CNN's Glenn Beck: Some Victims of Calif. Wildfires "Hate America"
CNN Should Distance Itself from Conservative Cable & Radio Host's Inappropriate Remarks
Washington, DC - Yesterday on his nationally syndicated radio program, CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck said: "I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today." Beck's comment came as wildfires ravaged parts of Southern California. According to CNN, the evacuation triggered by the fires is the largest evacuation forced by a natural disaster since hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
Audio/Transcript: http://mediamatters.org/items/200710220003
"As these families suffer through the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina, it is wholly inappropriate for Glenn Beck to claim that they 'hate America' simply because they may disagree with his politics. Many of these families have lost everything, and Beck owes them an apology," said Karl Frisch, a spokesman for Media Matters for America. "It's time for CNN to distance itself from Beck's comments or risk being seen as endorsing them."
Beck's comment immediately followed his statement that "we're all one America" and "just because I disagree with you doesn't mean you hate America, and I love America. We all love America. We just disagree on how we should function." Beck had been distinguishing his views from those of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), who, according to the Financial Times, "has urged Republican presidential candidates to capture the political centre ground ahead of next year's election by focusing on healthcare reform and education." Beck criticized Schwarzenegger's proposed strategy as "not the way to win on any front" and offered the following clarification: "When I say on the air, and I've said it a lot lately, that we need to come together, and we need to get back into the center, we're being pushed on to the edges -- I want you to understand, that is not on policies. I don't mean that we come in the center on policies. We come to the center on principles."
From the October 22 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:
BECK: Schwarzenegger came out over the weekend and he said the Republicans need to run to the center and they need to grab the center. And the headline -- I looked at it, and I went "OK, OK, what is this? What is this? Oh, it's Schwarzenegger. I'm probably going to disagree with it." And then I started reading it, and I absolutely disagreed with it. He said they need to start talking about health care and education. That's not the way to win.
Let's talk about health care and education? That's not the way to win. That's not the way to win on any front. I'm not even talking about -- the least I care about is winning the election. How about winning the war? How about saving our country? And, you know, it made me think. I want to make this very clear. When I say on the air, and I've said it a lot lately, that we need to come together and we need to get back into the center, we're being pushed on to the edges -- I want you to understand, that is not on policies. I don't mean that we come in the center on policies. We come to the center on principles. We come back to the center of the melting pot, that we're all one America, that just because I disagree with you doesn't mean you hate America, and I love America. We all love America. We just disagree on how we should function, what we should do, big government, small government. It doesn't mean you hate America. I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today.
There are a few people that hate America. But I don't think the Democrats are those. I think there are those posing as Democrats that are like that. But you don't come into the center. You have to stand up for what you believe in.
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Glenn has repeatedly admitted on his show that his an idiot, and all around moronic. He proves it everyday on the radio, and tv. He says "I'm the stupid guy, who's going to let the American public know..." I hate watching his show, so I stopped, because he IS that much of an idiot.
If he's that much of an idiot (and I'm pretty sure he is), he and whoever hired him at CNN Headline News should be fired.
so I guess all those conservatives in Orange County and San Diego hate America, Glenn?
Let's be fair. Beck was more than likely talking about Malibu...
Anyway, another MMFA campaign to rein in free speech in America! Wow!!!
Let's see - Imus is back on the radio.
Um... Limbaugh is still #1
And, ah, Bill O. continues on his program...
Gee, MMFA just isn't having much luck. I mean, for all the sweat your brown shirts are getting, not a whole lot to show for the effort.
Please explain how an organization that transcribes the exact words of people in the exact order they were spoken, and then encourages the discussion of the meaning of those words in an open forum amongst its members and the public is on a campaign to stifle free speech. It seems to me that the opposite is true. Your post memes the now-familiar doublespeak of the Republican machine..."The Clear Skys Initiative, etc."
Well, when you don't include the statements made before and/or after those comments. Or use misleading headlines like "Beck says some hate America because the disagree with his politics."
Or when you take a guy who has done more to support the troops and their families than just about anybody, and has nothing but respect for the military - even those who are anti-war - and then try to make it look like he thinks those that oppose it are phony. I mean, without background on the person's character or history on an issue, taking words and even complete statements can be used to make someone look bad.
And, Media Matters does this often.
What else are we guessing that Beck is using to determine whether people "hate America" or not, besides his own political views?
As for Rush, when "Caller #1" told him he was an anti-war soldier, Rush called him a liar. Why? If he supports troops who are anti-Iraq war, then why does he have trouble accepting that they exist?
"As for Rush, when "Caller #1" told him he was an anti-war soldier, Rush called him a liar"
Rush never claimed that the caller lied about his military service. He claimed that the caller lied about being a Republican. Your claim is simply false.
CALLER 1: See, I -- I've used to be military, OK? And I am a Republican.
LIMBAUGH: Yeah. Yeah.
CALLER 1: And I do live [inaudible] but --
LIMBAUGH: Right. Right. Right, I know.
CALLER 1: -- you know, really -- I want you to be saying how long it's gonna take.
LIMBAUGH: And I, by the way, used to walk on the moon!
I understand that Rush specified that the caller couldn't be a Republican, but he doesn't seem to accept the claim that he was military either, does he? Where's the "I respect your service" or similar comment? Is it really respectful to one of our soldiers, past or present, to call them a liar without any evidence whatsoever? According to you, Rush is sitting there with the attitude of "I respect all of our military, except for this guy that I'm calling a liar because he says he's a Republican, and he can't be a Republican because he disagrees with me". Yes, that makes a lot of sense. If he believes that the caller is military, then why does he believe that he can't be a Republican? Isn't the military overwhelmingly Republican, after all?
Would you talk to a soldier like that? If Rush didn't believe that the caller was military, then you have to retract your "simply false" comment. If he did believe it, then he was disrespectful. I'll gladly concede your point if you admit that Rush is a lying sack of crap when he tells people that he respects soldiers that oppose the war.
By all means, do pursue your point. Please.
I think that Rush was wrong to say that the caller wasn't a Republican. He was also disrespectful to the caller. With that being said, he still didn't question his military service. Rush said "There's no way you can possibly be a Republican." He never said that the caller couldn't be a soldier. I think that he was out of line when he claimed that the caller couldn't be a Republican, but that's still not nearly as bad as what you claim that he said.
I appreciate the criticism of Rush's behavior. Let's do the math:
1.Caller says he's former military
2.Rush disrespects him (your admission)
I was giving Rush the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn't do that to someone he believed to have served his country. If you want to push the issue, you put Rush in a worse position.
Quit hedging and make your choice;did Rush believe the caller was lying about his service, or did he knowingly and willingly disrespect a patriotic American just because he opposed the war (like the vast majority of Americans)?
He disrespected the caller, but it had nothing to do with the fact that he claimed that he used to serve in the military. He didn't question his military service or call him a "phony soldier." He questioned whether or not he's a Republican, because he agrees with the Democrats on the Iraq War. So the reason that Rush disrespected the caller had nothing to do with his claim to be in the military, but it had everything to do with the fact that he claimed to be a Republican but sides with the Dems on the war.
I didn't say he called him a "phony soldier". The question is whether Rush accepted the claim or not. From the context of it seems like he's dismissing both of the claims. It doesn't make a lot of sense that Rush can't believe that a Republican can oppose the war...but he easily accepts that a former soldier can. And it also doesn't make much sense that Rush was already questioning the caller's honesty, but then he believed him when he told him he was military. He had already dismissed him as a liar, and he just kept doing it afterwards.
It's not definitive, but that just doesn't wash. It's quite a stretch to believe that Rush wasn't dismissing both claims with his "walked on the moon" comment. If all you can do is to point out that he didn't explicitly call him a liar over that, then I accept that, but it's a weak rebuttal. Your inability to provide an alternate explanation for Rush's comments shows that you don't really have much of a leg to stand on here.
I find it interesting that wingnut apologists cite "wider context" as being vital to understanding their talking heads (as if Beck or Limbaugh was discoursing at the level of James Joyce), but ALWAYS IN THE ABSTRACT.
Like here, Jeff faults MMFA: "you don't include the statements made before and/or after those comments."
Can you include some specific relevant statements, Jeff? Something that Beck might have said earlier in the show that would change the color of this particular remark?
Thanks. That will help a lot.
Thanks Archfiend & Brabanto for picking up on this part of the thread. Your words are thoughtful and your explanations cogent.
The right's indignation at having their spokesmans words repeated and anaylized is so transparent. Beck and Limbaugh have been in broadcasting for decades, they know what they are doing when in front of a microphone, and they know what they are saying as well.
In my opinion, it is hard for reasonable people to dismiss their recent remarks as extemporaneous attempts at humor. On air segments, especially those on television, are planned with a bit more forethought. These ideas had already been thought through in their heads before they spoke. Beck's backpeddling afterward, saying it was just a joke, is rubbish. As you so rightly pointed out, the moments before and after Beck's comment serve to support the conclusion that Beck was not joking.
The right is very quick to give a pass to ANY of their people, no matter how nasty or heartless or untrue the statement, yet are even quicker to assail anyone on the left who commits a similar act. John Kerry and his lame joke would be one good example of same.
Does this qualify as flip-flopping?
There's nothing fair about it. Beck is an idiot for not realizing that the fire area is hitting the most solidly Republican districts in the entire country. Notice how the victims are all white?
By comparison, Malibu-- home to many, many Republicans by the way-- lost four houses, tops.
And Media Matters myrmidon Keith Olbermann is in a DISTANT second place. That man is a real talent.
freedom of speech does not mean you get the last word.
Yep. What a joke! Media matters?
It should be called, 'Attacking conservatives in the media'.
Look at all the kissing up they do to Olbermann. Sheesh.
Yep. What a joke! Media matters?
It should be called, 'Attacking conservatives in the media'.
I'm continually amazed at how when MMFA points out the TRUTH about conservatives and what they say, other lame-brained conservatives such as yourself call it an ATTACK. As JAck Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men", you conservatives can't HANDLE the truth!!!
In the words of Adlai Steveson (which could easily be the slogan or rallying cry of MMFA):
"When [the Republicans] stop telling lies about us, we'll stop telling the truth about them."
I forgot about that one. Adlai Stevenson was a great man who would have made one hell of a president. The only thing that got in his way was Ike's popularity.
And the fact that the American People as a whole hate and are scared of smart people.
Media Matters actively tries to get conservatives off the air. They're an activist organization and not simply a watchdog organization as they claim. Their ultimate goal is to get all conservative thought out of the media.
Please direct us to the MMFA quote on this site that states what you just said.
http://mediamatters.org/hatefree
Nice try but no cigar.
You said that MMFA wants to eliminate all conservative thought from the media. What you posted as 'proof' does not constitute all conservative thought. What you linked to are examples of people who spew hate thought.
Not all conservatives are hateful little extremists like the three individuals cited in that link. Try again.
Yeah, you'd think Media Matters would simply give up on their attempt to stifle free speech since they don't seem to be getting anywhere. But apparently they just want more attention in the media and want to become known as the most totalitarian of all left wing blogs.
If MMFA, as you say, isn't 'successful' at what it does then why are you here whining? If MMFA is 'losing' then you should be celebrating and then moseying your way on to a wingnut site for more laughs.
I think that like being 'Borked,' or 'Swiftboated,' the new line will be: 'Imused.' Didn't work on Rush, didn't work on O'Reilly, didn't work on Coulter, won't work on Beck.
These MMFA types really are slow, you, know.
So now you're going after Beck? Got tired of attacking Rush, already?
How did that work out? Rush is laughing all the way to the bank, thank you very much. Harry Reid and friends are looking pretty stoopid.
Same here, with Beck.
Same here, with Beck.
Yes, Beck sure is looking stupid.
In who's eyes does Reid look stupid?? Dittoheads?? I think he looks like a wuss for not stopping the madman in the White House on his Iraq quagmire...but not stupid.
Dear Glenn, I am married to one of the Western United States Wildland Firefighters. He is also a Compressed Air Foam specialist and an excellant fire fighter. Your guest's comments about the U.S.Fire Service and the U.S. Government being to blame for these fires is a crock. The U.S. Fire Service carries on controlled burns to clean up the trash on forest floors all the time. Another thing, since there are fires in the Mabilu area every year almost, how can you blame the Fire Service for this fire? If you think that global warming is such a joke and that we as a public think that we only have global warming here, then you had better wake up and look at the rest of the world. I'm not saying that man is completely innocent of wrong doing when it comes to these fires. But when you build your home in an area that is full of canyons and lots of brush, then you should expect to maybe lose your home and/orlife to a wildfire. My husband has spent 14 years fighting fires all over the Western United States and will probably spend another15 to20 years continuing to do so. So for him and the rest of the Wildland Firefighters who risk their lives to save peoples lives and homes, I am appalled at the way your guests blame the Fire Service for this fire.
Firstly, Karen, I'd like to say that it's great that your husband is a fire-fighter. Even though I'm thousands of miles away in little ol' Iowa, I appreciate that. Secondly, I think that you may have been watching Glenn's television show when he had the guests on talking about the fires. Unfortunately (or fortunately, in some of your eyes), I missed that night's show. However, I can tell you that on his radio show earlier in the day, Glenn was blaming the problem with the wild fires on poor legislation, and not the fire fighters. I can also tell you that during the same show that Glenn made the comments about the people in California losing their homes, he made the exact comment that you're making about the people in Malibu. Glenn said the very same thing! A quote taken from his website, "Dozens of multimillionaires have lost or are in danger of losing their giant mansions in Malibu, California because of the devastating wildfires. On tomorrow's radio show, Glenn will start a non-sarcastic effort to help save the primary residences of several wealthy, famous people in Malibu. Could you imagine having to live in your vacation house----full time? It's just not right. More to come... " His opinions really aren't that different than yourrs.
Oh, look everyone. We at CNN just got a letter from Media Matters calling on us to distance ourselves from Glenn Beck. Media Matters? Why, isn't that that outfit run by discredited journalist and admitted liar David Brock? Wasn't that the same Soros-backed group that lied about Rush Limbaugh's "phony soldier" comment and led Pinky Reid to embarrass himself on the Senate floor. Toss it. Wait, better yet let's put the letter on eBay. Maybe we can find a charity that helps discredited reporters such as Brock.
Anything to drain your pocketbooks.
What's the matter 'Kid? Is it that nobody's fed you the right wing talking points on this one yet so all you can offer is this weak "attack the messenger" distraction?
There is plenty to attack the messenger about. You moonbats still can't seem to figure out that David Brock is an admitted liar and discredited journalist. His credibility is zero.
Thanks for your answer.
There is plenty to attack the messenger about. You moonbats still can't seem to figure out that David Brock is an admitted liar and discredited journalist. His credibility is zero.
David Brock admitted that he lied when he was a conservative and working for the conservatice cause. Since having a change of heart, he's making amends by seeking out the truth. Unfortunately for you conservatives, the truth reveals the spokespeople on your side as hate-filled, chickenhawk liars.
Why can't you conservatives realize that? By coming clean, I feel David Brock has far more credibility than anyone on the right - ESPECIALLY Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, and Ann Coulter.
Nice use of "unfortunately" lol.
Thanks. I'm glad someone noticed it.
Koolaidkid's just pissed off that Brock jumped off the wingnut Titanic so he and his side feel 'betrayed'. That's all it is... just a bunch of sore losers on the Right whining as usual. Wah wah wah.
To be fair, I think Beck was ad-libbing. He was trying to make the (dubious) claim, "Most of us are together, but a handful hate America." Then he thought, "Hey I'll take a swipe at the So-Cal libs," and made the fire remark, but it was off-the-cuff. It was just a tasteless joke. A thin, insipid, uninspired joke. A crass, crude, low-down, tacky joke told by a boorish, graceless loudmouth.
On second thought, forget fairness. To hell with Glenn Beck.
Someone needs to remind Beck that Conservatives have lost their homes. What goes around, comes around, Beck.
Yet another liberal with NO sense of humour.
But let Bill Maher crack a 'joke' and you can't stop laughing. Pathetic.
Yet another liberal with NO sense of humour.
But let Bill Maher crack a 'joke' and you can't stop laughing. Pathetic.
Yet another conservative using the old, lame "it was only a joke" excuse when something stupid another conservative says blows up in their face. Even more pathetic.
Speaking of Maher, didn't riight-wing cry-babies get him FIRED from his show for a remark? And they call US brownshirts. Typical.
Maher lost his gig at ABC because he broke the golden rule of comedy tv: HE WASN'T FUNNY, ANYMORE.
It was stupid. A stupid JOKE. If you look at this short, isolated part of the conversation, then yes. It looks really, really bad for Glenn Beck. He obviously thinks that the people who hate America are losing their homes, sounds like a victory, right? WRONG. For a good portion of that hour and the show, Glenn and the crew were joking about the Hollywood elite building their homes time and again in the burn zone or on cliffs where mudslides occur. Even though his comment is framed "in context" here, it does not represent the whole context of the hour/show when the comments were made.
Can you explain the joke?
I'm at a loss trying to figure out where the humor is in Beck's comment.
I do not believe that Beck will profit from these words. Contrary to the assertions of a previous post, I do not believe Rush profited from his vile words either. He spent the following week scurrying from talk show to tv show trying to do damage control. As his listenership declines he becomes less and less relevant, and that is his worst nightmare.
Beck is already attempting the same. Hooray for MMFA, they simply post exactly what your mouthpieces say, where the general public can see for themselves the underpinnings of your social and political philosophies. People HAVE noticed, and its not a pretty picture.
Damage Control? Typical Liberal spin.
Rush was out and about making Reid look like a bafoon. (Not a difficult task.)
And maybe he didn't profit about it, but that might be because the even wasn't covered much in the mainstream, and when it was, it was often painted to make Rush look bad.
No damage control?
Why then make it the central topic of your show for days on end? Why attempt to foist an edited clip of his speech on his own show ans those of his friends? Why make fun of a disabled child's voice? And what of the Vote Vets advertisement, not allowing it to air on his home station? I doubt that decision came only from the station mangement.
Like almost everyother republican, you are fully aware that this presidency has been and is still an utter disaster. Like Rush, you will not and cannot accept responsibility for your terrible decisions. It speaks to your personal values, or lack thereof.
For those on the right who are posting on this topic.
Beck is at his worst when he attempts to be funny. He really is not that conservative and is not a complete right wing shill but he needs to stop the comedic lines b/c he fails miserably.
BTW-MMFA is the same as the MRC who bashes anyone who is left of their far right philosophies and you will never convince me otherwise. Neo-Cons have had a free pass for years and don't like getting being held accountable for their accurate quotes by MMFA. I review both sites to stay balanced.
I just visited MRC (Media Research Council) and it seems to be nothing more than a bunch of essays about how liberal the media is. There were several instances where they were offended by the words of FICTIONAL CHARACTERS!
Contrast that with MMfa, which states just the facts, no opinions, except in the few op-ed pieces housed in the "columns" section.
If you feel that MMfA states just the facts, you are mistaken, my friend. While they may use the real words of the people who they are coming out against, and try to do it in context, they take the portions of the show where the controversial statements were made, and isolate them. They do not take the context of the whole episode into consideration. If for example, someone was joking about something earlier, and later in the show decided to slip the joke back into a different segment, the fact that they were joking earlier isn't taken into consideration. A lot of these isolated comments look awful. But when you go back and listen to/read the entire statement or get the full context of what they are saying, most of the time it is not as bad as the words in bold make it seem.
right. I've listened to beck for years....he is hateful in his born again-ness......he was hateful before he was born again......
Hateful? How so? By having different opinions, calling a spade a spade, and having a tendancy to make poor choices in words? Are you saying that Michael Moore is the most loving man on the planet?
I have yet to see Michael Moore come out and mock the victims of the SoCal fires. I have yet to see Michael Moore come on tv and pray for Rush's house to be eaten by the next Florida hurricane. I have yet to see Michael Moore make fun of disabled 12-year olds.
Quit being a dumbass.
Of course CNN ought to distance themselves from Beck's inane remarks unless they want to become known as Fox News South.
Commenting on the issues of the day is always welcome.
Lies and hate speech aren't.
Western wrote:
If you feel that MMfA states just the facts, you are mistaken, my friend. While they may use the real words of the people who they are coming out against, and try to do it in context, they take the portions of the show where the controversial statements were made, and isolate them.
So in your view, MMFA doesn't state the facts, but they "use the real words of the people who they are coming out against, and try to do it in context, they take the portions of the show where the controversial statements were made..."
Hmmm. They quote accurately, they try to do it in context, but because MMFA doesn't provide a three hour long transcript of the entire comedy monologue of each one of these evil people, MMFA's light on the facts?
As my dear departed dad would say, that dog don't hunt, son. Time for you go to the dictionary and look up "facts."
I don't think I was arguing "facts". I was arguing context. Minor difference.
I understand that MMfA attempts to put these comments in the best context they can, and that it's impossible to provide the 3 hour transcript. But because you don't get the whole picture of the statement that that talk radio host might have been making on that day, it is slightly misleading. FACT: Glenn Beck made those comments.
DOUBLE FACT: When you look at the context of the entire show, they aren't so bad.
DOUBLE FACT: When you look at the context of the entire show, they aren't so bad.
Unless you happen to live in the burn zone.
Because the rest of his show is worse???
(wouldn't know...don't listen btw.)
They ARE bad - context or no context.
And they are also STUPID - context or no context.
Quit using 'context' as a wimpy excuse.
Why does the right have usch people as spokepersons? Rush is a junkie and Beck is a drunk.
Doesanyone listen to a drunk? or a junkie?
I never did, and never will....even after they have rehabed.
Personal accountability, and all. No do overs on junkies and drunks. That's a learned behavior.
Because that is the best they can do - and their 'best' isn't really all that good. Most Righties aren't that creative and 'fun' anyway... just check out FahrenHype 911 for a buttload of laughs at how amateurish it is compared to Michael Moore's stellar work. Same thing goes for anything published by Regnery Publishing - all worthless trash.
It's showbiz, folks! CNN doesn't give a crap what this clown says, as long as the advertisers' checks clear. Period.
Glenn Beck has it right. We have all got to statnd up against these left wing looney liberals that just don't get it. The liberals need to put on their hippie sandals, pack a lunch, and go hug some trees, and let the conservatives take care of the country.
"The liberals need to put on their hippie sandals, pack a lunch, and go hug some trees, and let the conservatives take care of the country."
That's supposed to be a joke, right? The only thing conservatives 'take care' of is their own. They don't give a s**t about anyone or anything else.