VIDEO: Craig T. Nelson 's Glenn Beck Tax Rant

As the Huffington Post's Jason Linkins pointed out, Actor Craig T. Nelson, perhaps best known his role in the TV series Coach, appeared on the Glenn Beck show last night and unleashed an impassioned rant against taxes. Railing against -- what appeared to be -- the entire idea of government in general, Nelson told Beck he is "really thinking about" not paying any income taxes.

Nelson went on to refer to himself as "a fiscally responsible grandfather" and said he's being roped into paying for government programs he doesn't believe in. "I've been on welfare and food stamps...did anyone help me?" Nelson said, perhaps not realizing that welfare and food stamps are actually forms of government aid.

Watch the video below:

Comments

[openhand]

Conservative logic.

"I've been on welfare and food stamps, did anyone help me"?

[VirginiaJeff]

I love Craig T. Nelson as an actor. As a logician, not so much.

[mitchieone]

Everybody has to continue paying their taxes. We need to pay for Obama's date nights.

[VirginiaJeff]

As my 68-year-old mother put it, "I hope conservatives keep complaining about stupid things like that about Obama. That's nutty talk's gotta turn off independents."

[VirginiaJeff]

(sorry about the miskey on "That"

[mitchieone]

Once we all become "independents," we will all have more freedom less dependent on government.

[starkcr31]

Having a problem with him using our tax dollars for a date night is nutty? Who knew?

[starkcr31]

Lol!

[starkcr31]

Don't forget paying to scare everyone in NYC by flying over in Air Force One.

[JewelChick]

I agree that the comment about food stamps/welfare is odd. But what I think he was saying was that he hit that low point, and the government didn't bail him out of bankruptcy -- give him enough money to not need the food stamps and welfare anymore. He's speaking in the context of government bailouts of corporations.

As far as the rest of it goes, he's simply saying that he's tired of having to pay for programs that he does not believe in. Don't most people feel that way at one time or another? I just don't see what's so completely off the wall about what he's saying. I don't like a single thing Obama has done since he was elected, and yet I have to continue paying taxes. Pisses me off too!

After years of growing up and hearing old people say it, I finally do believe the country IS going to hell in a handbasket (or maybe now it's as an mp3 file in an iPod -- either way, it's not good).

[rekk]

I'm sorry. It sounds like whining. We didn't want to clean our rooms when we were younger either, but it is the right thing to do. Cleaning up our environment, keeping living affordable, keeping the economy afloat so everyone has jobs and putting a system in place so that people with power don't just cheat and lie their way out of their responsibilities - these are the right things to do. Now, I am on board with you and your reservations about Obama, everyone here is, but it is also our responsibility to make our world a better place. That's going to require work, not palliatives like getting rid of taxes or government. We can only Hope that Obama is up to the job.

[starkcr31]

Not wanting to pay for ridiculous BS programs like "gang member tattoo removal" is whining? Paying more taxes is "patriotic" (I know you didn't say that, but Biden did)? This administration is a joke. Spending $4 trillion, 90% of which is pork is not going to stimulate anything.

[wornsmooth]

Jewel,
I think you are correct in what he says about his being on welfare/food stamps. However his overall ramblings don't make much sense. He comments on the lack of help that vets receive. A little later he comments on how important teachers are. Since Veteran benefits and teacher pay all comes from taxes, his comments are a little shallow. I suspect what Nelson is really hollering about is distributing tax revenue/borrowed money in ways he disagrees with. That is a problem that goes back to ancient Athens. Hopefully he will rethink his comments and realize that his stopping paying taxes cuts off money for the programs he does agree with along with those he opposes. It is inherent to how representitive democracy works.Only if Nelson becomes the ruling monarch can he then dole out the money as he sees fit.

[fisher65]

waaaaaaaaaa! omg! im begining to think the repubs were and are the schoolyard bullies, they need to go see the oz to get a heart ,a brain ,some courage because they are cowards , they dont need a home because they took all the money from the POOR! sheeshhh! when will they grow up !

[Cryostatic]

I'll never understand this strange mindset that the rich can only get rich by taking from the poor. The economy isn't some fixed pie that's divided up amongst the populus, it's constantly growing, and unnumerable factors are constantly at work deciding the value of products and services, the value of our money.

[Okiedan225]

I use to love watching coach. He played such a wonderful morron,but now I see he wasn't acting. This country has already gone thru a Cival War. Is this where the conservatives want this country to be? On the brink of another cival war. Another doctor has payed the price of following his belief in FREEDOM of choice (The same FREEDOM of choice the Lord GOD has granted us). If this is the conservative parties belief,then I want NO part of it. We must confront & fight terrorist HERE & Over Seas.

[DEl19713]

My tax dollars attacked a country that didn t attack us, I didnt approve of that at all. Searching unrelentlessly for WMDS. I had to pay for illegal wiretaps, I didnt approve of that. I also paid tax dollars so that the Bush Adminstration would not send supplies to to Katrina Victims. This guy believes are clearly out of touch. The Elite.

[DEl19713]

"I have been on food stamps and welfare no one helped me out." what is he talking about?

[jaggededge]

it says it all doesn't it?

when he was down & out he got a handout, now he's rich & you better keep your hands off his pile of loot---he must be a conservative

[mitchieone]

Personal attacks are easy aren't they? You should approach this argument with the perspective of an American and think out of the box. Both parties have become one in the same. The more they separate us as American citizens, the more powerful they become and we become weaker and dependent on them. Representation is only an concept, unless you're a lobbyist with tons of money backing you.

[harpen1]

Sometimes I wonder if these guys like Nelson and trying to be funny ,or are they just to stupid to realize that food stamps and welfare is government "help".

[Cye]

My tax money funded a war. Its not like I had a choice either.

[elizlucinda]

Mr. Nelson...It's better to sit in a corner with your mouth shut and let people think you are stupid....than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!

[jigisup]

Bravo!

[viflyer]

What a frigging babbling FOOL!

[greylox]

**I've got to say that I think he was having Beck on. Seriously. Does Beck care about teachers? Don't think so. Does Beck care about what happens to our soldiers? Don't think so. I think it was a sneaky way to get his point across. TAXES PAY FOR IMPORTANT STUFF! Or not. (Just hard to believe he could be that dim-witted.)

[jaggededge]

he pulled the support the troops card also --i didn't see him out & about protesting building 18 at walter reed or the faulty humvees & kevlar jackets, but you start grabbin his money & you got trouble---he was not pulling beck's leg ---he's just another greedy self-centered conservative

[Tulka2]

"Love it or leave it". -the right-wing all through the 1960s

[jaggededge]

exactly, he stated he's been in the biz for 45 years , & he's obviously a practicing capitalist,(he should have some money saved up) i think he should move to dubai

[charitabledonation]

what a fn nincompoop.