Glenn Beck Radio Show: Rick Sanchez Can't Say Beck Responsible For Murder Because Of DUI (AUDIO)

Earlier this week, CNN's Rick Sanchez accused Fox News -- namely Glenn Beck -- of creating an environment of fear and distrust that has led to a surge in gun violence, in particular tying last week's Pittsburgh shooting to "Fox News and right wing radio."

Watch that clip and read Jason Linkins' take on it here.

On Beck's radio show Thursday, Beck and staff lashed out against Sanchez, calling Sanchez "the one guy who shouldn't accuse other people of being responsible for murder" over his 1990 drunk driving incident, in which Sanchez struck a pedestrian who would be paralyzed and later die from injuries sustained in the accident.

"Maybe if you're one of the very few people in our society that has actually been responsible for killing someone," Beck's producer Stu Burguiere ranted, "maybe you should be the one guy who shouldn't accuse other people of being responsible for murders."

Beck attempted to slow Stu down but he continued:

"Maybe you should be the one human being on earth who should not be attacking another personality for killing people, because of the fact that before you worked at CNN, you worked in Miami, and you ran over a person, and that person died. Maybe YOU should consider that before speaking on every occasion. Every time you let words out of your mouth, you should make sure you remember that day."

"Who hasn't gotten drunk, got into a car, and ran over someone?" Beck asked. "That happens all the time!"

Listen:

Sanchez was charged with and pleaded no contest to the DUI in 1991.

Comments

[Philip Finn]

I wonder what Beck did during one of his fabled booze-and/or-drug binges years ago (before supposedly finding Jesus and going straight) that he is so squeamish about his producer's rant...
I'm just sayin'...

[lis60]

How LOW for Beck and company to come after Rick Sanchez like that..... It makes me sick. Mr. Morality Glenn Beck?? Drunk turned Morman?? Rick didn't get personal, they are! It is sick to stick that into someone's face like that , especially with Beck's own warped history.

[sheikwil4]

Rick Sanchez didn't didn't excite people to murder people. Rick drank and got into a car and killed someone accidentally, he didn't intend to kill anyone. This make Beck look even worse in my book, who by the way is an alcoholic, no one ever said that Rick was an alcoholic, he just made a bad decision. Beck is causing people to be murdered because of his lies.

[HarryPumpkin]

I've listened to Glenn off and on almost since he started on syndicated radio in 2002 and I've never heard him incite anyone to murder. Do you have a single quote of his that could be construed as incitement to murder? I have heard him incite people to be prepared in case things really go downhill and not follow a strongman out of desperation as people have often done throughout history.

This guy in Pittsburgh who shot the cops was an Alex Jones/Stor­mFront/91-­Truth nutty conspiracy guy. This is not what Glenn Beck or anyone I've heard on talk radio supports.

[Joseph Upton]

Only a left winger could make an idiotic statement like the above.

[HarryPumpkin]

Rick accused Glenn Beck and others of being responsible for mass murders. Sounds pretty personal to me.

[BruceHNV]

Actually, no. He didn't.

[dashboard]

Gosh I missed this exchange, I was too busy watching reruns of the Twilight Zone. Apparently, the Twilight Zone has reconstituted on cable news.

[Tena]

LOL

Yeah, they started that about 8, 9 years ago.

[rascalish]

Rick Sanchez: A wonk that made a massive error in judgment. Many times he's come forward expressing the guilt and shame re; the incident. His life has been changed forever.
The Beckster: No shame, hateful fear monger er with a lust for attention regardless of the cost. Ratings trumps morals when it comes to getting that attention buzz rush that alcohol used to give him.

Please explain to me who is the most vile???

[RasAlula]

I believe in forgiveness, but Rick Sanchez should not be talking. I don't think we can feel sorry for someone making serious bucks on tv if that person has killed someone. Imagine the family of that person. How is this guy on TV? And you still have people trying to keep Michael Vick out of the NFL. Unbelieveable.

[killswitch667]

little thing called ad hominem tu quoque
Source A makes claim P.
Group B also make claim P.
Therefore, source A is a member of group B.

[miles120]

It's certainly noble to forgive, but Sanchez was stupid to challenge Beck with that skeleton in his closet. He definitely brought a knife to a gun fight.

[JustMyWords]

Actually, someone who has caused harm, admitted it, and apologized for the harm that he has caused is absolutely right to challenge someone he sees acting in a dangerous and irresponsible fashion.

And let's face it - if Sanchez was a saint who had never made an error, the Becks of this world would be ranting that he has no business commenting because he's never been there, done that.

[lungfish]

Rick probably isn' t the guy to be saying it but its true just the same..... right wing radio spews messages that are inflammatory and have the potential to motivate borderline nutjobs into full fledged lunacy.... it really is hate speak and its dangerous.­... at least Olbermann fact checks but Beck and his ilk are far more concerned with effect than facts.... Fox has run a continuously negative perspective against the Obama Administration since the GOP lost its credibility, for example...­.

[Raco]

Who was that metal band responsible for the Columbine killings? I forgot.

[Twinkie]

God bless Americans! Y'all are so damn funny, dunno what we'd do without you to laugh at :P

[blaqntelligence]

I don't klnow where you're from, but to find humor in such tragedies says more about you than it does about those responsible.
Bluntly stated, racism is rearing its ugly head and people are dying.

[jhallbo]

I don't see the racism, am I missing something?

[jhallbo]

hey, at least we're good for something, if nothing else just some good entertainment.

[karinova]

The thing that really struck me about this post is that it wasn't GB going off, it was his producer?! I'm honestly surprised-- amazed, really-- that the people behind the camera/in the booth actually give that much of a po0p personally. (It's as if someone dissed his momma!) I would have thought it was just a job-- that they just cash their checks and that's that. I mean, do street.wal­kers get all off.end.ed when someone criticizes their pi.mp? I wouldn't think so. What do they care?

BTW, Rick Sanchez, you are not helping. Nice job giving GB&Co an opportunity to be-- I seriously can't believe I'm saying this-- absolutely right. (I have zero tolerance for DUI.) Now he's going to be working this for the next two weeks. Awesome..

I'm so sick of meta-news stories. Despite the blowback, cable news is constantly reporting on... cable news. BillO does it; Olbie does it, now CNN's doing it-- enough already with the on-camera catfights. It's like junior high. (OMG, did you hear what Heather said about you yesterday?!) Just shut the h up about each other and give us the news occurring IN THE REAL WORLD. Yeesh.

[RButler]

"What did Heather say?" Now, you've got me started. It's disgusting that the media personalities are going after each but, darn it, they deserve it. O'Reilly has a segment called 'Reality Check'. Can you believe it? He's the last person qualified to assess reality.

[moUSAnMe]

I believe Rick was cleared of part or all of that. The victim walked out in front of him. Unfortunate.

[applescruff]

I am having a hard time figuring out why Conservative males would respond to a man who regularly whimpers and cries like a scared little girl.

[cltclt]

He represents them. They all look like they are ready to break into tears to me. The loud talking and snarling is just a cover. They are a bunch of scared little girls. (Sorry don't mean to insult little girls).

[ConnorMarc]

Excatly!

[Raco]

Why do liberal women respond to the sexism of Keith Olbermann?

[fredisfred]

Why do repub women ignore the fact that O'Reilly harrassed his intern?

[MochasMom]

There's an old saying that the first person to pull out an ad hominem attack loses the debate.

Ohhh, I'm sorry Mr. Beck. Next!

[OtayPanky]

Here's the thing about blaming a media figure for someone's deranged behavior: You either believe it as a general principle, or your don't.

Do you hold Ozzy Osbourne or Judas Priest responsible for the metalhead kids who committed murders or suicides? Do you hold rappers and hip-hop artists responsible for gang violence?

If you do, then it's consistent to blame Glenn Beck for some guys murder spree.

But if you don't, then you're just cherry picking - which is what hypocritical, rabid partisans without a functioning sense of discernment do.

[citizensrus]

Do you hold Ozzy Osbourne or Judas Priest responsible for the metalhead kids who committed murders or suicides? Do you hold rappers and hip-hop artists responsible for gang violence?

The answer: Maybe they played a role in glorifying those acts.

[OtayPanky]

As I recall they've actually been sued by the families who, unfortunately, lost their children to suicide after taking death-metal lyrics to heart. The suits (again if I recall correctly) were dismissed.

If we're going to blame the media for the bizarre, mentally disturbed acts of a statistsically minute percent of the people exposed to the story, then we'd have to start by banning Shakespeare.

The concept of muzzling the media, though viscerally appealing to some (including Tipper Gore, you might recall) costs society more than it's worth, IMO.

[FabulousAt52]

Look, if people want to LOOK for a reason to OFF themselves, so be it. If they find that reason where no other rational, mentally balanced person would find it, (rock music) well, what can we do?

I'm a strong proponent of individual FREEDOMS - and if someone chooses to end their own life, well, that's their decision. However-
The difference is someone looking for a "good reason" to kill themselves; and someone looking for a "good reason to KILL OTHERS.

B.I.G Difference.

[OtayPanky]

The question under discussion is whether the media bears responsibility for individuals acts of violence - whether self or other directed.

You can make a case either way. My point is, that when you do, be consistent in your application of principles.

If you don't...we­ll, you're just like Glenn Beck - a cherry-picking hypocrite.

[mocha59]

Glenn Beck blames the video games.

It's recorded from a show he did on cnn.

So who's cherry picking?

[OtayPanky]

Glenn Beck is a rabid, hypocrital partisan. He cherry picks for a living...a­nd it's a damn good living he makes doing it.

[RasAlula]

I see what you are trying to say but its not the same thing. the music you mention does not tell people to go out and do things, nor doe they hold themselves out as anything more than entertainment. Media personalities (though a big joke they are) are believed by many to be intelligent and informed "leaders". Moreover, these personalities are constantly saying things like "stand up and fight back" "take back the country" "time for a revolution" etc. Finally, Glenn Beck et al. consistently and constantly drive home these sentiments and attack one or more person over and over again. They definitely create an atmosphere of hostility. Whereas musicians are play songs that come and go and have no specific target (usually).

So I don't hold musicians responsible, but I do think that media people have (much of) the Public's attention as a trusted source of information.

[OtayPanky]

Your "music isn't like the media" idea doesn't hold water. Not only do certain genres of popular music include songs that directly advocate violence, but music and accompanying lyrics have long been used to whip up emotional froth leading to violent behavior in citizens and soldiers.

If you want to induce a trance in the emotionally susceptible, music is a powerful tool in the toolbox.

Don't get me wrong. I think Glenn Beck is a despicable toad. But blaming him for someone's flip out into homicidal behavior is intellectually dishonest.

[jsinclair]

Sanchez has really come into his own this year.

Give 'em hell, Rick!

[jaslyn]

This shooter is just one of the many stupid, rigid, uninformed, crazy fans of people that listen to Beck, Hannity and Rush.It doesn't take much to get an insane reaction out of them. Beck is crazy himself, a fear and hate monger who hides behind his religion and patriotism.

[ObamacratInCA]

"Who hasn't gotten drunk, ruined their marriage and become a recovering alcoholic. That happens all the time!"

It's fun being an edgy commentator. When do I get my FOX gig?

[oregonideas]

How can anyone question the taste and good judgement of Glenn Beck. why his little skit of President Obama pouring gasoline on the American people and preparing to set them on fire was a model of both taste and judgement. Beck is just what you will get if you watch Fox so why complain..­...just don't watch it. I know millions do...but they also listen to Rush and admire sarah Palin....a­nd, of course, they also only comprise a small minority hunkered down at the far, far right end of our political continuum.­.......let them watch Glenn, listen to Rush and run Sarah in 2012......­let's face it, the vast majority of Americans have far more serious issues to concern them.