

JONES: I totally agree. You know what? I don`t know, and it really upsets me because it`s not like America doesn`t know. And it`s not like the fashion people and the designers don`t know.

Like, everyone knows, America knows that the average size American woman is not a size 2, not a size 4, not a 6, not an 8. We`re all double digits. We`re 10s and 12s and 14s. That is the real size of a real woman or of the average American woman.

So I don`t understand why these designers are not, like -- it`s like beating a dead horse. They just won`t listen.

BECK: Toccara, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

You know what? We were talking about double-digit numbers here, 50 percent -- 50 percent of 9-year-old girls have already been on a diet. Eighty percent of 10-year-olds have. Most -- most girls fear being fat over their parents being killed, a nuclear disaster or getting cancer.

Coming up, Hillary Clinton may be losing some Hollywood support to Barack Obama, but that`s not necessarily a bad thing for her. I`ll explain in tonight`s "Real Story". Don`t miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: I don`t know if you saw in the paper this morning the Associated Press ran a story about three Arab groups that are trying to get me fired as a contributor to ABC`s "Good Morning America" for my, quote, "blatant anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias." Really?

After September 11, I think we had a lot in common. I had the same initial feeling of fear about Islam. I think most Americans did. We didn`t really understand it at all.

But instead of caving into that fear, I took about a year to truly investigate Islam. I went to a mosque. I read the Koran. I met with imams. I went to the Middle East. And I came away from the experience with the understanding that, like it or not, Islam is a peaceful religion and that the vast majority of its practitioners are good and decent people.

I also came away with the understanding that there are groups of people that want to pervert the message of the Koran. These people believe that their god is telling them to kill all non-believers, and those are the people I refer to as Islamic extremists.

This is why the anti-Arab charge is so incredibly ridiculous. Race doesn`t play a role in radicalization. I`m just as hard on the radical Islamists from Indonesia.

Again, Islam is a religion peacefully practiced by the vast majority of Muslims. And you know, I don`t know very many people who have had the time or the energy to research Islam as I have, because it`s my job.

And I also think that fear and ignorance due to the constraints of getting through everyday life for the average American prevent those people from being able to tell the difference between the good, peace-loving Muslims and the bad radical Muslims.

I find it so unfortunate that, instead of spending their time taking a leadership position on this issue, these groups are now protesting me, when my intention is to help people understand the important difference between the two. Instead of tearing me down, shouldn`t they be joining together with me saying, "These are not people like us at all"?

But the truth is, despite what these groups want you to think about me, I`ve been consistent in my message for years on my radio show and since this show launched on May 8.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRAPHIC: January 2.

BECK: What we need to understand is that, while some Muslims are evil and want to destroy us, the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful people, and they represent our greatest hope for victory.

GRAPHIC: December 11.

BECK: Let me say clearly, Islam, I believe, is not evil. The vast majority of Muslims are peace-loving, god-fearing, and law-abiding people.

GRAPHIC: September 28.

BECK: I do believe that we are in a holy war, but I`ll fight it as an American, side by side with other Christians, Jews and Muslims who want to wipe out extremism.

GRAPHIC: September 12.

BECK: The whole region is filled with good people just like you and me. All they want to do is have a job.

GRAPHIC: July 21.

BECK: I offer you a challenge. When you see the big rally happening with the Muslims marching in the streets saying, "They`re hijacking my religion," you call me. I`ll give you my private phone number. We will set up satellite trucks to cover it.

GRAPHIC: June 7.

BECK: I want to make it very clear, I don`t hate Muslims. In fact, I don`t know anybody who hates Muslims, and I know a lot of conservatives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Don`t be persuaded by what you might read about in the newspaper about my anti-Arab bias. The truth is the exact opposite, and the truth shall set you free. It still matters in America.

Back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right, welcome to "The Real Story". Last night I told you how, for the first time in months I finally have a little glimmer of hope that we could -- you know, we could get out of this mess with Iran before the Middle East is literally turned into glass.

If you missed it, go to GlennBeck.com and click on the "Real Story" button. But let me give you the Cliff Notes version of it here.

Basically, Iran`s biggest weakness right now is their economy. It`s literally being held together by a piece of scotch tape and, I think, a piece of chewing gum. And the only thing preventing a total collapse in Iran is their oil revenue.

That`s why a last-minute meeting between former oil baron Dick Cheney and Saudi Arabia`s King Abdullah late last November was so interesting. Some oil analysts and, you know, a nut job conspiratorial cable television host -- I don`t know who that might be -- believe that a plan was hatched at that meeting for the Saudis to keep the price of oil moving lower, thereby dealing Iran`s economy a fatal blow.

Now, I`m not sure if you`ve noticed this, but since the week of that meeting, oil prices have dropped as much as 20 percent. I believe that`s only the beginning.

But tonight, "The Real Story" is that, as genius as I think this strategy is, and as much as I hope and pray that it works, there is a downside, and it`s a big one. We`re playing with nitroglycerin. Let me explain.

The risk of collapsing an economy, the risk of collapsing Iran`s economy, is that, unlike a surprise military strike, this strategy will take time, and the government will need to see the end -- they`ll see the end coming.

Just like a French newspaper reported on a secret Iranian government study. It spells out exactly how disastrous financial sanctions will be for their economy and how they may result in what the report calls, quote, "major social unrest." The Frenchy French have a better name for it. It`s called a coup d`etat.

Therein lies the problem for us. There`s nothing more dangerous than a group of apocalyptic thugs trying to hold onto their failing economy.

As Hunter Thompson said, "Desperate men do desperate things, and stupid men do stupid things."

Well, these guys will be desperate, and I think they`re stupid. And that`s a recipe for disaster.

When President Tom was elected, it was because he ran on a platform of distributing Iran`s oil wealth in helping the poor. Well, unfortunately for him, just the opposite has happened. The economy has gotten worse, but all the president seems to care about is his beloved nuclear program and provoking the west. Well, that`s not sitting well with the average Iranian, who actually likes the United States, and they`re just trying to find work.

Unofficial estimates put unemployment at about 30 percent, and now, with the U.N. sanctions already starting to kick in, the price of food is skyrocketing and things are quickly getting worse.

So, how would he turn all of this around? Simple, unfortunately. President Tom just wags the dog, just like both presidents Clinton and Bush were accused of doing when things went poorly here in the United States.

Unfortunately, Iran`s dog is a rabid German shepherd with a nuclear bomb strapped to its back. Does anybody really believe that if things started to spiral out of control on Iran, they wouldn`t launch a nuke at Israel or at our troops in Iraq?

"Oh, but, Glenn, they don`t even have a nuclear weapon yet." No, you`re right. But it doesn`t matter. You see the top of the show?

Former Russian republics are having weapons-grade uranium flea market sales. And if you haven`t noticed, Iran has been spooning with North Korea lately, hoping Kim Jong-Il whispers sweet nuclear secrets in their ear. And if you don`t already have a nuke, well, you can get one. They`ll get one.

I believe they`ll use it if they do, because when you`re about to lose a game, sometimes the only play you have left is the Hail Mary pass. Unfortunately for the rest of us, this game is being played with a nuclear football.

Now, when it comes to celebrities endorsing a candidate, kind of a double-edged sword in America today. Hollywood has deep pockets, and running for office ain`t cheap, so taking their money is sweet.

But, as you know, show business full of lefty kooks. So while a candidate might want to take their money and run, most don`t want to be seen as ultra liberal by association. Right, John Kerry?

"The Real Story" is, while Barack Obama is getting most of the movie star money, Hillary Clinton is the one that will cash in. Six years ago, Hillary was the poster gal for the liberal agenda, but you know, she was doing everything like, you know, wearing, Che Guevara buttons and traveling in a VW bus with Bill in the back not inhaling.

But now, compared to Barack Obama, old Hillary is looking more mainstream every day. How long before she starts wearing Barbara Bush strings of pearls?

But first, back to Hollywood. There`s the list of Hollywood celebrities, these are the people that have thrown their support behind Barack Obama. There`s Stephen Spielberg, David Geffen, George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Oprah Winfrey and Oliver Stone.

Wow, you don`t really get much more liberal than that. I mean, unless you`re at Howard Dean`s Christmas party.

But so far, the biggest -- and I do mean big -- celebrity that has come out to support Hillary Clinton has been Liz Taylor. Hmm. I mean, forget "Who`s Afraid of Virginia Wolff?" Who`s afraid of Liz Taylor?

Liz said initially she was contributing $100,000 to the Clinton campaign, but it turned out to be only $2,300. I don`t know if she blew the rest on that pretty blue eye shadow or not.

In a nutshell, by simply standing still, Hillary Clinton has managed to move much closer to the center.

While most of America does watch Oliver Stone and George Clooney movies, most don`t share their politics. The majority of the country is politically centrist, and the majority of Hollywood, not so much. It`s not going to take America long to do the math and lump Senator Obama with those who support him.

Now, add in the fact that, according to some polls, Obama isn`t getting -- getting unanimous support from African-Americans, that voting bloc that many thought would be his staunchest supporters -- supporters.

In fact, "Washington Post" and ABC News just did a poll. Black Democrats prefer his rival, Hillary Clinton, to a margin of three to one.

By managing to stay out of Hollywood`s lens and letting Obama take the liberal lead, Hillary has suddenly become the moderate Democrat candidate. Now, I`m not saying that that`s intentional, but Hollywood couldn`t have scripted that any better.

Mike Allen, he`s the chief political correspondent from Politico.

Hi, Mike.

MIKE ALLEN, POLITICO: The weather`s always great here. I`m kind of - - how are you, Glenn?

BECK: Very good. How much of this do you think is coincidence? With Hillary Clinton, is there a -- I don`t think so, but is there a chance? I mean, this is great for her.

ALLEN: Well, of course. And, Glenn, if you want to talk about Academy Awards, you should have been watching, as I know you have been, Senator Clinton`s web casts each night, where we`re invited into what looks like her living room...

BECK: Yes.

ALLEN: ... to see how accessible and conversational she is. She`ll tell you about her daughter. She`ll tell you about her favorite movies. And so, there`s Senator Clinton who`s been trying to give the softer side.

BECK: That`s insane. With -- with Barack Obama, he`s not only getting the much more liberal people behind him, but he`s also lost the -- or hasn`t gained the African-American support at this point.

How is it that the African-American community identify with Bill Clinton as the first African-American president...

ALLEN: That`s right. That`s right.

BECK: ... over an actual African-American?

ALLEN: Well, of course, they haven`t yet, Glenn, and, of course, everybody`s still shopping. And it`s right that Senator Obama has not necessarily locked down the African-American vote, but I think it would be a pretty unfair assumption to just say that he would, any different than it would be to say that Senator Clinton`s automatically going to get the vote of every woman. There`s quite a few women in my life. I can tell you she doesn`t have that vote.

But what`s surprising and what shows how much shopping around is going on, you were talking earlier about spooning and coup d`etats. How about those Hollywood people you were talking about, throwing a $2,300-a-plate event for Senator Obama? That has always been the Clintons` turf. And it tells you something about Hollywood.

Even though they`re having that event, $2,300, if you want to slum it in Beverly Hills, raise $46,000 and you get to go to the real event, dinner at David Geffen`s in Malibu.

That doesn`t necessarily mean, we`re told, that those Hollywood people have endorsed -- have endorsed Senator Obama. In fact, Stephen Spielberg has also offered to do an event for Senator Clinton. So you can see people are keeping their options open.

BECK: I will tell you that I think that, at least on the left, if I were -- this is a hard stretch -- if I were on the left, I wouldn`t like Hillary Clinton, if I were a Hollywood person, because she -- you don`t know where she stands.

For instance, on the war. Are you for it or against it? If you`re against it, how come you`re not stopping it?

I mean, those on the extreme left, especially those in Hollywood, want someone that would have the cajones to stand up and say, "You know what? We`re cutting off the funding. We`re bringing the troops home right now." That`s what the extreme left wants, isn`t it? And Hillary is not that candidate.

ALLEN: Well, it is. And Senator Clinton gets credit for being a centrist. Her husband, who did pretty well, was a new Democrat, open to, you know, pro-growth and that sort of thing.

I looked up Senator Clinton`s record in 2004. The liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave her a 95. The American conservative Union gave her zero. So you can -- that shows you where -- where she`s starting off.

BECK: Yes. You know, she appears to be a centrist. She`s done a very good job trying to appear to be a centrist and yet...

ALLEN: She`s going to take all the flak for voting for the war, so at least give her credit for voting for the war.

BECK: Right. But I believe that she is -- she`s an ideologue. Where her husband is a political animal, you know what I mean? He`ll do what he has to do to get elected. And he`ll just go, I think he`s got a -- he wants to be popular, where she has an agenda.

ALLEN: You`re right, but, Glenn, she has him as her chief political consultant. A Republican very close to the president told me that she will be president because she`s married to the best political strategist in American history -- American history.

BECK: OK. Mike, thanks. That`s "The Real Story" tonight.

If you want to read more about it, if you found a real story of your own, tell us about it, please. Visit GlennBeck.com and click on "The Real Story" button.

More in a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Now you know what it feels like, Jimmy Carter. You`ve been called, for the first time, a liar and a bigot and an anti-Semite and a coward.

You know what I`ve been called in the last four weeks alone? A nut job. Anti-American. A racist. A hate monger. A war monger. And, of course, the worst person in the world. Stephen King called me "Satan`s mentally challenged younger brother."

So, Jimmy Carter, welcome to America 2007.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I had a hard time feeling bad for Jimmy Carter for, you know, people saying that he was a little out of line.

Well, if you`re about to be laid off or, as I like to call it, fired, odds are going to happen to you on, yes, a Friday. Oh! And look! Today`s Friday. Somebody remind me to fire Kevin later, will you?

Back when I was a total dirt bag, this is the height of my alcoholism. It`s about 20 years ago. I actually fired a guy, believe it or not, for handing me a ballpoint pen when I asked him for a sharpie. Oh, yes, yes. It was an awful moment in my life, and I have regretted it ever since, to my eternal shame.

One thing you can take away from this, I think, is, know the difference between a ballpoint pen and a sharpie.

Actually, getting fired doesn`t necessarily have to suck. Comedian and writer Annabelle Gurwitch has made a very funny new movie that is opening in theaters today. It`s called "Fired".

Welcome, Annabelle.

ANNABELLE GURWITCH, AUTHOR: Hi, Glenn. Thank you.

BECK: You`re welcome. So, you were fired by Woody Allen. Is this where the inspiration comes from?

GURWITCH: That`s right. You know, I was hired by Woody Allen, who was at one time my comedy idol, and he found my performance retarded. And...

BECK: Is that really what he said?

GURWITCH: Yes. He did.

BECK: That must have crushed you.

GURWITCH: It was frightening.

BECK: Oh, my God.

GURWITCH: I like somebody, which is -- if you`re going to flame out and get fired, get fired big time. Go down in flames. You know?

BECK: Yes.

GURWITCH: I liken my firing in show business to be like if you`re an I.T. person, to have Steve Jobs tell you, "You suck."

BECK: Right. So that would be good. So then, you did that. You`ve lived your goal.

GURWITCH: Yes.

BECK: Now, you, this movie is really -- is it just a series of interviews with, like, the king of people getting fired?

GURWITCH: Well, you know what I did was, first I started out with people in show business, which I consider to be people who are experts in the field of rejection.

BECK: Sure.

GURWITCH: So you know, I interviewed people that I work with like Tim Allen and Jeff Garland and Ann Miro (ph) and comedians Harry sheerer and Fred Willard. And they all told me stories about being fired.

And then I did sort of the Studs Terkel journey, and I went out across America. And I met people looking for jobs. And I met downsizes. I took outplacement services. I talked to economists. I love out-placement services, because...

BECK: That`s great.

GURWITCH: ... when you`re out placed, it makes you feel like you`re going somewhere other than home...

BECK: Yes.

GURWITCH: ... to start drinking and writing your resume. You`re not. You`re going out. You`re going nowhere.

BECK: Yes. It`s like you`re going camping or something. So, who is the -- who is the king of the worst?

GURWITCH: Well, you know what? Some of my favorite stories come from Harry Shearer. Once in radio, he was fired for playing a Mel Torme record on an FM station. Apparently, you can`t do that on a rock station.

BECK: Right.

GURWITCH: Play Mel Torme, fired like that.

Once, he was actually listening at home to a radio station he worked for. He heard someone else getting fired. And then all of a sudden that person said, "Well, what about Harry Shearer?"

And he heard the guy said, "Well, Harry shearer`s fired, too."

He was at home. He heard he was fired on the radio. I love this.

BECK: I have to tell you, a friend of mine was fired on an answering machine. I was -- I read about my firing one time in the newspaper.

GURWITCH: Right.

BECK: I`ve been fired by three jobs in one day. Can you beat that?

GURWITCH: No. You might be the new king of fired. You know, Jeff Garland from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was fired from 13 retail jobs in one summer but three times in one day, Glenn, you`re the new king.

BECK: Wow, that is great.

GURWITCH: Yes.

BECK: So, did you get into the movie at all about the P.C. nonsense with all of the new terms for being fired and how everyone tries to make you feel better that "we`re just downsizing," you know? You`re throwing my ass out, man.

GURWITCH: It`s so true. Why don`t you just, you know, call a spade a spade? You know, I mean, in show business what you hear is, we`re going in a different direction. That means, we want to get as far away from you as is physically possible. You know?

BECK: Right.

GURWITCH: You know what that means. You know, in other industries, you hear things like, "You`re being downsized. People are being laid off." I think "laid off" used to mean they`re calling you back later.

BECK: Right.

GURWITCH: No one is calling these laid-off people back anymore. You`re fired, folks.

BECK: Right. So, the least personal -- I don`t know if this is true or not. I heard that you have a story of somebody who was fired, a comedian, that was on stage and was fired halfway through?

GURWITCH: Jeff Garland from "Curb Your Enthusiasm". He was doing his act in Tahoe and he was bombing, OK? He knew he was bombing, but he had two shows that night.

Well, he gets offstage to get a glass of water, and they`d packed his bags for him. They`d packed his bags and gotten him a bus ticket. Fired in the middle of his act.

But you know, to me, it`s a testament to the kind of resiliency you have to have in show business. What does he do? He gets on that bus, goes to another comedy club the other night.

And I think a lot of people in other industries can really learn that kind of thing. Because people are finding themselves out of a job so much more frequently now. You know, you can learn from us actors and directors. We refuse to go away.

BECK: Right. Right. Thanks a lot. Best of luck with the movie opening up.

GURWITCH: Thanks, Glenn.

BECK: It`s called "Fired". We`ll be back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Blizzards, ice storms, Hillary. Yes, the wrath of winter is upon us. Only one thing that can save us, and that`s -- well, I guess this guy. Find out Glenn`s tips for surviving winter by going to CNN.com/podcasts or iTunes. Then download Glenn`s podcast, "Sick, Twisted Freak".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: You know, if there`s one thing that I`ve learned over the past few years, it`s that no matter what you say, you`re going to offend somebody, but I have to admit, I never saw this coming.

"I am a long-term fan. I really take offense, however, to you referring to yourself as a rodeo clown, implying stupidity. I was a professional rodeo cowboy, not a bull rider but nonetheless, those bull fighters are heroes. I implore you to compare yourself, if you feel you must, to a circus clown. Those guys are freaks. Sincerely, David in Texas."

Well, all right. I mean, I don`t want yet another group yelling at me. My producers tell me that I have to now air the following piece to provide equal time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: No, I mean, I`m asking you. I have no idea. I`m a rodeo clown.

This rodeo clown.

I am a rodeo clown.

I`m a rodeo clown.

A completely inexperienced rodeo clown.

Kind of quasi-rodeo clown.

I`m a rodeo clown.

Again, I`m a rodeo clown.

Look, I`m a rodeo clown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, that kind of does make me a little angry when you go, you`re just a rodeo clown.

I`m a professional rodeo bull fighter. Also has been known as a clown. I`m not there to make anybody laugh. I`m there in a serious, serious position. You know, as far as I`m putting my body in front of, you know, a 2,000-pound animal basically to protect another guy.

So many, you know, broken bones and everything else.

To myself, I`ve made fun of, you know, certain people on TV and everything else that I just kind of, you know, hey, that`s a heck of a job, just sitting there talking and judging everybody else for a living. That`s a pretty good way to make a living.

BECK: Color pink?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t really wear that too often.

I believe it would be a good idea for Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2008. Global warming is something I think we should all be concerned with.

I think that the people that are using the Internet to commit crimes should be prosecuted to the fullest, especially when it comes to children.

And hey, Glenn, here`s a point tonight. I think I could do your job pretty easily. Any time you want, you`re more than welcome to come and take a try at my job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: It`s great to know that you`re even lower on the food chain than you thought you were, isn`t it? Then again, what do I know? I`m the rodeo clown.

Have a great weekend. We`ll see you on Monday, you sick, twisted freak.

END