Janet Contreras on Response to Her Open Letter to Nation's Leaders

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," June 18, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: I was told today by my publisher that this may be a historic week for the publishing world with "Common Sense." Apparently, people have been going into the bookstore and buying a lot of these. I understand about 100,000 copies sold in the first two days that it was on the shelf, which is mind-boggling to me.

I appreciate the fact that you would take your time and you would go to the bookstore. This is a book that I didn't — honestly, I didn't think I would have the courage to release. I didn't think I would put my name on it, because I'm not going to have a friend anywhere in Washington, because it takes on both sides.

"Common Sense: A Case Against an Out-of-Control Government" — it's available in bookstores everywhere. We'll see what happens.

We just learned, by the way, that the $106 billion war supplemental is going to be on the president's desk soon. It did contain funding for the IMF -- remember I told you about that a couple days ago. Yes, what does that have to do with security? Common sense.

If that sort of thing kind of makes you angry, you're not alone. I feel that way as well. And yesterday, on the show I read an amazing letter from a viewer titled, "Open Letter to Our Nation's Leadership." I posted it on our Web site. I asked you to sign it if you support the message. Well, before we even got off the air, the response was overwhelming. The site crashed.

I don't even think it's up now, because they tell me that it will crash if I give out the information, so we're working on something else to try to shore things up so you can sign this petition so we can send it on to Washington.

The woman who wrote this letter is here with us. Her name is Janet Contreras. She joins me now from Phoenix. Janet, how are you?

JANET CONTRERAS, AUTHOR, "OPEN LETTER TO OUR NATION'S LEADERSHIP": I'm fabulous. How are you doing, Glenn?

BECK: Very good. I talked to you on the radio show, when was it, two days ago?

CONTRERAS: Yes.

BECK: And I made a prediction that your letter — you could actually be the Thomas Paine of our generation. Your letter is going to play a role in history, because I predict by next week, a good portion of Americans will read your letter through a viral e-mail, you know. They're pulling it off my Web site at "GlennBeck.com" and sending it to their friends.

Have you noticed the response yet?

CONTRERAS: Well, I actually was able to get on the Web site and sign the letter myself.

BECK: You were?

CONTRERAS: I thought that that would be appropriate. I actually thought my signature should be on it as well. The response has been overwhelmingly in agreement with the letter. There have been a few that have made their other views known, which I totally support. If they're happy with the government they have ...

BECK: Sure —

CONTRERAS: ... that is absolutely their right to feel that way. But overwhelmingly —

BECK: Right. You were a Democrat, right?

CONTRERAS: All of my adult life.

BECK: And then you switched to the Republicans and then you dumped them, because they're not answering to you either.

CONTRERAS: Well, I'm still a registered Republican.

BECK: OK.

CONTRERAS: I have a glimmer of a hope of a possibility that maybe we can beat the party back into submission. I know the branding is damaged, but maybe, maybe.

BECK: But do you have any fear at all that they're going to make you into Joe the Plumber?

CONTRERAS: Oh, absolutely. And I'm sure that they're already out to discredit me. I told Nina on the phone earlier today that you should not worry about being — having the mudslinging and that, because that means that you're really an important guy, Glenn. They wouldn't bother to do it if you weren't.

And don't worry about whether or not you will have friends in Washington, because when we clean house, you'll have a lot of friends there.

BECK: No, I don't care about friends in Washington. I just prefer not to have really powerful enemies that can, you know, nuke whole countries just to take out my family, because that's a different story.

CONTRERAS: I understand.

BECK: Janet, thank you very much. I'd love to have you on again because I know you really want to get involved in the Phoenix area. But we've got to run now.

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