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Glenn Beck

Chris Benoit Tragedy Is Typical Of Too Many Pro Wrestlers In The Pseudo Sport; Dog Fight Scandal: Shocking Brutal Details Implicate NFL Player

Aired July 20, 2007 - 19:00   ET

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

GLENN BECK, CNN ANCHOR, GLENN BECK: Tonight, Chris Benoit`s tragedy continues to unfold with the recent toxicology reports painting a scary portrait of steroid and drug abuse that unfortunately exposes a much larger problem for a very violent form of entertainment.
Plus, the quarterback and canines. NFL Star Michael Vick indicted for running a gruesome dog fighting ring.

And is Cheney pushing for military action against Iran? A new report claims the vice president is urging Bush to act against the regime before leaving office. Will the president listen? All this, and more, tonight.

Hello, America, this Sunday night is the all-American bash. And, no, it`s not an event sponsored by John Murtha, which I was surprised to find out. It`s WWE hosting their 22nd annual star-spangled pay-per-view event and here`s the point tonight.

(Voice over): Professional wrestling is nothing more than an over- inflated, oiled-up example of how violent our society has become. It glorifies the very worst that we as a people, athletes and Americans can be. And here`s how I got there.

First, let`s start with defining the terms here. Professional wrestling, not, not, not a sport. Not a sport. It`s sports entertainment, a label that the billion-dollar industry has lovingly embraced. These men are little more than muscle-bound "B" movie actors in dinner theater, in Spandex, where the guy with the biggest biceps, loudest mouth and highest rating gets to wear the championship belt, while you eat your Cheetos in your underpants.

I`ve been there, brother.

There is no competition. There is no athletic excellence and no sportsmanship. When there`s more physical skill in one of the "Jackass" movies, you can`t call yourself the all-American bash. Or then, again, can you? Is this what we`ve become?

Then there is the tragedy surrounding the Chris Benoit case. The Canadian Crippler, of if he would have only stopped at crippling.

Reports now show he was jacked up on steroids, Xanax and pain meds, when he killed his wife and seven-year-old son with his bare hands, right before hanging himself with a cord from his weight machine. He is the most recent example of a professional wrestler gone bad, but he`s not even close to the first one.

If you`re looking for entertainers with big drug habits and dying early, you probably think of, at least I did, the golden years of "Saturday Night Live," they were dropping like flies, but that was child`s play. Since 1984, at least 62 wrestlers have died before their 50th birthday. Nine of those were by suicide, murder, or drug overdose.

The rest were done in by a variety of things like heart attacks and organ failure, ailments that many experts say were the result of a cocktail of steroids, pain killers and recreational drugs that many of these guys live on. As for the arrests, due to their abuse of drugs, or spouses, or other scrapes with the law, I`d like to rattle them off for you but the show is only an hour long.

Many of these sports entertainers -- I mean, they come from troubled backgrounds. A life in pro wrestling has not helped them turn their lives around. It has just given them more money and they`ve taken that money and made more mistakes with more collateral damage. There are far more tragic endings than happy ones in wrestling.

So, tonight, here`s what you need to know, a true all-American bash is playing with your kids this weekend, or having a family picnic, not watching trash-talking thugs throw each other around on canvas. Violence is out of control in our society, from shoot `em video games to the gratuitous films to real athletes like quarterback Michael Vick getting tangled up in this dog thing.

What is going on? Pain has become our new pleasure. We need to get back to the noble values that built this country into the great nation that it really is. Let our true potential out of the headlock. We`ve come a long way from the eye pokes of the Three Stooges. And today`s movie and TV violence leaves wounds that are far beneath the surface and they are just festering. We are a nation that is hurting. And it is time to make it stop.

I`m joined now by Marc Mero, retired professional wrestler and Jack Singer, clinical psychologist, who has worked with many wrestlers throughout his career.

Jack -- actually, Mark, let me start with you. You`re a former wrestler. Before we get into it, I just want to ask you, people could say that what you`re about to say is just because you`re a disgruntled wrestler, that was, you know, was just forced out in the end.

MARC MERO, FMR. PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: Well, actually, I had three years left on a guaranteed contract that I walked away from, Glenn. And I was very -- I`m one of the actual success stories of professional wrestling and financially, I`m set for life. I got a very good business in Orlando, Florida. And it is the people say I have an agenda and if my agenda is saving life, lives, then I`m guilty.

BECK: What was life like and why did you leave?

MERO: Well, first of all, we`re on the road, being on the road in the professional wrestling is unprecedented than any other sport. We`re on the road about 250 days a year. There is no off-season. We have our Super Bowl of wrestling is called Wrestlemania. The next night we`re doing Monday Night Raw. Could you imagine the NFL, after the Super Bowl, they start the season with "Monday Night Football"? It`s unprecedented and unheard of in any other sport.

Remember something, Glenn, there`s only 12 to 15 spots on television available. If you`re not jacked up, ready to go, with pain medication, feeling good, or with, you know, all the other list of -- the host of cocktail drugs that we are used to doing on the road to keep our bodies in top shape, including steroids and sleeping meds, or anything we need to keep going, then if you`re not going to do it, there`s a thousand guys behind you that are going to.

BECK: OK, Jack, we can talk about the wrestlers and what`s going on with them and the pain that they`re in, and the choices that they`re making, et cetera, et cetera, but let`s talk about the choices that we`re making and how it affects us, if we are watching this with our kids. What is the impact on us?

JACK SINGER, PH.D., CLINICAL & SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, you know, with all of this violence that`s happening in the world today, Glenn, in terms of fear of terrorism, and the fast-paced society we live in, and so forth, so many people look for an outlet like this in order to vicariously feel as if they`re not as bad off as they could be. They`d rather see someone else get beaten up. It makes them feel good.

BECK: But, you know what, everybody who watches this and everybody defended this, says, come on, everybody knows this is a TV show. But I have noticed that the TV shows are blending into our real life. And, I mean, I don`t think it started with reality television, but that`s what`s pushed it over the edge.

You now see kids videotaping beating up other people, or doing wrestling moves, or whatever, and they don`t know the difference between reality and television. And that is a frightening, frightening thing.

SINGER: It certainly is, Glenn. These two things have fused together. People don`t understand where reality begins and fake stops. And if you talk to many people who watch, as you say, people in their shorts, crunching on their Fritos, if you talk to some of these people, they`ll adamantly deny that this is staged. They`re in denial about this.

BECK: Mike, you didn`t answer the question why you left -- early. Why did you leave the contract?

MERO: Well, you know, at that time, you know, my ex-wife was in a lawsuit with the WWE. Her name was Sable in professional wrestling and part of the settlement agreement was I would walk away from my guaranteed salary and I decided to do that because it just wasn`t fun anymore. It wasn`t for me. And I got off a lot of the drugs I was on at a time.

(CROSS TALK)

BECK: What were you --

MERO: A lot people don`t realize this --

BECK: What were you taking?

MERO: Well, it was mostly pain medication to be able to make the shows every day, you have to take some type of pain medication. I didn`t even know many wrestlers that were not on some type of medication.

And, Glenn, this is unprecedented in any sport. I have wrestled 25 wrestlers that are no longer with us. Where can any athlete get up and show a list like this unless he`s a professional wrestler?

BECK: I`ve thought a lot about this, and Jack, maybe you can comment on this, professional wrestling, we don`t even think about it. Just like we never thought of Jerry Lewis and all of his pratfalls, the man wanted to commit suicide when he started to get older, because he couldn`t take the pain of all of the time he had just thrown himself on the ground for a laugh. Look at the abuse these guys put their bodies through. How do you possibly survive pain-free by the time you`re 40?

SINGER: Really difficult, Glenn. And interestingly, in this particular event, called professional wrestling, the better athletes are the ones who prevent themselves from getting hurt, the ones who try to not get hurt. It`s really interesting. And when they do get hurt, as you just heard from the other gentleman -- who I really appreciate as being really forthright here -- these folks load themselves up on all kinds of substances in order to just make it to the next day. Nobody has an idea of what these people go through.

BECK: I`ve only got 30 seconds. Either of you have an idea of why sports has become such a cesspool? Why is it we have the lowest common denominator that we`re looking for entertainment from? They all seem to be in trouble, or thugs, or criminals or some kind of trouble comes out of every sport now. Why?

SINGER: Well, let`s keep it in perspective. You`re looking at some people who have trouble in sports, the vast majority of people don`t. And we don`t pay a lot of attention to them. So we have to keep it in perspective, Glenn, the ones that you hear about are the ones that we get disgusted by, and these are people that have had problems that before they got into the sport.

The screening mechanisms in professional football, for example, are really wanting. I would never do the screening mechanisms that they use now to try to determine and predict whether someone is going to have problems, and yet they don`t seem to want to advance.

BECK: Guys, thank you very much. We`re have to move on.

Coming up, Congress can`t seem to fix our broken borders and one Virginia county has taken matters into their own hands. I`ll tell you how they`re cracking down on illegals, and the people who hire them.

Also, Vice President Cheney reportedly pushing President Bush to take action in Iran before leaving office. Not good news. Are we headed for another showdown in the Middle East? Don`t miss tonight`s "Real Story."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: For months I`ve been telling you this country has been craving leadership on -- well, actually just about everything, but specifically on illegal immigration. As the federal government has once again refused to act, it is the towns and the counties who are stepping in to fill the power vacuum.

Unfortunately, those towns aren`t exactly united on how to solve the problem, which is kind of created this fun little 21st century civil war thing, that we`re doing and doing so well, where one town decides to crack down on illegal aliens, while another town, sometimes right next door, provides a sanctuary for them.

For example, Loudoun County, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., the board of supervisors recently approved a resolution that would limit illegal aliens` ability to use government services and would fine employers who hired them. Thank you.

Meanwhile, just up the street from here, on I-95 in New Haven, Connecticut, officials there, led by the venerable John Destefano (ph), are preparing to hand out the first batch of city I.D. cards to illegal aliens next week. The card can be used during a traffic stop, or to open a bank account, or even at libraries, beaches and parking meters.

Life is convenient in New Haven, Connecticut.

Joseph Budzinski -- I tried not to say Buttinski, is a spokesperson for "Help Save Loudoun. It`s a citizens group that supports that city`s new resolution and Brent Wilkes is the national executive director of the League for United Latin American Citizens, who agrees with the new haven I.D. card plan.

Joseph, let me start with you. Why are you involved? You`re not part of a group. You`re just an ordinary citizen.

JOSEPH BUDZINSKI, HELP SAVE LOUDOUN: We`re a group of grassroots activists, essentially, Glenn, and we are trying to fix a problem in our community that the federal government isn`t going to fix, and up until recently, it didn`t appear any government was going to fix.

BECK: What was the straw that broke the camel`s back for you?

BUDZINSKI: Exactly. It was when I understood what was happening with the citizens that are suffering the worst of the effects of the influx of illegal aliens, namely, the people who have lost their livelihoods because of businesses that have been able to undercut wages, and the people whose neighborhoods have been beset by boarding houses that used to be single family homes.

BECK: OK, let me go to you, Brent. Because what Joseph just said, is the people that suffer the most. What kills me is these people who would love to be able to let everybody in here illegally. They don`t really ever talk about the compassion of the -- for the illegal alien and the slavery system that really is going in, because they`re doing jobs that Americans won`t do. And, quite honestly, many of these jobs American shouldn`t do nor should Mexican citizens. But you`re for the I.D. cards. Tell me why, sir.

BRENT A. WILKES, LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS: I think it`s a practical solution to a real problem in New Haven. They`ve had incidents of where immigrants are being targeted by violent muggers because they know they have to carry cash, because they can`t open up bank accounts. This provides them with an I.D., doesn`t say they`re legally here, just lets them open up a bank account. It identifies who they are. And now they don`t have to carry cash. So it solves a real problem and doesn`t keep making these folks vulnerable to attack.

BECK: Joseph, it`s a good point that Brent made. Have you seen any attacks on anybody in Loudoun?

BUDZINSKI: No, I sure haven`t, but it sounds like Brent has a good heart and if that`s the case, then we have some immediate common ground because it really is about compassion. Our group is focused on compassion for the people that are citizens here, but I applaud what he`s doing, if he`s doing it for those reasons.

BECK: Brent, to me, New Haven, this is a sign of a dying city. John Destefano (ph), and quite honestly, New Haven has been run into the ground for quite some time. John is just the latest of mayors that have done it to it. Yale has done their part.

You can`t live anywhere near New Haven without making an extraordinary sum of money. My in-laws just bought a condo there. It`s a small condo, paid almost $250,000. And they work at Yale. How is it exactly this compassionate to bring these people in and, quite honestly, you`re calling illegal aliens from all over the country to come to New Haven, how is it compassionate to bring them into a state like Connecticut that is crippling for financial means?

WILKES: Well, I don`t say -- we`re not calling on immigrants to come in illegally. In fact, we support legal immigration to the United States. We just think that the city of New Haven is being practical. They know that they`ve got people that have broken the law, have come in undocumented, but that doesn`t mean they have to continue breaking the law in a whole bunch of other areas, and by providing he them with this I.D., they are able to identify themselves when stopped by police. They`re able to participate in other parts of the community without making them prey to violent criminals in the area.

I have to say, in Loudoun County, on the other hand, this is one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Its income is number one in the nation. A lot of the reason why that economy`s doing so well is because of the hard work of immigrants who have come into that county. It`s a shame that they can`t make some accommodation to help the folks that are there. And I understand there`s an issue with overcrowded housing, but they can solve that through creating affordable housing opportunities.

BECK: Joseph, you said earlier you hadn`t seen any attacks. You know darn well there have been attacks and it`s not on illegal immigrants. You`ve got people that are afraid to walk the street in Loudoun County. You`ve got an old man who was walking a dog that was attacked by an illegal alien.

BUDZINSKI: That`s exactly right. We have citizens that have been reduced to staying inside and just peeking through the curtains at night. It`s become a transformed community in eastern Loudoun. Brent`s correct. Loudoun is very prosperous, but it also has some very diverse areas. Eastern Loudoun has been most affected by the influx of illegal aliens.

BECK: OK, guys, thank you very much, Joseph, Brent. Appreciate it.

Coming up, Falcons quarterback Michael Vick facing some serious jail time over his alleged role in illegal dog fighting ring. Hanging onto the ball is the least of his problems now. We`ll have the "Real Story" in just a second.

you want to hear of my thoughts about everything from politics to pop culture? Go to cnn.com/glennbeck, and check out "Beck`s Brain".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick been ignited on charges -- ignited? Did I say ignited? He should be set on fire, if that`s the case, if these are true -- related to illegal dog fighting charges. Allegedly pit bulls were trained to kill each other and then the losing pit bulls were put to death. Electrocution, drowning, hanging, gunshots; one dog allegedly taken and just slammed against the floor until it was dead.

The FBI has been investigating since April. They seized 54 dogs from property owned by Vick. I don`t know anything about sports at all. I know this guy is a quarterback. That`s it. I know a quarterback is supposed to be a team leader. I know he makes millions of dollars, and he`s allegedly torturing dogs on the side? This really doesn`t sound healthy.

Gene Wang, NFL editor for "The Washington Post."

Gene, this -- the story, when I read the things that were happening to these dogs, whenever you see kid and they start killing animals, you say, that kid -- every psychologist would tell you, that kid is a psycho. What does this tell us about Vick?

GENE WANG, NFL EDITOR, "THE WASHINGTON POST": It certainly is very disturbing. I mean, what you mention earlier about the execution-style, the way the dogs were killed if they didn`t perform well. It certainly is, very least, bothersome and the way, the abhorrent ways the dogs were killed.

And Michael Vick has maintained, since there was a raid at that home in April, that he did not live there. It was relatives who lived there. And that he needed to be more cautious in the future. These relatives were taking advantage of him. But if you read the indictment, his name is littered throughout it. It`s not as if his mention here and there, which tells you there was really some serious stuff going, yes.

BECK: In the indictment, is he at all present at any -- or is he taking part in any of these executions?

WANG: Well, yes. In fact, in one section, he allegedly gave about $30,000 worth of cash to some folks who won their dogfight. And then he was alleged to have received a phone call about a dog who did not perform well. And said, is it OK douse him, and electrocute him? And he gave the authority to do so.

BECK: What is, what is going on? I mean, first of all, the dogfight thing I don`t even understand. But here`s a guy worth millions of dollars. Is this entertainment? Is it money? What is it?

WANG: It`s entertainment for a lot these -- I won`t say a lot -- for some athletes, it`s a form of entertainment. There`s money involved. So there`s some bravado involved in that. I guess if you want to say the lowest gladiator aspect of it.

For Michael Vick, it`s just -- right now, the only thing he`s guilty of as poor judgment and that`s very poor judgment. He`s an athlete making $130 million, potentially, in his contract. He`s a quarterback of the Falcons, a team that has been forecasted to do well for many, many years.

And putting himself in a situation is certainly not what the Falcons want, especially with a new coach in place this year. They`ve tried to gear their offense around him, and now there will be distractions throughout the season. Wherever he goes, it`s going to be, what about the dog fighting?

BECK: Oh, my God.

WANG: How are we going to beat the Panthers or how are we going to beat the Saints?

BECK: I don`t think I`ve ever said this. I`ll stand shoulder to shoulder with PETA against -- protesting this guy. There`s no chance they`ll let him out of his contract or he`s going to be gone, until everything is proven, right?

WANG: Well, no, if that were the case the NFL Player`s Association would get involved and there would be lawsuits there, no. But there is a stipulation in the NFL bylaws that allows the commissioner, Roger Goodall (ph) to suspend a player even if he`s not found guilty of a crime. The commissioner has suspended three players this year already for being found guilty of crimes. Packman Jones has not been found guilty, but he has a long track record.

BECK: Gene, thanks a lot.

WANG: My pleasure.

BECK: We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Coming up a little later on in the program, country music legend Charlie Daniels will be here. He`ll performing along with some other country superstars at a benefit concert for a wounded American hero. He`s got a lot to stay. Stick around.

But first, welcome to "The Real Story." Now, I may not be a uranium engineer, but I am a thinker. And the two main ingredients you need for a nuclear bomb, aside from all the stuff that, you know, I don`t understand, are knowledge and time. Well, when it comes to Iran, it`s pretty clear they already have the knowledge, and the whole world is doing a heck of a good job with giving them the time. As the U.N. now debates the third round of resolutions against them, negotiators from the IAEA met in Tehran last week and, quote, "reached an agreement on the modality for resolving the remaining outstanding issues."

Well, that`s good, because that damn modality, that`s been nothing but trouble, huh? Wake up! They`re stalling, and we`re buying it. Instead about talking about modalities, which, by the way, are the conditions on negotiations -- I had to look it up -- why don`t we focus on newspaper reports out of Qatar this weekend that have said the Iranians have chosen 600 targets in Israel to launch missile strikes if they`re attacked? Didn`t hear that one with Katie Couric, did you? No. One part of the reasons you`re not watching Katie Couric, but that`s another story.

The "Real Story" is that, while the world waits for something catastrophic to happen before they take action, the U.S. may already be planning for it. This is bad news: According to the British newspaper "The Guardian," Vice President Dick Cheney -- that evil, warmongering criminal, as they like to call him -- has convinced the president to consider military action on Iran before his term ends because they just don`t trust the next president will deal with the problem.

If that scares the living bat crap out of you, good, because it may be the only way to pass unprecedented, crippling sanctions that could get us out of this mess without a bullet ever being fired. But that window is closing, and it is closing quickly. And mark my words: If Iran is still baking yellowcake next November and a Democrat or a dove Republican wins the election, let me tell you something: This country will, unfortunately, be at war with Iran before the next inauguration.

Ilan Berman is vice president for policy at American Foreign Policy Council. Ilan, I`ve got to tell you. I`ve been saying this for a while. I don`t think this guy is going to let Iran off the hook. He`ll take us in there and strike them if he doesn`t think the next president will. Am I wrong?

ILAN BERMAN, AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY COUNCIL: Well, that`s really the $64,000 question. I know you and I have had that conversation before. I really think a lot depends on political will. We know that the administration is talking softer now about Iran than it was six months ago, and six months ago it was talking softer than six months before that. So the impulse for inertia, for political inertia, because of the election, because of all sorts of things that are happening with regard to Iraq, is pretty great. So whether the president decides to move against Iran decisively remains to be seen. But if he does, it`s because he`ll be swimming against the tide, not with it.

BECK: Oh, what do you mean?

BERMAN: Well, in terms of the knowledge, as you said, it`s quite clear that the Iranians are stalling, that the Iranians buying time. But in terms of the political consensus about what to do about Iran, we`re actually worse off now than we were six months ago.

BECK: Absolutely, but that`s why I think this guy will do it. I mean, I really -- say what you want about George Bush. He says what he means and means what he says when it comes to the Middle East, and I think he really does understand the problem. I may not agree on how he`s trying to solve the problem, but he does understand the problem. And I don`t think this guy will -- if he senses there is no political will, he`ll do -- I mean, I hate to quote the end of the series of "The West Wing," but he`ll do what Bartlett did, and that is, "You know what, guys? I`m sorry. I know this sucks to be you, because you have to clean up the mess, but I`ll take the fall for this. I`m taking us in. I`m going to solve this problem."

BERMAN: Well, that may be true. I certainly think, you know, as you do, that right now is that real window of opportunity where, if the president was serious about this, he could implement all sorts of things -- diplomatic, informational, economic -- that could actually stop short of military conflict. But it`s quite clear that, as we move down that timeline, the likelihood of a confrontation, of some sort of military confrontation, becomes much greater.

BECK: But it doesn`t -- even if we say we don`t have the political will, Israel -- I mean, I had Benjamin Netanyahu on this program. He said, "You guys don`t take care of it, we will." That will set the entire Middle East on fire, will it not? They put these nuke sites in villages. I mean, they`ve built houses above the concrete-enforced bunkers. I mean, you`ll kill people there, and it will set the Muslim world on fire.

BERMAN: No, I think that`s certainly a very real threat. And what we should think about with regard to Israel is, Israel is not the United States. The Israelis are obviously much more seized of this problem because they`re not separated from Iran by a large ocean. But do they have the firepower to pull this off? And what are they actually going to be pulling off?

The Israelis don`t ever talk about denuclearization, because they know they can`t do it. They talk about delaying the Iranian program. And this is, I think, a very big distinction, because policymakers in the United States should be thinking about, well, let`s assume that the Israelis do do it. Is the end result that they envision the same as what we would like to have happen? I suspect that the answers are kind of different, and it really behooves us to be thinking carefully about what we want to have happen in Iran. Obviously, the campaign that we would be looking at would probably be much broader.

BECK: I would certainly just like to see the people rise up, and I fear that -- and you agree with me, I know -- we`re not doing nearly enough to encourage them to do that. Ilan, thanks.

Next, I found an article today that I honestly -- I have to read to you verbatim. As you listen to this, see if any alarm bells or memories go off for you. Here is it is, first quote: "U.S. stocks finished a week of extraordinary highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard`s and Poor`s 500 stock index surging to record levels and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rising to a more than six-year high." Alarm bell number one, ding, ding, ding.

"It is the strongest global market that we`ve seen in the history of measuring these things." Ding. "When the market opens today, the Dow will flirt with a record-breaking 14,000 points." Hello, alarm bell number three. "The psychological significance of breaking a Dow milestone, some experts said, could help propel the index to 15,000 by next year`s end."

How short are our memories, America? Isn`t this the same kind of garbage that was being peddled to us back in 2000 to justify how a pet supply company named Pets.com, just because it was online, was really worth millions of dollars? The real story is that we have successfully created another bubble. And articles like this one, to me, prove it.

The exact same things were being written during the no-lose Internet stock era, then the real estate bubble. We still don`t even know how bad that thing`s going to get. And now they`re being written about the entire stock market. So we`ve got oil prices at near record highs, gas is over $3 a gallon, Iran is playing nuclear blackmail, Al Qaeda wants to launch a spectacular attack against us, the market is just climbing a wall of worry? That`s a quote.

If you listen to the experts, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to see here, people, move on, go buy some more stock. You know, I know this kind of nonsense appeals to the "Let`s get rich quick" side of us, but that`s exactly why you should ignore it and use some common sense. Lasting wealth isn`t made when everybody is talking about Dow 15,000. It`s made when everybody is running from the market. Ask yourself: Does that make sense?

Aaron Task, the editor-at-large at TheStreet.com, I`m not an expert. You, sir, are. And I know you disagree with me.

AARON TASK, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THESTREET.COM: I do disagree with you, Glenn. I think the market is very strong fundamentally, and it`s a lot different than it was in 1999 and 2000. You talk about Pets.com. That company didn`t make any money, you know, back then we kept talking about eyeballs. Now we`re talking about companies that actually make a lot of money.

BECK: I understand that, and I know that we`re not talking corruption. I mean, there were a lot of things that happened in the `90s that hopefully we don`t have going on for us. But what we do have going this time is oil. And I know you believe that oil is not that big of a deal, but our whole economy is based on oil. We`re in a war with the Middle East. Iran is playing games with us. Al Qaeda wants to hit us. How could it possibly be that, when oil prices go up, the stock market goes up?

TASK: Well, a, that`s what`s been happening for the last four-plus years. I mean, oil has come a long way with the stock market.

BECK: How has it happened?

TASK: How has it happened? Well, first of all, we keep thinking that it`s the 1970s all over again. And back then, energy costs were the biggest influence on a corporation`s bottom line. Today it`s far less important for corporations, mainly because unionized workers back then were about 35 percent of the workforce, and they were asking for cost-of-living wage increases, as energy prices went up. Now you have unions that are about 6 percent of the workforce, and they can`t ask for wage prices. They`re giving concessions at places like GM and Ford. So, a, you don`t have the hits to corporations` bottom lines. That`s the first thing.

BECK: But hold it. I mean, look at your logic here. You`re saying because the corporations don`t have to give employees breaks -- I mean, those employees, if they`re hit with $5-a-gallon gasoline, how do they survive? And even if they don`t, they`re not out buying the iPod anymore, and that`s how the companies are hurt.

TASK: Right, I`m not saying it`s not affecting people, and it`s certainly hitting the lower-end consumer. But the reality of the world we live in now is that the high-end consumer is about 40 percent of U.S. consumer spending. So as long as the rich keep spending, the economy is actually going to be doing OK. Now, we can talk about whether that`s the kind of country you want to live in.

BECK: That is not the kind of country I want to live in.

TASK: That`s the kind of country you do live in, though. That`s where we are today.

BECK: You know, we are so -- listen to this conversation. We are so narcissistic in this -- I`m a capitalist, man. I love money. I love the ability to make money.

TASK: Me, too, absolutely.

BECK: But you know what? There comes a time when you`ve got to do the right thing for the country.

TASK: Well, then you`ve got to cut taxes for the poor and the middle class and raise them on the rich. But nobody wants to do that.

BECK: No, you don`t. No, you don`t. You don`t ever have to raise taxes. You don`t ever have to raise taxes.

TASK: Well, if you keep the tax code as it is now, then you still have this economy that`s tilted more towards the wealthy, and their consumer spending is going to have a bigger influence.

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: I don`t think there`s anybody that`s sane and conservative that says let`s keep this tax code that we have now. Aaron, I`d love to have you back and continue this conversation. That is "The Real Story" tonight. We`re out of time.

Coming up, the superstar from country music, Charlie Daniels, drops by to tell us about a very special concert he`s performing for one of our injured troops, and that is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Have you heard the latest? They`re now selling ice. You can now buy designer ice. I believe that we`re at the end of civilization. Now we`re going into grocery stores to buy ice. And I don`t mean like ice, "I`m having a party, I need some for the cooler," I mean designer ice. These are designer ice cubes. These ice cubes are from the polar caps. Why would we be taking ice from the polar caps? Haven`t you heard they`re melting? Are you going to take that ice away from the polar bears, as well?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, sometimes we really don`t know who we are until we face something that you just never thought you could handle. For National Guard Sergeant Kevin Downs, that moment came two summers ago in Iraq when his Humvee was attacked. The other three soldiers inside were all killed, but Downs, somehow or another, was blown from the gunner`s hatch. With burns covering 60 percent of his body, doctors were convinced that he wouldn`t make it. But not only is he still alive, he`s an inspiration to everybody who knows him.

Now, this man who has done so much for us in our country is in need of a home. And tomorrow night, in Downs` hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, organizers hope to raise enough money to buy a home for him. The event is called "Home for a Hero." And one of the main performers on stage will be country music legend Charlie Daniels.

And Charlie is with us. Hello, Charlie. How are you, sir?

CHARLIE DANIELS, THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND: Hi, Glenn. Thanks for having me on.

BECK: That`s good. Now, that`s a hat.

DANIELS: That`s a hat.

BECK: I mean, if I were wearing it, it would be a clown hat.

DANIELS: You`d look like a bug under a cabbage leaf probably, right?

BECK: Yes, I would. Sir, tell me a little bit about a fundraiser tomorrow.

DANIELS: Well, we`ve got a bunch of people. You know, the country music community is a pretty big-hearted outfit. And Kevin needs some help. He deserves some help, and we`re going to try to get together the money to build him a house. And we`ve got a whole bunch of us coming together at Greer Stadium tomorrow, starting at 7:00, to try to raise money to help him out. He`s a fine young man. He gave so much for his country, and we owe him.

BECK: He`s still living in a hospital, is he not?

DANIELS: Yes, well, I think he`s in and out. He`s supposed to be there tomorrow night, so hopefully...

BECK: And what is his condition exactly?

DANIELS: Well, you know, I haven`t seen him in a while. I don`t really know for sure, but hopefully he`s getting better, but he`s going to need a house with some special -- he`s going to need a special needs house. So we`re going to try to help him get it.

BECK: Yes, good. Now, you just released a CD "Live from Iraq." You`re over there quite a bit. What`s morale like over there now?

DANIELS: I found morale to be really good. The last time I was there was last year, in `06, and I found morale to be good. I found -- you know, our military are the best we got. They`re the best young people we got. And they give up some years of their lives that mean a lot just to go over and to fight for us, and they deserve our respect. And I have the utmost respect for them, but the morale was fine the last time I was there.

BECK: You know, Charlie, you know, the thing I`m amazed by -- and I think you`re right, that they are the best that we have. They honestly give me hope in the future. And right after 9/11, when I saw how brave they were and how full of virtue they seem to be -- I mean, I know we have our problems, but they`re good, decent people, and they really believe in what they`re doing -- I wonder, you know, how they do it every day, just by hearing the bull crap coming out of Washington with people not fighting this to win. I mean, they could all be home if we would just...

DANIELS: I think they just kind of tune it out. I mean, they hear it. There`s no doubt about it. They hear it. They read it. They know about it. But I think they just kind of tube it out and have a little tunnel vision and go ahead and do -- they`ve got a great sense of mission. I think they just go ahead and do what they know needs to be done. And, you know, they figure that they have their orders, they`re going to carry them out, and they get it done in a good way.

BECK: Do you think that the sense of not fighting to win is -- let me ask you this -- frustrating to you? Does it seem like we`re fighting to win?

DANIELS: Well, it`s frustrating to me, but the only people that aren`t fighting to win are the people in, you know, the people in D.C. that keep...

BECK: That`s what I mean. Everybody says that we`re tired of the war. I think we`re tired of politicians fighting this as a bunch of suits instead of letting our soldiers do it.

DANIELS: I absolutely agree. I wish we could take the politics out of it for about a year and, you know, let General Petraeus and the troops have it, and I think we`ll get it over with.

BECK: Yes. I saw on your Web site -- I didn`t know there was a Charlie Daniels` blog, but there is, the Charlie Daniels Soap Box. And you had a few choice things to say about immigration.

DANIELS: Yes. You know, let`s make it legal. We got a bunch of people -- I have to be in Washington and here in town -- that keep trying to pass bills to do something about immigration. All we got to do is abide by the laws we have now, and we wouldn`t have that problem. That`s what got us in trouble to start with. Why are they going to enforce a bunch of new laws any better than they`re doing the old ones? So...

BECK: Well, how come the politicians don`t understand that? Because that is universal. That is the universal line for most Americans: just enforce the law. You know, we`ll believe you when you start enforcing this.

DANIELS: Well, what`s funny to me is they keep telling us that, you know, that we need people to do the work here, and yet they keep sending jobs out of the country. So, you know, which is which?

BECK: Charlie, thank you very much, sir. The best of luck to you.

DANIELS: Thank you, Glenn. Got a lot of admiration for you, buddy.

BECK: Thank you. Likewise.

Coming up next, presidential hopeful John Edwards hits the road for his poverty tour, a man who gets $1,200 haircuts. How is it exactly that he`s relating to the poor? I`m just saying, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, today, John Edwards has launched his American poverty tour. Apparently, he`s going to stand out from the rest of the pack of Democrats by being the one candidate who truly cares about the poor. Well, that`s, you know, all well and good and everything, but don`t you find it a bit strange coming from a guy with a $400 haircut? Maybe that`s just me. I mean, I could be completely wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator John Edwards knows poverty. No, he`s not poor anymore, far from it. But as the son of a mill worker, he knows firsthand the immense struggle that comes with not being incredibly, filthy rich beyond one`s wildest dreams, which he is now. Beginning today, the senator will embark on a three-day tour to highlight his unwavering commitment to the poor. He`ll be visiting some of the country`s most impoverished communities, communities with names like Youngstown, Whitesburg, Cleveland. We`re calling it the "Road to One America" tour.

Sadly in the America we live in today, there are two Americas, one for the rich and one for the poor. During the next three days, we hope to draw attention to this ever-growing divide, and we`ll start by touring these impoverished communities in a private jet. Now, we already know what you`re saying: How can you be as rich as Senator Edwards and still care about poverty? Well, Senator Edwards wants you to know that he does care. Just look at him. If that`s not the face of a man who cares, according to women 25-54, I don`t know what is.

And to prove he does care, during the next three days, Senator Edwards is making his campaign for the presidency affordable to everyone, even the poorest. Now, for a limited time only, we`re asking that you send the John Edwards campaign eight dollars. Yep, just eight dollars to show that you`d rather not be for. By sending just eight dollars to the campaign of Senator Edwards, you`ll be helping to defray some of the immense costs that come with a presidential campaign, costs like television commercials, private jet travel, and, of course, hair care. Eight dollars may be a drop in the bucket for someone as rich as John Edwards, but it does add up.

So, please, see it in your heart to support John Edwards for president. He may be loaded but, hey, eight bucks is eight bucks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: That`s incredible. Don`t forget, if you want to know what`s on tomorrow`s radio program or television program -- don`t forget, Giuliani is on the radio tomorrow -- or if you`d like a little more in-depth commentary of the news, we can make some more up. All you have to do is sign up for my free daily newsletter. You get it in the e-mail at glennbeck.com.

From New York, good night, America.

END