Las Vegas Weekly

May 20, 2009 · 11:35 AM

It’s Glenn Beck’s turn to be questioned — by Penn Jillette

By John Katsilometes

Penn & Teller.

Photo: Courtesy

Strip headliner Penn Jillette appeared on Glenn Beck’s Fox News show last night (catch the exchange here), and the juggling half of Penn & Teller at The Rio shows he can entertain with a partner who speaks as part of his act. Jillette, an avowed Libertarian, has frequently appeared with Beck, but last night he was the one asking questions. When he queried Beck, who may or may not be a total lunatic, about what functions of government Beck supports, Beck said it was OK for the government to provide for roads and schools and for the “common defense.” Beck also said we need to get out of such fringe (his interpretation, evidently) U.S. interests as Germany and South Korea. Beck also wants to stabilize Iraq before pulling out because, “we broke it, we own it.”

After Jillette, long a spokesman and chief fundraiser for Aid for AIDS of Nevada, asked Beck about individual rights, Beck powerfully countered that he has “several gay employees” and even friends. Beck says he’s pro-civil unions (Jillette says he’s pro-civil unions for all couples, including heterosexuals). Jillette notes that after every appearance with Beck, his liberal friends chide him because Beck is anti-gay, which Beck denies. Clips of Beck seemingly coming unhinged, even reducing himself to soft weeping, have been played and mocked by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show,” but being questioned forces him to dial it down a few clicks to explain his actual positions on subjects he usually rants about unfettered. It’s a pretty revealing give-and-take between two guys who agree on most points but use radically diverse means of expressing themselves.

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