Mark Levin: I have no idea what philosophy Glenn Beck is promoting. And neither does he

Mark Levin Fan ^ | February 21, 2010 | Mark R. Levin

[Sergeant Tim]

I was invited to be the opening speaker at Saturday's CPAC session. I had accepted but then, to my amazement, I learned that the John Birch Society would be one of many co-sponsors. This takes the big-tent idea many steps too far for me. So, I withdrew. Apparently, others were not so moved. That's fine. But it wasn't for me. Bill Buckley and Barry Goldwater, among others, chased the Birchers from the movement decades ago. And they're not a part of the movement. So, to give them a booth at CPAC was boneheaded.

I want to commend Bill Bennett for his wise piece this morning on the Corner. I agree with him.

I have no idea what philosophy Glenn Beck is promoting. And neither does he. It's incoherent. One day it's populist, the next it's libertarian bordering on anarchy, next it's conservative but not really, etc. And to what end? I believe he has announced that he is no longer going to endorse candidates because our problems are bigger than politics. Well, of course, our problems are not easily dissected into categories, but to reject politics is to reject the manner in which we try to organize ourselves. This is as old as Plato and Aristotle. Why would conservatives choose to surrender the political battlefield to our adversaries -- who are trashing this society -- when we must retake it in order to preserve our society? Philosophy, politics, culture, family, etc., are all of one. Edmund Burke, among others, wrote about it extensively, and far better that I possibly can. But all elements of the civil society require our defense. Besides, why preach such a strategy when conservatism is on the rise and the GOP is acting more responsibly?

Moreover, when he does discuss politics, which, ironically, is often, how can he claim today that there is no difference between the two parties when, but for the Republicans in Congress, government-run health care, cap-and-trade, card check, and a long list of other disastrous policies would already be law? The GOP is becoming more conservative thanks to the grass-roots movement and a political uprising across the country, which has even reached into New Jersey and Massachusetts. Why keep pretending otherwise? My only conclusion is that he is promoting a third party or some third way, which is counter-productive to defeating Obama and the Democrat Congress. These are perilous times and this kind of an approach will keep the statists in power for decades.

And what of his flirtations with Ron Paul's lunacy respecting America's supposed provocations with her enemies, including al-Qaeda? Why should such a fatal defect in thinking be ignored? Do we conservatives agree with this?

Finally, Beck is fond of congratulating himself for being the only or the first host to criticize George Bush's spending. This is demonstrably false. I not only attacked his spending, but the creation of the Homeland Security Department, the prescription drug add-on for Medicare, his "moderate" tax cuts, as well as his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, "comprehensive immigration reform," and so forth. And I was not alone -- Rush and Sean did the same, for example. And as someone who fought liberal Republicans in the trenches when campaigning for Reagan in 1976 and 1980, I don't need lectures from Beck, who was nowhere to be found, about big-spending Republicans. But this is not about me, or Beck, or Beck's past drunkenness (which he endlessly wears as some kind of badge of honor). It is about preserving our society for our children and grandchildren. Beck spent precious little time aiming fire at Obama-Pelosi-Reid in his speech, and it is they who are destroying our country.

On as a positive note, I am personally happy to see that Beck has cleaned up his public act -- as best I can tell, no more boiling fake frogs on TV or pretending to pour gasoline on someone -- and the rest of it. But I do think his speech, which contained nuggets of truth heard before and read elsewhere, including on Rush's show and in my book and many other books, may have distracted from some of the more compelling and coherent speeches at the event, including Marco Rubio's superb speech. I fear the media will see to this. I hope not.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

BTW, I've never heard him run down Levin once. Let's face it, Levin comes across as a whiny little girl with his panties in a twist when he rants about Beck.

I'm a fan of both, and I've been a fan of Levin for a lot longer than Beck and I've read more of Levin's books. But you're absolutely right. This is unseemly and petty. And it's been all Levin badmouthing Beck and nothing the other way around.

I really hope Rush steps in here and negotiates a truce. We need this circular firing squad like we need a Muslim Marxist in the White House.

[Utah Binger]

Otherwise expect a response and quit whining.

Coffee is Served

[SE Mom]

Thanks for the ping :) I just finished reading many of the posts on the thread and see we’re still having our lively debate on who the REAL conservatives are and are not!

I’m fed up with Beck- have been for quite awhile -so I agree with both Bennett and Levin in this instance.

He’s self-absorbed and unstable and I worry he’s becoming more of a laughing-stock than someone to be taken seriously.

When a recovering alcoholic forgets the “anonymous” in Alcoholics Anonymous- trouble is sure to follow.

[SE Mom]

Thanks for the ping :) I just finished reading many of the posts on the thread and see we’re still having our lively debate on who the REAL conservatives are and are not!

I’m fed up with Beck- have been for quite awhile -so I agree with both Bennett and Levin in this instance.

He’s self-absorbed and unstable and I worry he’s becoming more of a laughing-stock than someone to be taken seriously.

When a recovering alcoholic forgets the “anonymous” in Alcoholics Anonymous- trouble is sure to follow.

[Tennessee Nana]

Well now they have clean hands...

:)

[SZonian]

I didn't see the word mormon in her post and I didn't see where she has EVER said she hates mormons.

There are two choices here;

1.) Either provide proof of Reganauts "hatred of mormons"

or

2.) apologize to Reaganaut and retract the statement.

That is what an adult who has made a mistake would do.

Reaganut's post to you was in relation to the topic of this thread.

YOU are the one "spinning"!

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

If Levin is willing to make the accusation publicly, why isn’t he willing to back it up publicly?

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

I question whether this speech is really for Beck's benefit than the GOP.

I question whose side some so-called GOP members are on.

Schwarzenegger suggested that when the GOP leaders sit down with President Obama for a bipartisan health care summit Thursday, it's in their interest and the country's to compromise. "If there is a will, there's a way," he said. "If you really want to serve the people and not just your party, I think you will find that sweet spot and you can get it done."

[Elsie]

http://www.boergoatshome.com/hooves.php

Now my 4 babies are minatures, but it still took two grown men to hold them steady for the process.

I have GOT to build a stantion to immobilize them so I can do it myself and also not to be so stressful on the goats.

[Tennessee Nana]

That looks like a job-and-a-half

[MizSterious]

Same here. I’ve started turning off the teevee during that hour.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

If Levin is willing to make the accusation publicly, why isn’t he willing to back it up publicly?

Yeah, Mark, that's one heck of a good question. Since you've seen fit to ruin your radio show with almost non-stop juvenile rants about Beck stealing from you, why not back it up with some documentation?

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: Glenn Beck

I want to commend Bill Bennett for his wise piece this morning on the Corner. I agree with him.

Come on. Mr. Levin hates Beck. He's always accusing Beck -- and everyone else but especially Beck -- of stealing his material and research.

Michael Savage hates Beck also. Here at least Levin and Savage are amigos. Savage calls Beck "the hem" for hemorrhoid.

Beck's also got the Republican establishment riled. Mr. William Bennett held his outrage in check but Bennett expressed a lot of outrage on his radio show.

[John Leland 1789]

“Moreover, when he does discuss politics, which, ironically, is often, how can he claim today that there is no difference between the two parties when, but for the Republicans in Congress, government-run health care, cap-and-trade, card check, and a long list of other disastrous policies would already be law? The GOP is becoming more conservative thanks to the grass-roots movement and a political uprising across the country, which has even reached into New Jersey and Massachusetts.”

---

We’ll just have continue to watch all of this.

I’m not good at graphics, but my son is working on one for me: a spiral showing the continual decline into socialism.

Difference between Republican and Democrat Parties? There is, but is there ENOUGH yet????

We continue to spiral downward into socialism with government agencies and bureaucracies taking more control of our lives and families regardless of who is in the White House and who is in Congress.

The party that reigns in the federal bureaucracies like the EPA is going to get my support. The Republicans don’t seem to do much about this even when they are in the majority with a Repub president in the White House.

The spiral downward continues.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

The Republicans don’t seem to do much about this even when they are in the majority with a Repub president in the White House.

Or get elected as governor. That is one of Beck's points.

Schwarzenegger suggested that when the GOP leaders sit down with President Obama for a bipartisan health care summit Thursday, it's in their interest and the country's to compromise. "If there is a will, there's a way," he said. "If you really want to serve the people and not just your party, I think you will find that sweet spot and you can get it done."

[driftless2]

Let’s see those “facts”. And I guess Bill Buckley, Russel Kirk, and Barry Goldwater were wrong about Birchers. I doubt it. And let me ask you, was or was not Eisenhower a commie or a commie tool?

[09Patriot]

<-—KIng Dude and Wilkow fan :p

[holdonnow]

I was alerted to this monster thread this morning and had to stop reading it after a while. I'll leave this one post and then move along. These flame wars are vicious. They contribute nothing. If you love other hosts wonderful. If you don't like my show wonderful. If you love other recent books, cool. If you hate my book, so what? But I will comment here as a long-time Freeper, on my show, and anywhere else about my views, whether you agree with them or not. I've worked too long and too hard in the conservative trenches to be chased or pushed here or there. I've seen great leaders up close and personal, like Reagan, and I've seen great talent up close and personal, like Rush. I fear for this nation. And I know the enemy. I have for 40 years. And I have fought them- at the polls, within the GOP, in Court, on TV, and in radio. I do not seek praise for it. I do it out of commitment to this society. And I did it when I didn't have two dimes to rub together. It's impossible to address all the poison here nor is it productive. But I can and do back up all I believe and say on the air and in my writings. They are the “links” some of the malcontents here demand. If you want to honestly know where I am coming from, how I get there, then listen and read about it. I explain myself in great detail all the time. Now let's take our country back. Good day. (please excuse any typos as this iPhone keypad is murder.)

[jenk]

laughed off the forum. LOL!

[09Patriot]

Sure there is Progressivism in both parties, but the ideology between the Republican and Democrat Parties are opposites

that may be the case but they both want to get to the same place. one is overt pushing socialism the other is incrementally pushing it, by reconcilliation