Meltdown: The intricate conspiracy to "destroy" Glenn Beck, his family, God, and the founders

Beck sees elaborate scheme designed to "destroy" him 

Beck: Due to Alinskyite conspiracy, "my children have been in jeopardy," my "family is under attack." On Fox Business' America's Nightly Scoreboard, host David Asman discussed Weiner's investigation into the questionable business practices of one of Beck's sponsors, Goldline. Asman asked Beck whether critics are taking from the "Saul Alinsky handbook," and Beck said, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. You isolate and destroy. Isolate and destroy. That's what -- that's -- that's their whole mantra. They try to do it with Rush [Limbaugh], they try to do it with Fox. They're just coming after me, and they've been relentless. This kind of stuff has coming after me for over a year." Beck added: "When you have your children in jeopardy, which my children have been in jeopardy; when your family is under attack; when you have the death threats; when you can't go anywhere without major security because of these groups and what they say and how they distort and how they lie." [America's Nightly Scoreboard, 5/24/10]

Beck on criticism: "The Nixon enemy list? Please. This is nothing like that. This is targeting and destroying." During the May 24 America's Nightly Scoreboard, Beck and Asman accused Weiner of "trying to destroy" Beck's career and "scare" his advertisers with his investigation into Beck's relationship with Goldline. Beck suggested either the White House or Weiner was "directing his attack" and connected it to the SEIU, the AFL-CIO, Van Jones, and a former Media Matters employee:

BECK: Look, I have -- David, I have -- I have Van Jones leading a boycott against me. I have Jim Wallis, the president's spiritual and political adviser, leading a boycott against me. I have SEIU and Andy Stern -- SEIU, most frequent guest in the White House -- Andy Stern, also an adviser. I have AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka giving a speech at Harvard, saying we're going to do something about this Glenn Beck stuff. I mean, he's [Weiner's] just the fifth. His assistant was the PR director, I think, or the spokesperson for Media Matters.

ASMAN: Oh, that's a coincidence.

BECK: I mean, you've got the same -- you've got the same people. An hour after he held this press conference, he was at the White House.

ASMAN: Is the White House directing his attack?

BECK: I don't know. I don't know.

ASMAN: What do you think?

BECK: Well, seeing that we already have three people already doing it directly related to the president of the United States, I don't think it's that much of a stretch to think that Weiner might be doing it.

Beck then claimed the White House's strategy is to take Fox personalities out "one at a time" and that he's "next." He stated:

BECK: Polarize that individual and make that individual toxic. That's not coming after all of Fox, because that wakes everybody up. Do it small. Take them out one at a time. I'm just the first. And if you take me out, then what happens? Does [Bill] O'Reilly go? Does Sean [Hannity] go? Do you go? And once they clean this place out, then who goes? Is it Diane Sawyer? Is it [George] Stephanopoulos? Who is it? Who's next? I mean, it's -- I've never seen anything like it before. This, this -- the Nixon enemy list? Please. This is nothing like that. This is targeting and destroying. [America's Nightly Scoreboard, 5/24/10]

Beck: "[I]f you associate yourself at all with Glenn Beck, Congress will come after you." On his radio program, Beck said: "Now that we have a congressman coming after this show and trying to discredit me and my sponsors, and driving yet another wedge, another stake, and trying to use fear -- if you associate yourself at all with Glenn Beck, Congress will come after you. That's exactly what's happening. We already had the White House -- look, I've had -- I've had sponsors that were on television, big sponsors, that said Glenn, we can't handle the White House coming after us. ... I warn you, you're losing your soul in response. ... If you don't stand up now, who's going to be there when they come after you?" Beck later said: "I hope to God Congress and this administration never disagree with you. You don't stand up for me, who's going to stand up when they target you?" [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/18/10] 

On O'Reilly, Beck suggests White House involved in conspiracy to "destroy" him. On Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Beck again brought up Weiner's investigation into Goldline, while eating a wiener sausage, and claimed that "[i]t's weird" that Weiner was investigating Goldline because, he claimed, they were a reputable company. Beck added: "It's almost like Weiner is going after something else." Beck also mentioned that one of Weiner's "main people ... used to work for Media Matters, which is weird." Host Bill O'Reilly later suggested Weiner may be "working with people in Congress or in the White House to try to destroy you," and Beck suggested the criticism from the AFL-CIO, SEIU, Jim Wallis, and Van Jones were examples of the White House's involvement in trying to "destroy" him:

O'REILLY: But that's why it's not a joke. That's why it's not a joke. Because if Weiner -- if Weiner is working with people in Congress or in the White House to try to destroy you, that's not a joke, Beck. Then I have to get involved and defend you.

BECK: Wait a minute. Hold it, hold it. Hang on just a second. Thank you.

O'REILLY: You're welcome.

BECK: Here's the thing. So it wasn't a joke when Jim Wallis, the spiritual and political adviser of President Barack Obama, is boycotting me. Leading a boycott. Leading a --

O'REILLY: Nobody knows who he is, though.

BECK: He is a spiritual and political adviser.

O'REILLY: Yeah, but nobody knows. Nobody cares.

BECK: He's meeting with the president. Then you have Andy Stern, SEIU.

O'REILLY: Yeah.

BECK: SEIU leading a boycott, trying to put me out of business. Huh. There's two people that are targets of mine. Van Jones, his organization leading a boycott.

You have AFL-CIO president of -- what's his name, Trumka -- coming out and saying, "We're going to do something about the Beck problem." Really?

And now Weiner. Please call me to testify, please? Please. I will be so respectful.

O'REILLY: Of all those people -- of all those people, Weiner -- Weiner is the one you should take seriously. The others are, you know. [The O'Reilly Factor, 5/21/10]

Beck: Weiner is "trying to put blinders on this society" and is "shutting down another way for you to protect yourself." On his Fox News program, Beck posited that the real reason Weiner was investigating Beck's relationship with Goldline was because the federal government didn't want people investing in gold, but rather in Treasury Inflation Protected Securities. Beck said:

BECK: Well, if you think a collapse is coming, if you think things are bad, if you think inflation is coming, well, you're not going to put your money into gold -- or, I mean, into treasuries. You're going to put it into gold, which made this happen.

But they figured it out. That's why the Treasury came up with something called TIPS -- Treasury Inflation Protected Securities.

What you do is you buy these and you say, they're lying, man. Are you kidding me? Inflation is going to go through the roof.

You buy these. It's a -- it's a hedge against inflation. It's a bet against inflation. It's a hedge against what they're telling you is the truth right now.

In the 1980s, they remembered this. They realized that if we have problems, people take their money out of bonds and put it into gold or silver or precious metals. When you do that, you then are in control of your wealth, and they lose money.

That's why they came up with this. That's why this price is not over here, because they also needed to do something else. They needed to make sure that they could get away with spending out of control as long as they could.

If gold was $3,000 an ounce today, you'd be freaking out. The markets would be freaking out.

So, they made it paper instead because most people don't understand this. Well, that's not so bad. Oh, no, look, 1980, it was here.

This is nonsense. TIPS allows you to continue until the patient is almost dead.

Congressman Weiner, under the guise of attacking me, is not really attacking me. He's trying to put blinders on this society. The hedge for inflation now is bonds. TIPS suppresses the price of gold. Do you get it?

Beck added: "This is not about me or anybody else; this is about shutting -- shutting down another way for you to protect yourself. Protect yourself. It doesn't have to be this. Find another way." [Glenn Beck, 5/19/10]

Beck outlines Van Jones-SEIU-Wallis-Media Matters' "unholy alliance" against him. On his Fox News program, Beck speculated that there is a "grassroots unholy alliance" to "silence anybody who speaks out about this program or anybody at all that is involved -- scare the friends, scare anybody away." Part of the "unholy alliance," according to Beck, is Jim Wallis, Andy Stern, Van Jones, the AFL-CIO, and Weiner. Beck claimed Weiner's presence is "interesting because we graduated into a darker level now, because now it's official. McCarthy has appeared." Then, Beck accused Media Matters -- "the spin machine for the left" -- of "start[ing] the ridiculous attack on gold sponsorships" and being part of the "unholy alliance" with Weiner:

BECK: On another completely unrelated story, Weiner's newly hired press secretary until recently worked -- no, not at the Center for American Progress financed by George Soros -- but Media Matters, funded by George Soros. You know, the spin machine for the left. Isn't that -- I like Weiner.

It was Media Matters, by the way, who first started the lie that we could read in, I think, the LA Times and then The Washington Post, which this guy is -- oh, he's doing stuff for The Washington Post? The little story came from Media Matters that my ratings were down on this program.

Well, now, we can tell you, because the official ratings are out May to May -- and it's weird. They're down so far that they're actually up 22 percent. It sounds like a smear campaign with no facts at all.

It was also Media Matters who started the ridiculous attack on gold sponsorships. Now, that -- that is something we should look into -- this unholy alliance of Media Matters and Weiner's. [Glenn Beck, 5/19/10]

Beck says Weiner is "actually trying on the shoes of McCarthy." On his radio program, Beck said: "Now we have four -- four organizations all tied to the White House ... and now we have a congressman actually trying on the shoes of McCarthy and going to stop their political enemy." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/19/10] 

Beck says "tips are coming in" about Weiner FEC penalties, and Goldline complaints are "now officially McCarthy." Also on his radio show, Beck stated: "Tips are coming in like crazy on Tony Weiner. ...  So the FEC has two cases under review about Congressman Weiner. Both cases have the same name: Friends of Weiner." Beck later said: "Now this is the guy that's targeting the -- my sponsor now. This is becoming now, this is -- Stu, am I overstating? This is now officially McCarthy." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/18/10]

Beck says: "You will have to shoot me in the head. We are not stopping." On his radio program, Beck said: "Let me tell you this: They shut me down on radio, that's fine, I'll do TV. They shut me down on TV, that's fine, I'll do Internet. They shut me down on the Internet, that's fine, I'll do stage shows. They shut me down on stage shows, that's fine, I'll go door to door. You will have to shoot me in the head. We are not stopping. If you can frequent any of our sponsors, only -- only if you feel they are going to give you the right deal, the best deal. Only if you feel that this is something that you want and are interested in. I value your hard-earned money far too much. ... If you can support our sponsors or you can become an Insider Extreme member, I ask you to do it." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/18/10]

Beck declares: "We are in full-fledged McCarthy land now. ... America, look out." On his radio program, Beck read from a post in which Media Matters' Will Bunch criticized the "relationship between Beck and the odd list of gimmicky products he peddles," and then noted that Weiner had launched an investigation into Goldline. He stated: "And now they are using the Congress of the United States -- we are in full-fledged McCarthy land now. Nobody cared -- nobody cared that three advisers were targeting me and this show, trying to drive me out of business. They can't prove me wrong; they never have tried. I stand with the facts, but now -- now they're using the power of Congress. America, look out. Look out. That's not fearmongering. That is truth-telling." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/18/10]

Beck compares Weiner's Goldline report to McCarthyism, says it's "another arm of this administration trying to shut me down." On his radio program, Beck mocked Weiner's name and said: "This is incredible. This is again, another arm of this administration coming out to try to shut me down. This is absolutely incredible. Is there anybody that is going to say anything in the press at any time if you stand up against this White House? They have three -- count them -- three advisers of this president that have launched official campaigns boycotting my sponsors. Any sponsor that stays with me, now they're targeting -- you want to talk about the McCarthy era? Look at what this country is becoming. Is there anyone -- anyone -- that has the courage to stand up against these monsters? Look at what they are doing. It's incredible." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/18/10]

Beck says the White House is "trying to make a lesson out of me." On his radio program, Beck said the White House is "trying to make a lesson out of me" and speculated that criticism from SEIU, Van Jones, Jim Wallis, and Weiner are "all coordinated." Then, he suggested Media Matters "started" the Goldline investigation:

BECK: There is a problem with the truth. There is an absolute problem with the truth. There is nobody telling it. Very few. And those -- I think there are a lot of members of the media that want to but for some reason or another are not. And whether that's, you know, get along to get along, you don't know what the future holds, am I on the right side? Am I on the wrong side? What are the corporations saying?

I mean, there's -- there's something to be said when you don't think that them -- that SEIU, Van Jones, Jim Wallis, and now a Weiner investigation --

STU BURGUIERE (producer): Weinergate?

BECK: -- yeah, Weinergate -- on my sponsors, you don't think that that's a message just meant for me, do you? That's a message meant for everybody in the press. Don't screw with us. Don't screw with us. Remember what they said. Remember when they came out against Fox; they said we don't recommend that you treat them -- we're not going to treat them like a legitimate news source, and we recommend that you don't either. Well, now that didn't work. So instead of just coming out and saying it, you nudge people. That's what's happening. They're nudging people. They are trying to make a lesson out of me. You will be a pariah. We'll destroy you. [...] They get you by isolating everything, by separating everything. It's not. These are not isolated incidents. These are -- these are coordinated. They're all coordinated. And I believe the Center for American Progress is, you know, the star chamber, if you want to call it that. It's the doom bunker. It's where it all comes from. Center for American Progress, period.

Now, where did Weiner come from? What are his connections to Center for American Progress? I know that his -- what is it, his assistant works for or used to work for Media Matters? ...

BURGUIERE: I guess his press secretary or something.

BECK: His press secretary used to work for Media Matters. Well, who started this thing? Media Matters. Coincidence? Really? I mean, it's just -- come on. It's ridiculous. It's laughable, and that's why we're treating it like a big wiener investigation. [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/24/10]

Beck also suggests progressives are out to "destroy our faith"

Beck: Progressives have "almost-complete plan" to "destroy the Constitution, destroy the founders, and destroy our faith." On his radio show, Beck said, "Freedom is on the run," and attacked progressives by saying they have an "almost-complete plan," through social justice, to "destroy the Constitution, destroy the founders, and destroy our faith." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/24/10]

Beck says Media Matters "want[s] the faith of the former Soviet Union. Atheism, nihilism, God is dead." On his May 24 radio program, Beck read from a post in which Media Matters' Bunch criticized him for promoting a book that distorts George Washington's views on faith. Beck responded: "Why must you destroy their belief? Why must you make them an atheist or a Deist to say they want everything equal. Because you must demonize Christians, that's why. You can't handle -- these people cannot handle the fact that Samuel Adams said, 'I am no bigot. I will pray with any man.' Yet he was profoundly Christian. They can't handle the fact that these Christians went into courts and fought for other faith and their rights. They can't handle it. They don't understand it, they don't want to understand it. These people want the faith of the former Soviet Union. Atheism, nihilism, God is dead." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/24/10]

Beck lashes out at Media Matters and tells viewers to "live in the lie" or "stand in the fire of truth." On his Fox News show, Beck said, "There is a revival going on in America, and the left hates it," while referring again to Bunch's criticism. Beck said his viewers were part of the "revival" and can "live in the lie" or "stand in the fire of truth." [Glenn Beck, 5/24/10]

Beck: "Media Matters ... has to destroy the founders and Christianity." On his Fox News program, Beck said: "We have to bring ourselves together, because they're not going to give up. I mean, they are very well organized, and they want revolution. ... They'll unite with anybody." He continued: "That's the reason why the media has to destroy -- Media Matters, I should say -- has to destroy the founders in Christianity. They can't have this guy [George Washington] be a good guy and a Christian. They can't have it, because then all of this stuff goes away. You have to have Christians be a bigot." [Glenn Beck, 5/24/10]

Beck says the mainstream media and Wallis are "trying to unite Christians against" him. On his radio program, Beck said, "Last night, we had quite a show on social justice. You understand why they are trying to unite Christians against me. And they are all done by -- all of these things are done by the mainstream media under the direction of Jim Wallis, a Marxist, and his groups. They are a very small minority, but they have the mouthpiece of this government." [The Glenn Beck Program, 5/19/10]