Posted on 02/21/2010 1:14:06 PM PST by 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.
First, it was Robert Welch, the grape juice guy.
Second, just about everything that Welch, and McCarthy ever said has been proven by the opening of the Soviet archives, so let's give up on the old "attack the messenger" ploy.
Welch did all he could to stop the far left from taking over the government schools, but because of faint hearts that didn't want to step out and be noticed, he failed.
Really, Mark?
How, exactly, have Republicans been able to prevent all that from happening when they haven't had the votes to stop any of it?
Until recently.
And Beck thinks anyone who questions Obama’s million dollar fight to keep his Birth Certificate secret is a loon.
Nobody’s perfect.
Are you saying they aren't made at any Republicans? Then why is McCain facing such a hard race?!
There is plenty of voter discontent pointed at both Democrats and RINOs, which make up more of congress than true conservatives.
I woke up this morning with those damn little sugar ants all over the kitchen counter. In one Mark Levin fell swoop they were gone. Just like this little lightweight poseur ant will be.
Read my tagline! LOL!
Skousen was a Mormon, and Beck is a Mormon, so really no surprise there.
Re: your link in post one. Nothing but empty words.
The “New Republican Party” of which he speaks is a party of pro-abortion, pro-gay socialists, pro-choice for states neo-confederates, isolationists, Libertarians, and unprincipled political hacks. That’s the reality. All the happy talk in the world won’t change that, and continuing to make common cause with them won’t save the country.
What about his not-always-righteous anger? Tears aren't the only expression of emotion, you know.
Who dat? Beck or Jenk?
High five!
Who alerted them to the radicals in Obama's Administration? Who has encouraged Americans to learn the history their schools are failing to teach them, and to honor our Founders?
Not Mark Levin, who, for all his legal experience cannot maintain an audience, perhaps (just guessing here) due to his angry on-air persona. Not Bill Bennett, who for all his unquestionable intelligence and thoughtfulness cannot convey an idea in less than 300 words.
No one, not even Rush Limbaugh,has done more in the last year to rouse the American people from their stupor, and yes, Glenn is a funny guy, an entertainer, but he is also dead serious in his love of country.
Beck has given voice to dozens of people on his show that Americans never would have heard of otherwise from either the mainstream media or from alternative voices on the Right.
AMEN!
Was Dwight D. Eisenhower really a Communist, as the JBS contended?
Anyone who says he's not agitating for a third party is deluding himself.
I couldn't believe how condescending he was about Sarah Palin after that interview. He really has gotten a big, big head lately.
You can’t steal something that’s called “FREE SPEECH”.
Mark should be happy to have somebody continuing what Mark has been saying for years.
Rush, on the otherhand, thinks it’s great that after all the years he was the only conservative voice; now .. they are everywhere saying all the same things that Rush has been saying for years.
Do you think those people were “stealing” Rush’s “work” ..??
Proof?
And what is Mark’s work? Summarizing dead philosophers?
Now that just about says it all, IMO. Mark is right on!
Glen is just against progressives.....
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