While other cable news commentators on both sides seem to be largely in agreement that, regardless of whether or not the Arizona shooter was motivated by the vitriolic political rhetoric of the past few years, this rhetoric needs to be toned down, Glenn Beck managed to find a new way to rail against Congress -- under the guise of denouncing violence.
Beck spent most of his Wednesday show sarcastically and sanctimoniously questioning why only fourteen members of Congress have signed his pledge against violence, in spite of exhaustive efforts by his staff to call members of Congress and get them to sign it.
A Tuesday piece from Media Matters, which Beck pointed out on his show, predicted: "Beck will probably spend this evening's program alternatively feigning shock that any member of Congress would refuse to sign his pledge, and attacking them for their failure to do so ..." And that is exactly what Beck did on Wednesday.
I hadn't read the Media Matters piece before watching Beck's show, but while watching the show was struck by exactly the same incredible irony pointed out by Media Matters, when Beck got to the following clause in his pledge: "I denounce those who wish to tear down our system and rebuild it in their own image, whatever that image may be."
WTF? Beck is asking Congress to denounce what he himself does on his own show day in and day out?
As Media Matters put it: "Who has Beck accused of trying 'to tear down the system and rebuild it in their own image'? Basically every Democratic member of Congress along with the President of the United States."
Beck even found a way to work "Spooky Dude" George Soros, one of the most frequent targets of his pronouncements that liberals and socialists are trying to "tear down our system and rebuild it in their own image," into his rant.
Beck came up with a variety of explanations for why members of Congress aren't jumping to sign onto his pledge. Apparently, Congress is afraid, for a plethora of reasons concocted by Beck, to denounce violent extremist groups.
And, displaying his gigantic ego, Beck even fantasized that members of Congress and their staffs were spending much time having meetings about what to do with his pledge:
"Can you imagine what the meetings were like? We called members of Congress and said, 'Hey. Did you get that?' 'Yeah, we did.' 'You gonna sign it?' 'Uhhhhmmmmmm.' Hang up the phone. And we thought, what are the meetings like right now. You know, with their aides -- they're all gathered in the office. 'Are we gonna sign non [sic] pledge. Are we against non-violence or are we for violence? I don't really know. A non-violence pledge? From who? Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck? What do our constituents think of Glenn Beck? Do they hate him? Do they love him? Check the polls on Glenn Beck and non-violence. Where do we stand with pro-violence people?'"
Well, Mr. Beck, for all your egotism and speculation about the reasons that the overwhelming majority of Congress members haven't signed your little pledge, there's another possibility that you should seriously consider: Maybe Congress just doesn't think you're all that important.