Below The Beltway

I didn’t mention it yesterday, but Glenn Beck had this to say on Tuesday’s Fox & Friends:

Did you hear that ? Beck said that President Obama has “a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.”

Within a matter of hours, Fox News Channel had issued a statement repudiating his comments:

“During Fox & Friends this morning, Glenn Beck expressed a personal opinion which represented his own views, not those of the Fox News Channel. And as with all commentators in the cable news arena, he is given the freedom to express his opinions.”

This isn’t the first bizarre, outrageous thing to come out of Beck’s mouth since he moved to Fox. Remember when he performed a mock immolation on live television ? Nonethless it’s garnered quite a bit of criticism, including this extended discussion on today’s Morning Joe:

The best response, though, comes from Joe Scarborough himself via Twitter:

Conservatives attacked the Dixie Chicks for saying much less about President Bush than what Beck said about President Obama.

And even the normally restrained Chuck Todd unloaded on Beck:

The White House doesn’t want to give Glenn Beck a bigger platform or extra oxygen — especially regarding his remark yesterday that the president has “a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture” — so they won’t comment, even off record. Beck, after all, is a radio DJ who somehow ended up getting a national platform to give his opinion on politics. What’s most amazing about this episode is that what Beck said isn’t a fireable or even a SUSPENDABLE offense by his bosses. There was a time when outrageous rants like this would actually cost the ranters their jobs. But not anymore; if anything, it’s now encouraged. And all of this could turn ACTUAL journalists into the next Howard Beales. It’s getting nuts that the folks who are creating the perception of an ideological/polarized media world are people who have never really spent their lives being journalists. Whether it’s former political consultants-turned-TV execs or former radio DJs, or former California socialites, the folks helping to accelerate the public’s perception of the media off a cliff made their livings trying to do other things. Of course, Beck’s crazy language could have one unintended consequence: It could cost him bookings with any Republicans who want to be popular outside Beck’s hard-core bizarro-land viewers.

Yea, but those Republicans were steering clear of Glenn Beck to begin with.

As Justin Gardner said when he posted this video, there’s going to come a time when Beck goes so far that he no longer deserves to be taken seriously as a political pundit. Yesterday, he came even closer to that line.

H/T: Pajama Pundit