April 22, 2011 11:52 pm ET by Shauna Theel The "Final Chapter" of Glenn Beck's Fox News run kicked off Friday with Beck warning that a plot to "collapse the system," "redistribute the wealth," and create an Obama-centered empire was based on a willingness to kill "25 million Americans." Fox News announced weeks ago that Beck "intends to transition off his daily program" on Fox News. Earlier this week, News Corp. announced that the "Final Chapter" of Beck's Fox News show would begin Friday. That chapter of the Glenn Beck saga began with Beck claiming that he is leaving Fox to transition from "preaching to the choir" into getting "involved" in stopping the "nefarious plans" of progressives. Setting the stage, the final chapter chalkboard revealed that all the same demons continue to haunt Beck: magnets representing the "radicals" whom "Obama has surrounded himself with" -- Richard Trumka, Andy Stern, Van Jones, George Soros, Samantha Power, Cass Sunstein, Stephen Lerner, and The Tides Foundation -- populated every corner of the chalkboard. Beck warned his audience of the dangers posed by the "true revolutionaries" on his chalkboard, who support communism and the "redistribution of wealth," and by "people like George Soros" who want to "collapse the system." Beck then asked, "If communists went and tried to collapse the system and took over the system, OK, what would happen." He pressed: Who would not fight for the rest of your life if someone overthrew the Constitution of the United States? Raise your hand. Would you fight -- would you fight for the rest of your life and give yourself if someone overthrew the government of the United States? So, we know that. There are millions of people that would do that. Well, George Soros is smart enough to know that, isn't he? This is not atypical -- in fact it is a hallmark of Beck's show to suggest violence is originating from "the left" and to then beg his audience to resist. After all, when Beck tearfully announced his 9-12 Project, he told his Fox News audience, "They don't surround us; we surround them." Months later, he amped up the paranoia, proclaiming, "Shoot me in the head if you try to change our government -- I will stand against you, and so will millions of others." Friday night, Beck returned to his chalkboard to again explain how "they" were organized into groups of thinkers, thugs, doers, organizers, and Marxists trying to "collapse the system." Beck went on to explain how their plan to create an empire under Obama was rooted in a willingness to kill 25 million Americans: So, the real question here is, is what is the illusion of the republic that George Soros has planned? Because if we all know, if we all know this guy is in bed with all of these guys and we know that, you won't sit down. Unless, remember [William Ayers] said, we have an FBI agent who infiltrated his Weather Underground who said they will kill 25 million Americans. Twenty- five million Americans just won't do it -- just won't sit down for it. So, they will kill 25 million. OK. So, we know he is willing to. But wouldn't it be easier if this guy could convince the youth. This guy could convince faith groups. These guys could just keep everybody in line. These guys could figure out a way to make it look good. There has to be the illusion -- there has to be illusion of the republic remaining. That's what you look for. That's I think what's coming in the next year -- is the illusion that these guys are somehow or another ratted out, to satisfy, after you cry out, "Top-down, protect us." At one point Friday night, Beck said that it was "getting boring" to demonize the "same people," raising the question as to just how much longer this transition will be supported by Fox News. April 22, 2011 9:11 pm ET by Media Matters staff From the April 22 edition of Fox Business' Freedom Watch: Previously: April 22, 2011 6:13 pm ET by Media Matters staff At least 300 advertisers have reportedly dropped their ads from Glenn Beck's Fox News program since he called President Obama a "racist" who has a "deep-seated hatred for white people." Here are his April 22 sponsors, in the order they appeared: April 22, 2011 5:43 pm ET by Media Matters staff Monday, Fox News announced that the "Final Chapter" of Glenn Beck's show would begin Friday. Beck kicked off that "final chapter" by unveiling a chalkboard populated by progressives he has demonized for the past 2 years. April 22, 2011 5:25 pm ET by Solange Uwimana In the latest installment of Glenn Beck vs. Mike Huckabee, Beck seemed to think he had dealt Huckabee the ultimate blow. If only. In hitting back at Huckabee today on his radio show for the latter's recent criticism (in fact, a reply to Beck's first strike a few days ago), Beck accused Huckabee of trying to "smear" him by twisting his words. Beck fervently denied Huckabee's claim that Beck has said progressives are "the same as a 'cancer' and a 'Nazi.' " After playing part of Huckabee's statement from his radio show, Beck replied: BECK: First of all, Mr. Huckabee, I did not realize that I had called all progressives "Nazis." That is weird. I have said Nazis have used progressive tactics. You should read Bernays, Lippman. If you don't believe me, read Goebbels. He talks about it in his diaries. It's weird. The only time I've ever heard that kind of a smear is on George Soros' website, Media Matters. Interesting how you would go to Media Matters' talking points when you feel like it would benefit you, Mr. Huckabee. I've never said progressive is the same as Nazi, so let's not try to twist this into me accusing you of killing millions of Jews. Or are you again trying to co-opt a George Soros program? And maybe you can be added to the list of rabbis that are boycotting this show as they twist my words. In the same monologue, I compared Mike Huckabee's progressivism to John McCain. Now, while I wasn't a huge fan of Mr. McCain, I wound up voting for the guy. So I clearly don't consider progressives, Nazis -- unless you're taking the talking points from MSNBC, where anyone who has my point of view is a Nazi. I have said the progressive movement is a cancer to this nation -- and it is. But I was talking about the movement, the ideology in general as it relates to a bigger government, not a specific person being an actual disease. Was it really that confusing to you, Mr. Huckabee? We don't know whether Huckabee used the Media Matters archives to do his research, but if Beck had had the forethought to check our website, he might not have tried to deny he doesn't liken progressives to Nazis. He has, for instance, said that "national socialism ... is what the progressives here in America believe in," just like Mussolini and Hitler. He has also said that the "progressives loved" national socialism and Mussolini, but that they changed their "words" to hide that fact because, "that became unpopular, for obvious reasons. The ovens were at the other end of that." April 22, 2011 4:43 pm ET by Andy Newbold Earlier this week Glenn Beck attacked Mike Huckabee by suggesting he was a progressive (a dirty word in Beck's mind) for supporting Michelle Obama's campaign against obesity. Huckabee swiftly responded by releasing a statement that condemned Beck for calling him a progressive, which Huckabee remembers would also make him a "cancer" and a "Nazi" based on Beck's logic. Huckabee went on to defend his support for Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, and then further chides Beck for having a "massive global conspiracy for pretty much everything" and for "fancy[ing] himself a prophet of sorts." Huckabee also stated that "Beck needs to stick to conspiracies that can't be so easily de-bunked by facts." Today on his radio show, Glenn Beck replied to Huckabee. He challenged Huckabee: "give me one example sir" of a Beck-touted conspiracy theory that had been debunked. (If anyone is interested, hereare a few such debunked conspiracy theories.) Beck went on to suggest he has "several examples" of how Huckabee is a progressive. One example included Beck giving a hat tip to Media Matters just before playing a clip he got from our site that shows Huckabee distorting his record on tax increases. Beck then decided to dive into Huckabee's potential presidential run in 2012, warning "If sir, you are this thin skinned about your politics, it might be best for you to stay on the sidelines, maybe with Michelle Obama, and not enter this race." I suppose this means Beck will not be donating to the Huckabee campaign if he does so choose to run. April 22, 2011 11:19 am ET by Ben Dimiero WorldNetDaily, which Alex Pareene appropriately dubbed the "biggest, dumbest wingnut site on the Web," has been cashing in on birther nonsense for several years now. If you head to their online"Superstore" you'll find everything you need to advertise your detachment from reality, including "Where's the Birth Certificate?" bumper stickers for your car, signs for your yard, t-shirts, and more. Their latest - and probably biggest - cash grab is noted liar Jerome Corsi's upcoming book, Where's The Birth Certificate? (Answer: in Hawaii.) Jerome Corsi is a discredited clown who has been embarrassing himself for years over the birther "issue," including going on Fox & Friends before the '08 election and accusing the administration of posting a "fake" certificate online that, according to a "good analysis of it on the internet" had "been shown to have watermarks from Photoshop." He alsosuggested to G. Gordon Liddy in 2008 that Obama was visiting Hawaii not just to be with his then-dying grandmother, but to also do... something... relating to his birth certificate. Nevertheless, Corsi's book, published by WND, hit #1 on Amazon's bestseller list this week, thanks in no small part to prominent promotion from Drudge (and a variety of conservative sites like Fox Nationand Glenn Beck's The Blaze). Continuing Fox News' full embrace of birtherism, WND CEO Joseph Farah will reportedly appear on David Asman's program on the Fox Business Network tonight to "talk birth certificate" and discuss Corsi's upcoming book. This should be a friendly place for Farah to promote Corsi's book, considering Asman's recent assertion that before he declares Obama was born in the U.S., he wants to "see all the evidence." During an interview on Bill Cunningham's radio show last month, Farah claimed to talk to Fox's lead birther Sean Hannity "every day." Farah also suggested that he had been blacklisted by Fox over birtherism: "I was on Fox regularly before this... the minute we started on this campaign, the minute we started putting billboards up across this country, it stopped." Looks like the ban has been lifted. April 22, 2011 10:01 am ET by Eric Boehlert It was perhaps the most talked-about paragraph in the political press yesterday. And then just like that, it was gone. From the New York Times article that appeared on the newspaper’s website Thursday morning, came this passage [emphasis added]: A plurality of Republican voters, 47 percent, said they believed Mr. Obama, who was born in Hawaii, was born in another country; 22 percent said they did not know where he was born, and 32 percent said they believed he was born in the United States. The remarkable poll result was just the latest indication of how the-world-is-flat-type of conspiracy about the president’s birth certificate has thoroughly infiltrated the Republican Party and conservative movement in America, to the point where nearly half of Republicans believe the lie. (Take a bow Fox News.) To the point where half of Republicans don’t think Obama is eligible to hold office. But note that there were two peculiar things about how the Times handled the revelation. First, in the original article, the newspaper completely buried the birther lede. Rather than highlighting the blockbuster poll finding, the Times gave the embarrassing news only a glancing reference and stuck the results deep down in the story, devoting just two sentences to the birther revelation. Sidestepping the thorny issue, the Times instead pegged the news story around the fact that Republican voters aren’t enthusiastic about their possible White House candidates. (Hint: That’s not exactly breaking news.) Second, the much-talked about birther passage from the Times’ polling piece soon disappeared; it was removed from the original article, without explaination. Readers now clicking on the Times link, which continues to whip around the Internet, aren’t informed that a plurality of Republicans believe Obama was born in a foreign country. In fact, readers aren’t told anything about those results. (A different article in the Times today makes a passing reference to the poll’s findings.) For some reason yesterday, the Times’ birther scoop disappeared. 
Beck Kicks Off "Final Chapter" With A Warning: "They" Are Willing To Kill "25 Million Americans"
Freedom Watch Asks: "Taxation = Theft?"
So Who's Still Advertising On Beck? April 22 Edition
Glenn Beck Reveals The Final Chapter Chalkboard
Beck Rewrites History To Claim: "I've Never Said Progressive Is The Same As Nazi"
The Beck-Huckabee Battle Rages On
Fox To Help Promote Corsi's Birther Book
The New York Times’ Disappearing Birther Scoop
Saturday, 23 April 2011
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