Posted on 12/17/2009 10:29:33 AM PST by DoctorBulldog
My wife was listening to Glenn Beck’s radio program, this morning. She informs me that Glenn Beck says that the White House called his “red phone” yesterday at the end of his FOX News TV show.
Evidently, the White House was upset that Glenn Beck interviewed Michael Goldfarb, author of the Offutt AFB closure threat report. In the interview, Goldfarb stood by his report. Glenn Beck, prefacing the story as a rumor, also stated that he confirmed this story with three sources. But, the White House vociferously denies the story.
But the fact that it's packaged as a teaser sure as hell doesn't mean it's false.
Michael Goldfarb (editor at The Weekly Standard) and the one who initially broke the Offutt/Nelson story, says:
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
20 GOP Senators Call for Investigation of Offutt Threat
Twenty Republican senators have requested that the Senate Armed Services Committee launch an investigation into reports that the Obama White House threatened to close Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force base unless Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson fell into line on health care. Those reports first appeared on this blog. In the letter to Senators Levin and McCain, the committee chairman and ranking member, the 20 ask that “a hearing be held as to whether the BRAC process has been compromised.”
Meanwhile, both Nelson and the White House strenuously deny the allegation. A statement from White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer asserts “This rumor is absolutely false, as the people spreading it well know. This is nothing but a cynical, crass political game that is designed to maintain the status quo. Let’s be clear: the people spreading these falsehoods think nothing is wrong with a system under which families and businesses continue to bear the brunt of skyrocketing costs, insurance companies are allowed to discriminate and drop at will, and thousands of Americans lose their coverage every single day.”
They protest a little too much. I do not know this story is “absolutely false.” To the contrary, I’m confident it’s true. Twenty senators are now calling for an investigation, and each is presumably pretty well sourced in the Senate. If the charges are “absolutely false,” maybe the White House will encourage Senate Democrats to call this Republican bluff. I won’t hold my breath.
What is absolutely true is that the threat itself is clumsy. The Base Realignment and Closure Process won’t get started again for a couple of years, and Offutt is a nearly irreplaceable piece of America’s national security infrastructure. Still, this White House does sometimes see national security issues in terms of jobs created or saved. They’re closing Gitmo and moving hardened al Qaeda terrorists into your neighborhood? Don’t worry, that’s 3,000 jobs created or saved. You’re not going to vote for health care? That’s 11,000 jobs your state just lost!
The desperation of the White House — caving to Lieberman, threatening Nelson, attacking Dean — is what’s most striking. This is not the behavior of a team assured of their position and confident in the outcome. This is the behavior of team that is standing “on the precipice,” and about to fall into a ravine. And Nelson still hasn’t said he will vote for the bill.
Posted by Michael Goldfarb at 11:01 PM
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/
Look, I’m not a Beck sycophant, I think he can be hyperbolic bordering on silly sometimes. But why is it so implausible that this White House would have some communications lackey call him to COMPLAIN? They devote full time employees and websites there to monitor and respond to critics.
Good point.
Cheers
Was that the rotary dial red phone?
bookmark
Glenn Beck is a true patriot. He is a watchdog on the government, the job the founders intended to media to do, but they are not doing.
If people disagree with what he is saying, well, that’s what the first amendment is all about.
I think it’s more likely that Dan Pfeiffer (White House communications director) e-mailed a statement to Michael Goldfarb (editor of The Weekly Standard), and Goldfarb forwarded that e-mail to Beck. That’s my theory, anyway.
I didn't watch the show but ... Did Beck say "Obama" called him or that the "Whitehouse" called him?
Beck has no reason to lie, and I for one, don’t believe he’d make up a story to get ratings. I personally, tend to believe what Beck says, over this government, any day, any time. Also, he did not say “Obama called me”....he said “someone from the White House called me”. Big difference.
I find Beck’s show very interesting and educational, albeit sometimes repetitive. But he’s at least getting the TRUTH out there and quite frankly reminding many of our history and our rights. Something no one else is doing, even Rush. And although he may not have every fact right, he at least, has the balls to admit it when he doesn’t. AND, he’s more in line with what is truly happening than Rush, IMO. Rush gives his opinion of the news, but as far as I can deem, doesn’t give the history and civil rights lessons behind it.
And by the way, if Beck was just saying stuff or making stuff up for ratings, then why encourage others to call him on it? Why encourage the White House to call him on it?
Well, I guess Thursday’s show will clear this up. I’ll be watching for sure.
Just because the WH denies this is no reason not to believe Beck. I bet there are folks whose job it is to watch Beck, Fox News, listen to Rush, and report to the Big Man. Chicago Thuggery is rife with vile, underhanded ways.
The answer to every question you asked is the same: “ratings”. I appreciate what Beck is doing, and he is indeed doing us a service fighting the Obama administration in the media arena, but don’t ever fool yourself that you’re getting the truth from him.
“...a minor story about an AFB closure...”.
Doctor, my understanding was that this was the Strategic Air Command base. I personally have very close friends who flew out of that base, and it is far from a minor closure. They flew as officers in the USAF and served this nation quietly 24/7 for many, many years. When they stopped 24/7 flights, they flew missions to Bosnia and other areas where the best and most experienced pilots and navigators were required to get in and out safely.
If any of this story is true, our President has had a “jump the shark” moment.
bttt
That red phone just makes my day!
He’s been putting his mic up to it so we can hear the dial tone. I love it!!
Ridiculing Obamao is so much fun.
In the Pantheon of Really Lame Posts, they are building an altar to your #4.
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