Shortly after Glenn Beck said that President Obama is a racist who has “a deep seated hatred for white people,” the activist group Color of Change launched a campaign aimed at Beck’s advertisers. The campaign has enjoyed unparalleled success, persuading over forty companies to withhold their advertising dollars from Beck’s program.
In response to the action by Color of Change, a conservative activist created a web site to counter the growing opposition to Beck. DefendGlenn was created to instigate complaints directed at the companies who pulled their ads from Beck, and to thank his remaining advertisers. Instead, the site has become a repository of lies and disinformation, as well as a sycophantic center of blind adulation for Beck.
It is impossible to gauge whether the site has any measurable influence, except to note that none of the companies boycotting Beck have reversed their positions, nor cited DefendBeck as motivation for their actions. However, the press has taken notice and is beginning to treat the site as the legitimate counterbalance to Color of Change. Consequently, whenever there is a mention of Color of Change, the media, in its misguided pursuit of balance, will mention DefendGlenn as well. This is another example of media laziness. Balance is not achieved by juxtaposing truth with lies. Color of Change documents its impact with letters from the companies they have solicited, and their leaders and staff are identified on their web site. But DefendGlenn provides no such documentation, and their leadership is a mystery to anyone who visits their site.
So who is DefendGlenn? The only identifying information on the site is a disclaimer at the bottom of its donations page:
DISCLAIMER: DEFENDGLENN.com is a FAN SITE, and is not affiliated with Glenn Beck, the Glenn Beck Program, Fox New Channel, NewsCorp Inc., or Premiere Radio Networks. DEFENDGLENN.com is a project of United States Justice Foundation. The United States Justice Foundation (USJF) a non-profit organization, whose tax-exempt status under IRS section 501(c)(3) has been recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Your contributions are tax deductible. Corporate contributions may be accepted.
The United States Justice Foundation describes itself as “a nonprofit public interest, legal action organization dedicated to instruct, inform and educate the public on, and to litigate, significant legal issues confronting America.” The issues they regard as significant span the conservative spectrum from reverse discrimination to taxation to term limits. They litigated on behalf of lobbyists who opposed the Clinton Health Care Task Force in 1994.
The executive director of the USJF is Gary Kreep. His biography reveals that he is the general counsel to the racist, anti-immigration group, The Minutemen. He has been affiliated with the radical and violent anti-choice group, Operation Rescue. He was a California delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1976 and 1980.
Most recently Kreep has been a leader of the “birther” movement that seeks to nullify last November’s election on the grounds that Obama is not a U.S. citizen. He has been one of the most vocal proponents of the birther myths going back to at least November 2008, when he tried to prevent California delegates to the Electoral College from casting their votes. He originally worked with birther queen, Orly Taitz, representing several clients, including Alan Keyes. He has since replaced Taitz as counsel to birther litigant “Rev.” Wiley Drake. Drake is notable for publicly praying for the death of Obama. When a man like Drake selects you to represent him, over Orly Taitz, that is quite an endorsement.
Obviously Kreep is a far-right extremist and an enabler of some of the most dangerous and radical people and organizations in the country. But none of this portion of his resume is disclosed by the press when they help to promote his activities. That oversight needs to be corrected immediately. The urgency for this rests on more than just the potential for mischief from the DefendGlenn project. As noted above, any funds collected from the donation page on DefendGlenn is actually going directly to the USJF. So on the pretense of supporting Glenn Beck, money is being diverted to causes like the Minutemen, Operation Rescue, and efforts to advance the birther myths and to defeat health care reform. Infact, it might actually be Kreep’s sole intention to exploit the popularity of Beck, and the loyalty of his disciples, to further his other political objectives. Beck certainly has a broader fan base than the birthers or the USJF, and consequently, greater revenue potential.
It is important, therefore to apprise the media of the truth with regard to DefendGlenn the USJF, and Gary Kreep. Whenever we see a press citation of DefendGlenn as the opposite side of the Beck boycott debate, we must take the initiative to inform them of the facts. We cannot allow this front group for wacko rightists to successfully deceive the media and public.
That’s right, keep marginalizing your opponents. Let’s hear your opinion on Marxism. You’re a sad, little liberal. Someone needs a hug…
oh, and “Misguided pursuit of balance”? You have to be the funniest liberal blogger on the net. You had me rolling.
Tell, me, Alvin, does Beck ever marginalize his opponents?
And if you knew anything about journalism, you would know that balance is not a valid objective. Real journalists pursue truth and fairness, not balance. If one person says 2+2=4, you do not go scrounge up someone else who will say it equals 7. If one person takes a position against child molestation, do you really need to balance that with a member of NAMBLA?
“And if you knew anything about journalism, you would know that balance is not a valid objective. Real journalists pursue truth and fairness, not balance.”
well put, mark. and this proves that the “fair and balanced” schtik for fox news is not only patently false just from watching them, but, as you pointed out, it also doesnt prove any real fairness when you are trying to be “balanced” rather than an actual news organization with facts. balance doesnt mean jack shit when you dont have news credentials, especially when that “balance” consists of conservatives outnumbering liberals on oreilly’s show at an almost 5 to 1 ratio.
[Admin: Deleted for being a wildly off-topic birther rant.]
Wow Marxism and pedophilia, owwww scary.
You must be doing something right Alvin
Glenn Beck = same shit different smell.
I just wanted to note that this morning on CNN’s Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz called out Glenn Beck for his war against Obama administration officials, and specifically Van Jones. Kurtz noted that with all the scary music and crackling videos Beck shows, there is one fact he doesn’t disclose: Jones is the co-founder of Color of Change, the organization responsible for spearheading the advertising boycotts against his show.
Of course, WE ALL know that – but the sheeple who watch Beck and FOXnews are overwhelmingly oblivious to facts. And while I doubt Kurtz’s revelation will do much to temper Beck, I’m glad to see more people calling him out for his BS.
Precisely. Anyone with any knowledge of the matter knows that Beck is attacking Van Jones as a reaction to the advertiser boycott led by Color of Change. But Beck will not admit that.
It’s the same strategy that O’Reilly uses of responding to Olbermann by attacking NBC/GE, but never uttering Olbermann’s name. They pretend that they’re oblivious to their critics, and then escalate the battle to higher-ups.
To be honest Mark, Beck started attacking Van Jones and lying about him a week before he called Obama a racist. But, colorofchange.com isn’t attacking Beck for his remarks because of Van Jones though. They would have started when Beck did.
When are you gonna write a little something on the new Diversity Czar???
Around the same time I write about the unicorns living at the rainbow’s end. I don’t deal in fantasy, especially the demented sort that Beck spews.
My bad! “Chief DIversity Officer” Mark Lloyd. Seems like a pretty stand up guy!
Indeed he is. Lloyd is the former Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights/ Education Fund. Who would you want to lead diversity initiatives, a former Grand Wizard of the KKK?
Lloyd has also been a professor at MIT and Georgetown as well as a professional journalist. He is exactly the sort of person that the FCC needs in this position.
The democrats already have a grand wizard, good ‘ol boy Sen Byrd. If the dems were held to the same standards as the republicans, he’d be gone. If Obama was a real leader, he’d ask for his resignation. That would be ‘change’ that we can believe in!!!! Obama is just a ‘token’ president of the Chicago machine. Why do you think that he is only allowed to speak from a teleprompter? Because anytime he speaks without it, he exposes himself for what he is…a black president. His only qualification, he’s black. He has no experience running a small business, let alone a country. If he was such a good lawyer, how did his wife lose her law license? Because she was guilty of the same thing as he is, FRAUD!!!
Sen Byrd acknowledged his actions as a teenager (about 60 years ago) and forthrightly disavowed those activities. He then spent a lifetime pursuing civil rights reforms and becoming a great friend to the movement for equality.
However, your comment above is overtly racist: “…he exposes himself for what he is…a black president.” That remark exposes you for what you are.
In addition to being a racist, you’re a liar. Michelle Obama voluntarily took her law license to “inactive” status as required by Illinois law to commence the cancellation of malpractice insurance, annual licensing fees and the continuing education credits otherwise required by law.
Glenn does realize people think he is a joke?
“ He is exactly the sort of person that the FCC needs in this position” must be a joke… In his 2006 book entitled Prologue to a Farce: Communication and Democracy in America, he calls for an all-out “confrontational movement” against private media. He wants leftist activists – through incessant political pressure – and the government – through the creation of a totally untenable operating environment of fees, fines and regulations – to work together to force the commercial broadcasters out, to be replaced by public broadcasters. Â
That is totally false. I notice that you didn’t provide a link or even a quote to support that nonsense. That’s OK – I know it came from Beck.
In fact Lloyd wrote in “Prologue to a Farce” that it is the failure of market-driven journalism that has resulted in an ill informed populace. That inhibits democracy which requires that the people have information about their government, or the means to acquire it.
Lloyd is arguing that corporations have assumed an inordinately dominate role in media and that their goals are to increase profits rather than knowledge. Therefore, if a public media were available that could compete with the corporations, it would produce more useful and responsible sources for information. Lloyd is not arguing to replace commercial television, but to motivate it to get better through competition.
Those are two arguments I would think the right would approve of: Reduce corporate monopolies on the media and promote free-market competiton.
You’ve got to be kidding me! The guy who is heading up Glenn Beck’s defender site is named Gary Kreep?! You can’t get any more ironic than that! That’s perfect!
Glenn Beck is a faker and a crybaby. Even my 8o year old grandmother knows he is full of shit. Only losers with no job or no way to check facts on their own believe anything he says.
His viewers may not realize it, but Beck is laughing all the way to the bank while using extreme censorship combined with a massive propaganda campaign. Whenever I hear or read something that I question, I use teh Goggle to validate or reject it. I’m a natural-born skeptic, so I do the research before accepting anything the MSM says. I don’t want anyone telling me what I should think about any issue. Reality definitely has a liberal bias.
We need to bring back Howard Stern!!
Glenn beck has made Van a star, everyone is reading his stuff.
Vans website will be up soon
Thankyou Glenn
I very much doubt if Alvin would know a Marxist or for that matter a Socialist if he fell over one on a dark night,mind you I doubt if Beck would either.
But then the its a case of the blind leading the blind in Faux News,its regarded as a joke outside the US,I feel sorry for the morons who believe any thing that appears on it as it bears only a tenuous relation to truth.
Alvin, how are Simon and Theodore?
Not one liberal journalist has refuted what Beck said about Jones. not even Jones himself tried to refute it. He merely called it “lies”.
Jones had to go because he is a COMMUNIST.
BO has to go because he is a COMMUNIST.
COMMUNISTS killed more than 100 000 000 people in the last century.
The idiocy or not of a Glenn Beck fan DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACTS.
Go educate yourself. And shut up until you understand what’s going on.
You’re funny. You think you can tell me to shut up on my own web site? That’s a great demonstration of stupidity. And it goes well with the stupidity in your comment.
You are fighting a cold war, McCarthy-esque battle that was phony even 50 years ago. I don’t think you even know what a communist is.
Of course you can rant all you like, not only on your own website but everywhere the First Amendment guarantees your freedom.
Thats the whole point, you moron.
Name ONE communist state where there is guaranteed freedom of speech.
The PURPOSE of communism is to destroy freedom.
(Just have a look ant the new “Diversity Czar” and his take on the First Amendment.)
You have this website because people like Jones have been kept out of your government for so long.
Why don’t you move to China and run your website from there?
It seems to me that you are the only one advocating censorship. Just because you disagree with me you think I should be banished to China.
How much more hypocritical can you get? And above you told me to shut up. It’s clear that you are an avid supporter of censorship.
Great points bielie. These stupid liberals who run all these websites have no idea about where their idols and idols’ belief came from. God forbid they read some history books and see that it has and always will be the left that identifies with fascism, socialism, marxism, and all the kissing cousins. It was the left that idolized Mussolini before WWII. It was Hitler that idolized the American progressives and stole heavily from their ideas. Here we are almost 100 years later and these fools are still running their mouths. So what exactly is McCarthy-esque about Beck’s replaying Van Jones’s statements? He’s a communist plain and simple. Heck, 99% of the radical left is communist and they will tell you to your face they are if you ask them. How many left wing nutjobs do we need running around idolizing Castro or Chavez and wearing Che T-shirts before it’s OK to say we’ve got communists in our country???
Just more typical drivel from a rightist who only knows how to call people names. The very fact that you think someone can be both a fascist and a socialist demonstrates your lack of understanding. And you obvioulsy don’t know anything about Joe McCarthy either.
Take your own advice and read a history book. And while you’re at it – grow up.
Yep, My friend Glenn was absolutely 100% correct regarding Van jones……….he’s out isn’t he? Glenn Beck is the best! He’s not afraid of Obama and his cronies……..and remember fox is #1
Kennedy’s seat is now republican. Obama’s seat will soon be republican. The only people that support this marxist regime sit on their seat and collect a check. I guess when you grow up sucking on the government’s teat you know no other way. Most of America works for a living and will vote these ass clowns out. ACORN, SEIU, hollywood, trial lawyers of america have all been exposed. God bless Glenn Beck!!!! You can’t argue facts. You’ll try because that is the only way your government subsidized existance can continue.Maybe michael moore will give you hand out!
Thanks for stopping by Mr. Beck. I noticed that, as usual, you were unable to respond to a single thing I said.
[Admin] Deleted for being an off-topic, uncivil, and substanceless rant.
Censorship! Your’re exposed for what you are. Everything I said was and is true. Thank you for proving my point. When a liberal is exposed to the truth much like when mold is exposed to sunlight, it shrivels and dies!
You obviously don’t know the definition of censorship.
If you want to engage in a civil discussion without throwing around insults and veering off topic, I will happily oblige. But if not, go back to FreeRepublic or Fox Nation where they encourage childish, ignorant BS. That is not tolerated here.