Beck apologized for airing portion of Bill Clinton speech "out of context"
SUMMARY: Glenn Beck apologized for playing a cropped portion of a speech former President Bill Clinton made in January and "taking it out of context." After replaying the portion of the speech in which Clinton said, "We just have to slow down our economy" in order to combat global warming, Beck stated: "That's what we played yesterday. However, if you look at the text of the entire speech, that is taken out of context. What it is, and actually it's horrible, and I apologize for it ever getting on the air in this context."
On the May 22 broadcast (subscription required) of his nationally syndicated radio show, CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck apologized for playing a cropped portion of a speech former President Bill Clinton made in January and "taking it out of context" during the previous day's broadcast. On his May 22 show, Beck replayed the portion of the speech in which Clinton said, "We just have to slow down our economy" in order to combat global warming. After playing the clip, Beck stated: "That's what we played yesterday. However, if you look at the text of the entire speech, that is taken out of context. What it is, and actually it's horrible, and I apologize for it ever getting on the air in this context." Indeed, as Clinton's quote in its full context makes clear, he did not say that we "have to slow down our economy," as a strategy to combat global warming. Rather, he said that "rich" countries could take that approach; but then he stated why he thought it wouldn't work, asserting that the "only way" to fight global warming is to prove that doing so "is good economics that we will create more jobs to build a sustainable economy":
CLINTON: And maybe America, and Europe, and Japan, and Canada -- the rich counties [sic] -- would say, "OK, we just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions 'cause we've got to save the planet for our grandchildren." We could do that.
But if we did that, you know as well as I do, China and India and Indonesia and Vietnam and Mexico and Brazil and the Ukraine, and all the other countries will never agree to stay poor to save the planet for our grandchildren. The only way we can do this is if we get back in the world's fight against global warming and prove it is good economics that we will create more jobs to build a sustainable economy that saves the planet for our children and grandchildren. It is the only way it will work.
As Media Matters for America noted, on his May 21 broadcast, Beck played the cropped comment from Clinton's speech so that the only audio that aired was: "We just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions, 'cause we've got to save the planet for our grandchildren." After playing the edited clip, Beck said, "There it is. 'We've got to slow down our economy to save the planet for our grandchildren.' If that doesn't tell you everything you need to know, nothing will." Beck's statement echoed a January blog post by ABC News senior national correspondent Jake Tapper.
From the May 22 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:
BECK: Yesterday, I had Congressman Steve King [R] on from -- where's he from? Iowa? Yeah, Iowa. And I played a piece of audio, and we got a piece of mail in yesterday, and somebody emailed after we got off the air and said, "Hey Glenn, you know, the audio that you played, it was taken out of context." And I didn't think it was. But I went back, and we looked at the context of it, and you know what? I am not, I am not, no matter what someone might think of me, might think that I will take anything I have to use and take it and twist it out of context, that's one of the things that I hate the most from the media. And then they'll bury the correction. This is the most listened-to time in this program. I don't want to bury the correction.
Do we have the audio that we played yesterday? This is from a speech where Bill Clinton was talking about global warming, et cetera, et cetera. And I was talking to the congressman, and he said that the real problem is is that these environmentalists just want to stop the economy. And I said to Dan, I said, "Don't we have a piece of audio like that from Bill Clinton? Because I remember him saying that." And we played the audio. You have it yet, Dan? Here it is:
CLINTON [audio clip]: We just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions, 'cause we've got to save the planet for our grandchildren.
BECK: OK. Stop. That's what we played yesterday. However, if you look at the text of the entire speech, that is taken out of context. What it is, and actually it's horrible, and I apologize for it ever getting on the air in this context. He was talking about "some people will say that; however, that's not the answer." So I sincerely apologize for taking it out of context and do not want to ever be one of those guys that a) twists somebody's words and takes it out of context; b) if I ever do, I don't ever want to be one of those guys that when it's pointed out to me, that I don't bring it to your attention and tell you that I am -- I'm sorry that I gave you that information. It was wrong information. Didn't do it intentionally. Make mistakes. 'Nough said.
Wow, I feel like I actually have a shred of respect for this guy now (maybe).
If it was Bill'O, he would have made some backhanded apology like 'I'm sorry you as viewers didn't realize what I really meant, so if you were offended by my lack of accuracy, then I feel sorry for you. I'm the real victim here, anyways.'
Right, like when Keith Olbermann apologised for airing an inaccurate Rudy Giuliani quote, then made him all three Worst Persons?
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/11/02/video-olbermann-apologizes-for-smearing-giuliani-sort-of/
http://www.olbermannwatch.com/archives/2007/11/countdown_with_379.php
Damian,
"Right, like when Keith Olbermann apologised for airing an inaccurate Rudy Giuliani quote, then made him all three Worst Persons?"
First of all.... this is about Glen Beck's non-apology apology!
If Beck wanted to truly claim he was sorry.... he would have ran the whole entire clip!
Second..... Beck IS part of the media! How can this clown claim otherwise?
Third..... you chose olbermannwatch and hotair as your sources to try and make a comparison of Olbermann and Beck..... are you only trying to be funny?
Plus..... there is a big difference here...... Beck was speaking of one specific audio clip moment of Clinton.... Olbermann apologized for misquoting a specific Guiliani moment and then used three completely different Guiliani moments to claim Guiliani as the Worst Person!
similar? maybe. but not the same!
This is a joke, right?
The guy claims someone contacted him about taking President Clinton's remarks out of context, by playing just a portion of an audio... and then the guy, supposedly saying he wished he hadn't done that, DOES IT AGAIN!
He playes the exact same audio, taken out of it's context, again... and what's really funny (seeing as for sure it's a joke), is where he asks his lackey dan to play the audio, and right where he could let it continue so as to be in a complete context, and be understood that way, he says right at the "out of context" point: OK. Stop.
Why stop? Why not play the audio in it's complete context? Why play it again, out of context?
This guy beck, I'm pretty sure he hates MMFA with a passion... and I'd guess that this "apology" is just a joke, and was an excuse to do the exact same thing again, that he's supposedly "apologizing" for...
...like as if I wanted to apologize to my neighbor because my dog took a dump on his front lawn: and so I take my mutt over there, and have him take another dump on my neighbor's lawn, just so I can say That's what he did yesterday. If you look at it, it's dog poop on your lawn. Actually it's horrible, and I apologize for it ever getting on your lawn.
Who put the clip topgether in the first place? I thought these shows had a script. They knew it was out of context....no apology accepted here. Fire somebody then it will look like someone really means it.
Another nice Republan taking "full responsibility" and not even going to his room without dinner. Bush, Cheney, Rummy and the World Bank guy, Wolfie. all apologize for everything but get dinner. F@#k 'em. Pay for your mistakes like the macho warriors you think you are.
I truly believe this guy beck was just tweaking MMFA's nose, by claiming someone contacted him about taking President Clinton's remarks out of context (when in fact MMFA ran an item about that same thing), and then DOING IT AGAIN, and playing the exact same "out of context" audio clip again! And the part that caught my eye (ear) immediately, was where he said OK. Stop. ...instead of just playing what Mr. Clinton said, completely in it's conyext... you know of course, that what any sincere person would've done, was to say "we played only a portion of comments President Clinton made recently, taken out of context, and we think perhaps we misled people as to what Mr. Clinton meant: and so here is what the President said, in it's complete context..."
Instead, the guy beck plays the "out of context" partial audio clip AGAIN!
Like I said, I'm pretty sure this guy hates MMFA a lot... and I'm also sure he thought this was really funny, to do again the exact thing that MMFA cited the guy for: playing an audio of President Clinton's remarks, out of context.
"Hey Glenn, you know, the audio that you played, it was taken out of context." And I didn't think it was.
Sure, he didn't think it was taken out of context. He just didn't think he'd get called on it.
While I commend him for making the correction, I think Dem's point above is valid.
In addition when Beck says this...
"Do we have the audio that we played yesterday? This is from a speech where Bill Clinton was talking about global warming, et cetera, et cetera. And I was talking to the congressman, and he said that the real problem is is that these environmentalists just want to stop the economy. And I said to Dan, I said, "Don't we have a piece of audio like that from Bill Clinton? Because I remember him saying that." And we played the audio. You have it yet, Dan?
He makes it appear that this was somehow spontaneous. I don't buy it because having the audio cued up to the exact place he wanted doesn't make sense together with how could he have known what the Rep. was going to say on his show?
Beck is still a ________
Fill in the blank.
fawltylogic,
See my quote at the top to the answer I would give you here that I gave to someone else.... I think you might posibly agree?
Yes, he should have played the whole clip. But I disagree that it was a "non-apology apology". It wasn't, he actually said
I apologize for it ever getting on the air in this context. He was talking about "some people will say that; however, that's not the answer." So I sincerely apologize for taking it out of context
which is an actual apology, not the O'Reilly-style "If anyone was offended, I apologize" non-apology. Very refreshing to see on TV actually.
He apologized, then committed the same offense immediately thereafter by running the truncated and misleading clip again.
That's like a spouse who apologizes for his/her obnoxious behavior, and then exhibits that same behavior the very next day. You wonder if the apology the day before was sincere, or if it was simply to shut you up.
There are only two possibilities here, and both are impossible.
Beck claimed that an emailer is more competent than the entire staff of CNN.
If that's not true, then CNN not only deliberately deceived its audience, but it refused to keep quiet about its deception. No repercussions would have come to CNN if this apology were never made.
The incompetent/lying dilemma has escalated in 5/24's must-read edition of dailyhowler.com. At the end, Joe Kline and the staff of Time(/CNN) prove themselves unable to conduct a basic search. And this time they don't cop to it.
I can do a search. You can do a search. My dog can do a search.
The media is so terrible that it simply cannot be understood or explained.
It seems like a decent apology . He didn't try to divert blame back onto anyone else . In other words he didn't do the lame " I'm sorry if you took what I said out of context " kind of non-apology that is quite common .Seemingly ,to his credit he admitted the mistake . That being said I find myself wondering if it were simply an honest mistake that he didn't realize until later , or was it more deliberate than that .Could it be an ill advised attempt to decieve that was so flagrantly obvious that , after the fact , he was hopelessly busted for it and really had no option but to do damage control and apologize for it . It would also be difficult to B.S. his way out of it unless he could convince his audience that it was just an honest mistake . From his point of view and credibility it would be better to be busted for an honest mistake than an attempt to deliberately decieve . I'll probably never know which of the two scenarios is true and I may always have the suspicion the latter is true . At least I am not going to be too quick to buy the line that he didn't know that the quote was being taken out of context .
I'd bet twenty dollars that his eyeglasses are just a prop, to give his class clown face a studious look... a prop, like tucker carlson's bow tie.
...is the talk radio bar really that low?
LOL...! Talk radio has no bar...just listen to Limbaugh, Hannity, Svage, et als.