# Who are the liberal Glenn Becks/Hannitys/Bachmanns/Steeles/etc.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 3, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777 "2009-09-03T18:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/41 "2009-09-04T14:37:31Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > “The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students,” > \*\*- Richard Gephardt, Democrat, when GHWB spoke to the students in a similar manner. > \*\* I asked this in the other thread, and I’ll ask it again. Since my read of the problems about GHWB’s speech was that the complainers didn’t want government money spent on producing the speech, and not that the complainers didn’t want GHWB to speak at all, I don’t think that the issues are equivalent. I’m willing to hear arguments otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/42 "2009-09-04T14:48:51Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I asked this in the other thread, and I’ll ask it again. Since my read of the problems about GHWB’s speech was that the complainers didn’t want government money spent on producing the speech, and not that the complainers didn’t want GHWB to speak at all, I don’t think that the issues are equivalent. I’m willing to hear arguments otherwise. Also, that speech was in October 1991, which put it in the campaign season for the 92 election. As I understand from the article, the Democrats thought the cost of the production should come out of campaign funds, not Dep’t of Education funds. I don’t see anything in the article to suggest that the Democrats were trying to block the speech or trying to suggest that kids stay home. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/43 "2009-09-04T15:01:21Z")
> [@](#): > > - Obama’s talk to school children is [_ **eeeeeeviiiiiil** _](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/02/republican-party-florida/republican-party-florida-says-obama-will-indoctrin/) > > - Obama said that he wanted to [kill unwanted old people](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/aug/03/dan-lungren/lungren-says-obama-would-have-government-require-c/) (i.e. [death panels](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/aug/10/sarah-palin/sarah-palin-barack-obama-death-panel/)). Oh, and they also want disabled vets to [kill themselves](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/aug/25/michael-steele/rnc-chairman-michael-steele-says-va-has-manual-enc/). And see, right here you’re showing why I’m having a hard time taking you seriously. Has any Republican said Obama’s speech is “evil?” No, they have not. You have described it that way to make them look as bad as possible, just as they are describing it as “indoctrination” to make him look as bad as possible. Frankly, you’re both being dishonest. Ditto for the way you dial up their rhetoric on health care – did Lungren say “Obama wants to kill unwanted old people?” No, he did not. He took what Obama did say and exagerrated and distorted it to make Obama look bad … and then you took what Lungren said and exagerrated and distorted it to make HIM look bad. Once again, you’re doing the same thing you decry. In the meantime, several people have given examples of the kind of dishonesty you asked for in the OP, and you have yet to respond to any of them. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/44 "2009-09-04T16:35:00Z")
> [@furt](#): > > And see, right here you’re showing why I’m having a hard time taking you seriously. Has any Republican said Obama’s speech is “evil?” No, they have not. You have described it that way to make them look as bad as possible, just as they are describing it as “indoctrination” to make him look as bad as possible. Frankly, you’re both being dishonest. > > Ditto for the way you dial up their rhetoric on health care – did Lungren say “Obama wants to kill unwanted old people?” No, he did not. He took what Obama did say and exagerrated and distorted it to make Obama look bad … and then you took what Lungren said and exagerrated and distorted it to make HIM look bad. Once again, you’re doing the same thing you decry. > > In the meantime, several people have given examples of the kind of dishonesty you asked for in the OP, and you have yet to respond to any of them. But, is the OP _mainstream_? Meeting just one of the criteria isn’t enough. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/45 "2009-09-04T16:55:47Z")
> [@furt](#): > > And see, right here you’re showing why I’m having a hard time taking you seriously. Has any Republican said Obama’s speech is “evil?” No, they have not. You’re exactly right. I shouldn’t be sarcastic. > [@furt](#): > > In the meantime, several people have given examples of the kind of dishonesty you asked for in the OP, and you have yet to respond to any of them. Who? I didn’t know the suggestions needed my seal of approval. I’d say Michael Moore and Al Sharpton are probably good examples, though I’m not as familiar with the latter (I know exactly who he is, but I don’t really follow/payattention to him). People have mentioned Olbermann and Schulz. I don’t watch either of their shows, but I’ve seen plenty of clips from Olbermann’s show on websites that I read on a regular basis. If someone wants to put him up as an example for this OP, I would be very interested in some examples of the sorts of things I mentioned: lying, hypocrisy, character assassination, etc. in the same vein as Hannity/Beck/O’Reilly. While I would certainly agree that Olbermann’s theatrics are annoying, I’ve never seen clips where he is blatantly misrepresenting the truth or delving into the sort of nonsense that Beck apparently devotes most of his shows to. Finally, I’m in no position to comment on Air America or the other things that have been mentioned. I’ve never listened to them. I appreciate the mention, but there were no examples given of reports over time, so I can’t say how I feel about it. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/46 "2009-09-04T18:18:40Z")
How about Hillary’s [vast right-wing conspiracy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_right-wing_conspiracy). Howard Dean and the [stealing](http://www.democraticunderground.com/crisis/05/041_ep.html)of the 2000 election Kucinich and the [9/11 ‘Truthers’](http://www.911truth.org/) Invading Iraq for [oil](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1618999120070916?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews) The [Bush Enron](http://www.factcheck.org/twisted_facts_and_falsehoods_in_media_fund.html) conspiracy The [Cheney Haliburton](http://www.factcheck.org/kerry_ad_falsely_accuses_cheney_on_halliburton.html)conspiracy Anything related to Cheney, really. Evil lord, Darth Vader, Secret man behind the scenes, choosing himself as VP, etc. Bush trampling the Constitution and turning America into a dictatorship Bush deliberately lying to get support for Iraq War. Obama’s [McCain wants 100 years in Iraq](http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/dnc_vs_mccain.html) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/47 "2009-09-04T18:48:07Z")
One minor note on the security cameras and the Pentagon: The plane was travelling _way_ faster, as in, hundreds of miles faster, than a security camera, designed to take pictures of walking people, standing still people, running people, or slowly moving cars, is designed to handle. These things are not running film quality. A frame every half second, if you’re lucky, with a really short focal distance. The plane wouldn’t even show up on any of them, except possibly as a really brief streak. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/48 "2009-09-04T18:56:01Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > One minor note on the security cameras and the Pentagon: The plane was travelling _way_ faster, as in, hundreds of miles faster, than a security camera, designed to take pictures of walking people, standing still people, running people, or slowly moving cars, is designed to handle. These things are not running film quality. A frame every half second, if you’re lucky, with a really short focal distance. The plane wouldn’t even show up on any of them, except possibly as a really brief streak. Wrong thread? ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/49 "2009-09-04T19:04:44Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > Invading Iraq for [oil](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1618999120070916?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews) From the article… > [@](#): > > U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday rejected former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s statement that the Iraq war “is largely about oil.” Wait? What? Alan Greenspan is the liberal version of Limbaugh? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/50 "2009-09-04T19:18:09Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > How about Hillary’s [vast right-wing conspiracy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_right-wing_conspiracy). She was right. > [@](#): > > Howard Dean and the [stealing](http://www.democraticunderground.com/crisis/05/041_ep.html)of the 2000 election This is a letter TO Howard Dean, not something written BY him, and the 2000 election WAS tampered with. > [@](#): > > Kucinich and the [9/11 ‘Truthers’](http://www.911truth.org/) Where does this link say that Kucinich is a truther? > [@](#): > > Invading Iraq for [oil](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1618999120070916?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews) Alan Greenspan is a liberal? He said the invasion of Iraq was “largely about oil.” Do you think that’s actually a disputable statement? > [@](#): > > The [Bush Enron](http://www.factcheck.org/twisted_facts_and_falsehoods_in_media_fund.html) conspiracy This involves an ad made by some fringe group, apparently. It does not involve a mainstream Democrat, so it’s pretty much grasping at straws. > [@](#): > > The [Cheney Haliburton](http://www.factcheck.org/kerry_ad_falsely_accuses_cheney_on_halliburton.html)conspiracy > > Anything related to Cheney, really. Evil lord, Darth Vader, Secret man behind the scenes, choosing himself as VP, etc. Name something a prominent Democrat has accused Cheney of that isn’t true. He’s pretty much guilty of everything he’s ever been accused of, as far as I can see. > [@](#): > > Bush trampling the Constitution and turning America into a dictatorship The first part of that is true, but what prominent Democrat accused Bush of turning America into a dictaorship? > [@](#): > > Bush deliberately lying to get support for Iraq War. This is rock solid fact. > [@](#): > > Obama’s [McCain wants 100 years in Iraq](http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/dnc_vs_mccain.html) McCain DID say that. So basically, you’ve got nothing but whining and carping about legitimate criticism. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/51 "2009-09-04T19:23:04Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > How about Hillary’s [vast right-wing conspiracy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_right-wing_conspiracy). > > Howard Dean and the [stealing](http://www.democraticunderground.com/crisis/05/041_ep.html)of the 2000 election > > Kucinich and the [9/11 ‘Truthers’](http://www.911truth.org/) > > Invading Iraq for [oil](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1618999120070916?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews) > > The [Bush Enron](http://www.factcheck.org/twisted_facts_and_falsehoods_in_media_fund.html) conspiracy > > The [Cheney Haliburton](http://www.factcheck.org/kerry_ad_falsely_accuses_cheney_on_halliburton.html)conspiracy > > Anything related to Cheney, really. Evil lord, Darth Vader, Secret man behind the scenes, choosing himself as VP, etc. > > Bush trampling the Constitution and turning America into a dictatorship > > Bush deliberately lying to get support for Iraq War. > > Obama’s [McCain wants 100 years in Iraq](http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/dnc_vs_mccain.html) So you should have no problem pointing to those lefties with large wide-ranging platforms that shout out these “issues” (despite the dubiousness) akin to Rush, Beck et al. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/52 "2009-09-04T19:31:04Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Name something a prominent Democrat has accused Cheney of that isn’t true. It’s funny that you post this right after I cite a FactCheck article stating that John Kerry was wrongfully accusing Cheney of profiting from Haliburton. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/53 "2009-09-04T19:38:00Z")
Obama’s ‘Green Czar’, Van Jones, is a [9/11 Truther](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/04/radicalization-obamas-green-czar/). And so was Democratic Senator Cynthia McKinney. > [@](#): > > Jones, the founder of Green for All, which focuses on creating environmentally friendly jobs in poor areas, continues to be a focus of President Obama’s critics after video surfaced of him referring to Republicans as “assholes” and it was revealed that he once joined the “9/11 truther” movement, which contended that the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks might have been an inside job by the Bush administration. > > In 2004 Jones signed a statement calling for then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and others to launch an investigation into evidence that suggests “people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.” > > The statement asked a series of critical questions hinting at Bush administration involvement in the attacks and called for “deeper inquiry.” It was also signed by former Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/54 "2009-09-04T19:38:44Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > It’s funny that you post this right after I cite a FactCheck article stating that John Kerry was wrongfully accusing Cheney of profiting from Haliburton. this one is just a petty nitpick. A Kerry ad accused Cheney of having received $2 million “as Vice President.” It’s true that Cheney had received that money after the election, but it was before he took office. So this is a technical error, but not really a substantive one. If that’s the best you can do, you’re in pretty sad shape. Who was the prominent Dem accusing Bush/Cheney of wanting to set up “death panels,” or demanding to see their birth certificate, or accusing them of wantinf to use FEMA to set up prison camps? Our nutcases are waving signs in the parking lot. Yours are on stage reading from the teleprompter. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/55 "2009-09-04T19:43:10Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Obama’s ‘Green Czar’, Van Jones, is a [9/11 Truther](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/04/radicalization-obamas-green-czar/). No he isn’t. > [@](#): > > And so was Democratic Senator Cynthia McKinney. Cynthia McKinney is neither a Senator nor a Democrat. She’s also nothing close to a mainstream voice on the left. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/56 "2009-09-04T19:48:42Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Cynthia McKinney is neither a Senator nor a Democrat. She’s also nothing close to a mainstream voice on the left. It’s good to know that a 6 term Democratic Representative doesn’t represent the mainstream voice on the left. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/57 "2009-09-04T19:54:33Z")
She didn’t even when she was in Congress. She was also never in the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/58 "2009-09-04T19:58:00Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > use FEMA to set up prison camps?. Ooo! Thanks for reminding me! One of my all-time favorites: Bush and his minions deliberately blowing up the levees during Katrina: [Very Painful Questions About New Orleans](http://www.rense.com/general67/painful.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/59 "2009-09-04T19:59:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > She didn’t even when she was in Congress. I know. You already said that. I was just confirming that a 6 term congresswoman doesn’t count as mainstream to you. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777/60 "2009-09-04T20:10:58Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > Ooo! Thanks for reminding me! One of my all-time favorites: Bush and his minions deliberately blowing up the levees during Katrina: [Very Painful Questions About New Orleans](http://www.rense.com/general67/painful.htm) Rense is not a Democrat or even really a liberal. He’s just an independent loony. he’s also not close to being mainstream. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-liberal-glenn-becks-hannitys-bachmanns-steeles-etc/508777.md?page=4)