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Glenn Beck

How Can U.S. Solve Economic Crisis?; Dr. Dobson Weighs in on Cultural Issues

Aired May 08, 2008 - 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, our short-sighted candidates are so focused on winning elections they`re losing sight of -- oh, I don`t know -- it`s the economy, stupid. Why don`t we just run Mr. Magoo for president?

Plus, from violent video games, violent cops, to raunchy teen TV shows, the country is plagued with moral decay. Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson explains what we should do.

And countries around the world laugh at our energy problems, because we`re not drilling in our own backyard. Other countries are. We`ll have an update on the latest efforts to get this issue resolved.

All this and more, tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Well, hello, America.

A little later on in the program, I have an extended conversation on the many challenges facing our culture with Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. You don`t want to miss it.

But first, today, have you noticed the media is obsessed with Hillary Clinton and whether she should stay in the race or not? "I don`t know; she might not win." Shut up, all of you. The media has got it al wrong, once again. The story is -- oh, would you say -- a little frivolous distraction? The bitter truth is, no matter who stays in the race, none of these pinheads are up to facing the read and present dangers facing our country.

So, here`s "The Point" tonight. America runs on oil. Who would have thought that? We need a president with vision to grease the wheels. And here`s how I got there.

Oil is trading at $123 a barrel. That`s great. Every time I talk about it, I feel like that number keeps getting higher and higher. Is anybody with me? You`re tired of hearing, "Wow, this is another record."

As a result, airlines and trucking companies are collapsing. You can`t afford to fill your tank. Food is either too scarce or too expensive all over the world. Enough. Am I alone? I feel like the guy from "Network." You remember that 1970s movie, where the guy said, "I`m mad as hell and I`m not going to take it anymore."

What are the presidential candidates saying they`re going to do about it? Here`s what they`re saying they`re going to pass off as a plan for our future.

One, John McCain wants to basically do a four-year George Bush impersonation, which is the best one we`ve got. It only goes downhill from there. Barack Obama wants to hope for change and, what the heck? Let`s give a little socialism a try. Hillary Clinton, the ultimate Washington insider whose outdated thinking is part of the problem, really doesn`t have one.

The time for talk is over. Where is the candidate who`s going to stand one a moon shot solution? Where`s the guy, who will look at the -- look at the crowd and stand there like Babe Ruth and point to centerfield, say, "I`m going to hit it out there"?

The entire American economy is based on affordable oil. But we`re still looking like a bunch of dopes to Washington to solve this problem for us. Haven`t they proven time and time again, they`re -- they`re really not up to it? They are the biggest obstacle standing in our way.

Damn it, America, it is the individual that has always led. We are the -- it`s the individual that innovates. That`s what America is.

And the biggest favor any president can do for his country, for our country is to take the little cute red, white and blue straightjacket off of industry.

We are the Saudi Arabia of coal. Did you know that? Coal to oil technology could give us energy independence in ten years -- some people say five years -- and industry is champing at the bit to get started. But the government stands in the way.

Drilling in ANWR and everyplace elsewhere where American oil can be found shouldn`t be permitted; it should be encouraged. Where are the stories about these desperately needed and possible solutions?

We can distract ourselves all day long with more sound bites from Hillary and Obama: "Should she run? Should she stay in? Oh, I don`t know." It`s not going to change anything. You know, all of their solutions: three months of gas tax holiday or sending everybody a federal rebate check. I`m sitting here now in front of the printing press, Bob, isn`t it great? It`s like treating a bullet wound with a Band-Aid. "Oh, you`ve got cancer? Here, have some aspirin."

It`s later than you think, America. And we`ve got to stop hitting the snooze alarm. So, tonight, here`s what you need to know.

It won`t come as a surprise to you, but Washington is in the way. Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, these are the captains of industry that built this nation. And there are plenty more just waiting to sustain it and further it, take us to new levels. But the federal handcuffs have got to come off and let our capitalist and entrepreneurial spirit flourish. Our survival and our prosperity depends on it.

Ben Stein is the creator of a great new movie, still in theaters, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," co-author of "Yes, You Can: Supercharge Your Portfolio." And he`s a dynamo himself.

Ben, how are you?

BEN STEIN, CO-AUTHOR, "YES, YOU CAN": You`re making fun of me again. I know you. I know you.

BECK: No, no.

STEIN: I know you. I know you.

BECK: I don`t think so.

STEIN: But I`m with you 100 percent about the oil. We have got to get the handcuffs off the oil companies. We`ve got to have coal-to-oil technology. You know, you and I have discussed this, and it`s incredibly important.

We could not last one day without the oil companies, but all we do in Washington is beat them up, beat them up, beat them up, as if they were the problem. They`re the solution. They`re the ones who get us the oil in the first place. We can`t live without them. Why are we torturing them?

BECK: We -- you know what? We beat our oil company executives up. In Russia, they make them president.

STEIN: And in this country, we desperately need their innovation, their skills. We could do it. We could make ourselves the Saudi Arabia, not just of coal, but of coal to oil. We could use more nuclear. We could use all kinds of technologies that we`re not using now.

We could drill in many places where there`s known to be a lot of oil: off the coast of Florida, off the coast of California. There`s known to be a lot of oil. But billionaire people have beach-front homes, say don`t drill in our backyard. But that`s going to keep this whole country subservient to the Arabs forever. We`re literally going to become a colony of the Arab petro states if we don`t do something.

BECK: You know, it`s not just the Arabs. So it`s also Russia, Ben.

STEIN: Russia is a dangerously powerful player in the energy markets. Way beyond anything Stalin dreamed. You know, sometimes I think this whole business of the Soviet Union collapsing was a trick, because now the new Russia has far more leverage over the west than -- than red Russia ever did.

BECK: Ben, can I take you down that crazy-train road for just a second? Because I thought of this about, oh, I don`t know, about a year ago. Are you taking more Maalox right now?

STEIN: I`m not saying what I take, because all you do is mock and belittle my habits.

BECK: So -- well, who else drinks tea? We`re having a serious discussion, and you`re drinking tea.

STEIN: Well, Winston Churchill drank tea all the time.

BECK: Not on television, he didn`t.

STEIN: Yes, he did.

BECK: All right.

STEIN: Don`t imitate me.

BECK: All right. Here`s the thing. Here`s the thing. I was thinking about this very thing about Russia. You tell me, Ben, if people started pulling down the statue of Jefferson or Lincoln in Washington, don`t you think there`d be a lot of people that believed in our Constitution rioting? We`d fight forever.

And yet the communists, when Russia folded, all those communists just went away. And now...

STEIN: They didn`t go away. They didn`t.

BECK: I know.

STEIN: They didn`t go away. And the fact is, in his wildest dreams, Stalin could not have imagined veto power over anything Western Europe does.

Look, Russia killed a man in London in broad daylight with polonium poisoning, and all Tony Blair could do is make sort of mousey, weep -- wimpy noises, because Western Europe is totally dependent on Russia.

BECK: Right.

STEIN: Look, the day is going to come when the Arab petro states are -- all the exporting states are going to say to the U.S., bow down and kiss our ring. And we`re going to be very, very sorry that when we had -- when we had the chance to make ourselves energy independent, we didn`t do it. We can do it. But we`re not doing it, and instead we beat up on the oil companies.

BECK: Let me say -- let me say the unthinkable then. Everybody is talking about, "Oh, we should gouge these oil companies." I say that we should go the opposite way. We should say to them, "You know what? You start producing more oil, we`re going to give you tax breaks beyond your wildest imagination."

STEIN: Absolutely. Absolutely. Look, why punish the oil companies in the first place? They`re owned by people who are retired pension -- retired teachers, retired firefighters, retired policemen? Why are we beating up on them?

What we need to do is go to the oil companies and, say, "You know what? The gloves are off. You guys find all the oil you can. Build all the coal-to-oil plants you can. We`re behind you 100 percent."

BECK: Here`s the thing. Nobody wants to kill the planet. But I mean, we`ll talk about this later in "The Real Story." Sweden is all over this. I mean, the "ya, sure" people. Are you kidding me? The Netherlands are all over drilling for offshore oil.

STEIN: Absolutely. Everybody does it but us. We`re the only people dumb enough to turn the keeps to the house over to the petro states and say, "Here, you take over our lives." What do you think life in the United States is going to be like when the petro states are running the show?

BECK: Oh, no. The animals will be treated with dignity and the trees will be planted.

STEIN: Yes, exactly. Exactly.

BECK: Ben, thank a lot. I appreciate it.

STEIN: Always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

BECK: Coming up, is there an end to the corruption of our nation`s morals? The good news, yes. Question is, how do we get there? We`ll speak to the founder of Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson, next.

And, as gas prices soar, why is every other country in the world more hungry to drill for oil than we are? The answer is in tonight`s "Real Story."

And tomorrow, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel with former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu for the full hour. What is it like to be the only independent democracy in the most volatile region of the world? Find out tomorrow night, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern, only here on Headline News.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, every day, you know, I`m reading the paper, I see it. Oil, gas, food, hitting all-time highs. Seems like everything is reaching new highs, except for American consumers.

And then I realize the main reason we`re stuck in the middle of this problem is because American politicians refuse to do what you and I know is right in almost every category. For instance, drill for oil. It`s going to take a moon shot to get this oil monkey off our backs. We`ll talk about that in "The Real Story" tonight.

Also, I`m so excited, Stephanie Meyer is going to be with us.

Now, I want to -- I want to take you to somebody. I mean, at the beginning of the program today I told you there is no -- there`s no question that there is a real shortage of true leaders in this country: men and women with vision. Where are they?

That`s why I`m excited every time I get a chance to deal with somebody who is -- who`s got vision and is the real deal. My next guest is just that. He`s a man with more than just theories about the problems we`re facing in the country. He actually has common-sense solutions that recognize that strong families are the cornerstone of our society.

From the challenges facing Medicare to Social Security to the blurred line between parents and their children to our culture`s fractured backbone, you know, I have to tell you -- even the Philadelphia situation. This guy deals with it every single day and straight from the heart. James Dobson, Ph.D., founder and chairman of Focus on the Family.

James, how are you, sir?

JAMES DOBSON, FOUNDER, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY: Glenn, that was a very warm introduction. I appreciate your words. And it`s a pleasure to be on your program.

BECK: Thank you, sir.

You know, I`m so frustrated, because we seem to be a country that has always been entrepreneurs, and, you know, I can do it. We`re adventurers. We`re explorers. We`re -- we`re -- we`re people of amazing fiber. And yet, now, it`s gimme, gimme, gimme. It`s all about me. What can the government do for me, not what I can do for the government?

DOBSON: Even more than that, I think it`s what can the politicians do for themselves? I mean, they`re spending our money in order to stay in office.

You know, Glenn, my -- my greatest concern for more than 35 years has been for the integrity of the institution of the family. That`s my passion. And it`s been under attack from every direction. And I`m convinced that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Washington give a hoot about it. And in fact, they`ve done everything they could to undermine and weaken it.

And I -- I`d just like to ask your viewers if they`ve heard a single comment made by the three candidates on any occasion, that even mentioned the well-being of this most basic social institution.

What I have heard is that they want to raise taxes. Certainly, the two Democratic candidates want to raise taxes and send them through the roof, and it`s families that are going to pay for that. It`s -- my understanding that it`s going to go all the way down to those individuals making $31,850.

What`s this money going to go for? For waste, by our politicians, and I resent it.

BECK: OK. So, tell me this. I mean -- it`s -- we can`t look to our government to solve our problems, because they never do. They create problems. We solve the problems.

So, what is it that you want our politicians to say? What is it a president should say other than, "You know what? We`re going to get out of your way. You know better than we do. We`re clearing the path. That`s all we`re going to do."

DOBSON: That`s what they ought to be saying. And I tell you, we should vote for people who will say that. People who will turn loose the American people and allow their ingenuity to do its wonderful work, and especially, again, families, because that`s where the next generation is being groomed and raised.

And yet, it`s my understanding that, again, the two Democratic presidential candidates want to increase taxes by $680 billion. And that`s going to come out of somewhere.

BECK: Yes.

DOBSON: And I think the families are the ones that are going to pay for it.

BECK: But you know what? You -- you`ve got a government that is now so upside-down. Let`s take a look at what happened in Philadelphia. I`m sure you`ve seen this, this video of these police officers kicking this guy.

You know what? As horrible as I -- it is for the people in the car, it`s equally as horrible for the cops. It`s reprehensible what happened. But you know what? This is -- this is the direct result of a city that is out of control because of corruption, political correctness. The families are breaking down.

No one will actually admit the problem. They won`t even admit that they have gangs in Philadelphia. They call them loose groups. I mean, how do you fix it, when nobody will actually admit that there`s a problem?

DOBSON: Well, we do have a serious problem culturally, and again, it is just a -- a pandemic, what is taking place. I did see that video, and it just makes me cringe to see what took place there. You know, we have -- have had the example of the police in California, many years ago, who were beating a man half to death. Certainly, we don`t have to do that.

You know, I -- I am very concerned about many aspects of the culture.

BECK: You know, I -- Chicago, they came out, and they said that the Chicago police are now outgunned. The first thing I thought of was, how is that possible? The state has banned guns in Chicago. That`s not even possible to be outgunned. This is what you were trying to prevent by banning guns.

And yet, all along, good law-abiding citizens are being taught by the government that we can`t be trusted. I can`t be trusted by -- with a gun. And more importantly, I have to trust them to protect my family, instead of me protecting my family.

So it`s like the whole system is set up against the family, against doing it yourself, against standing on your own two feet.

DOBSON: You`re absolutely right, Glenn. I don`t know if you`ve seen the new video that`s out, supposedly for kids, that is going to have every form of evil. It already does, every form of evil and violence, from killing, to raping, to drugs, to foul language, to political corruption and racism -- racism.

When our kids see that kind of thing, some of them, especially those that come from dysfunctional families, go out and do things that are reprehensible.

BECK: Yes. You know what? I`ll tell you what. It`s just a privilege to you have on the program. If you don`t mind hanging for a second, we`re going to take a quick break. And then we`re going to come back.

I want to talk to you a little bit about that and some of the games that are out, and -- and the blurring of the lines between parents and kids.

We`ll be back with more James Dobson in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: We`re back with the founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson.

Before we went into the break, you were talking about "Grand Theft Auto IV," which has made $500 million in its first week when it went on sail. Your kids -- they say it`s not being sold for kids but it is. Kids are buying it. You can go in and you can rent or -- rent. You can pay for a prostitute, have sex with her and beat her to death with a baseball bat.

But let me -- let me go a step further. They`ll claim that this is no big deal. But how about MTV? Have you seen -- what is it -- Dating Tequila -- Tequila? What`s her name? Tequila?

DOBSON: I haven`t seen that one. I haven`t seen that one, but I`ve seen enough to make me sick.

You know, the culture is at war with parents today. Parents are trying desperately to protect their kids -- many of them are -- from this kind of wretched stuff, but it`s being targeted at them. And Grand Theft Auto is just one of the many things that`s out there.

I don`t know if you`re aware of it, but I interviewed Ted Bundy just 17 hours before he was executed in the Florida State Penitentiary. And he said, on that occasion, that he got into pornography when he was 13 years old, and told how it led to, ultimately, the killing of 28 women and girls.

There are kids out there right now that are being exposed to this kind of stuff every day on the Internet.

BECK: But you know -- but you know what? You have parents -- for instance, I read today there was -- Miley Cyrus, who was on the cover of magazines, and she -- she exposed her bra. She leaned down and exposed her bra on the Internet. I found out today in reading the paper that it was a mom that gave this 15-year-old this sexy bra, et cetera.

People will say, parents will say, "They know the difference. Oh, my kids aren`t like that. They know the difference." I contend they don`t know the difference unless we teach them.

DOBSON: Yes. Glenn, it all comes back to the family. If the family is not stable, if it`s not strong, if it`s disintegrating, kids will be the ones to pay the price for it.

And I want to say to the parents who are out there, if you`re too busy to notice what`s going on with your kids, if you`ve got these fantastic careers, and you get home and you hardly know their names, I tell you this culture will take them to hell.

BECK: But you know what? I don`t think that you even have to go that far. If you`re not on top of it, life moves so fast right now, and we`re blurring the lines.

We`ve got parents -- we`ve got -- we`ve got women who want to be like their 18-year-old, and 16-year-olds that want to be a 22-year-old. We`re blurring the lines. Adults are becoming kids, and kids are becoming adults.

DOBSON: That is true. I`m writing another book right now called "Bringing Up Girls," dealing with that. And what`s happening to boys was evident eight or ten years ago, and now it`s happening to girls. And it takes my breath away.

BECK: Yes. Dr. Dobson, what a pleasure, sir. Keep up your good work. Thanks for being on the program today.

DOBSON: Thank you.

BECK: All right. Coming up, oil prices are at the point of no return. At least, that`s what some people say. So what`s the answer? Drill! Drill for oil. Tonight`s "Real Story" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: In proof that our standards in this country are just so low, tonight marks the anniversary of our two years on national television. It`s amazing how little talent can go so far, really.

We`re going to take a look back at some of the more memorable moments, if you can call it that. I`m not going to guarantee an appearance of Captain High Pants, but there may be a binge cake or two involved.

But first, welcome to "The Real Story."

Do you ever feel like we`re a runner, that this country is a marathon runner who started out really fast and now keeps getting passed by people that shouldn`t really be running at all?

You`re like, wait a minute. There goes China and India. I mean, I can`t even see the guy from Kenya anymore. Despite having the best technology, the best educational facilities, the best minds, the most wealth on the planet, we just cannot get out of our own way anymore.

You look at the oil and gas crisis, for example. We`re sitting here debating shortsighted plans like, well, should we give a temporary gas tax and reduce the price of gas over the summer? The rest of the world, meanwhile, is laughing at us as they run right by us with real solutions.

When in this country did we decide we were going to settle for second or third or 10th place. And I`ve got news for you, gang. This is a race that we`re going to finish and we`re not going to get a trophy just for participating.

I`m not an idiot. I know this is an election year. But the difference between me and the politicians is, I don`t think you`re an idiot, either.

You know, Hillary has got this idea now to make the oil companies pay the gas tax this summer. It will make gas more expensive.

It is like telling McDonald`s that they have to start paying the sales tax themselves, and then expecting that the Happy Meals are going to cost the same amount of money. They ain`t.

This June, I`m doing a nationwide live stage tour. It`s a comedy tour on politics this time around called Beck `08: Unelectable.

This is where I`m going to give the campaign speech that I think our candidates should, but they won`t, because they`re wussies. You know, it`s a campaign speech that involves the truth and common sense. It`s meant for comedy, but I`ve got news for you, it`s true.

On oil, it`s simple. Here it is.

It`s the only known substance on earth that can keep our economy functioning. And without it, we`re back into 1860. So, unless you want to ride horses and heat your house with a campfire, I don`t know, maybe we should start looking for a moon shot program to find more of it.

Meanwhile, the other countries aren`t waiting. Norway, Canada, chock full of tree huggers, and they both have allowed offshore drilling for years. China, Cuba, virtually drilling in our own backyard, right off the coast of Florida. Yet, 85 percent of our own coastal waters, along with ANWR, are completely off limits, because we might hurt the bucktooth beaver or a caribou or whatever the hell they`re complaining about now.

What is it going to take before you are finally pissed of enough to tell these environmentalists, you know what? Go make it with a tree all you want. I`m looking for oil. Tell these special interests groups enough is enough.

What`s it going to take, $4 a gallon gas? We`re there. Six-dollar-a- gallon gas? Ten-dollar-a-gallon gas? They say it`s coming.

We should be looking at how to reduce and sequester CO2. You bet.

We should look at how we can safely increase nuclear power plants. France can do it. We can`t?

We should make and look and explore ways to find -- ways to run our cars on air or water or less gas. All of those things should be done. But unless we start looking for more oil to bridge that technology gap, we`re going to be doing al those things by candlelight.

Ask yourself, America, who`s really running our government? Oh, it`s big oil. Really? Or is it the save the tree special interest groups?

Either way, the only one that should be in charge is you.

Byron King is an analyst and editor of Outstanding Investments.

Byron, I want to pick it up where we left off yesterday. You`re at an offshore tech conference in Houston which, surprisingly and completely unrelated, their economy in Houston is doing fine. We`re the laughing stock for the rest of the world because -- not because of our technology, but because of our policies, right?

BYRON KING, OUTSTANDING INVESTMENTS: That is true, Glenn. That`s exactly right.

Our technology to explore and to develop the offshore and the deep waters in the world is second to none. But policy-wise, the U.S. is a laughing stock within the world.

At the technical level, the rest of the world respects us. At the policy level, they don`t understand why we shoot ourselves in the foot every day.

The only place you can really drill in the United States offshore is offshore of Texas, Louisiana and a little bit of Alabama. And then there`s some old production in California, but there`s nothing new. We haven`t had anything in 35 years.

BECK: Yes.

Byron, we put Russia out of business back in the `80s. Then we taught them and the rest of the world how to get rich through capitalism.

Meanwhile, we`ve got this high and mighty attitude. Their oil people, they become president over in Russia. Our oil people, we drag their butts in front of Congress. Shell, if I`m not mistaken -- please tell me this story -- Shell actually built an oil facility up off the coast of Alaska, and yet they were delayed for a year because environmentalists started suing them.

KING: Well, that`s what happened just this past winter. The winter in Alaska is the drilling season, because that`s when you can haul your equipment over the ice.

It`s frozen. There is no environmental damage whatsoever. You`re hauling your stuff over ice, and in the spring it melts. So, you drill in the wintertime.

Well, Shell was all staged to drill north of the North Slope in Beaufort Sea, and they got sued in federal court and the Ninth Circuit shut them down. So basically you`ve lost a drilling season, and a lot of money and a lot of preparation, a lot of everything.

BECK: Yes.

KING: You have to plan this stuff years ahead of time. The logistics is incredible to do the work that you need to do to drill offshore.

BECK: See, here is the thing I don`t understand. Look, Norway -- how many tree-hugging caribou lovers are in Norway? And yet, they are drilling offshore like crazy, using our technology.

KING: There are more people living in metropolitan Houston than there are in all of Norway. But the Norwegians have -- they have it both ways.

They hug the trees, they have a good environment, and they drill like crazy in the North Sea, and in the far north, in the Baring Sea. I mean, you should see some of the equipment, some of the technology that these three million Norwegians have developed. It is world class, world-beating technology.

It gets back to what you said earlier about how, you know, we`re running the race but everybody is passing us. If we don`t develop our own technology in the U.S., if we don`t let our own industry, you know, work on our own offshore, I mean, now we have got the Norwegians coming over here teaching us how to do it.

I`m glad they`re here. They`re nice people. And the girls are incredibly good looking. But look, hey, this is America, and we need to do it our way.

BECK: Byron, thank you so much.

Now, let`s change gears here a little bit. We`ve been talking a lot about how unbalanced, far left teachings, and our nation`s universities are indoctrinating our kids. I`ve seen it firsthand.

I have one daughter in college already. I`ve been looking at different schools with my other daughter. And I`m about to chain her in the basement. I really am. I mean that.

I mean, I heard stuff along the way that will make blood shoot right out of your eyes. Our kids are no longer being taught to think. They are being told what to think.

But there are a few exceptions to that rule, including my next guest, who is one of the leading conservative thinkers around. And get this -- he teaches at Princeton. He`s an amazing resource on all kinds of topics, from our founding documents, to civil liberties, to bioethics.

Most importantly, he does what professors, I don`t know, are supposed to do -- let students think for themselves.

James Madison program director, Princeton professor of politics, Robert George.

Welcome. And thanks for coming in. I appreciate it. I know you are a busy man.

PROF. ROBERT GEORGE, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Well, thank you, Glenn. It`s a great pleasure to be on the show.

BECK: I want to talk to you about -- because this last guest we had on just a second ago said yesterday to me that he thinks that we`ve got 47 million people uninsured right now in health care, but a year from now, if we are at oil at $200 a barrel, it could be 147 million, which would dump people right into the government health care.

We can`t afford it. The businesses can`t afford it.

Government rationing of health care seems like a reasonable place that we would go. True or false?

GEORGE: Bad idea. You don`t want government rationing of health care because it means a lot of people are not going to get the kind of health care we need.

We need a solution to the health care problem, there`s no question about that.

BECK: Right.

GEORGE: But that solution should not go in a socialist direction, and that solution should certainly not involving rationing of the sort. We find in places like Britain, for example...

BECK: Right. Let me give it a real case scenario here.

I don`t know if you saw this report, but the government did a study on, if there`s a pandemic, and we don`t have enough vaccine, or whatever, they are going to start rationing vaccines and other medicines. If you are over 60, you don`t get it. If you are over 85 and you have Alzheimer`s, you`re out.

You work with a guy at Princeton, Peter Singer (ph), who, I mean, this would be OK for somebody like him that says, well, quality of life, you`re old, you don`t really know -- am I right or wrong?

GEORGE: There are sometimes when triage decisions have to be made -- on battlefields, for example. And you have to use the resources where they can best be used, and they are tragic situations.

But you certainly want to avoid any kind of systematic rationing of health care that tries to do health care rationing on the basis of quality of life considerations. Distinguishing between people who are mildly demented, or severely demented, distinguishing them from people who are otherwise healthy.

The principle that we all have to respect in all of our public policy, including health care policy, is the principle of the profound, inherent and equal dignity of each of us. We don`t want classes of people, where people who are retarded, or who are mentally ill, or suffering from dementia are considered inferiors, their lives not worth living.

We`ve been down that road before. It`s a bad road.

BECK: But don`t you think we`re going down that road now with a lot of people? I mean, Peter Singer (ph) is one of the guys who is the leader -- I mean, the animal rights activists love this guy. But he says you can kill a child up until 2, euthanize them, and harvest them for organs.

GEORGE: Yes, that`s horrific. There`s no question about it. That kind of an attitude is horrific.

Professor Singer (ph), though, it has to be said, is simply following the logical implications of principles that an awful lot of people believe, but don`t actually want to live with the consequences of.

BECK: Right.

GEORGE: So he`s being very honest.

BECK: He`s at least saying it.

GEORGE: That`s right.

BECK: Yes.

GREGORY: Once you compromise the principle of the profound, inherent and equal dignity of all human beings, once you begin to think life in the womb, that`s really not worth preserving or protecting, or the lives of elderly people, or people suffering dementia aren`t really worth protecting, they`re not really fully human anymore, they`re not really persons, the logic of that takes you just to where Singer (ph) goes. He shows you where it goes.

BECK: Could I -- I`d love to have you back...

GEORGE: Sure.

BECK: ... and talk to you about the James Madison project, because we`re headed towards spooky territory with giant decisions to be made, and we`ve lost our founding principles. And I would love to have you back and talk about, how do we get back and find our way to the Constitution. And can we?

GEORGE: We can. And let`s do it. Let`s have a conversation.

BECK: Good. All right. Thank you.

That`s "The Real Story" tonight.

Don`t forget, summer, Beck `08: Unelectable. Coming to a city near you. And believe me, I am unelectable.

Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Harrisburg, Portland, Maine, Syracuse, Springfield, Akron, Houston and Columbia. It all happens in like a week, too.

Head on over to glennbeck.com and get your tickets today.

Coming up, the woman who just may be the American J.K. Rowling -- Stephanie Meyer. Don`t miss it. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, it`s not often I can say the following two words on my television show, and that is, "Hi, honey." Yes, my daughter -- or soon to be 17-year-old daughter Hannah is watching, most likely for the first time. It has nothing to do with the show`s two-year anniversary tonight.

In fact, I don`t think she even knows it`s the show`s two-year anniversary. It may be the very first time she`s watched the show.

She`s watching because my next guest is one of her absolute favorite authors. Stephanie Meyer is her name. And if you have not heard of this woman yet, oh, things are about to change.

She was just named to "TIME" magazine`s top 100 most influential people of 2008 list, where they call her the new J.K. Rowling. Her first three novels have spent a combined 143 weeks on "The New York Times" bestseller list. She`s sold over five million copies.

Her first book, "Twilight," which she wrote in three months after a dream, is currently being made into a movie, and her latest book, "The Host," the first targeted towards adults, was just released earlier this week.

And she`s with us now, Stephanie Meyer.

Welcome.

STEPHANIE MEYER, AUTHOR: Thank you very much, Glenn.

BECK: I have to tell you, my daughters have been talking -- I mean, yapping about "Twilight" forever. Both my daughters, Mary and Hannah, are fans of it.

I started reading this one just a few days -- I`m only a few pages in. I don`t mean this -- I hope you don`t take this as a slam. Are you familiar with Cormac McCarthy?

MEYER: No, I`m not.

BECK: OK. He`s a brilliant writer. Very, very different. He wrote the book "The Road."

Your book is art. It really is. And it is fascinating to read.

MEYER: Well, thank you. I don`t know how you can take that the wrong way.

BECK: Well, because some people say, well, Cormac McCarthy, he scares me.

"The Host" -- tell me the story.

MEYER: You know, it`s a little bit difficult to tell. It`s an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" story, but it`s after the invasion`s over. It`s much more about being human than it is about being an alien. So, really, the story is science fiction that doesn`t feel like science fiction, and a romance that...

BECK: Do you think you`re going to have -- I mean, because you`ve written three books. The first three books were vampire movies, and, you know -- and not like Anne Rice vampire books.

MEYER: No.

BECK: Why shift gears now? You think your fans are going to -- are they glad that this is not another in the "Twilight" series?

MEYER: Oh, I think they`re ready for the end of the "Twilight" series to be in their hands. But I never intended to just be a vampire author or just be a (INAUDIBLE) author. I read a little bit of everything. And I would like to be able to write a little bit of everything. So, I don`t think people should expect anything to be the same.

BECK: You`re not -- I mean, you are -- you are just such an amazing story. Because you really are American J.K. Rowling.

You`re a stay-at-home mom.

MEYER: I am.

BECK: You`ve got three boys.

MEYER: I do.

BECK: You had a dream. You wrote it. And it became a number one bestseller, "Twilight."

MEYER: Yes. How weird.

Did you have any writing experience before? Because you are really good.

MEYER: Oh, well thank you. No, I really didn`t. I had a lot of reading experience. That`s all the training I had for my writing.

BECK: That`s it. And how about movie experience? Do you have -- I mean, do you have your hand in the movie at all?

MEYER: A little bit. They`ve been really nice over at Summit to let me have a little bit of say over the script, a little bit of say over the actors. I got to be on set and see what they`re doing. It`s been a really fun experience for me.

BECK: I will tell you that your fans are huge. Huge. I mean, die- hard fans. If they screw this movie up, it would be -- you know what I mean?

Like, I won`t go see a Stephen King movie ever again because -- well, for several reasons now, but one of them is, you can`t make a good Stephen King movie. Out of all the books he`s done, there may be three movies that he`s made that are actually good.

The thing that I appreciate, and I want to thank you, as a dad of three daughters and a son, you know, I can`t even read a "Winnie the Pooh" book anymore without going, oh, jeez, I don`t agree with this. You have made a book that is not -- it`s not just for teens, it`s for adults, too.

But there`s no sex in it, there`s no smoking, there`s no drinking. It`s a safe book, and yet, it is thrilling all the way through. Thank you.

MEYER: Well, you`re welcome. You know, I wrote what my personal experience was in a lot of ways. So this is the world as it appears to me. I didn`t really do any of that on purpose. It`s just kind of what came out.

BECK: And I just have to say, you have got to be the coolest -- how old are your kids?

MEYER: My oldest is 10, and then I have a 7-year-old and a 6-year- old.

BECK: You have got to be the coolest mom, because you write to Muse, don`t you?

MEYER: I do. I love Muse.

BECK: You know what? My daughter was turned on to Muse by you, and she turned me on to Muse. Unbelievable.

Stephanie, thank you very much.

MEYER: Oh, you`re welcome.

BECK: Talk to you again.

The name of the book is fantastic. It is "The Host."

Don`t forget, you want more of exclusive content? Sign up for my magazine "Fusion." This month, featuring the greatest scientific myths in recent history, and the top campaign flubs of 2008.

Get it at glennbeck.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Well, today marks our two-year anniversary here at the Glenn Beck program. I know, it`s hard to believe. Powers that be at this network, I mean -- I don`t even think they watch. I really don`t. They`re like, whatever.

But, you know, I for one am glad they haven`t watched. I`m still cashing the checks as long as they print them.

So, in case you missed a day or two of this program, which is hard to believe, during the last two years, we`ve put together a highlight reel of sorts of some of our best moments. You know?

I mean, we looked around, and we could only find two and a half minutes worth of stuff that we wanted to show. So here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MR. T: I pity the fool who don`t watch Glenn Beck.

I`m on it, sucker.

BECK: Welcome to the first episode of the Glenn Beck program.

When I say the name Glenn Beck, you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no idea who it is.

BECK: I`m a rodeo clown.

I am 42 years old.

I`m a recovering alcoholic, former deejay.

I am riddled with ADD. I have no idea what I`m talking about.

Don`t adjust your sets, America. I really am this handsome.

I`m going to give you some numbers that will absolutely make blood shoot out of your eyes.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

BECK: Ahmadinejad.

We said dress down, and you are still in pinstripes.

AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: You told me to dress down.

BECK: I was hoping that it would be the tracksuit.

ANDERSON COOPER, "AC 360": How much are you pulling down a year?

BECK: More than you can possibly -- not you, because, I mean, look at how you`re dressed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait, you can`t say goodbye. I`ve got something for you.

BECK: What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I thought...

BECK: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... that this right here, I thought this might look pretty good on you, Glenn.

Look at that, man. Amazing.

BECK: You know what`s sad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait a minute.

BECK: This actually looks better than my real hair. Larry King wouldn`t have put up with that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My parents had a 500-pound television on top of an aluminum TV tray. And my dad`s theory was, let him pull it on his head a couple times. He`ll learn.

BECK: That`s exactly right. How we survived is beyond me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know.

MICHAEL BUBLE, SINGER: We have something else in common, as well.

BECK: Well, I`ve got a couple of things. What? What do you have?

BUBLE: I think we both like McGriddles a lot.

BECK: Oh, my gosh. This is a fat joke.

BUBLE: No, I like them, too.

BECK: Michael Buble is doing a fat joke.

BUBLE: No, I`m not doing a fat joke.

BECK: Welcome to probably the weirdest election coverage ever on network television.

So I`m going to binge eat, and look, this is -- this is how badly Romney is doing so far. All right? This badly.

Now, I don`t want to eat the whole cake. Oh, but I will.

You`re trying to make it worse?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I`m not trying.

BECK: You`re trying -- Glenn, have more cake. Have more pity cake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m just pointing out.

BEN STEIN: You want to run? I`ll vote for you.

BECK: Yes.

STEIN: I`ll vote for you.

BECK: No, would you?

STEIN: Of course I would.

BECK: No, that would be fantastic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: I think he was mocking me there.

From New York, goodnight, America.

END