CNN producer defends Beck's suggestion that Blackwater opponents "hate America"..........Write CNN!!

How much does CNN pay people to pump out right wing spin like this?





First, Glenn Beck suggests that to protest Blackwater is to "hate America".

Clearly, that seems to be his implication when Beck states:
"I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today."
in the context of wildfires which first hit Potrero, a community which is home to a large number of opponents to a proposed Blackwater installation.

Now, possibly Mr. Beck had something else in mind. Perhaps he feels that Californians in general constitute that "handful" of people who "hate America".

But then, of course, one would need to add (to the number of Californians) all those people "posing as Democrats" that also "hate America".

Let's see. Population of California 36,457,549 + ?? how many people are "posing as Democrats" anyway?? = ???? Well, whatever it is, it looks like that would be more than a "handful".

No . . . . . It seems pretty obvious that Mr. Beck was referring to those ungrateful Blackwater protestors who lived in Potrero, California. And, since he knows exactly two things about these people (that they (1) are protesting a Blackwater installation in their neighborhood and (2) their houses burned down), that would seem to indicate that, in Mr. Beck's world, the following applies:
If you protest a mercenary, politically connected hired-gun contractor taking over your neighborhood, then you definitely "hate America".

Maybe there is a 3rd explanation.

But, for once Mr. Beck is not talking. He's not giving out his formula for determining just which Americans "hate America" (It understandably is hard for him to do, since he drops his "hate America" bombs about Blackwater protestors and apparent Democrats only after he presents himself as a conciliatory man of goodwill (he works for CNN, after all), one who operates on the premise that we "ALL (excepting, of course, that "handful" of protestors and posing Democrats) LOVE AMERICA".

Instead, he is leaving the right-wing spinning to HIS CNN PRODUCER, Chris Balfe, who thinks we need to change the subject & frame it differently. According to this CNN PRODUCER, it's not about who Mr. Beck labels as "hating America". No, not at all..... According to CNN Producer Balfe, the whole key to understanding this is the word "unfortunately". You see, since Mr. Beck thinks it is "unfortunate" that this "America hating" handful (excuse me, this should be half a "handful", since we must account for all those people "posing as Democrats" who also are part of the "handful") are losing their homes, then obviously he is a fair-minded commentator, and has been grossly misunderstood.

Just how much does CNN pay their PRODUCER to spew out this right wing spin? And how much was paid to educate him? (How much do they charge at the Limbaugh Institute of Advanced Conservative Studies anyway?)





More photos of "CNN Producer" Chris Balfe, and Mr. Beck, here http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.glennbeck.com/news/02022004.shtml&h=300&w=450&sz=14&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=v8ot_g1qoyU_eM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522Chris%2BBalfe%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den )





Write CNN. . . . . . http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

Ask them how much they pay Mr. Balfe?

And exactly what is his job description?

And, most importantly:

Is it CNN's official position that American citizens who protest Blackwater "hate America"







Don't let them off the hook by having second rate spinmeisters try to change the subject. Don't let them try to say that it's about whether or not Mr. Beck thinks it in "unfortunate" that people who he claims "hate America" lose their homes.

Nobody cares whether Mr. Beck thinks it is "unfortunate" or not.

The issue is simple:

CNN's hired right wing bomb-thrower has labeled Blackwater protestors people who "hate America". And,in a snide aside, CNN's hired right wing bomb-thrower has asserted that those who may appear to be Democrats include an unknown number of posers who "hate America". And finally,CNN, when confronted with the above, will neither acknowledge it, nor repudiate it. Instead, they send out their PRODUCER to shadow-box against false issues.







Email CNN . . . . . http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

Hold their feet to the fire.

Make them address the issues.

Make them answer our questions.

"America wants to know."

Update and Correction

It appears that Mr. Balfe is the producer of Beck's radio program, and is not the producer of Beck's CNN Headline News show, nor, apparently does Mr. Balfe have any relationship with CNN.

Glenn Beck made the comments, as documented in the above Media Matters article, on his radio program, broadcast by the Premiere Radio Networks, part of Clear Channel Communications, not on his CNN Headline News show.

That this involved the radio broadcast rather than his television broadcast is clearly indicated in the Media Matters article.

It was my misreading of the article which caused me to incorrectly assume Beck's comments were from his television broadcast on CNN.

While perhaps (as I believe) CNN would benefit from re-assessing the quality of broadcasters they hire, CNN should not be incorrectly held responsible for broadcasting this specific example of demagoguery.



--------------------------------

(At the time I became aware of this for updating, the time for editing the original post had expired.)

"Unfortunately a lot are losing their homes." would indicate he feels it is unfortunate.

"Unfortunately for them,...) implies it not so unfortunate for him.

IMO.

Once again, Mr. Beck opens his mouth and inserts his big foot. The comments about the fires in California are "unfortunate" and are the last straw, for me at least. Any person with an IQ over 50 knows you hired the guy just for that reason, to say outrageous stuff in order to draw attention to the nitwit. Well, I just saw clips because I know from Beck and his radio show. Say anything no matter how irresponsible it is just to pump the ratings. Well that's business, I suppose, but not for me. Perhaps we, meaning the growing number of people who find your boorish disconcerting talk show host will take note and inform your sponsors how they are offended by the sponsors continued relationship with Mr. Beck. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't. But you know what, we're gonna try.