Politico reports that "Glenn Beck's 'poison' joke gets harsh rebuke"
August 07, 2009 7:32 am ET by Media Matters staff
From an August 9 Politico article:
Fox News host Glenn Beck joked on the air Thursday about poisoning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, drawing a sharp rebuke from a liberal media watchdog group.
Riffing off a POLITICO report on Pelosi's upcoming Napa Valley event for big-dollar donors and other supporters, Beck did a sketch Thursday in which he pretended to be at the event, drinking wine with the speaker.
As a staffer wearing a Pelosi mask lifted a glass to her lips, Beck said:
"I really just really wanted to thank you having me over here to Wine Country, you know. To be invited, I thought I had to be a major Democratic donor, or a long-time friend of yours, which I'm not. By the way, I put poison in your - no. . . . "
At that point, Beck cut himself off and told the Pelosi doppelganger: "I look forward to all the policy discussions we're supposed to have - you know, on health care, energy reform and the economy. Hey, is that Sean Penn over there? I know it cost me more than $30,000 to get in here, but - Hey! Hey! I think I see Ed Markey, the author of cap and trade, over there."
A video of Beck's sketch was circulated Thursday evening by the watchdog group Media Matters for America.
In a statement, Media Matters President Eric Burns called Beck a "one-man hate machine" and said that "poisoning the House speaker in effigy is just the latest in a long line of actions, statements, and stunts that have no place on a credible news network."
[...]
Conservative organizations have encouraged opponents of Democratic health care proposals to go to lawmakers' public events and express their opposition, but these protests have taken on an increasingly nasty edge in recent days.
Rep. Brad Miller's (D-N.C.) office reportedly received a death threat against the congressman, and members of an overflow crowd at a Florida town hall banged on the doors and windows of a conference room when they were shut out of the event due to concerns about overcrowding. There were also reports in local newspapers of pushing and shoving at the event, which was held by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.)
Previously:
Media Matters: The Palin chronicles
The Friday Rush: A series of conflicts
Contrary to media hype, Sarah Palin is very unpopular
What does that say about Fox?
The difference?
It was in their backyeard for Halloween, for free/fun in their spare time. They weren't paid millions to do "the same thing" on a top-rated, nationally syndicated "news" show. (Or political commentary show, if you prefer.)
Oh wait, that's right: they didn't have a national radio show, a national television show on a news network, no network promoted the books they wrote or their other pet political projects, and local residents did report the display to the police as a possible hate crime.
So you're arguing that it's perfectly legitimate for citizens to call the police about an offensive Halloween display, but it's unreasonable for MMFA to criticize a national television host?
Cue your frantic and defensive backpedaling, deflection and diversion.
Beck, on the other hand, is an employee of Fox. Fox, if it had any decency, would shut his little hate machine down. That is their right and, one could say, duty. Also, the difference with Beck's situation is that he essentially made a threat to the life of the Speaker of the House . . . that's illegal.
You are attempting to compare apples and oranges. They aren't the same.
While I'm happy to see this story picked up by Politico, I have to take issue with how Eric Burns's characterization of Beck as a "one-man hate machine". Beck isn't a one-man anything. If he were just some guy with a blog, I seriously doubt he'd have a following. Holding Beck accountable for what he says on air and in print instead of his employers, broadcasters and publishers is like holding fire responsible for burning down a house instead of the arsonist.
FNC has rid itself of other hosts for far less than what Beck has done. FNC showed Matt Drudge the door because he wanted to use photographs of fetal surgery to attack pro-choice advocates. But apparently Beck can do no wrong for FNC: calling President Obama a racist with a deep-seated hatred for white people; joking about poisoning politicians; claiming that Obama could accomplish his goals faster if he just set the American people on fire or shot them; calling for a "Civilest of Wars"; mocking Obama's aunt for her disability; all without consequence. One can't expect Beck to assume responsibility for what he himself says, because he's discovered that he's being paid to be irresponsible. Beck's employers and their sponsors are the ones who need to be reminded of their responsibilities.
No. This is not accurate.
Conservative organizations have encouraged their followers to go to the public events AND DISRUPT THEM. The organizations in questions have sent out instructions on how to do it. Thre's no question -- NONE -- that they did this. Just read their memos.
The soft sell and understatement is ridiculous. Why is it so hard for journalists to report what these people are actually doing?