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Glenn Beck

American Political Discourse Turned into Shouting Match?; New Hostage Crisis in Iran; Sequels Dominate Summer Films

Aired May 24, 2007 - 19:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLENN BECK, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, meltdown on "The View."

ROSIE O`DONNELL, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": You said nothing, and that`s cowardly.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": No, no, no. You will not call me a coward.

BECK: It looks like shouting has become the new American discourse.

And a new hostage crisis in Iran. The latest on the four Americans now being held against their will.

And summer movies are finally here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you want to say something?

BECK: Wait a minute. These look awfully darn familiar. All this and more tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: You know, we have a lot of important stuff to talk to you about tonight, but I want to start with something that is seemingly unimportant. It was that bizarre and shocking fight between Rosie O`Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck that we talked about yesterday. It was on yesterday`s episode of "The View".

The topic was politics and war, two things I don`t think should ever go together, but increasingly they do in America. Maybe that`s why we should have civilized exchanges of ideas on politics and on war but never together, because they quickly turn into nasty, ugly shouting matches.

Now, both women on "The View" yesterday were on the verge of tears, and the audience was stunned. Here`s the point tonight.

We have somehow or another devolved into a nation of shouters and name callers. You want to know how I got there? Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): First of all, let`s face it. The women of "The View" are known for their cat fights, but yesterday it was an all-out blow out affair. In this corner Rosie O`Donnell.

O`DONNELL: For three weeks you can say all the Republican crap you want.

BECK: And in the other corner Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

HASSELBECK: Excuse me, let me speak.

BECK: It was Rosie who threw the first punch.

O`DONNELL: Do you believe I think our troops are terrorists, Elisabeth?

HASSELBECK: I don`t think that you...

O`DONNELL: Yes or no?

HASSELBECK: Excuse me.

O`DONNELL: Say yes or no.

BECK: They`re bickering about widespread reports claiming that Rosie insinuated U.S. troops were terrorists.

O`DONNELL: Do you believe that I think our troops are terrorists? And you would not even look me in the face, Elisabeth, and say, "No Rosie."

HASSELBECK: What are you talking about?

O`DONNELL: "I can understand how people might have thought that. Why don`t you take this opportunity?" Like I`m 6.

BECK: Rosie accused Elisabeth of not standing up for her in a time of need. Elisabeth refused to take the blame.

HASSELBECK: You are an adult, and I am certainly not going to be the person for you to explain your thoughts. They`re your thoughts. Defend your own insinuations.

BECK: But Rosie just kept on swinging.

O`DONNELL: Since September...

HASSELBECK: Yes.

O`DONNELL: I have told you I support the troops.

HASSELBECK: I have done the same for you.

O`DONNELL: I asked you if you believed what the Republican pundits were saying.

HASSELBECK: Did I say yes?

O`DONNELL: You said nothing, and that`s cowardly.

HASSELBECK: No, no, no.

BECK: Which one is more cowardly: Rosie insinuating nasty things about the troops in Iraq or Elisabeth defending the troops?

HASSELBECK: Do not call me a coward, Rosie. I do not hide.

O`DONNELL: It was cowardly.

HASSELBECK: It was not cowardly. It was honest. Asking a rhetorical question that you never answer yourself, that is cowardly.

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Who is directing the show? Let`s go to commercial.

BECK: So how do you summarize yesterday`s spectacle? Personally, I think Rosie said it best.

O`DONNELL: Big fat lesbian, loud Rosie attacked innocent, pure Christian Elisabeth.

BECK: You said it, Rosie. Not me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: You know, honestly, I don`t even know how we turned into these -- these are not who we really are. This is who we`ve allowed ourselves to become. Instead of listening to each other and finding common ground, we`ve resorted in this shrieking and insults.

What happened on "The View" between Rosie and Elisabeth is a symptom of what`s going on everywhere in America. It`s happening on cable television right now on every station. And if we don`t change our attitude really soon, we`re not going to be able to talk to each other.

The question remains: can we change this? To help me answer that, I`m joined now by Peter Fenn, Democratic strategist, former advisor for Al Gore, and clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere.

Peter, let me start with you, because -- what was it -- two days ago you were on. You and I disagree on Al Gore just about every way we possibly can, but I enjoyed our conversation. And we got to the end of it; and I had respect for you, and I hope you have respect for me.

PETER FENN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: And we could have continued for al lot longer, Glenn, on that subject.

BECK: Absolutely. Absolutely. So you`ve been around Capitol Hill forever. What was it like? Has it always been like this? And what was the turning point?

FENN: No, it really hasn`t. I mean, we`ve gone to gladiator TV now, Glenn, and I think it`s really sad.

And it has extended into our politics. You know, when John McCain used the "F" bomb against Senator Cornyn, when the vice president of the United States used it against Pat Leahy, this is not a civil discourse we`re talking about here.

When I was in the Senate, we had-- we had folks who had divergent views. We had Frank Church and Gary Hart on one side and Barry Goldwater and John Tower on the other. And you know, admittedly, you`re right, it was a long time ago, but you know, you worked stuff out in private.

You know, you got mad. You got angry. You disagreed, but you didn`t take it to this level of -- I mean, this is the Big Bang theory of how to do politics, and I don`t really much like it.

BECK: OK, Jeff, you know, who`s -- who`s leading whom here? Because I -- I think it`s so right on that we`re gladiators. When Geraldo and I were on ABC`s "Good Morning America" last week, we were introduced as two gladiators.

And it is so appropriate because I`ve been saying that this stupid little box in your house and the ones you guys are in right now, it is the new Roman Coliseum. How did we get here?

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, I think what happened, Glenn, is that we start taking this stuff personally. When we are debating, we`re supposed to be debating, and it turns into an argument. The flash points are the name-calling and then taking these points personally.

This is a business. This is TV. This is entertainment. We`re supposed to agree to disagree, not start calling ourselves, you know, different names and hitting below the belt. That`s not fair.

BECK: OK, OK. I agree with you.

But, Peter, let me show you something. This is actually how this argument on "The View" started yesterday. It`s Joy Behar. I want you -- I want you to watch this and tell me how we have a civil discourse when this is where we begin. Go ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEHAR: I have a list here of the things that Bush has done.

Stole the election in 2000. He withdrew us from the Kyoto trio -- treaty. He awarded the no-bid contract to Halliburton. Abu Ghraib.

He doesn`t listen to the Iraq Study Group. He stood by Alberto Gonzales, who needs to be thrown out. We all know that. And he stood by Rumsfeld, who some people think is a war criminal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK. Those were just some of the things that she -- that she listed off. But the first one is stole the election. Stole the election. That is like saying Nixon stole pro-life. I mean, it was a Supreme Court decision.

How do you -- when somebody is coming at you with either a lie or something that is so spun out of control, how do you find common ground there?

FENN: I think it is spinning out of control. I mean, I think -- you could have a lot of debates about a lot of those issues and discuss them in a reasonable way, but the way they`re put forth and the kind of approach does nothing for a civil discussion.

I mean, you know, there is a great phrase by -- Mark Twain`s which you probably have heard of, which is that a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.

What -- you know, what that tells us is you can throw something out there, see what sticks. And, you know, it`s not a way to conduct policy. It`s not a way to have a civil discussion.

And, unfortunately, a lot of these shows -- look it, I`ve been on them. You`ve all been on them, where somebody is whispering in your ear and they say jump in, challenge him. Go at it. I mean, that is -- you know, I haven`t had that happen by any of your producers.

BECK: No.

FENN: But on the other networks -- I won`t tell you the name -- that does happen.

BECK: You -- and you won`t have it on this -- on this show. That doesn`t mean we don`t have a healthy debate. It doesn`t mean that we get hacked off at each other once in a while. We`ve had people on this program that I vehemently disagree with but afterwards -- I mean, look, Al Sharpton.

FENN: You go out and have a beer. You go out and have a beer with them.

BECK: Al Sharpton and I went into the green room and we prayed together. I don`t agree with Al Sharpton, but good God in heaven, we have got to start building bridges to each other.

So Jeff, how do you actually -- how do you do it? And why are we not doing it? What`s stopping people from doing it?

GARDERE: Well, I think the way that we do it, Glenn, is by saying to one another, look, we are going to have this discussion. We`re going to disagree with one another.

As we know, your producers don`t do this here, and I`m being very honest and real about that, but many shows I`ve been on, they tell you even if you don`t agree we want you to disagree because it makes for good TV.

FENN: Right, right.

GARDERE: But at the end of the day you don`t throw personal insults. You just try to take one another on, and you make it a fair fight, if that`s what it has to be.

I`ve done a show called "Culture Shock" where myself and another psychologist, we go back and forth and we vehemently disagree. But at the end of the program we shake hands and say, you know what, we disagree, but we agree that we disagree.

FENN: And I`ll give you an example, Glenn. After this show I`m going to a memorial service for a friend of mine who`s a Republican consultant who died before his 60th birthday. They created the swift boat ads. Do I like the swift boat ads? I sure as heck don`t, but I taught with this guy at George Washington University. He`s a decent guy.

And, you know, we need more personal get-togethers. You can fight like heck over issues, but at the end of the day, you know, you shouldn`t hold it personally. And you shouldn`t have grudges, and you shouldn`t be uncivil.

BECK: Guys, thank you very much.

FENN: A pleasure.

BECK: I will tell you, I -- as I sat on that set of "Good Morning America" and looked at Geraldo Rivera, I thought, "I may never be invited back again. This may not get a rating at all. But I`m just not going to engage in that kind of stuff. I`m not going to be the gladiator that everybody wants us to be."

We`ve got to stop being used by each other, by media and also by politicians.

Thanks, guys.

GARDERE: It`s a pleasure.

BECK: Coming up, Iran detains a fourth person with American citizenship. Are we on the brink of yet another 1979 hostage crisis? We`ll have the details next.

Plus, this weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. That means big movies. This year`s films, are they going to live up to the hype? We`ll have the complete summer movie preview coming up.

And Congress has approved harsher penalties for anyone caught gauging gas prices. Great and all, but it ain`t going to save you one thin dime at the pump. Don`t miss tonight`s "Real Story".

(COMM

BECK: All right. Coming up in just a bit, Democrats` dilemma. The war funding bill is making its way through Congress and is presenting an interesting problem for top White House contenders, like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And I`ll explain in "The Real Story" coming up.

First, when I say the words "Iranian hostage crisis", does your mind go back to the Jimmy Carter days? Or do you think back to the British soldiers who the Iranians snatched this past March?

Well, I am afraid that we are on the brink of yet another hostage crisis at the hands of the fanatical government in Tehran. A fourth person of dual Iranian-American citizenship, a consultant and an urban planner, have been detained by the Iranians.

This is what President Bush had to say about this situation earlier this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They obviously, to the extent that these people are picking up innocent Americans, it`s unacceptable, and we`ve made it very clear to the Iranian government that the -- that the detention of good, decent American souls who are there to, you know, be beneficial citizens is not acceptable behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK. The others currently being held captive include a female scholar who is just visiting her 93-year-old grandmother. This is what the Iranians have spun into activities against the Iranian government. A female journalist, and a fourth man who is yet to be identified.

The hostage crisis this time is different than those in the past and possibly the most insidious. The Iranians are not making a big show of this aggression. They`re quietly and methodically capturing and imprisoning anyone who is not in lock step with their extremist ideology.

These are strategic moves. Remember, these are the people who invented chess. And like it or not, gang, Iran is at war with America.

Today it`s four hostages, but how many will it be tomorrow? And how long before hostages become casualties?

Ilan Berman, he`s vice president for policy for the American Foreign Policy Council.

Ilan, the four people that are being detained: detained or being held hostage?

ILAN BERMAN, VICE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY, AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY COUNCIL: Well, I think that`s a good question. What`s, I think, the most ironic in this whole situation is that most, if not all of those scholars, those activist academics, that being held by the regime are actually who have advocated a reconciliation between Washington and Tehran.

But it`s quite clear that the regime sees it another way. The regime sees them as pawns to be used in the upcoming negotiations. After all, we`re going to be talking with the Iranians in the next several days over issues like Iraq.

BECK: OK, OK. Split a couple of things out for me.

BERMAN: Sure.

BECK: First of all, we just found out a couple of days ago that we are doing covert action over in Iran, that the government -- we suspect, ABC News reported that they -- they have evidence that we are doing covert activity over there. So tell me why we shouldn`t believe that these guys aren`t covert agents.

BERMAN: Well, for one because they have pretty strong bona fides as public intellectuals, as people who are involved in, I would say, less than lockstep with the Bush administration in terms of how they view Iran.

And they`ve been involved in the type of bridge-building activities that one would think the regime in Tehran would like very much. After all, if the goal here is to avoid some sort of confrontation between the United States and Iran, these people would be the bridge-builders to do it. But there is...

BECK: Right. Because one of these guys actually works for Soros, doesn`t he?

BERMAN: That`s right, and that`s where it gets a little bit more tricky. What these arrests signify, more than anything else, is that the regime in Iran is vulnerable.

And it`s fearful that people like this, people who come to Iran on the assumption that they`re conducting peaceful academic work could actually be very quietly, very subversively trying to cause a color revolution similar to the one that took place in Georgia in 2003 or in Ukraine in 2004-2005.

The regime is very nervous about the idea of a soft revolution, and what it`s doing is it`s methodically rounding up people that it thinks might be intellectual trouble-makers.

BECK: This is different than what we had with the British, because when the British were taken, there was speculation that this might just be the Iranian Republican Guard or Revolutionary Guard, and they were just a little out of control. This needs everybody on board to take these people, doesn`t it?

BERMAN: That`s exactly right. Back in March when the British sailors were captured, there were a lot of people in the mainstream media that talked about the fact, well, you know, it`s just one fringe group in the regime that`s doing this and after all the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was nowhere to be found. And so cooler heads prevailed, and they were released after two weeks.

Here you have a situation where the security forces are involved, the prison system, the penal system and the judicial system in Iran are involved. This is something that takes concerted effort.

It`s a very clear signal from the regime to us about the fact that, you know, they are cracking down and that our ideas about democracy are not welcome in Iran.

But it`s also a very clear signal to the Iranian opposition that doing business with the United States might be hazardous to your health.

BECK: So the statement from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today that says to Israel, "Do not engage in Lebanon. If you attack Lebanon, you will be rooted out." What does that mean, and is it connected at all?

BERMAN: It -- I don`t think it is connected, but in the grand scheme of things it`s very significant. Because it`s quite clear for those of us that watch Iranian affairs fairly closely that any move to -- by Israel towards Iran, military action, or a covert action even, has to be precipitated or preceded by a move against Iran`s principal terrorist proxy, and that`s Hezbollah in Lebanon.

So what Ahmadinejad is saying in no uncertain terms to the Israelis is we have your number. We know -- we know that Hezbollah is next on your hit parade if you want to go after us. And we`re not going to stand for it.

BECK: Great. Ilan, thank you.

Coming up we`re going to change our tune just a little bit. We`re going to go to summertime, big blockbuster movies. How do you choose which one you`re going to spend your money and your time on? We`ll help you decide with our complete summer movie preview. It`s coming up next.

Plus the war funding bill is making its way through Congress. What does it mean for those White House hopefuls? It looks like this vote could be a lose-lose for the Democrats. But is it? Doesn`t miss tonight`s "Real Story" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, summer is the season of movie sequels, and this summer there is no shortage of sequels. You`ve got "Spider-Man 3", "Shrek the Third", "Oceans 13". I wouldn`t be surprised if you saw "Sophie`s Choice 2", "Hotel Rwanda 4". I can`t keep track of them anymore.

To help us sort us out -- to tell us what to see, what to skip, movie critic Christy Lemire.

Christy, I`m just looking at these, the sequels. "Live Free, Die Hard", "Harry Potter", "Evan Almighty", "Fantastic Four", "Daddy Day Camp", "28 Weeks Later". The third installment movies, we have "Shrek the Third", "Spider-Man 3", "Pirates 3", "Oceans 13" and "Bourne Identity" or "Bourne 3".

I mean, what is -- is there original thought anywhere in Hollywood?

CHRISTY LEMIRE, MOVIE CRITIC: No. That`s the whole -- end of the segment right there. No originality at all. It`s safe, it`s familiar, it`s easy. It makes money.

The second "Pirates" film last year was the highest grossing film of the year. It made $423 million. And then the third one comes out this week. And you didn`t even mention the "Pirates" one. It`s like, they make money and so why think?

BECK: Yes.

LEMIRE: Why try? Why risk?

BECK: You know, I don`t mind the idea of a sequel, unless they stink. I mean, "Oceans 12", what was it last year, was horrible.

LEMIRE: Right. A few years ago. That was George Clooney and all his friends went to his village on Lake Como and, like, brought a camera along with them. And that was the movie.

BECK: That`s exactly right.

LEMIRE: And so "Oceans 13", yes, the same thing. And yet, having said that, they`re gorgeous, they`re sexy, they`re funny. So why not go have mindless fun with George Clooney and Brad Pitt?

BECK: But I didn`t -- I really didn`t think -- I mean, I didn`t think it was good. I loved "Oceans 11". I thought it was great. I wanted an apology for "Oceans 12."

LEMIRE: It wasn`t that bad.

BECK: I`ve heard that the director -- yes it was. Kevin the floor director says it was, too. You had George Clooney to look at. I was stuck with nothing.

LEMIRE: Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, they`re hot.

BECK: OK. First of all, I love Julia Roberts, but she`s played the same character over, every movie she`s in. It`s the same character.

And Catherine Zeta-Jones, I have to think of Michael Douglas, and I don`t want to think of Michael Douglas.

Anyway, I`ve heard the director say that this one actually is kind of an apology for "12".

LEMIRE: They go back to Vegas for this one, right. And they played "Oceans 13" at Cannes recently, and it`s gotten some good reviews coming out of there. So maybe it`s good, you know? Maybe it`s fun.

BECK: OK. What are the ones that we should see? What have the real good buzz? And what are the ones we should avoid like the plague?

LEMIRE: The third "Pirates" actually is not that bad. It`s kind of getting mixed reviews. It`s two hours and 47 minutes long. So if have that much time to kill, you know, have at it.

The third Spidey and the third "Shrek" were both huge letdowns, I thought. And then, other than that...

BECK: How about the four? How about "Fantastic Four"?

LEMIRE: I haven`t seen it yet. A lot of them haven`t screened yet. So they`re still coming out, and some goes long. But there...

BECK: Go ahead.

LEMIRE: There is some vaguely original stuff out there, though.

BECK: That`s what I was going to say. Is there anything original?

LEMIRE: Go see "Knocked Up". I can not say it loud enough or often enough. Go see "Knocked Up". It is so great.

BECK: Who`s in it and what is it?

LEMIRE: Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen and all the same people from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Judd Apatow directed it and wrote it.

BECK: OK.

LEMIRE: And it`s -- the two of them get together. It`s like a drunken one-night stand, and they decide to have the baby. And they`re just totally different. He`s a slacker, stoner dude. She`s like this very Type A up-and-coming E! entertainment producer.

BECK: OK.

LEMIRE: And they figure it out. And it`s hilarious. It`s so raunchy, yet so sweet. It`s great.

BECK: That`s exactly what I`m looking for. Christy, thanks a lot.

LEMIRE: Thanks.

BECK: Up next, "The Real Story" on those record gas prices and whether they`re really hurting Americans as much as everybody says they are. Stick around for this. Back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, coming up in just a bit, back by popular demand and it`s the only way it would come back is our public viewer segment. If you want to spend a few minutes watching someone call me a moron for a change stick around.

And a little later on a special salute to the men and the women of the military as we get ready for Memorial Day. These are the people who literally putting their lives on the line every single day so we can live without fear. Please don`t miss this segment.

But first tonight`s "Real Story." Headlines say gas prices are at an all-time high and Congress has even approved legislation that punishes those who try to gouge you at the gas pump. OK, great. But here`s "The Real Story."

It ain`t going to change jack. When you really look at the numbers, gas prices cheaper than ever before. I hate this argument, but you`ve got to look at it because it`s true. Look back to 1955. Gas was only 29 cents a gallon, but the average income quite a bit lower by comparison.

Now if we`re using today`s dollars alone, that 1955 era gasoline would actually cost $1.76 a gallon. It`s 1972, how about that one? This was a year before the Arab oil embargo. Gas was $36 (sic) a gallon then, but when it`s adjusted to today`s dollars it`s actually 2.66 a gallon. This is without our incomes. When we talk about how expensive things are getting we usually don`t allow for the full effect of inflation or the fact that our incomes have increased at a far more rapid rate than prices, so even though the cost of gas across the country is well over $3 a gallon now the reality is that the 1955 effect, you put that gas into your tank then, it had much more impact on your wallet then than it does today.

But even in a capitalist society like ours, making a profit doesn`t give companies the right to gouge you. We all screamed when gas prices broke $1 a gallon and then it was 2 and then we were screaming at 3. Have you noticed people are barely making a peep right now? In fact, a recent survey shows Americans will not change their lifestyles until gas reaches 4.35 a gallon. That`s up from last year.

So I guess what you`re telling the gas companies is you still think gas is pretty cheap? Well, why not just celebrate? Get the Hummer washed. Fill her up with super premium and hit the open road, and just think of scaring that Prius driver as a little bonus from me.

Jerry Taylor is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. Jerry, first of all, what`s the bill in Congress?

JERRY TAYLOR, CATO INSTITUTE: Well, let`s see, let`s Tuesday Congress decided to sick the Justice Department on OPEC and sue them for violating federal antitrust law. On Wednesday Congress decided to ban price gouging at the pump and get rid of unconscionably excessive gasoline prices.

BECK: You already have laws on books where you can`t gouge people, right?

TAYLOR: No. Actually, you don`t. If you did, then every time you went shopping for a house on Sunday you`d have your realtor put in jail because in a free market economy, you price it what the market will bear, not at the production costs.

BECK: That kind of goes to the -- what is the breaking point now, it`s like 4.35 a gallon to what people say that`s where they will start to change their lifestyle which, I`ve got to tell you, as a free market guy I would like at it and say then I`m underpriced. I should be closer to $4.

TAYLOR: I don`t think surveys like that are particularly useful. Some people will change their behavior when prices just begin to move up and other people are going to wait. Everyone is different. We know that about a 10 percent increase in gasoline price reduces demand by somewhere between 3/10 of one percent and 8/10 of one percent and that occurs over time so some people begin to change early, some change late and some never change.

BECK: OK. The wages and the price of gasoline historically speaking, lay this out. Why don`t more people follow this?

TAYLOR: Well, first of all, we`re not used to doing calculations like that in our head. We know that in that gasoline in 1962, the year depicted in "American Graffiti" cost about 31 cents a gallon. We say, boy, that was sweet. We don`t realize the fact that because the dollar today is worth a lot less than it was back then, it turns out now that that figure after you adjust for inflation and you adjust for the fact we`re a lot wealthier today, means today prices would have to be $4.48 a gallon before it took the same bite out of our wallet that that 31 cent price tag took out of our wallet in 1962 but people aren`t used to thinking that way.

BECK: But we still do it with milk. Trying to think of the products, the very few products that are exactly the same, you know what I mean, it`s usually new and improved and it`s, you know, it`s the same thing with a new label on.

TAYLOR: If you`re like me, you probably know people who bought houses 30, 40 years ago, they say look, I spent $30,000 on this house and today I can sell it for $700,000, what a grand investment that was, but if you control for inflation often times it turns out you would have made more money buying an index fund than investing in real estate. S a lot of people have a hard time keeping track of all of these changes in the relative value of the dollar in their lives.

BECK: OK. Jerry, thanks a lot.

Now an update on the Iraq War spending bill, for Democrats, especially those running for president, to fund or not to fund, that`s the question. The "Real Story" is, they are screwed either way.

White House hopefuls in the Senate are in a bind because the bill they are about to vote on does not include a timetable for bringing U.S. troops home. Now if you`re a front-runner like Hillary Clinton a no vote makes you seem anti-military and soft on terrorism. However, a yes vote could inflame liberal groups and tick off voters active in the primary process so what`s a gal to do?

Here`s what she`s going to do, along with Obama and every other politician. Their campaign staff is going to crunch the numbers, they`re going to figure out the cost in votes for either a yes or a no and then they are going to vote whichever serves them best.

Sadly it seems to me that candidates rarely vote their conscience anymore. They just want to get elected and they will say or do anything to get there and stay in office. Grow a spine, will you. We need leaders, and you jokers in Washington, both on the right and the left, are all we got.

I hate to sound cynical, especially when it comes to such an important vote like the emergency war spending bill. Our troops need it and they deserve that money, and I truly hope those in Congress begin to understand our soldiers` needs. Find the compassion for their service and their sacrifice. Vote from the bottom of your heart, not serve from the bottom line.

There`s only two ways to vote. You bring them home right now, or you give them what they need. On this issue I don`t think there`s any middle ground.

Jonathan Allen. He is from "Congressional Quarterly" who is voting with their conscience and who is voting with their calculator, Jonathan?

JONATHAN ALLEN, "CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY": You know, Glenn, it`s really difficult to tell with politicians when they are voting from their conscience and when they are not. This is the classic dilemma for the Democratic presidential candidates right now in terms of the political question. Do they pander to the left for the primary vote, or do they cut to the center for the general election vote and the vote is happening - I don`t know if it`s happening as we`re speaking or coming up a little bit later tonight but this will be the story for the next couple of days, I`m sure.

BECK: I tell you and you notice it`s not a coincidence it is going to be buried at this time. Nobody will be talking about it during the Memorial Day weekend and nobody is watching television this weekend.

One thing I find very interesting is that people on the left are saying, you know, why won`t Hillary Clinton disavow her Iraq vote for the original war? There`s something inside of me that says she`s absolutely brilliant by not -- by not disavowing that vote? Can you expand on that?

ALLEN: Well, I think there are a couple of things at work here from a political standpoint. I mean, one is that, you know, it may be that she believed with the information she had that was the right choice and you`ve certainly heard her say that before.

In addition to that from a general election perspective, not going back on that vote will help her win Republican voters perhaps that are on the fence in the presidential election, and I think flip-flopping is seen as a weakness no matter who it is, which candidate it is, which party it is, that when you do one thing and come back and flip back the other way later, that can be seen as a weakness, particularly in recent presidential elections when voters have been less likely to see it as a true change of heart and more of a political pandering thing.

BECK: How does this party, the Democrats, or those who are so staunchly anti-war, how do they not get swept into the dust bin of history if Iran, you know, becomes out of control and they develop a nuke, they threaten Israel, they threaten our troops? If this whole thing melts down, how do the Democrats stay relevant at all in a war -- a real true, traditional war footing?

ALLEN: Well, I think there`s a lot of Democrats that would argue, Glenn, that the war in Iraq has exacerbated some of the violence in that area, and in fact there was a lot less violence before the Iraq War started so I think they would point to that.

The other thing is I think there are a lot of Democrats who se themselves as security Democrats, as hawkish Democrats, sort of Lyndon Johnson Democrats, and I would imagine anybody who foresaw an immediate threat to the United States in the Democratic Party would move to quell that threat.

Now, of course, there is a staunchly anti-war faction that is smaller than the current anti-war group, you know, the sort of anti-war all the time in the Democratic Party. That is not the same set necessarily as the group that`s anti-Iraq right now.

BECK: But Jonathan, aren`t those the people that are really pulling the strings right now in the Democratic Party? And I know it`s because of the primary, but those are the movon.org people, the Soros money, et cetera, et cetera. This is the real hard-core left that has the Democratic Party by the throat, at least up until the primary.

ALLEN: Well, Glenn, I think a lot of people have moved into the anti- war camp that weren`t there before and they may look a lot like the folks that are completely anti-war all the time, but clearly the group of folks in the Democratic Party that are against the Iraq War has grown significantly over time and it`s not just that sort of core, hard core left anti-war group.

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

Coming up, it is Fleet Week here in New York City. It`s a pretty strong reminder for those of us who live in this city that it`s Memorial Day and it`s more than just about barbecues. It`s about men and women in uniform. We`ll have more on that in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: You know, I would like to think I deliver a flawless 42 minutes of television every night, and I`m sure you agree, and if you don`t, well, then, we have a segment called "The Public Viewer" where my good friend Brian -- actually, I`m not going to lie to you. He`s not my good friend. I don`t even like him. He`s here.

BRIAN SACK, "THE PUBLIC VIEWER": Hi, how are you, Glenn.

BECK: You know, you`re here.

SACK: Well and I`m actually excited to be here with you.

BECK: Yeah, mm-hmm.

SACK: And I`m glad to be back, glad to be monitoring you and, Eric, my assistant, said he wanted to put together a retrospective to get us back in the mode, get us all excited to remind us what we`ve missed for the last few months.

BECK: Sure, sure.

SACK: So let`s roll that, shall we?

BECK: OK. Mm-hmm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Once again we`re here for the least favorite segment, "The Public Viewer."

Now a guy that I would like to put into a capsule and shoot him out into the moon, Brian Sack.

Here`s another prediction for you I`m going to hate the next segment because this guy is on. Brian Sack, welcome to the program. No, not so much. Is there a reason why you`re on? You have one segment a week to do, and it sucks this much?

The sound of your contract. Get out of here. What a loser. All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: And it`s weird because those feelings, some feelings never change.

SACK: OK. Well, that wasn`t as uplifting as I thought it would be.

BECK: No, it`s really not.

SACK: All right. Well, let`s move on to critiquing you.

BECK: Mm-hmm.

SACK: Something I learned from mom and dad was, you know, you don`t ask people how much they weigh. You don`t ask them how old they are, and you don`t ask them this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: What are you pulling down a year now?

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: I don`t want to say that.

BECK: What are you pulling down a year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me.

BECK: Yeah.

What are you pulling down a year?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SACK: What are you doing?

BECK: I love that. I love that.

SACK: I`m sure they loved it too.

BECK: You would be surprised how many people -- I challenge you at home. Do this, just ask people. What are you pulling down a year?

SACK: It stops them in their tracks.

BECK: I`m telling you, except for the uber-rich they will answer and tell you right away?

SACK: So how much are you pulling down?

BECK: Hey, Brian, how much you pulling down?

SACK: You`re signing the checks. All right.

BECK: There you go. Almost $12 an hour.

SACK: At least. A little above Starbucks because I have no coffee skills.

BECK: Really? You`re making more than Starbucks.

SACK: Yeah.

BECK: Remind me to lower his -- I`m sorry go, ahead.

SACK: Yes. Another thing that worries me a lot because I`m on the show and I want the show to stay on the air. You have a lot of watchdog groups, people out there, they are short and angry and mad at you and they are always trying to get you into trouble and they are always looking for that thing that can take you .

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I mean, I`ve got big breasts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SACK: You know, they are trying to take stuff like that - why would you say stuff like that? They`re going to take it out of context.

BECK: Because it`s true. Why do you think I`m wearing such a dark brown shirt tonight, you can`t see the actual breastage with a shirt like this.

SACK: Some guy is going to hear that, he`s going to scurry off to his stool, run off and start faxing off a press release that you`re a transsexual.

BECK: Look, I`m now saying that I`m a transsexual. I`m not not saying I`m a transsexual either.

SACK: But you play one on TV? OK. Moving on.

BECK: Yes.

SACK: This is something I noticed the other day and it smelled funny to me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: This is an issue of national security, and of the laws that are fragrantly being disregarded by millions of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SACK: Fragrantly. That sounds weird.

BECK: I know, I`m sorry.

SACK: You`re smelling up the laws of this country, sir.

BECK: All right. Go ahead. We`ve got 30 seconds.

SACK: We`ve got 30 seconds. OK. Well, it`s Fleet Week so welcome to all the sailors and soldiers in New York City.

BECK: Yeah.

SACK: They are going to go and might get a little too boozy and might need a place to stay at night and that`s why I`ve been handing out flyers with this. "Glenn Beck`s sailor sleepover May 23rd to the 30th, sailors welcome."

BECK: This doesn`t help, especially since I -- I guess I`ve just said that I`m a transvestite.

SACK: Well, you never know.

BECK: We go from zeros to heroes.

Time to take to you Cancun, Mexico, this is a place where many Americans think it`s all about beaches and bathing suits but today`s CNN hero is somebody who is fighting a problem that many people never see.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more time looking at me.

LYDIA CACHO RIBEIRO, RUNS BATTERED WOMEN SHELTER: Mexico is my true country and if you understand that, you understand everything else. It`s a cultural thing. Owning your wife and your kids is a cultural issue, and we are working on changing cultural views and that takes a long, long time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I would come home from work and he would say didn`t I tell to you come at a certain time, and he would slap me or kick me. He even did it in front of the children.

CACHO RIBEIRO: The med (ph) work that is helping women be rescued from violence and even for death is our institution, we are their friends, their sisters, their mothers. We are here to tell them that we are not alone.

My name is Lydia Cacho Ribeiro. I am human rights advocate. We created a shelter for battered women, and this shelter is a high security shelter. When a woman comes to the center, we give them free services, social work, medical services, psychological help. They get trained for work, and the kids go to school. They are rebuilding their own lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They rescued from where I was living. They have done so much for me after I had given up on myself.

CACHO RIBEIRO: We just decided that there was something needed, that was far beyond talking about violence and all the things. We had to do something about it. We have success. Last year the local congress passed a law in which violence against women is a crime.

It saddens me that it`s seen as an extraordinary task because I believe that everybody else could do the same thing and Mexico would be very different.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: America, it has just been another crazy week, hasn`t it. We had the shout fest on "The View," the bickering in Congress over immigration and Iraq. Seems like things in this country are just going to hell in a hand basket and getting tougher every day.

Luckily, though, if you try hard enough, you can still find an occasional ray of hope.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): As a nation we`re defined by the experiences we share, certain indelible moments that will stay with us forever. I for one will never forget watching the moment when man landed on the moon.

Sitting with my grade school classmates staring in utter amazement at a black and white TV that my teacher wheeled in for just the occasion. This past week television brought us yet another unforgettable moment, one we won`t soon forget.

ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": Your thoughts, defend your own insinuations.

ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": I defend my thoughts.

HASSELBECK: Defend your own thoughts!

BECK: Sadly we`re now living in a world where the moments we share more often than not ones we would rather forgot, but I want to show you something else you may have seen on TV this week. These are images of Fleet Week. It`s a yearly tradition where the people of New York get a chance to thank the brave men and women of our armed services for their bravery, their hard work and their sacrifice.

It`s a time when the streets of the city are usually teeming with visiting sailors. This year, at least to me, it seems the things are a little bit different. The streets are noticeably quieter. That`s because some of the ships that normally set anchor here are now half a world away ready to confront a danger that most of us couldn`t even imagine.

While people on TV bicker and scream about who is to blame and what`s going on in Iraq, it`s these men and women visiting New York who are our real heroes, the ones who quietly serve our country without the shouting, without the bickering.

If you happen to run into one of them while you`re here or wherever you`ll be this weekend, just tell them how you really feel, not about the war or about how the president is doing. Instead, just tell them how you feel, what it`s like to meet somebody on the street who is willing to sacrifice their own life to protect the liberty and freedom of our country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: From New York, and really all of America, thank you. And good night.

END