Glenn Beck's Wrong-Headed Sppech To CPAC, Says Bill Bennett

National Review ^ | February 22, 2010 | Bill Bennett

[Steelfish]

February 21 Saturday Night Beck

There’s a lot to say about CPAC. This morning the major papers are highlighting Glenn Beck’s speech. I like Glenn a lot and I think he has something to teach us. But not what he offered last night.

Analogizing his own struggles with alcohol to the problems of our polity and in our politics, he said, “Hello, my name is the Republican party, and I have a problem!” “I’m addicted to spending and big government.” ”It is still morning in America.” ”It just happens to be kind of a head-pounding, hung-over, vomiting-for-four-hours kind of morning in America. And it’s shaping up to be kind of a nasty day. But it is still morning in America.” And, again, “I believe in redemption, but the first step to getting redemption is you’ve got to admit that you’ve got a problem. I have not heard people in the Republican party yet admit that they have a problem.”

Glenn is among the best talkers in the business of broadcast. I am not sure he’s a very good listener.

First, there is a good and strong tradition in alcohol and drug treatment that personal failings should not be extrapolated into the public sphere; that too often when this is done, conclusions are reached based on the wrong motives and, often, the wrong analysis. Glenn has made that mistake here and taken to our politics a cosmologizing of his own deficiencies. This is not a baseless criticism; they are his own deficiencies that he keeps publicly redounding to and analogizing to. It is wrong and he is wrong.

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.

[estrogen]

Who cares about what is in the article? Bill Bennett has no credibility. He is a socialist.

Are you on drugs?...Bill Bennett is the most conservative anti socialist you could meet.

[ronnie raygun]

JUST WHAT THE ENEMY RATS ARE HOPING FOR ....DIVISION. WE NEED TO ALL COME TOGETHER AS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WHILE LETTING THEM THINK THIER ACHIEVING THE DIVISION THAT WILL GIVE THEM VICTORY. IF WE FAIL WE FAIL IN NOVEMBER AND WE FAIL OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. THINK OF THE BIG PICTURE!

[GeronL]

Glenn Beck criticizes RINO’s. So what? Has Mark Levin been shy and demure when talking about RINO’s? What is the difference? Why is he not a hypocrite when he attacks RINO’s?

Has Mark Levin become a part of the establishment? Is he on a mission to stamp out criticsm of the GOP?

[Gipper08]

the man who used tax dollars for bi-lingual education is a conservative?

[TheVitaminPress]

From The Vitamin Press

In my very humble opinion this is the most conservative, anti-socialist you could ever meet.

[Newtoidaho]

I think that is the main point Levin is making. Beck says one thing one day, another thing another day. He doesn’t know what the hell he believes, that’s the argument. Incoherence.

[remaxagnt]

someone tell bennet that scott brown voted for the jobs killing bill

[Mifflin]

Beck talks about different subjects, but, his main message is very consistent, if you watch all his shows, which I do.

- We need to massively cut spending.
- Progressives in the GOP and Democrats have been the problem in this country for the last 100 years.
- We need Honor and Honesty for our Politicians in Office.

That is his basic message, very consistent, knows exactly what he says, but his show changes from day to day. But, he keeps those main messages consistent.

[Paul Ross]

Not in favor of any third party movement, but lets face reality. When the "good guys" do the same things as the "bad guys" you need to recognize that they just aren't, and they need an enema to flush out their statist infiltrators.

Absent that, there is no reason to get excited.

[rob777]

"Beck, and other Conservative/Libertarians need to call out the GOP, so that when they finally get their power back, they don’t screw it up again."


EXACTLY!!! We have not seen an absolute cut in spending since Calvin Coolidge. The rate of spending has increased every year since then whether under GOP or Democratic leadership. Even Ronald Reagan only slowed the growth of spending. I will not even go into the expansion of government spending under GOP leadership during the Bush years. While I see a third party focus as futile, I appreciate people like Glenn Beck who expose the problem with both parties. The fact that the GOP is not as bad as the Democrat Party does negate the fact that they have contributed their share of the problem. We will see that the GOP means business when they not only oppose the Democrat's proposals to further expand the role of government, but actually cut back current spending.

[SunkenCiv]

• Mark Levin Hammers Beck Speech And Agrees With Bill Bennett
• Levin v. Beck (audio)
• Rush Limbaugh Knocks Glenn Beck; Criticized for "Reparations" Comment
• The Gay Infiltration of the Conservative Movement

[dforest]

Bennet lost me a long time ago. His buddy Noonan did too.

[dforest]

Bennet and Noonan are one and the same. If you are someone who likes Palin, forget it, she is not good enough for them.

So who is good enough for them? Hmmm? Romney?