Thank You, Bill Bennett
If I had the opportunity, I’d personally thank Bill Bennett for his NRO op-ed in which he demolishes the false premises that Glenn Beck espouses. Here’s the best shot Dr. Bennett gives Mr. Beck:
Second, for him to continue to say that he does not hear the Republican party admit its failings or problems is to ignore some of the loudest and brightest lights in the party. From Jim DeMint to Tom Coburn to Mike Pence to Paul Ryan, any number of Republicans have admitted the excesses of the party and done constructive and serious work to correct them and find and promote solutions. Even John McCain has said again and again that “the Republican party lost its way.” These leaders, and many others, have been offering real proposals, not ill-informed muttering diatribes that can’t distinguish between conservative and liberal, free enterprise and controlled markets, or night and day. Does Glenn truly believe there is no difference between a Tom Coburn, for example, and a Harry Reid or a Charles Schumer or a Barbara Boxer? Between a Paul Ryan or Michele Bachmann and a Nancy Pelosi or Barney Frank?
For months, these people, along with Eric Cantor, Thad McCotter, John Shadegg, John Boehner, Lee Terry, Jeb Hensarling, Scott Garrett and Patrick McHenry have said that the Republican Party lost its way. Michael Steele told Glenn in an interview on his TV show that there’s no reason why Glenn should trust Republicans on spending until they show that they’ve changed their ways. Steele’s answer, which is the right answer, impressed Glenn so much that he held Steele over for a second segment.
Still, Beck insists that there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats. Simply put, that requires Beck to ignore the votes that Republicans have taken against the stimulus bills, President Obama’s budgets, Pelosicare/Obamacare, etc.
Yes, it’s true that I still worry about Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, George Voinovich and Lindsey Graham but I’m not the least bit worried in the House. Yes, it’s true that I’d worry about Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee spending too much because that’s their history. I wouldn’t worry about Sarah Palin or Tim Pawlenty spending too much because they’ve vetoed bill after bill that would’ve spent too much.
Based on that information, why should I listen to Glenn Beck when he goes on one of his frequent rants against the Republicans? I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat it again: if a person’s credibility is shot, they’ve got nothing. At this point, Beck’s credibility on this issue is nonexistent. It’s time that Mr. Beck started speaking based on the facts of today, not the things that happened years ago.
Third, to admit it is still “morning in America” but a “vomiting for four hours” kind of morning is to diminish, discourage, and disparage all the work of the conservative, Republican, and independent resistance of the past year. The Tea Partiers know better than this. I don’t think they would describe their rallies and resistance as a bilious purging but, rather, as a very positive democratic reaction aimed at correcting the wrongs of the current political leadership. The mainstream media may describe their reactions as an unhealthy expurgation. I do not.
Glenn Beck’s diatribes are like a shot from a sawed-off shotgun. My criticisms of individual Republicans is more like shots fired from a finely tuned target rifle. Beck’s criticisms are just as likely to hit innocent bystanders as anyone. My criticisms only hit the people who’ve misbehaved.
I still appreciate the great research work that Glenn Beck has done. His work outing the radicals in President Obama’s administration, from Van Jones to Cass Sunstein to John Holdren, has been outstanding.
I’ll close this post with this observation from Dr. Bennett:
The first task of a serious political analyst is to see things as they are. There is a difference between morning and night. There is a difference between drunk and sober. And there is a difference between the Republican and Democratic parties. To ignore these differences, or propagate the myth that they don’t exist, is not only discouraging, it is dangerous.
Technorati Tags: Glenn Beck, Bill Bennett, Paul Ryan, Tom Coburn, Mike Pence, Jim DeMint, Michele Bachmann, John Shadegg, Scott Jarrett, John Boehner, Conservatism, Fiscal Restraint, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Lindsey Graham, RINOs, Michael Steele, RNC
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:13 am
The only defense of Beck is that, while railing against raging bulls like the health care bills, stimulus plans and TARP, the Republicans (by recent history), instead of wanting a deficit of a trillion dollars with three or four bills, would give us a deficit of a trillion dollars in ten, fifteen, maybe twenty smaller bills.
Death by a thousand cuts is NOT preferable to death by decapitation.
Just because the other party is incredibly irresponsible doesn’t mean the Republicans are better because they’re only very irresponsible. They (by recent history) will both lead us to bankruptcy and servitude.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:51 pm
A month ago, I would have agreed with you Carlos, but there are signs that either the Republicans are beginning to listen, or we are beinning to have an influence. Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts didnt happen in a vacuum.
And remember, a hundred thousand ton tanker like the Elephant Maru doesn’t respond to helm orders as easily as a tug boat, but its the tug boats job to make it happen quicker.