Reigniting the Tea Party movement

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Reigniting the Tea Party movement

Glenn Beck aims to re-energize the movement after traveling to Rome to meet with Tea Party groups from all over the world

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," February 21, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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O'REILLY: In the "Back of the Book" segment last week, Glenn Beck traveled to Rome. No, he was not made a cardinal. He was meeting with Tea Party groups from all over the world. Apparently, Beck is trying to reignite the Tea Party movement, and he joins us now from New York City.

GLENN BECK, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: No. Actually --

O'REILLY: What are you, the Tea Party leader?

BECK: Wait a minute. You start with the wrong premise all the way -- all the way from the very beginning.

First of all, I was in Rome because I met with cardinals because I wanted to talk to them a little bit about the program that we have called We're all Catholics Now, where we need to stand with Jewish people, Catholics, anybody who's under attack. Any time you're under attack for the rights of conscience, we need to stand together. So that's why I was in Rome.

While I was there --

O'REILLY: You were meeting with some Catholic cardinals. You want to name them, the American Catholic cardinals?

BECK: I did meet with an American Catholic cardinal, yes. I met with cardinals from all around the world.

O'REILLY: Dolan, did you talk to him?

BECK: I did. I did talk to Dolan. Very nice man.

O'REILLY: He is. I like him. All right. So you're over there and you're --

BECK: He's really kind of not so great with you, but that's a different story.

O'REILLY: Well, look.

BECK: You should talk to him about that.

O'REILLY: As I say, I'm the biggest sinner on the block, and they have to put up with me because I was baptized. But they're looking for a way out. They're looking for a way out.

BECK: They said that. OK.

O'REILLY: You go to Rome. Wait. Let me set it up. Not everybody knows what you're doing. OK?

BECK: Yes.

O'REILLY: So you go there and you talk to the cardinals about this. And that's good. And then you -- and then you meet with Tea Party people from all over the world. The Tea Party in Belarus? I mean --

BECK: No. Believe it or not, no. It's happening all over the world. There were people from Georgia. There were people from Bosnia, Israel, London, Germany, Milan.

That guy, that's Austin powers there. But he was from Milan. There is a freedom movement. It's not really the Tea Party, even though the Italians are calling it the Tea Party. They don't have the small government kind of model. And that's why it's important to unite.

I mean, look, the left has united around the world. And it is time for those who want freedom, faith, and justice for all, equal justice for all. You need to stand together. It's a --

O'REILLY: All right, are you the leader here?

BECK: No.

O'REILLY: Are you the leader of the worldwide Tea Party? Is that what I'm getting?

BECK: No. I'm just a -- I'm a dad and a guy who believes in what I say, and I'm tired of waiting for somebody to lead.

O'REILLY: Just a guy.

BECK: I happen to have the resources. I happen to have the time, if you will, and so I think it's important that we do this. I think it's important.

O'REILLY: So what you're telling me, Beck, is that you are now the leader of the worldwide Tea Party movement?

BECK: What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do?

O'REILLY: I know, look -- I know you're trying to take over the world, Beck. I've known that for years.

BECK: Yes. That's clearly what I'm trying to do.

O'REILLY: Dr. Evil.

BECK: I think there is yes. I think the problem is, is that Europe is going to fall into real darkness, and the old hatreds will rear their ugly heads if we don't help each other.

We have to stand together, and so what we've done is we are going to have a global peace and freedom movement or Tea Party movement, a meeting in Dallas this summer on, I think it's July 26 along with Freedom Works. We're still putting it all together. But people are coming from all over the world. We spoke to, I think, about 30 of them. They'll be coming and hopefully many, many more. Joining the Americans as they come here.

And then that weekend ends in our "Restoring Love" event, which is to teach our children how to serve one another. You know, people say that conservatives, they want small government, yes. I do want small government.

But if I really want small government, then I have to put that into action. I have to provide and our churches have to provide the safety net that our government is currently trying to destroy.

O'REILLY: All right. But, again, I'm coming back to the central theme. And I'm not being -- I'm not disparaging you, Beck. I always make fun of you.

BECK: No.

O'REILLY: But you seem to be the catalyst of all of this. Your guys and your charity. Beck has got his little charity sweatshirt on there. Nonprofit.

But you're -- you're the one that is putting it all together. You're the one that's organizing this worldwide movement. It's like you versus George Soros. That's how I'm seeing it. Soros is Dr. Evil. You're --

BECK: Judge me by my -- judge me by my friends and judge me by my enemies. If George Soros is my enemies -- is my enemy, amen to that. I go home to my maker happy.

O'REILLY: But I see it as you vs. him. I'm seeing you vs. Soros for dominance in the world.

BECK: I think what it is is individuals against the machine that he's trying to build. He's building it and he's destroying people's freedom and their savings all over the world. All over the world. It's happening in Italy. It's happening in Greece right now like nobody's business.

I was in Greece this weekend. Spent six hours on the ground in Athens. And tried to learn as much as I could by going to the different places and actually seeing all of the things on the ground that we've seen on television and try to put it in perspective.

O'REILLY: What a mess.

BECK: It's a total mess. There is no answer to it unless you start talking about a peace and freedom movement of small government and people who want to be responsible for their neighbor.

O'REILLY: All right. I've got to OK. Beck. You keep us posted on this. This is very interesting. It's very interesting. I'm not mocking you. This is very interesting. You keep us posted on this.

BECK: Thanks a lot.

O'REILLY: Let me give your book a plug here, because it's Presidents' Week. You might check out the G-man's book, "Being George Washington," which I enjoy.

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