It relates to yesterday's story I posted about Wolf Blitzer interviewing Glenn about his recent encounter with Clemency Huck in an Iowa airport.
So when I found out that Mike Huckabee was coming to the airport, I don't believe in coincidence. I arrived at the airport, Mike Huckabee is there, I went to talk to him and the first thing I said is, Governor, I struck out at you the other day in anger and I apologize for doing that.
Should have been much more measured in my speech and don't like to speak out of anger. I didn't mean to ratchet things up quite honestly because the spirit of contention is not the spirit that comes from the Lord, and I apologize for that. He said, that's fine. He said, what was it? The Mormon thing?
Glenn continued:
Remember that Sharpton debacle? He never apologized to Mitt, but did got to Salt Lake City to learn a few things. It was helpful.Well, he tried to explain to me that it was just eight or ten words in an 8100-word newspaper article. To me it was the question that he asked. I said, you know, Governor, if you really want to know, you'd ask somebody who knows, and I don't think that's a reporter at the New York Times. He said, well, he was a very bright man. I said, I'm sure he is. I'm sure he is, but you would ask somebody who knows.
And if you would like to know, I arranged this for Al Sharpton. I said this to Al Sharpton, why don't you go meet with the brother in Salt Lake City, why don't you go meet with the heads of church in Salt Lake City. Can't say that I arranged it, but I planted the seed and he went. Congratulations. He went. He did his own research. Now, whether it's an honest search or not, I don't know. I don't really care quite honestly. But I made that offer.
Glenn continues in his usual fast-and-furious style:
Huck isn't interested in learning the answer to his Jesus-and-Satan-are-brothers question. Otherwise, you do as Glenn suggested: ask an authority who knows. Ask a Mormon.I said, you know, why don't you go to meet with some of the heads of the church? Why don't you ask them these questions. Why don't you educate yourself on that. He didn't take me up on that.
Didn't quite frankly show any interest. I didn't expect him to. I don't really honestly believe that -- I don't believe the man -- here's what I said. I said to him at the end of the 25-minute conversation -- and by the way, I accepted his apology. He accepted mine.
He's not interested in mutual respect and understanding. At least, Glenn Beck and I don't think so. He's more interested in division.
But I find it very interesting -- and this has happened to me now with two reverends. I know when I've really hurt somebody. I know when somebody hurts me, and I didn't have this my whole life. This is a new thing for me, empathy. I've had this now for really starting to kick in in the last five years, but the last eight years or so I started to really feel other people's pain, and it's getting worse and worse or better and better, however you want to look at it....
Now, I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think it's actually a honing of empathy. For some reason I'm getting an extra dose of that. I don't know why. I don't think Mike Huckabee had any empathy for me or anybody else that happens to be of Mitt Romney's faith.
Mormons have been greatly persecuted in the past. But today, we should be enlightened enough to select candidates on merit, including this Mormon one.Because I said to him at the end, I said, you know what, it's not that you offended me. It's not that you hurt me. I said, I know the pain you caused other people.
I know I am so sick and tired of people who were chased out of this country with torches and pitchforks and buried their children in the plains because they wanted to worship God of their own understanding. I don't care if you're a Mormon or not a Mormon.They were people like the pilgrims that came for a reason and they were driven out of the country and they went to Utah which was not part of the United States and they said no one will bother us here because it's a desert and we're protected by the mountains.
Well, they have been bothered ever since, and it was legal to kill them in the 1800s, legal to kill them, for the only reason that they were Mormon. When they first started running after Utah game a state, they started running and they actually said other politicians actually said, you don't want to vote for them. Oh, boy, you don't want to listen to them. Don't put any credence in anything they say; they have horns, you know. And it was printed in the paper.
Glenn concludes:
It's pretty clear Glenn doesn't like Huck much. Glenn was tired of Huck's dividing up people of faith when we should all be in this together. Instead, Glenn suggests the following:I told Mike Huckabee those things and he looked at me astonished. You might want to do your homework. I know these people. You know one of the reasons why I wanted to be -- I didn't want to be a Mormon. I felt like I had to be one because I couldn't do it on my own anymore. And you know what? I wanted to be like the people that are of that faith. I am the worst example that you will ever see of -- I joined because I wanted to be like these people.
They're good, decent people, and I am tired of having them run through the mud, tired of it. And I told him that. And I had tears in my eyes when I talked about him. We were knee to knee. Not once did this pastor reach out and put a hand on my shoulder or on my knee and say, I am so sorry, Glenn. He did say those words and I accepted those words, but as I told him at the end, by their fruits ye shall know them.
"We need to unite as God-fearing people because I truly believe we are in the battle of our lives."
Thanks, Jenn, for passing this along.
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