Stephen Colbert Rips Glenn Beck: Building His Career On 9/11 (VIDEO)

Stephen Colbert ripped apart Fox News host (and New York Times cover boy) Glenn Beck Tuesday night, mocking his 9-12 project, meant to conjure the spirit of compassion and camaraderie Americans felt on September 12, 2001.

"We weren't told how to behave that day after 9/11, we just knew," Beck says to describe the project. "It was right, it was the opposite of what we feel today. Are you ready to be the person you were that day after 9/11, on 9/12?"

"Ready!" Colbert shouted, decked out in a gas mask, holding a gun, and wearing adult diapers.

Colbert then used a classic "Daily Show" tactic, exposing the hypocrisy of Beck's 9-12 project by highlighting comments he made on September 9, 2005.

"This is horrible to say, and I wonder if I'm alone in this," Beck said on his radio program that day, "you know it took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 victims' families? I don't hate all of them. I hate probably about 10 of them. But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining. And we did our best for them."

"The 9-12 project is not for families directly affected by 9/11, just people building their careers on it," Colbert said.

Colbert went on to mock Beck's now infamous tendency to cry, and to launch his own "democratic experiment, the 10-31 project."

"It will be scare and balanced!" he joked.

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Comments

[jmpfjoy]

And I am really disgusted with citizens who can't tell a train wreck from real journalism.

I think ratings are high because people love a good mental breakdown, and Beck is definitely going to deliver.

[urweatherman]

I am really disgusted with television show hosts that purely attack those that have better ratings and react out of total jealousy. I am not surprised though, MSNBC has a whole lineup of such folks.

[ghost2082]

Number One- Colbert is on Comedy Central, not MSNBC.

Number Two- Your fake crying nancyboy Beck just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, exposing him for the jerk he truly is. Please tell me how quoting Beck's own exact words with a transcript AND audio is an attack on his character, and not just a spade being called a spade.

Number Three- Beck's high ratings are simply proof that there will never be a shortage of stupid brainwashed idiots ready to lap up the constant bullshit that Beck and the other Fixed News line-up spew out on a daily basis. You know, stupid people like you.

[Elephantinroom]

You're supporting the host who was wearing a diaper?

[MichaelMcKLA]

I am a happy fella. I ignore Fox News and everyone on it. I do, however, turn it on when I am in need of righteous anger and fury or propaganda from that now-marginalized political party.

[beckfan]

Glenn Beck is a wonderful man. Colbert should be ashamed of himself for mocking Glenn's heartfelt appeal to community and decency in America. Why don't Colbert and Stewart just pack up and move to Europe? They would be quite welcome there. By the way, Obama's soft stance on terrorism may get us another day of infamy. George Bush's policies kept us safe for eight years and saved many lives. Why mess with what works?

[CoolerHeads]

Wow. America love it or leave it, huh? Thanks for reading straight from the right wing hymnal. Is that some of Glenn Beck's version of community and decency?

And what exactly is your proof that George Bush's policy "kept us safe"? That there wasn't another terrorist attack on our soil? Okay, here's what happened, Bush ignored reports that bin laden was going to attack in the US, and he let it happen. Then after that, he sent our troops to Iraq to provide Muslim extremists easy access to American targets, all while doing Bin Laden a favor by removing one of the strongest opponents to Al Qaeda in the region (Baathist Party) and making it possible for Al Qaeda to operate in Iraq. So once we were doing Al Qaeda all those favors, why would they attack us again? They got us to dance for them like a puppet, thanks to Bush's stupidity. We were playing completely into their hands, helping them spread their message and helping them make us look like the bad guy and helping them marginalize moderate Muslims.

Oh, and let's not forget what all of Bush's keeping us safe did to us back at home. Thanks to all the brilliant de-regulation, corporate wellfare and allowing financial monopolies, our economy is totally effed up. Oh, and remember how we lost new orleans to the dirty bomb of Katrina? So, yeah, forgive me if I don't think Bush kept us safe.

[Elephantinroom]

For nearly a decade, Iraq has defied its obligations to destroy its weapons of terror and the missiles to deliver them. America will continue to contain Saddam, and we will work for the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people.

Now, last month, in our action over Iraq, our troops were superb. Their mission was so flawlessly executed, that we risk taking for granted the bravery and the skill it required. Captain Jeff Taliaferro, a 10-year veteran of the Air Force, flew a B-1B bomber over Iraq as we attacked Saddam's war machine. He is here with us tonight. I'd like to ask you to honor him and all the 33,000 men and women of Operation Desert Fox. Captain Taliaferro.
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/19/sotu.transcript/

[Elephantinroom]

On the Saturday edition of the NBC Nightly News, anchored by John Seigenthaler, correspondent Lisa Myers reported several critical mistakes made by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco in handling the Hurricane Katrina crisis. The story even showcased a whispered conversation, recorded by CNN, between Blanco and an aide in which Blanco admitted she had been too slow in asking for federal troops. Blanco: "I really need to call for the military ... and I should have started that in the first call."
http://newsbusters.org/node/2072

[Elephantinroom]

Our housing crisis was caused by Fannie/Freddie underwriting too many
underqualified borrowers. These entities caused the housing crisis, AND
were the first entities to package mortgages as "derivatives,' thus allowing
the impetus for the financial crisis.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122091796187012529.html?mod=most_emailed_day

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/11/business/new-agency-proposed-to-oversee-freddie-mac-and-fannie-mae.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

[Elephantinroom]

Transcript: Clinton's State of the Union speech
January 19, 1999

For nearly a decade, Iraq has defied its obligations to destroy its weapons of terror and the missiles to deliver them. America will continue to contain Saddam, and we will work for the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people.

Now, last month, in our action over Iraq, our troops were superb. Their mission was so flawlessly executed, that we risk taking for granted the bravery and the skill it required. Captain Jeff Taliaferro, a 10-year veteran of the Air Force, flew a B-1B bomber over Iraq as we attacked Saddam's war machine. He is here with us tonight. I'd like to ask you to honor him and all the 33,000 men and women of Operation Desert Fox. Captain Taliaferro.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/19/sotu.transcript/

[Elephantinroom]

CoolerHeads-
Our economic crisis was caused By Fannie/Freddie.
They caused the housing crisis AND provided the "toxic", now called
legacy loans. Fannie/Freddie were the first entities to trade bundled
mortgages as derivatives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/11/business/new-agency-proposed-to-oversee-freddie-mac-and-fannie-mae.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

http://www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=6

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/11/business/new-agency-proposed-to-oversee-freddie-mac-and-fannie-mae.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/business/media/30beck.html?pagewanted=2

[LCDTV]

if u do not like i suggest you leave the country .

[Paul Harvey]

The psychos are a-chiming in! Do you hate the 9/11 families too?

[bannelee]

1) Bush&co allowed 9/11 to happen by ignoring all the NUMEROUS reports and repeated warnings of others,then invaded the wrong country.
2) The taliban said they were planning this since 1984,which was under reagan.That's 17 yrs in the planning.
3) By your standards,Clinton also kept us safe,as we were attacked 1 month into his presidency.Of course,he caught those responsible and they're rotting in prison.
4) When clinton wanted to go after bin-laden,the right wingers screamed that he was just trying to distract us from what was REALLY important-Monica L. They seem to forget that when attempting to blame him.
It's so hypocritical,and to think there are people foolish enough to buy it is sad.

[TommyObamaLewinsky]

Please articulate exactly what make Beck a "wonderful man." Perhaps you are referring to his 9-12 rant where he hates the families of 9-11 victims? You call that sarcasm... you are both sick puppies.

Yes, we have not had another terrorist attack in the infamous "8 years." Instead we blew trillions of dollars and lost thousands (more victims than 9-11). So what all you conservative ideologues think it is ok to have Americans killed as long as they are on foreign soil?

And I suppose you endorse torture too. Fine, let's not prosecute Bush/Cheney et al and let another country do it because they have not only broken the laws of the US but that of International jurisdiction.

Will it take the prosecution of Bush et al for war crimes for you conservative (the new C word) to pull your head out of the sand and wake up too?

Conservatives are the ones who wouldn't let "Tiger Woods" (you know what I mean because you are a racist) play at their country club, the same group of retards who want to hold down Obama... Obama has revolutionized politics in the same way Michael Jordan played basketball. And you are jealous because you got your butts handed to you again.

Deal with it, support you country, pay some taxes to support your military you unpatriotic sore losing losers.

[Wood-Harp]

Beck's tears are about as genuine as Coulter's relationship with God and Jesus.
In direct relation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rBhPDctqCg

[Marshall Ball]

nice

[Griffin97]

Just listen to Glen Beck's show sometime - his use of SARCASM is so ridiculously-overt, there is no chance you could miss it! Unless, of course, you have your own TV show (with a different fan-base) and know that you can take his statements out of context in such a disgusting manner, without getting caught. Nice way to boost your own ratings. (Sarcasm used in last statement.)

[lunarmagpie]

sarcasm is always such a convenient excuse for being a jerk.

[Tony Cavalieri]

so what are you saying, Beck was being sarcastic when he wanted people to be patriotic?

[TommyObamaLewinsky]

oh, you mean the same period where Cheney confessed yesterday that he didn't really know much about Al Queada because Bush et al ignored Clinton and CIA's reports on the seriousness of Al Queada. Cheney should shut his big fat angry mouth before he talks himself straight in jail, because God, the Lord, Jesus knows he already made a place for himself in hell.

Why do they need to make an investigation because Cheney already admitted everything there is to convict him of war crimes.

If the US doesn't prosecute them, another country will.

[ketchupandfries]

Thank God for Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and their fabulous writers! Someone has to call out Glenn Beck, the crazy money man and their cronies, who wouldn't recognize the truth if it bit them in their teleprompters!

[jackiero]

Yes, yes, Colbert! We need to go back to a life of 9/10/01! You know the one, where we didn't give a hoot about out neighbor or our fellow man. That life could easy be considered the life of 9/11/02, when we mourned for one year then went right back to pre-9/11 thinking. The way I see it, Beck is trying to evoke that feeling that we all had on 9/12 when the tragedy started to sink in, but when we were still kind and loving toward others. Blacks, whites, and people of every other color race political affiliation and creed were consoling each other on the streets. There were no divisions. But yes, let us go back to that 9/10/01 day, where it was cool to be self absorbed. Let us continue to knock the conservative talking head like Beck, who is actually crossing the aisle and embracing something so inately "liberal" like the feeling we all had on 9/12/01. Yes, yes, well done, Colbert! I'm with you and your followers all the way! A conservative could never ever be anything other than a war mongerer. Isn't that liberal 101?

[mizzledizzle]

beck is not reaching across any aisles...at all...and the feelings we had on 9/12 were not "liberal"...we were pissed off and the bush administration ran with it to justify war in iraq....and by the way, i hate when people praise the bush administration for keeping us safe post 9/11...we got hit on their watch..i dont care what ari fleischer says..if bush's war on terror is so great, why did it take the worst attack on our soil to bring out his great foreign policy?

[DJ23]

Colbert doesn't need YOU to explain to him What Beck is "trying" to do. We all get the point of the project. But, as you chastise Colbert, you made no mention of Beck's words on 9/9/05 about the 9/11 victim's families.

Also, let's not forget that Colbert's program airs on Comedy Central. He is a comedian.

Please don't reply back with some crap about 9/11 not being laughing matter. Colbert was mocking Beck's hypocrisy and questioning his motivation. Rightfully so in my opinion.

It seems like a calculated publicity stunt for his show. If he is genuine and sincere about this "project", he should start by apologizing for the comments he made about the 9/11 families.

But, from your comment you seem to not have a problem with what Beck said on 9/9/05. The person you took offense to, in this COMEDY skit, was Colbert.

Am I wrong?

I'd like to hear your feelings about what Beck said. What would be your reaction if Colbert or some "liberal" made those comments?

It's only wrong if a liberal does it. Isn't that conservative 101?

". . .embracing something so inately "liberal" like the feeling we all had on 9/12/01"

This comment is to quite ridiculous.

[urweatherman]

Your comments DJ were totally rediculous. First of all, you can't compare because, as you said yourself, Colbert is a comedian and has no accountability for what he says. So why do so many people take hime seriously? They should not as you seem to do. And being a comedian, everything Colbert does is purely a publicity stunt....so don't accuse others of the same. Liberal 101 would be coments like those of the famed college professor in Colorado......

[csmicsun]

Wow, that is interesting since I don't recall any compassion or loving on 9/12. I just recall a lot of fear and hatred towards people of Middle Eastern descent.

[NPA]

An "American" that has hatred for the 9/11 victims is no American in my book! Glen Beck has much in common with Bil Liden and al-Qeadea it seems. I remember that day vividly.

[casinogeves]

Bil Liden? Did someone ask what happens when you cross Bill Clinton and Joe Biden?

[BN2112]

Brilliant Stephen! The real question is--is Beck a real lunatic or does he just play one on TV?

[lunarmagpie]

i think the answer here has to be "both."

[shag11]

I love the fact that Letterman and the others do this. Most of the Dem. pundits are too wimpy. They let the right-wingers talk all over them and shut-down their message. Bravo to Stewart and Colbert, as well.

[seattle music]

So when is someone going to take a horsewhip to Glen Beck for his lying, phony exploitation of 9/11?

Oh, wait. Colbert just did.

Well done, sir.

[gatogato]

Colbert - the most intelligent (and funniest) man in the world

[2Foxxie4U]

OH SNAP. They done brought out Chuck Norris! DDDX

EVERY SOCIALIST FOR THEMSELVES! DDDX *heads for the hills as Chuck Norris karate-chops and roundhouse-kicks every commie in sight faster than the speed of light, thus killing them before they were ever born*