Beck attacks health care reform with smears of Creamer, hypocritical outrage, and obligatory conspiracy theories

Written by Eric Hananoki

Published

In repeated attacks on health care reform efforts, Glenn Beck falsely claimed that progressive activist Robert Creamer was imprisoned for “ripping off the non-profit entity that he's working for” - but the presiding judge reportedly said Creamer's motivation was to actually keep his non-profit alive, not steal from them. While attacking “convicted felon” Creamer, Beck further displayed selective and hypocritical outrage: Beck's Fox News colleague is felon Mark Fuhrman, and Beck's program runs advertisements featuring Watergate felon G. Gordon Liddy.

Beck falsely claims Creamer was imprisoned for “ripping off the non-profit entity that he's working for”

Beck: Creamer was “ripping off the non-profit entity that he's working for.” Beck claimed that Creamer was “a guy with such values and morals and that he has no problem completely ripping off the non-profit entity that he's working for. After jail, he went right back to work though for the progressive cause, working for the little people, i.e., the people he was stealing from.”

Creamer convicted for trying to help - not steal from - his non-profit so it could stay viable. The Chicago Tribune reported on April 6, 2006 (retrieved from Nexis), that Creamer, the founder and former head of Illinois Public Action, “was sentenced Wednesday to 5 months in prison for using bad checks to prop up his struggling consumer group and for a tax charge” (emphasis added).

Judge: Creamer was not like a typical bank-fraud defendant, “no intention to cause a loss.” The Tribune wrote that “U.S. District Judge James Moran agreed that Creamer was not like a typical bank-fraud defendant. 'There was no intention to cause a loss,' Moran said in court. 'Neither the banks nor the government suffered any actual out-of-pocket loss.' ”

Judge “said Creamer's motivation wasn't to profit off the money but to keep his consumer advocacy group, Illinois Public Action, alive.” The Chicago Sun Times reported on April 6, 2006 (retrieved from Nexis), that in “granting a sentence below the recommended federal guidelines, Moran said Creamer's motivation wasn't to profit off the money but to keep his consumer advocacy group, Illinois Public Action, alive.”

Beck's selective, hypocritical outrage on convicted felons

Beck: “I understand that's exceptionally rare for a felon to attend something at the White House.” While attacking the Obama administration for allowing the attendance of Creamer at its November state dinner, Beck said, “I understand that's exceptionally rare for a felon to attend something at the White House.” Beck later added: “I'm pretty sure convicted felons are usually barred from such events.”

Bush awarded Presidential Citizens Medal to convicted felon and conservative activist Chuck Colson. On December 10, 2008, President Bush awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to Chuck Colson. The Associated Press reported on June 18, 2003 that "Colson returned to the White House Wednesday for a meeting with President Bush on Colson's post-prison endeavor - ministering to inmates." The Washington Post noted Colson “served seven months in prison in 1974 after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice in the Watergate-related Daniel Ellsberg case. Colson's more notorious ideas, according to some reports, included spreading false information about Ellsberg and firebombing the Brookings Institution. He was also indicted for his role in the Watergate cover-up.” Following his imprisonment, Colson became heavily involved in conservative causes and was most recently involved in helping draft the anti-gay Manhattan Declaration.

Beck's Fox News colleague is felon Mark Fuhrman. Mark Fuhrman -- who pled no contest to perjury charges related to his work on the O.J. Simpson case -- is a Fox News “forensic and crime scene expert” and contributor who regularly appears on Beck's network.

Beck's Fox show regularly airs gold commercials featuring felon G. Gordon Liddy. Beck's show runs advertisements featuring gold spokesman G. Gordon Liddy, who has also made appearances on the network. Liddy “was convicted for his role in the [Watergate] burglary, for conspiracy in the break-in at the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist and for contempt of court. He spent four-and-a-half years in prison.”

Beck pushes Creamer conspiracy theories

Beck: Creamer book to blame for pastors, priests and rabbis preaching “social justice.” During the show, Beck linked Creamer's book to religious groups and places of worship now preaching “social justice.” But numerous religious groups, organizations, and places of worship have engaged in social justice work for generations. For instance, Catholic Charities USA - a frequent promoter of “social justice” concepts - “was founded in 1910” and writes that “Rerum Novarum, the foundational document for modern Catholic social teaching, [was] written by Pope Leo XIII” in 1891.

Beck suggests WH security breach was part of conspiracy to distract from Creamer. Beck further suggested that the White House security breach was part of a conspiracy to distract from Creamer's presence at the state dinner. Beck stated that “nobody noticed -- nobody noticed [Creamer], because somebody else snuck into the party.” Beck then displayed a photo of the Salahis and added: “Yes. Yes. Pure coincidence, I'm sure.”