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Yesterday morning, several conservative bloggers wrote that they were “hearing” that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) was “being threatened with closure of an air force base” in his state if he didn’t support health care reform. At 12:41 pm, the Weekly Standard’s Michael Goldfarb posted that “a Senate aide” told him the White House threatened to put “Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC list if Nelson doesn’t fall into line.” Goldfarb pointed the finger at White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel:
Offutt Air Force Base employs some 10,000 military and federal employees in Southeastern Nebraska. As our source put it, this is a “naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson’s vote.” They are “threatening to close a base vital to national security for what?” asked the Senate staffer.
Indeed, Offutt is the headquarters for US Strategic Command, the successor to Strategic Air Command, and not by accident. STRATCOM was located in the middle of the country for strategic reasons. Its closure would be a massive blow to the economy of the state of Nebraska, but it would also be another example of this administration playing politics with our national security.
Last night, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer wrote on the White House blog that the “absurd rumor” of the threat was “completely baseless and false.” Nelson spokesman Jake Thompson also put out a statement, saying “The rumor is not true” and that “this misinformation is coming from inside-the-Beltway partisans who only want to derail health care reform.” Nelson himself told reporters today that no threat was made.
But these denials from all of the parties alleged to be involved have not stopped the right-wing noise machine from latching onto them. On his Fox News show today, Glenn Beck said three times that “if it is true,” it is close to “treason”:
– “There’s a story at the bottom of the hour that if it is true, and we have three sources on it now, if it is true. I mean how much closer do you get to treason?”
– “I’ve said it all along. Principles over party. Principles. Well, one senator apparently agrees with me, I think, kind of, maybe. But his party reportedly very angry and allegedly making threats. This one borders treason, I believe.”
– “But this! Using the military and our strategic command as a pawn. Threatening to weaken our national security defenses to fulfill your Utopian social justice agenda. To me that borders on treason.“
Beck acknowledged during the show that “Senator Nelson has denied this story this afternoon, the White House denies this story,” but added that “Goldfarb and the Weekly Standard are standing by their source and now two others.” He later said that Nelson “would obviously deny it to protect his party and the president.” Watch it:
Before hosting Goldfarb on his radio show today, Beck said he “called Senator Nelson’s office” and Nelson said “No, no, no. That’s not true.” In the interview, Goldfarb said that Emanuel “delivered” the “message to the Senate leadership” about Nelson and Offutt. When Beck interviewed Goldfarb later on his Fox show, Goldfarb “changed” his “story from this morning,” saying that rather than Emanuel it was “just someone in the White House.”
Bill Shine, Fox News’ Senior Vice President for Programming, has said that the network serves as the “voice of opposition” to Obama. So does Fox News condone Glenn Beck’s accusations of “treason” against Obama? Contact Bill Shine here.
3 comments:
You apppear to be mixing two separate issues into one argument, and it's a little bit disingenuous.
For example, IF the story is true that the WH "blackmailed" a Senator for a vote on a key issue, Would you consider that something to be bordering on treason? I certainly would. So if Beck believes that this actually happened (and you post nothing to indicate or prove that he doesn't believe this to be so), then his usage of the term "bordering on treason" is actually quite reasonable.
So I believe that what really rubs you is that you DON'T believe that this happened, that the WH would not resort to these tactics, so Beck is reporting a lie and Beck knows it is a lie. I don't think that's your call to make. Beck may really believe that such a blackmail took place. Considering the antics of this administration in general (being the lackeys for Wall Street as an example) and the track record of Rahm, it really isn't too much of a stretch to think that this is not only possible, but maybe even likely.
So Beck may indeed be reporting something that did not occur, but since it is so feasible, and if indeed it did go down this way it would constitute treason IMO, then your taking Beck to task for his reporting is a bit harsh.
Glenn Beck is a liar, it's one thing if half the things he talks about have some foundation in truth ok I'll give you that. But the problem is Beck doesn't operate that way.
Beck spew lies like this for two reasons one he wants the mainstream press to pick it up and treat it like a real news story and two to further inflame the nuts that watch and listen to his show.
And IF such a thing did occur Beck don't give a flying rat ass. If Glenn didn't care about a president leaking a CIA agent for political payback why would he care about another president threatening to close base if he doesn't get what he wants?
Putting the word “reasonable” and Beck in the same sentence is absurd. Beck has never, ever let the truth get in the way of him attacking all but the fringe right he belongs to. The person allegedly making the threat denies it, and the person receiving the threat denies it. It’s simply not true.
There is no doubt the charge is false, and even someone as extreme as Beck can see that. The problem is most people will still believe it even after it has been debunked, and people like Beck know that. Just look at the debunked lies the right still believe about Clinton and Obama.
Even if it were true, it means little. The Federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, an independent nine-member body, makes the list. The commission must evaluate the list by taking testimony from interested parties and paying visits to affected bases. Then it sends its recommendation where Congress can reject it.
Beck, of course, is a deranged liar.
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