Beck Unveils Dis-Disinformation 'Czar'
This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," August 5, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GLENN BECK, HOST: Obama has so many czars I'm beginning to lose count. He's added one more to the mix, a disinformation czar. Take a look:
LINDA DOUGLASS, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF HEALTH
REFORM: I'm Linda Douglass, communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform. One of my jobs is to keep track of the disinformation that's out there about health insurance reform.
And there are a lot of very deceiving headlines out there right now, such as this one. Take a look at this one. This one says, "Uncovered video, Obama explains how his health care plan will eliminate private insurance."
Well, nothing could be farther from the truth. Now, for example, here is a clip that they probably won't show you:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: If you have insurance that you like, then you will be able to keep that insurance. If you've got a doctor that you like, you will be able to keep your doctor.
DOUGLASS: And here's another one:
OBAMA: What we've said is, under our proposal, let's have a system the same way that federal employees do, same way that members of Congress do.
DOUGLASS: So it's very important for you to have the facts.
BECK: Boy, I agree with her. We think it's important for you to have the facts as well.
Joining us now is our very own czar, the dis-disinformation czar, Steve Burguiere, otherwise known as Stu.
• Video: Watch Beck's interview
Hello, Stu.
STEVE BURGUIERE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, 'THE GLENN BECK RADIO PROGRAM': I'm Stu Burguiere from the Office of Disinformation in Information from Offices of Disinformation.
BECK: Yes.
BURGUIERE: And today, we're talking about Linda Douglass' video that you just saw. I'm dressed like her because I'm huge fan. She's very talented. She actually made the entire incredible leap from mainstream media reporter all the way to Obama administration mouthpiece.
How did she do it?
BECK: Wow. I don't know how she did it, but I think it is a sexy outfit that now you have, too.
So do you have any of the information for the dis-disinformation?
BURGUIERE: Yes, Glenn, there is a video that she didn't show you. I do want to point out, though, and I hate — because I hate it when people show old video and don't tell you about it.
BURGUIERE: This video is very, very old. It goes all the way back to when George W. Bush was president.
BECK: OK. All the way. Wow.
OBAMA: A single payer health care program, universal health care program. That's what is what I would like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately, because first, we've got to take back the White House. And we've got to take back the senators and everyone else.
BECK: OK. So he said that — see, he wants a single payer, you know, universal health care, government-run. But he's got conditions. First, you've got to take back the House, and then the Senate and then the White House.
BURGUIERE: Right, yes, that's true. But it's also a lesson learned here from the White House. When you have a choice and you want to find out the real truth, you of course accept the pre-packaged response in a press conference over the hidden video in a group of like-minded individuals.
BURGUIERE: That's, of course, always very important.
BECK: Sure.
BURGUIERE: We also have Jacob Hacker, Glenn. Jacob Hacker is the man that the right-wing source NPR said designed the original program of all these proposals that we're looking at now in the Congress are based on. And here's what he had to say:
JACOB HACKER, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-
BERKELEY: Someone once said to me this is a Trojan horse for single payer. And I said, well, it's not a Trojan horse, right? It's just right there.
I'm telling you, we're going to get there — over time, slowly — but we'll move away from reliance on employment-based health insurance as we should. But we'll do it in a way that we're not going to frighten people into thinking they're going to lose their private insurance.
BECK: So, there you go. I mean, what's the problem with that?
BURGUIERE: I don't know. Here is the thing, Glenn, is that the record is long and true that Barack Obama has over and over again said, and along with his advisers, that eventually, we're going to get there. That's the bottom line.
And why are you laughing?
BECK: No, I guess the pantsuit is very...
BURGUIERE: Anyway, there is no need to edit Barack Obama's words because he said them. If we wanted to edit Barack Obama's words, we'd do something like this:
(BEGIN EDITED VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: This is just not about the 47 million Americans who don't have any health insurance at all. Reforms about every terrorist, millions were here illegally. My buddy the Easter Bunny that they become too sick.
BECK: Is that — you see, I don't know. Was that edited? Because I know that — whatsherface, the czar at the White House — she warned about taking video and editing it. That was edited?
BURGUIERE: No.
Devastating video, Glenn.
BECK: OK. Thank you very much for clearing the record up. We'll be right back.
BECK: You know, we were just talking on the set here. This is Stu, the executive producer of my radio program. We were talking on the radio today and I mentioned a little bit about Saul Alinsky, his idea of, you know, ridiculing people, isolating them and ridiculing.
BURGUIERE: Yes.
BECK: That's wrong to do, though. Don't you think?
BURGUIERE: Horrible idea. You shouldn't use things that you have on other people.
BECK: Yes, just making fun of them.
BURGUIERE: Images, video.
BECK: That's right. You can expect more from this show. Yes, much more from this show.