While Beck was surely right in condemning William's explosive rhetoric, to claim that he himself is “a recovering shock jock” and then suggest that he has walked away from the format is pure fantasy.

Earlier this month, Beck decried Six Flags' “Muslim Day,” comparing it to having “Japanese Day” after Pearl Harbor. In shock as to why any Muslim would participate in the event, Beck asked: “Wouldn't your wife say, 'We are not going to the -- that's in poor taste. It's a day after 9-11.' ”

And indeed, Beck has a long history of pushing inflammatory and often violent rhetoric. He has suggested that President Obama is trying to “destroy the country,” declared that "[m]y tax dollars, your tax dollars" are “going to fund the murder of children,” and even called Obama a “racist” with a “deep-seated hatred for white people.”