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Glenn Beck

Is Another Attack Imminent?; Michael Moore Film Stirs Discussion Over Health Care; What`s Truth of Pizza Bomber Case?

Aired July 11, 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, is al Qaeda poised to attack the U.S.? Our chief counterterrorism official says he`s got a gut feeling about a possible summer attack.

Plus, the McCain campaign is on the ropes. With top staffers dropping like flies, is this the end of the road for McCain?

And the Michael Moore meltdown.

MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: When are you going to just stand there and apologize to the American people for not bringing the truth to them?

BECK: This time, Michael Moore goes "Sicko" on CNN.

All this, and more, tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Hello, America. We`ve got a lot on our plate, so let`s get right to the point.

If you have been paying attention to the news, and you feel there`s another terrorist attack that could be right around the corner, well, you`re not alone. And here`s how I got there.

I want you to take a look at what Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the editorial board of the "Chicago Tribune" yesterday about the outlook for our long, hot summer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I believe we`re entering a period this summer of increased risk. We`ve seen a lot more public statements from al Qaeda. I mean, there are a lot of ways you can speculate about a -- a lot of reasons you can speculate about that, but one thing that occurs to me is that they`re trying -- they feel a little more comfortable in raising expectations.

All these things give me a kind of a gut feeling that we are in a period of, not that I have a specific threat, you know, that I have in mind right now, but that we are entering a period of increased liability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I`m kind of torn on this. I appreciate the heads up on it, but a gut feeling? You`re a high ranking cabinet member. I mean, don`t people pick lotto numbers based on gut feelings? I don`t think we should make proclamations about our national security. We don`t have an elaborate intelligence network we could just blame that gut feeling on?

I mean, don`t get me wrong. I appreciate it, and I`ve had the same gut feeling I`ve been telling you about for the last few days. But people call me crazy on my gut feelings. This guy gets an office in the White House.

After I read about Chertoff`s hunch last night, I flipped over to Brian Ross on ABC News. He reported that a senior White House official stated that an al Qaeda terrorist cell is either on its way to the U.S. or already here, up and running. Gee, do you think? You mean, things are getting more dangerous, not less dangerous?

Of course, they are. But until Washington starts grasping that what happens around the world ultimately affects us here at home, the scope of that terror threat are going to continue to elude them and you and I are going to continue to live in greater danger.

As a result of this news about the U.S.-based al Qaeda cell, the other story I saw is that Ross was reporting that there`s a multi-agency meeting that has been scheduled for THE SITUATION ROOM. An emergency meeting scheduled tomorrow. Tomorrow? How credible could the intelligence be, or how serious is the White House`s concern if it even can wait: "Let`s see if we can squeeze that in on Thursday"?

I mean, I know politicians like to play loose and fast with language, but isn`t the definition of emergency meeting the same where you live as it is in Washington, D.C.?

I mean, if I have a toothache, I can get an appointment with my dentist the same day. What`s the holdup at the White House? Are they shampooing the carpets in THE SITUATION ROOM? Delay in ordering the catering? What is it?

The White House is denying there`s any kind of emergency get-together, but I don`t know who to believe. Forgive me if I think our government is suffering from a lack of credibility.

So tonight, here is what you need to know. America`s war on terror must be won. And that starts with winning the war in Iraq.

Am I freaked out about another attack here in the U.S.? Well, kind of, yes. Since September 12, 2001, I`ve been thinking, "we`re going to get hit," just like you have.

But I`m more worried about the big picture globally. Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, Great Britain, Venezuela, Nigeria. They are all a domino in a long, long line, and they`re all starting to teeter. And if one of them falls, it could start a chain reaction that we may not be able to stop.

If all the other dominos start to fall, eventually ours will, as well. It`s just that simple. Or at least that`s what my gut is telling me.

Clark Kent Ervin is a former inspector general from the Office of Homeland Security and author of "Open Target: Where Americans Are Vulnerable to Attack". And James Carafano, senior research fellow at -- of defense and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation.

James, let me start with you.

If this threat was real, I would expect to see some movement at our ports, at our airports, on our border. How about our visas, which are double the problems as they were on September 11.

Is there -- is there any kind of movement that you could make right now to be able to say, "Uh-oh, they may be here already"?

JAMES CARAFANO, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Of course. There`s nothing new here. I mean, this is the most non-news news I`ve ever heard. There have been 16 conspiracies broken up inside -- inside the United States since 9/11.

Last year we turned back a guy from Jordan, who -- we turned back a guy. Then we found his hand in Jordan, because he blew himself up in a suicide bombing.

Of course, the terrorists are trying to get here. I mean, this is really nothing new. To me, the news here is that anybody thinks this is news. And people do -- I mean, there are people that actually don`t believe that there is a war on terror. They think it`s all just about, you know, getting contracts from Halliburton.

I mean, this is -- Al Qaeda has been trying to get here since 9/11. They`re going to keep trying, and we have to keep trying to stop them. I don`t get, what`s the news?

BECK: You know, it`s amazing that you said that, because I talked to a guy on the radio today, and he said, you know, "All liberals just want to have us down on our knees against these Islamic extremists."

And I said, "No, they don`t. The difference between people who get it and don`t, they don`t think the threat is real. They just don`t think that it`s really going to happen."

But Clark, we have -- we had London go on. We`ve had the graduation tape that came out. We had the unrest in Pakistan, Iraq and -- I`m sorry, Iran and al Qaeda setting up camps, Hamas with Lebanon. There does seem to be a movement, all unrelated, but there does seem to be a lot of activity right now. Does there not?

CLARK KENT ERVIN, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, that`s right, Glenn. And this is where the news is.

I agree with James that al Qaeda has always wanted to attack the United States. What`s new here, though, is that Secretary Chertoff himself is saying that he expects an attack this summer.

Secretary Chertoff is not known for histrionics or dramatics, so for him to say this suggests that the United States government is really worried about not just a theoretical attack at some point, but an attack of some kind this very summer.

BECK: OK. So, Clark, you -- you`re a guy who, you know, did this for a living. What went through my mind was, gosh, I`m a little uncomfortable with a gut feeling. But then again, our government can`t come out and say -- I mean, on 9/10, they couldn`t come out and say, "Hey, guys, an airline thing." They wouldn`t have done that unless they knew for sure.

It couldn`t be our government saying, we don`t have enough, but we`ve got to telegraph something. We`ve got to tell the American people, and Chertoff kind of just basing it on, "Look, it`s just my gut telling me this"?

ERVIN: There might have been a better way to put that. But I think what the secretary was trying to say is that there are general indications of an attack of some kind this summer. There`s no specific intelligence saying exactly how, exactly when, exactly where, and therefore there are limits on exactly what we can do to protect ourselves.

On the other hand, there are indications that something is coming. There are these increasing tapes from bin Laden and Zawahiri. There`s a pattern of al Qaeda attacks in at least London in the summer.

Iraq war looms large over everything, and it`s become a recruiting ground for terrorists, as well as an inspirational ground. So for all these reasons, the summer seems to be a time to expect an attack here in this country.

BECK: Yes. And you know, James, when I first heard this, I thought, well, we heard this last summer. Then I went, oh, wait a minute, the ten airplanes that we stopped. And then there was something last -- the summer before last.

I mean, we have heard that they`re planning something big. But then we foiled it every summer. So there does seem to be a pattern here, doesn`t there, James?

CARAFANO: That`s a really important point. People think that there`s some -- intelligence, you know, will solve everything and these guys get secret information. And that`s not how it works. Intelligence normally doesn`t get you very far in counterterrorism.

What gets you is going out and finding terrorists, getting informants, doing investigations, reading their mail, using the Patriot Act. If you look at all the 16 terrorists, the conspiracies that we broke up since 9/11, we weren`t sitting in a room waiting for intelligence to come to us to tell us what to do. We went out looking for terrorists. That`s what really works, and that`s what`s really important.

And if something`s going to stop the next terrorist attack, it`s going to be guys on the street going out and looking for the problem and solving it, using the Patriot Act, using the authorities that they have, not somebody sitting in an air-conditioned room somewhere, waiting for somebody to bring them a piece of intelligence saying, oh, God, this is it.

BECK: You know, I`ve got to tell you, though, Clark, as James says that, and he says it`s just not going to come to you, I haven`t heard a lot about this al[Zawahiri tape that came out.

And I read the transcript of this. And I think this thing is chock full of information, where they talk about Muslims. It`s time to rise up. The caliphate is coming. Now is our chance. I mean, it seemed to be a 90- minute tape that had all kinds of information in it. Am I wrong?

ERVIN: No, you`re absolutely not wrong about that, Glenn. Furthermore, these tapes are coming so fast and so furious now, that people whose job it is to keep track of them can hardly do so.

Furthermore, these tapes are very sophisticated. The back drop is as sophisticated as anything on CNN. Whereas, in the early days, right after 2001, there were very few tapes, and the ones that we had were very grainy, suggesting that the terrorists were very afraid of being caught.

So al Qaeda has been reconstituted as an operational entity. Somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistani border. And at the same time, we have a proliferation of cells all around the world that are inspired by al Qaeda, including cells right here at home.

BECK: OK. Clark, James, thanks a lot.

Coming up, it`s Michael Moore versus CNN`s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, day three. The two went blow for blow last night on "LARRY KING LIVE". Who won? The answer in just a minute.

Plus, new developments in the 2003 pizza bomber case that took the life of Brian Wells. You may not remember this story until you hear me re- describe it. They say now this guy who died in it was involved. I`m not so sure.

And before we go, just a reminder that tonight`s show is brought to you by the Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort. Find your sleep number, today, at a Select Comfort store.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Coming up, big trouble for the McCain campaign. Top aides dropping like flies, and they can`t seem to raise any money. And what a surprise, he`s losing touch with the conservative base.

So, is this it for Senator McCain? Yes. But not for the reasons that everybody else in the media is telling you about. I`ll tell you why in just a bit.

But first, Michael Moore, our good friend, is at it again. This time he`s not only attacking America`s health care system; he`s attacking CNN. I never saw that one coming.

Wolf Blitzer had him on in "THE SITUATION ROOM" Monday, following a piece by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The piece basically debunked large portions of Moore`s latest documentary, "Sicko".

Moore, being the stand-up kind of guy that he is, accused CNN of being funded by pharmaceuticals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOORE: I`m just curious, when are you going to just stand there and apologize to the American people for not bringing the truth to them, that isn`t sponsored by some major corporation? I mean, I`ll sit here for as long as it takes if you can do that for me.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Just to be...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Yes, yes. Absolutely ridiculous. But I was thinking that last night when I was taking my Lipitor.

Michael Moore spent much of his time in a red-faced screaming match with Wolf Blitzer, who held his own and tried to stay calm. So last night Larry King invited Moore on his show to have a healthy debate, because they`re taking Propecia, with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Moore continued with his irrational hot-headed bullying, that maybe you should try Cialis for, but Gupta`s calm use of the actual facts prevailed in the end.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael, I think you`d have to agree -- you have to agree that people would walk away from your film with the perception that health care is free in England.

MOORE: Yes.

GUPTA: Again, you`re a filmmaker. You know how it...

MOORE: It is free. It is free.

GUPTA: You pay for it in taxes. In France...

MOORE: You pay for it in...

GUPTA: ... there`s a 5 percent income tax.

MOORE: When do I get to say something here?

GUPTA: Go ahead.

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Sanjay? Go ahead, Michael.

MOORE: Man, oh man.

KING: Go ahead.

GUPTA: We`ve got Michael Moore speechless. That`s pretty hard to do here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: It was unbelievable. Michael Tanner, director of health and welfare studies for the Cato Institute, joins me now, along with Dan Gifford. He is an Oscar nominated documentary producer.

First, let me start with you, Mike. Health care. Over in France. Absolutely free.

MICHAEL TANNER, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND WELFARE STUDIES, CATO INSTITUTE: Yes, except for the 10 percent to 40 percent co-payments, the balance billing by the doctors, the enormous taxes that they pay. You know, 80 percent of the French public has private health insurance to help fill in the gaps.

BECK: Whoa, wait a minute. I don`t think I saw that in "Sicko".

Hey, Dan, you`re a filmmaker, and actually, you`re an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker. And you`re actually upset at Michael Moore and petitioning the Academy to make a new category for him. Why?

DAN GIFFORD, DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER: Well, because he`s being rewarded, or awarded for making films called documentaries, which violate the rules that define what a documentary is.

BECK: Well, how do you mean?

GIFFORD: Well, intentional deception. That`s the big part of these films that he is making. In fact, after I finish this, I`m speaking to a bunch of filmmakers over at UCLA about this same thing.

People are upset about this who have to follow the rules. They`re saying, well, if Michael Moore can, say, take an interview with Glenn Beck and put it in the edit room and swish it around and make him say things he never said, why can`t I do that?

And so there really does need to be a separate category, because what he`s making is not a documentary.

BECK: He will claim -- he will claim that he doesn`t do that.

GIFFORD: Well, he does do that. And I sent your producer an example with Charlton Heston, where he took two separate speeches, a year apart, put them together, with a cut-away in the middle, two separate suits, so you don`t notice that. But -- and then claimed Heston said something which he, in fact, did not say. And that was in "Bowling for Columbine".

And he`s done this before, and I`ve seen in other films. And there`s two out right now called "Manufacturing Dissent" and "Shooting Michael Moore" which have come up with many different things.

The biggest one I didn`t realize was that "Roger and Me" is a complete fraud from top to bottom. And so I -- there`s a complete body of work here which tells you what the guy`s doing.

BECK: OK. So, Mike, let me -- let me go back to health care and "Sicko" and some of the things that he is -- he is wrong on. The life expectancy, or the waiting list in Canada. Let`s start with the waiting list. They say there`s no waiting list.

TANNER: Are you kidding me? Sure, Michael Moore goes up to some clinic in Canada and he walks in and says, "How long have you been waiting?" People say, well, ten minutes, and he goes, aha, there`s the waiting list.

The reality is, there`s 800,000 people on the waiting list. And maybe Michael Moore could have found time to interview, say, Beverly McLaughlin, the chief justice of the Canadian Supreme Court.

You know, in 2005, they struck down part of Canada`s universal health care law, and in the opinion, the majority opinion written by Justice McLaughlin, she said it was undisputed by the Canadian government that many of the people on the waiting list were in chronic pain and that some would die while on the waiting list.

BECK: You know, I -- I have a friend who is a heart surgeon, and he was one of the leading heart surgeons in Sweden for a long time, and he said Sweden has an unbelievable system. It is absolutely great.

He said, but America, what people don`t understand is that you may have a couple of years extra life here in the American system, but what is the quality of that life? Because you spend so much time waiting.

I know they talked about this on Larry King last night, where he said, "Hey, if you`ve got a heart problem, you`re in and out."

And Sanjay Gupta said, "No, I`m sorry, if you have a heart problem, maybe you can get in, in the next six days up in Canada." True or false?

TANNER: Well, you`re absolutely right. And people wait in Canada, 750,000 on the waiting list in Britain. They wait pretty much everywhere.

Look, if you`re sick, this is the country you want to come to. When Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister of Italy, needed heart surgery, he didn`t go to Canada, he didn`t go to France, he didn`t even go to Cuba with Michael Moore. Instead, he came to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, because that`s where you can get the best treatment in the world.

BECK: These people just don`t understand capitalism and how it works.

Dan, it struck me as Michael Moore just engaging in propaganda for the movie, just engaging in hype for the movie. And because a lot of the times he just started bashing Bush and everything else. You`re like, wait, that was the last movie.

Was this -- do you think this is genuine, or is this just Michael Moore making money?

GIFFORD: I think it`s both. I think he`s certainly coming from the left side of the political spectrum. And he`s created a persona, which is -- really, it`s a shtick. It`s a populist shtick, where -- and it`s nothing new. Lots have done it. I`ve done it in features when I was a television reporter, where you go out and confront the great faceless edifice (ph) and do a little asides when you get crazy answers, and there you go.

BECK: Right. Michael, Dan, thanks.

We`ll be back in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Big developments today in that mysterious pizza bomber case. You remember this? About four years ago, it was after a bizarre bank robbery attempt in which a pizza deliveryman, Brian Wells, was killed by a bomb that was fastened to his neck, and he was begging the police -- police, "Please, take this off my neck."

Federal authorities have charged Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes, the alleged masterminds. The twist is, they`re saying that the guy who was killed in the end was involved.

Here with the latest is Don Clark, former FBI special agent.

Don, you know, I`ve got to tell you, I talked to John Wells, the dead man`s brother, four years ago, and he`s a fan of my radio show. And I believe him that his brother was not involved in this. And he`s just mad as hell.

Do you buy into the fact that somehow or another this guy was involved in his own death?

DON CLARK, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, you know, Glenn, I`ve said all along, and I will say that, you know, I believe that the prosecutors and investigators are trying to get the information as best they possibly can. I honestly cannot see how this person can be involved in this particular crime, or in his own death.

I would think that someone would have to look at a mental state here. And I say that with all due respect to his family. If someone were to allow another person to put this type of device on them, and he absolutely have no control to get it off.

And the other reason would be, why? There`s no need to, if you`re complicit in this particular operation, as to, are you going to do this. Why do you need to do anything but put something fake on you, if you wanted to pull it off in that way?

BECK: It doesn`t make any sense at all.

CLARK: No.

BECK: I want to play the -- I want to play the sound byte here from John Wells, the brother. He spoke in a press conference earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN WELLS, BROTHER OF BRIAN WELLS: My brother was a brutal murder victim. He didn`t know any of these people. When you have a bomb locked to your neck and the federal authorities chop your head off to get the bomb off, there was no way Brian put that on himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: And that`s what they did. That`s what they did, too. After he died, I think they tried to take it off for another day and they couldn`t, and they had to cut his head off to remove the device. There`s no way you strap something like that on your -- on yourself.

CLARK: I can`t imagine it, Glenn. I would -- I just can`t wait to hopefully some day, and we may never see the evidence in this, because the two people in jail are likely to plead guilty, or whatever they might do. So you don`t see necessarily the evidence.

But I can`t wait to see what evidence that he was complicit in his own death, and in this particular operation. Just to lock this thing on.

And Glenn, I`ll tell you another thing, if you`ve seen all of the instructions that were written out as to what he was to do, while carrying out this scheme, it is so complex that it`s unbelievable.

So a person who`s mentally sound enough to do something like that, but yet to let them strap a bomb around his neck, I don`t know. It`s just kind of tough for me to swallow.

BECK: You know what? We`ve been trying to get a hold of John Wells all day today. Clearly, he`s a little busy.

CLARK: Yes.

BECK: And John, if you happen to be watching, please call me, because I`d love to spend a lot of time with you. Because the way he tells the story about his brother, and, you know, the fact that he was just -- he happened to just be the guy on that particular pizza delivery by chance, I just -- it just doesn`t seem -- it just doesn`t seem right.

Don, thank you. We`ll follow the case and -- and thanks for keeping us up to date on this.

CLARK: You bet.

BECK: Up next, John McCain`s presidential campaign seems to be falling apart at the seams. Now critics and the media will tell you it`s his war stance. No, it`s not. I`ll explain in tonight`s "Real Story". And that`s next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Coming up, Robert Kennedy Jr. called me a traitor. I sent him a letter. He`s actually responded. What does he...

BECK: Coming up, Robert Kennedy, Jr., called me a traitor. I sent him a letter. He`s actually responded. What does he have to say? I`ll tell you in just a bit.

But first, welcome to the "Real Story." John McCain`s campaign finally made some headlines yesterday. I`m pretty sure it`s not the headlines he was hoping for. In what anonymous aides are calling an implosion, two of McCain`s top political strategists resigned from his campaign. The media says it`s because of fundraising is down, his poll numbers stinks, it`s about the war. But that`s not true.

The "Real Story" is, they`re abandoning him because he won`t abandon what he truly believes about this war, and they don`t think that`s a winning position. Now, I know I`m not a presidential campaign adviser, but I am a thinker. If being anti-war is the secret to the nomination, then why hasn`t Rudy Giuliani, or Mitt Romney, or even Fred Thompson suddenly turned into a cute, little dove and flown away? Once again, the media is spinning the wrong answer just to fit their own agenda.

This has nothing to do with the war. In fact, I believe that`s probably the only position that is helping John McCain. This is all about tipping points. Everybody in life has one. It`s the moment where everything in your life changes, where your life literally pivots one way or another. And for John McCain, it happened when he put his name next to Ted Kennedy`s on that amnesty bill nobody liked.

Sure, trampling free speech by getting into bed with Russ Feingold got him off to a pretty good start, but it was selling out of our national security on that immigration bill that finally tipped his campaign over the edge.

Thomas Jefferson said one time, "In matters of principle, stand like a rock. In matters of taste, swim with the current." I want our politicians to reach out across the aisle and compromise on policy. But too many times, John McCain sold out his American principles, and that is the reason why he will not be our next president.

Jonathan Martin is a senior political writer for the "Politico." Jonathan, when are these people in Washington actually going to get this? First of all, it`s not the war and being anti-war. I mean, even McGovern has come out this week and said there`s no evidence that being anti-war and saying pulling out the troops will actually get you the presidency.

JONATHAN MARTIN, SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER, "THE POLITICO": Well, thanks for having me, Glenn. I appreciate it. You`re absolutely right. Senator McCain`s preeminent challenge in this campaign has been that he is viewed with some degree of mistrust by regular Republicans, by the conservative base, and the problem for him was timing.

You know, just when he was making some progress, in part because of his support for the Iraq war this past spring, what came a cropper? The immigration issue. And for the past two months, it`s been dominating the headlines. And when you`re on the wrong side of the biggest issue to your party, it`s tough to get that party`s nomination.

BECK: It`s amazing that -- this is the thing that Republicans were screaming the last election. Guys, you have the election being handed to you. Get on the right side of immigration, and they wouldn`t do it. And now nobody seems to get it here, when John McCain`s numbers are going down.

MARTIN: Well, there`s no question that, you know, headlines were brutal. It hurt his fundraising. It hurt his grassroots to a certain degree. Look, the McCain folks were out there in the early states trying to put together volunteers, trying to cobble together an organization, and every time they would talk to Republican activists, they would bring up this immigration bill or, as they would call it, this amnesty bill. It was an insurmountable object in his way. It`s good news that it`s now gone. But the question, Glenn, is, is it too late now for the McCain campaign to recover?

BECK: It absolutely is. The only thing that strikes me on the war with McCain, and the only way you could view him negatively -- I mean, if you`re a conservative, and, you know, you believe we should fight this harder -- is that he and I think Hillary Clinton in a way has kind of the same problem going for her, and that is you`re part of the problem.

You know, you didn`t either -- you know, in Clinton`s role, you didn`t stop it, or you didn`t change it to fight it the way you wanted. And the same thing with McCain. He`s kind of been painted as -- I actually heard somebody on FOX say this morning, "Well, he`s just part of Bush`s war." Bush`s war? But that`s the way these people are painted. It takes somebody from the outside, doesn`t it?

MARTIN: I think you just hit the nail on the head by saying the outside. This is shaping up to be a change election. And when you`re running in a change election, it does not help to have a Washington area code in front of your phone number, whether that`s Senator McCain or Senator Clinton. Their experience in D.C. is not a huge asset. And whether you`re a Democrat or Republican, if you are part of the system, if you`re part of the establishment, then that`s a tough place to be in, when a lot of the American people want to change things pretty dramatically.

BECK: Thanks, Jonathan.

Now, during the immigration debate, you heard all sorts of stats and figures being tossed around, but I`ll bet you, you never heard this one. Between October 1, 2000, and September 30, 2005, 98 percent of the people caught crossing into our country illegally were never prosecuted, 98 percent. In fact, people who came from countries other than Mexico -- conveniently the government calls them "other than Mexicans" -- actually relied on not being prosecuted as part of their strategy. They`d come in from Guatemala, or brazil, or even from the Middle East, believe it or not, be caught, then given some papers and released on the promise, cross your heart and hope to die, to appear in court. Take a wild guess how many of them actually showed up.

The media loves to quote the so-called experts who say, "There`s just no way to do it. We don`t have enough agents or jails or judges." Really? The "Real Story" is, these are nothing but tired, old excuses. Last year, a program called "Operation Streamline" began along 210-mile stretch in west Texas. It`s highly technical, and I`ll try to speak slowly for those of you in the meat-eating states. But if you`re caught illegally crossing the border in that area, they take you to jail. Here`s where it gets complex. Then they prosecute you, and then they send you to even more time in prison. The end.

Well, guess what? Detentions of illegals have fallen 65 percent in that area. What a surprise. So why isn`t "Operation Streamline" in place? And why isn`t the government, why isn`t George Bush saying, "We`ve got to do this on the entire border"?

Texas Congressman John Culberson went to the border last week to get a firsthand account. Congressman, tell me how it`s working and give me the specifics on the trash trail.

REP. JOHN CULBERSON (R), TEXAS: Glenn, you`re exactly right. Law enforcement works. It`s common sense. In Del Rio, the nation owes a great debt of gratitude to Border Patrol Chief Randy Hill, federal Judge Ollie Aludlum (ph), the local sheriff there of Val Verde County, Sheriff D`Wayne Jernigan, they got together and decided that, if you cross into the United States illegally in Del Rio, you will be arrested.

There is zero tolerance in Del Rio for illegal entry into the United States; 100 percent of all illegal aliens crossing the Rio Grande River in the Del Rio sector, Glenn, are being arrested. They are being sentenced to six months in jail at federal expense. They`re being housed in county jails at federal expense.

The word got out very quickly, Glenn, in fact. And before this program started, "Operation Streamline," in the Del Rio sector, they were arresting over 7,000 illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico, and last month they only arrested 20.

And as you say, officers can spot the edge of the Del Rio sector simply by walking and looking at the trash, because the trash picks up on the edge of the Del Rio sector north and south of the sector because the illegals figured it out in about 30 minutes, if you cross in Del Rio, you will be arrested, so nobody`s crossing.

BECK: This is -- you know what? I`ve been saying for weeks now, it`s we the people that are going to solve it.

CULBERSON: Absolutely.

BECK: And the closer we get to the local level, the more things will get done and the more things will get fixed.

CULBERSON: Absolutely.

BECK: How is it we can get this thing to go all the way across the border?

CULBERSON: Two ways. I serve on the Appropriations Committee. And tomorrow, I will be offering an amendment to the Department of Justice appropriations bill, demanding that the Department of Justice implement "Operation Streamline" from Brownsville to San Diego, that we institute zero tolerance of illegals crossing into the United States illegally, that we prosecute 100 percent of them, because Del Rio has done this, Glenn, within existing resources.

Del Rio didn`t need any new laws. We don`t need any new laws to protect this country. They didn`t need any new money. They only needed three new prosecutors assigned by the Border Patrol to handle these cases in court. So I`m going to do an amendment tomorrow in the Appropriations Committee -- I expect it to pass -- demanding that Department of Justice institute zero tolerance for illegal aliens crossing into the United States, that 100 percent of them be arrested, they be sentenced to six months in prison, which will then allow us not only to deport them criminally, but if they come back into the United States, it`s a felony. It prevents them from reentering again.

And then, finally, Glenn, I`m going to find, frankly, a way to make sure that this is implemented through the appropriations process. And then also one other key piece is that I`m trying to send, with the help of Congressman Ciro Rodriguez and Henry Cuellar, $125 million to $150 million to locally elected border sheriffs, so they can hire the deputies, buy them the police cars and the machine guns and the equipment they need, to arrest criminals, put them in local jails at federal expense, basically seal the border, stop the flooding, enforce the law. The local community supports it, Glenn. Everyone down there is for law and order.

BECK: We`ll follow this tomorrow. I`m anxious to see if it actually passes tomorrow.

And, President Bush, listen up: You want your credibility back? This is the kind of stuff that you should be doing.

CULBERSON: Enforce the law.

BECK: Congressman, thank you very much. That is the "Real Story" tonight. And we`ll be back in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I would like to be in charge of changing the way the president gives speeches. Why don`t we have slick graphics? Why don`t we have boxes that come up next to him? When he says, "You know, here`s the problem with poverty," and a box comes up. You`ve got to enter the MTV age.

The only person who did this was Perot, because he was like, "Look, let me tell you what it`s like. Here`s what it`s like. Here`s a picture of a pig, and here`s a picture of a trough. And the little pig is eating in the trough all the time." That`s what he was doing. That`s what the president needs to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, maybe not tell it like that, but you get the point.

Next story is one of inspiration and resilience. From a young age, Trevor Ferrell has had a calling to help those in need. He basically devoted his entire life to it. This is a fascinating story. Highs and lows, he has stood by his initial decent instinct, but as a result, this guy has lived an extraordinary life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): Just 11 years old, Trevor Ferrell was known around the world as the boy who helped the homeless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heroes come in all sizes and types. This youngster is a hero.

BECK: You may not remember his story, but it was one that touched the hearts of many. In 1983, Trevor saw a news report that changed his life forever. Homeless living on the streets of Philadelphia trying to survive in sub-zero weather. He asked his father to take him there, so he could help.

TREVOR FERRELL, HOMELESS ADVOCATE: I begged and begged and begged for him to take me. And he did.

BECK: That night, they left the comforts of their suburban home to find the homeless in inner city Philadelphia.

FERRELL: The guy we went to first, he said -- I gave him a blanket and he said, "Thank you, God bless you." And he was really nice, and that made me feel good, so I wanted to do it more.

FERRELL: It struck something inside of me that made me want to go out another night and do it again.

BECK: Trevor is now 34 years old. He remembers that night clearly, because it was the start of something amazing.

FERRELL: For some reason, it got picked up on what I was doing it. And once people saw what I was doing, they got involved.

BECK: Soon, Trevor`s campaign was born, a million-dollar nonprofit organization.

FERRELL: The local networks did shows on it, and then it went national, then international. And it grew so quick, so fast.

BECK: Everyday, Trevor and hundreds of volunteers hit the street feeding and caring for the homeless.

FERRELL: Need something to eat?

BECK: He made many deep connections.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It means a hell of a lot to me. Anybody who would try to hurt that boy, they`ve got to walk through me first.

BECK: Trevor won the admiration of those he helped and those who heard about his deeds.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we see the dream born again in the joyful compassion of a 13-year-old, Trevor Ferrell.

BECK: In 1986, Trevor was honored by Ronald Reagan in his State of the Union address.

REAGAN: Trevor, yours is the living spirit of brotherly love.

FERRELL: That was one of the State of the Union addresses. Nancy Reagan, she was really -- I mean, just the most down-to-earth person.

BECK: Trevor now owns a thrift shop and distribution center in Philadelphia.

FERRELL: You know, Trevor`s next door, Trevor`s campaign tape...

BECK: The remains of that era of his childhood, the awards, the publicity, the photos, lie cluttered on a floor in a back room, completely neglected.

FERRELL: I guess the pope picture should be treated a little better than that. That`s embarrassing.

BECK: Surprisingly, that whirlwind time in his life, which started from a single innocent act of kindness, brought him more pain than happiness.

FERRELL: Basically every single weekend, I was out speaking, sometimes to two or three different cities. I never felt comfortable speaking. I always got nervous. There were some sad times there. You know, it wasn`t easy for me. I experienced things that I probably shouldn`t experience at a young age, you know, in all different regards. I`ve had some bad experiences that were related to this.

BECK: One day when he was 18, Trevor walked away from all of it, the fame, the nonprofit, his entire life.

FERRELL: How you doing, buddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

FERRELL: Good. Good to see you.

BECK: But he`s never stopped helping the homeless. His distribution center is made up of donations and castaways. He gives the brunt of it to the homeless who are trying to get a new start on life. The rest he sells.

FERRELL: Are these the clothes?

BECK: Trevor now devotes all of his time to his little thrift shop and distribution center. He ekes out a living. It`s not a multimillion- dollar organization, but it`s his.

FERRELL: The reason I enjoy this so much is because it supports itself. I never have to ask for money, don`t have to ask for anything except your old clothing.

BECK: His years as a kid in the spotlight are ones he`d sooner forget than glorify, but the passion that drove him to help the homeless all those years ago still burns strong.

FERRELL: Just do some good in your life. It`s not about the money; it`s about, you know, making someone happy and seeing the good that`s being done. Good breeds more good.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Trevor Ferrell joins us now. Trevor, you don`t do interviews anymore. You had all the limelight. I mean, you met the pope and Mother Teresa and everybody. Why are you allowing us into your life again?

FERRELL: I don`t know the exact reason why. One reason is I`m a big fan of Glenn Beck`s, and I`ve followed your career for quite a few years now. And I just thought maybe it was time to tell people that I`m still involved and that doing something in the community can make a difference. And it`s important for everybody to go out there, and do something, and contribute to society, to make it more of a positive place for everybody.

BECK: Yes, you have such an amazing story, and you`re probably stronger now than you ever have been, because you went through -- I mean, when somebody goes through, and hits the bottom, and they`re alcoholic and drug and whatever, and then they come back from the ashes, they`re stronger. What has changed in you from that bottoming out?

FERRELL: Well, I lived my life in a more positive way, and that`s probably the most important thing. When you`re positive yourself and feeling good about yourself and living the life the right way, you`re able to do so much more. And, you know, after being at the bottom, with the people that I helped over the years, I now can relate to them even better, because I`ve been there. I needed somebody to help me, and I needed help.

BECK: How did you not feel good about yourself when you helped so many people, when you were -- what was it? Why did you leave?

FERRELL: Well, I think it was part of -- everybody who sits there and thinks you`re some angel, or some saint, some perfect person, and they make you into something that you could never live up to. I think a lot of times the movie stars have that same problem.

And after going through that and not being able to live up to that person, knowing I`m going to make mistakes, I just gave myself an even harder time for those mistakes. And then the harder time I gave myself, the more I turned into drugs and alcohol and struggled with it for many years.

BECK: Trevor, next time I`m in Philadelphia, I want to shake your hand.

FERRELL: I want to shake your hand. Thank you.

BECK: We`ll be back in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. In case you missed yesterday`s program, I told you a little bit about this yesterday, but let me recap. And also, you missed it if you missed Live Earth over the weekend. The diatribes of RFK, Jr. He`s the environmental activist who called me CNN`s chief corporate fascism advocate because he heard that I was questioning global warming. Well, while on stage at Live Earth, he continued his quest for a fair and open debate when he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST: And so I`m going to tell you this: that the next time you see John Stossel, or Glenn Beck, or Rush Limbaugh, or Sean Hannity, these flat-Earthers, these corporate toadies, lying to you, lying to the American public, and telling you that global warming doesn`t exist, please send an e-mail to their advertisers and tell them you`re not going to buy their products anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, I just have to say this as a side note. I`d assume that the few e-mails that my sponsors will actually receive might puzzle them a bit, because many of them actively promote energy-saving technology on my show. But, you know, don`t let the facts get in the way of that silky smooth delivery. Then he went on to say about this corporate today this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNEDY: This is treason, and we need to start treating them now as traitors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Now, when I heard that, I wrote a letter right away to RFK Jr.`s office, which I asked for a little clarification. You know, here`s the penalty for being a traitor. "Whoever is guilty of treason shall suffer death or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined not less than $10,000 and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States."

Wow, I guess I`m not going to be president. But the letter went on to point out that his accusation that I was telling you that global warming doesn`t exist is not at all correct. But it also asks him to clarify whether he wants me to be executed or just jailed and fined for my opinion. I was fuzzy on that one.

I assume he`s going to tell us his answer since he has agreed to come onto this program, and I think it will be tomorrow night. But the only stipulation is he has to fit us in between flights, which I`m sure are on solar-powered planes. I`m just saying. Don`t forget, that`s happening tomorrow. And if you want to know what else is on tomorrow`s program, or if you`d like a little more in-depth commentary of the news of the day, sign up for my free daily e-mail newsletter at glennbeck.com right on the front page.

From New York, good night.

END