Going Mainstream? ABC Uses Glenn Beck Clip In Al Gore Interview (Update)

Diane Sawyer interviewed Al Gore today on Good Morning America and put the former Vice President on the hot seat a couple times with her line of questioning.

And guess who made a special appearance? Fox News’ Glenn Beck.

Newsbusters reports on the interview, which featured Sawyer throwing to this clip of some criticism during a Beck show. “If you really want to save the planet, Al, why don’t you put down the cheeseburger and pick up the veggie burger?” says Beck in the clip.

Gore’s response:

Well, you know, there is a serious issue about the connection between the growing meat intensity of diets around the world and damage to the environment. That is a legitimate issue. And like a lot of people, I eat less meat now than I used to. I’m not a vegetarian, don’t plan to become one, but it’s a healthy choice to eat more vegetables than fruits.

ABC, more than any other of the big three networks, seems to have no problem playing nice with Fox News, which can be somewhat alienated in the media landscape. Their hard news personalities appear on opinion programs and other prime time shows, and their White House correspondent, Jake Tapper, was the first of the high profile correspondents to question the White House over their feud tactics. By using this Beck clip, it gives legitimacy to the point the firebrand host was making.

Later, Sawyer, who becomes their World News anchor in January, pressed Gore over a front-page New York Times story today. “They say you are about to become, perhaps, the world’s first carbon billionaire because of the amounts of money that you’ve made from your investments, from your green investment,” she said.

“That quote is from one of the deniers and that’s certainly not true,” said Gore, who was right. “I’m proud to put my money where my mouth is for the last 30 years.”

> Update: We’re 36 minutes into Beck’s FNC show and he’s already made two lengthy references to his portion of the interview. “Scattered showers broke out over Good Morning America,” he said. He appears to be enjoying his moment in the MSM spotlight…

> Update again: Reference #3 – now 46 minutes in. He’s interviewing a PETA member.

• Related: Katie Couric’s recent “@KatieCouric” interview with Gore.

Here’s the full interview from this morning:

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