After oil spill, Beck defends BP against the government, asks, “Is that what we fought the Nazis for?”

BP has been accused of taking “shortcuts” and making “reckless decisions” that led to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. In a June 18 Associated Press article, Jim Hackett, the CEO of Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which owns a quarter of Deepwater Horizon oil well, blamed the blowout on “BP's reckless decisions and actions.” Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported on June 15 that lawmakers in charge of an investigation into the spill criticized BP for taking “shortcuts” and suggested that “BP repeatedly chose risky procedures in order to reduce costs and save time, and made minimal efforts to contain the added risk.” Additionally, a May 25 CBS News poll showed that 70 percent of Americans disapproved of BP's handling of the Gulf oil spill.

Beck: “Did we go and fight Germany for this?” On the May 4 broadcast of his radio show, Beck criticized the Obama administration for attempting to raise BP's liability cap in the wake of the catastrophic Gulf oil spill. Beck asked, “Is there anything like the rule of law here?” He then argued that "[i]f we don't stand by the Constitution" in “tough times,” things will worsen. He asked, “Did we go and fight Germany for this? Is that what we fought the Nazis for? Is that why those millions of people died?” Beck concluded, “That's not America.”

Beck compared BP hearings to McCarthy hearings, feeding Christians to lions. On the June 18 broadcast of The Glenn Beck Show, Beck criticized the congressional hearings on the BP oil spill, lamenting the nature of lawmakers' questioning of BP CEO Tony Hayward by asking, “How do we not see the McCarthy hearings in this and everything else that is going on in Washington?” Beck went on to criticize the tone of the hearings, stating, “If you have all of the facts, if you can -- if you can nail them to the wall, there's no reason to get nasty.” He concluded: “We are in a thugocracy. We are being run by criminals, and we've got a little puppet show just to entertain the masses. Why don't we bring some Christians out and feed them to lions?”

Beck compared the BP hearings to the “Salem witch trials” and called lawmakers “thugs and bullies.” Also on the June 18 edition of his radio show, Beck criticized the Congressional hearings on oil spill by stating that “we've got Salem Witch Trials going on in Washington, DC.” Beck again criticized the lawmakers who questioned Hayward, calling them “thugs and bullies.”

Beck: Lawmakers in BP hearing “will be held in front of an eternal judge” and “will be praying” for “the mercy of Guantánamo.” During the same June 18 broadcast, Beck attacked the lawmakers who questioned Hayward, asking, “Why don't you ask these dumb questions after we've stopped the oil leak?” He then said: “All of these people should be not only ashamed of themselves, they will -- they will be held in front of an eternal judge for what they have done to this country. ... They will be held in front of an eternal judge and they will be praying, praying, for the mercy of Guantánamo when they face that judge.”

In wake of economic collapse, Beck stands up for AIG executives against “mob rule”

AIG faced widespread criticism when employees were awarded $165 million in bonuses after a federal bailout of the company. In March 2009, after receiving more than $100 billion in federal bailout funds in order to preserve the company after it took excessive risks that nearly brought down the U,S, financial system , AIG issued $165 million in bonuses to its employees. AIG executives repaid $80 million worth of bonuses following threats of subpoenas from both the New York and Connecticut Attorneys General and criticism from Congress and the White House. According to a March 13, 2009, USA Today article, -- updated March 17, 2009 -- “leaders from both parties accused AIG of using public money to fatten executives' bank accounts.” The article reported that "[i]n Washington, New York and beyond ... the criticism over the AIG bonuses was swift."

Beck said “sentiments” of AIG protestors are the same as those of Lenin and Stalin. On the April 10, 2009, edition of Glenn Beck, Beck compared AIG protestors to the revolutionaries of Stalin and Lenin, whose “revolution pitted peasants against the rich, the poor against the wealthy.” Beck stated that "[i]t's a different style, but the sentiments are exactly the same -- find 'em, get 'em, kill 'em." From the show:

BECK: First, we're going to take you to Russia, where under communists like Lenin and Stalin, their revolution pitted peasants against the rich, the poor against the wealthy. They were basically saying: Eat the rich; they did this to you. Get them, kill them.

These days, the comparison? Demonstrators are rioting in front of the G-20; unions protesting in front of AIG, an organized mob; buses showing up at the houses of the evil AIG executives. It's a different style, but the sentiments are exactly the same: Find 'em, get 'em, kill 'em. They did this to you.

Beck: “America, when are your neighbors going to stand up” against taxes on AIG bonuses? On the March 19, 2009, edition of his radio show, Beck criticized calls to tax AIG bonuses, asking, “When are your neighbors going to stand up” against those calls? Beck stated that "[t]his is the most unpopular position anyone can have in America now, to stand up for these AIG bonuses," and said that “when it's wildly unpopular with Washington and with the American people,” it's “absolutely right or absolutely wrong,” and this case is “absolutely wrong.” He claimed that lawmakers are trying to “channel America's outrage to AIG, ... not trying to solve the problem.” Beck also defended the bonuses themselves, arguing, "[T]his was a contract."

Beck: People in Washington are “whipping up mob rule” by holding hearings on AIG bonuses. On the March 18, 2009, edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck, Beck suggested that politicians in Washington are “whipping up mob rule.” From the show:

BECK: Michelle, this is -- and I think this is why Barack Obama is on Jay Leno tomorrow. That's the first time a president has ever done that. He knows they've got to get massively populist here, because things are starting to shake apart.

I mean, I don't know if you saw the Drudge Report today, but there's all kind of story there on the Democrats are starting to back away from him, people are starting to get angry, these tea parties are starting to really take off. I mean -- and I think what these guys are doing in Washington is whipping up mob rule. True or false?

Beck responds to massive Toyota recall by defending company from “bullying”

Following a massive recall, Toyota was investigated for making “false statements to a federal safety agency.” In January 2010, Toyota issued a voluntary recall of millions of its vehicles after it determined that “there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.” In April 2010, the Washington Post reported that Toyota agreed to pay a $16.4 million fine for “waiting at least four months before notifying safety officials about vehicles with a 'sticky pedal' defect.” The Post also reported that a senior Transportation Department official stated: “By paying the full civil penalty, Toyota is accepting responsibility for hiding this safety defect from NHTSA in violation of the law.”

Beck on Toyota hearings: “The government now owns GM and Chrysler and they're taking the opportunity to annihilate their competitor.” On the February 24 edition of his Fox News show [accessed via Nexis], Glenn Beck criticized congressional hearings into Toyota's recall of millions of cars over safety issues, stating, “The government now owns GM and Chrysler and they're taking the opportunity to annihilate their competitor.” He later asked, “Do we really need Congress, the direct competitor of Toyota, to correct the problem?” Beck further stated: “Is there any bigger waste of time than Congressional hearings? Seriously. The only thing America ever learns from these hearings is which congressman or senator is, you know, is the best one at hogging the camera.”

Beck: “I think that's a possibility” that U.S. is “bullying Toyota to recall all of their cars only to help Government Motors.” On the February 5 edition of his radio show, Beck stated: “A story coming out on Toyota -- is the U.S. bullying Toyota to recall all of their cars only to help Government Motors? I think that's a possibility.”