The baby is underneath the chair, grabbing my legs. Meanwhile, surfing a few sites on the Internet, I came across my friend, Bill over at
View From the Cheap Seats. Bill is a great guy. He has been a guest of ours once and we have also shared breakfast. Plus, our baby daughter Quin likes him.
Still, we come from opposite sides of the political spectrum, of which I'm sure Bill would readily agree. We have had a few spirited arguments. This might provide more kindling for the fire.
Bill has a post titled
Thoughts on Liberal Radio. He listened one day for a short while and decided it was hateful regarding President Bush and things conservative in general. That's a fairly common refrain. I've never listened to Air America, so I can't answer his claim except to say that in the world of talk radio and blogging, it seems that one person's hate is another person's humor. I mean really, Bush is a deluded fucking idiot is not much of a hateful remark. I would consider it rather truthful ... which, I guess makes me a hater. Oh well.
Bill admits the example she provides are not the worst. He does not print the ones that were worse, so it's hard to gauge, but I do know Bill to be an honest guy so I'll take him at his word. However, this comment he provides (in the comment section of the post) is what causes this post. Bill states that Glenn Beck is in no way hateful and shrill.
WTF!
Bill, those long drives at night in your rig have done something to your “hate” antenna, because if you think calling Bush a deranged idiot is more hateful than the following examples of Beck's spewage, I think you need another vacation.
Waste of SkinWhere I come from, calling someone a waste of skin is akin to saying that person should not be alive ... in other word non-existent or dead. And that is exactly what Glenn Beck said referring to former president Jimmy Carter. From the
February 8 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:
Is there a day that God ever says, "What was I thinking?" Here's what I mean: Do you think God ever says, "I could've used that skin making somebody of value, you know? I could have used that skin in such a -- just a better way." You know? And its not -- the reason why I bring this up is: Is there a bigger waste of skin than Jimmy Carter? Ya know, I don't mean to, you know, I don't mean to look the maker in the eyes and say, "Eh, kind of a waste," but I'm asking, do you think he ever thinks, "I don't know, man, I could've used that skin someplace else." You know? Who's the bigger waste of skin, can you name a bigger -- you know, and you could immediately go to people like Kim Jong Il. OK, there's a big waste of skin, but not really, because his skin's being utilized by evil. At least evil is using that skin. Who's using the skin of Jimmy Carter? What purpose does the skin of Jimmy Carter -- it's like an empty suit walking down the street.ProstituteIn the January 10 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show,
Glenn Beck called anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan "a pretty big prostitute," later amending, at the behest of his executive producer, Steve "
Stu" Burguiere, that "tragedy pimp" would be "the most accurate description."
Beck did not like Sheehan because she was, ostensibly, prostituting her son's death. Without getting into other activities that Sheehan involved herself rightly or not, I hardly think Beck has the right to call Sheehan anything until he has a child killed, especially in a wrongful war.
Prove ItOn the November 14 edition of his CNN Headline News program, Glenn Beck interviewed Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), who became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress on November 7, and asked Ellison if he could "have five minutes here where we're just politically incorrect and I play the cards up on the table." After Ellison agreed, Beck said: "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." Last time I read the Bill of Rights, freedom of religion was something allowed and enshrined in the first amendment, which states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. I think that rightfully includes not questioning the patriotism of someone simply because of the sex, race or faith one chooses to follow.
She's Such a Bitch
Where I come from, calling a woman a bitch is not a friendly little aside. One might even say it's just a little hateful. But that's exactly what Beck had to say about Senator Hillary Clinton. On the March 15 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show,
Glenn Beck said:
"Hillary Clinton cannot be elected president because ... there's something about her vocal range." He went on to say, "There's something about her voice that just drives me -- it's not what she says, it's how she says it," adding, "She is like the stereotypical -- excuse the expression, but this is the way to -- she's the stereotypical bitch, you know what I mean?" Beck also asked: "[A]fter four years, don't you think every man in America will go insane?" and pleaded, "I'm sorry for being such a pig. But please, America. Please. I don't think I could do it for four years. I mean, sure the country is going to go to hell in a handbasket, but could we make this about me for a second? I just don't think I could take it from her." He also said that "there is a range in women's voices that experts say is just the chalk, I mean, the fingernails on the blackboard." Shades of AuschwitzOn the June 28 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Glenn Beck commented on a mock ad -- produced by subscribers to his website known as "Insiders" -- depicting a "giant refinery" that produces "Mexinol," which, according to the ad, is a fuel made from the bodies of illegal immigrants from Mexico. Beck read from the ad: "At Evil Conservative Industries, we know four things for certain. The country needs cheap, alternative fuel source. Two, the human body is 18 percent carbon. Three, carbons can be turned into hydrocarbons. Four, we have a buttload of illegal aliens in our country." It wasn't too long ago that human hair was used as jacket filler for submariners and to
line the insides of boots. Not too funny.
Michael MooreWhatever one may think of Michael Moore, advocating his death isn't very funny and might just be considered, you know, kind of hateful to suggest. But that's what Beck did during the May 17, 2005, broadcast of his radio show, Beck himself
fantasized about killing filmmaker Michael Moore:
Hang on, let me just tell you what I'm thinking. I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out -- is this wrong?
I stopped wearing my What Would Jesus -- band -- Do, and I've lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, "Yeah, I'd kill Michael Moore," and then I'd see the little band: What Would Jesus Do? And then I'd realize, "Oh, you wouldn't kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn't choke him to death," and you know -- well, I'm not sure.
For my friend Bill ... trucker extraordinaire and blogger at View From the Cheap Seats.
