WASHINGTON (CNN) – White House communications director Anita Dunn fired back at criticism from TV commentator Glenn Beck on Friday, saying that a Mao Tse-tung quote Beck took issue with was picked up from legendary GOP strategist Lee Atwater.
"The Mao quote is one I picked up from the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater from something I read in the late 1980s, so I hope I don't get my progressive friends mad at me," Dunn told CNN.
As for Beck's criticism: "The use of the phrase 'favorite political philosophers' was intended as irony, but clearly the effort fell flat - at least with a certain Fox commentator whose sense of irony may be missing."
On Thursday night's program, Beck showed exclusive video of Dunn discussing the communist leader, who was responsible for a cultural revolution in 1966 that included re-education camps and setting the army and students on witch hunts against his opponents.
Millions of Chinese suffered or died, most notably teachers, writers, political opponents or anyone deemed a "reactionary."
From CNN Politics
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Thousands of Tibetans are repressed now, thousands of Iranians are tortured now....and Obama does nothing.
those people being repressed by a communist regime are clearly...just racists.
No guts to call him...........Looser
So she was being ironic about Mother Teresa being one of her favorite philosophers also? Because she mentioned Mao and Mother Teresa.
phoenix86> How much are you being pd by the RNC to go on CNN all day long and diss the President? I'd really like to know....
Seems to me you're not doing anything to help either of those unfortunate situations, yourself. Glass houses....
Beck is a classic example of what can happen to a child who attends a Catholic school, gets beat up daily, experiments with drugs and alcohol, and gets his own program on Fox lies.
Oh Phoenix. What are we supposed to do? You didn't seem to care too much when troops were put into an unnecessary war, or when genocide was the breaking news in Darfur. Or how about the Congo? Or how about all the places where children are being raped and infected with HIV because their attackers believe it will cure them?
Face it, you care less about the rest of the world. You just want to criticize Obama.
Way to go Dunn, wild DOGS like Beck need the leash!!
Obama – Biden 2012
Senior citizens in Arizona are repressed by their elected representatives.
I thought Red baiting died with the end of the Cold War, but clearly not,
Is there anything else more appropriate than to say just that Glenn Beck is one of the biggest morons this country has ever seen.
Why is the White House engaging with FoxNews?
It is pathetic how they can't take a little criticism. They have 100 other networks and magazines that bow to their whims. Let Fox be Fox and stop this petty whining.
It is amazing how weak this administration looks. Get your act together.
Give Bush credit, he didn't give a darn about what people said and he stuck to his guns whether you liked him or not. Obama and his cronies sway with the breeze.
Beck is so ridiculous. I remember listening to his radio show as he was leaving CNN he complained about how they made him "Fact Check" everything. Now that he's on Fox, such pesky things like the truth will never get in his way.
phoenix, are you suggesting the United States should declare war against China & Iran?
As ususal Beck shooting from the hip, doing no research and coming up short on his dig. Unfortunately facts matter very little to his fan base, the same people aho are convince that whichever "News" station has the highest ratings, must have the most accurate reporting. Also false.
Sensationalism has replaced any and all information at FoxNews. If that's what you like to watch for entertainment, fine. But don't be surprised when you're laughed at for citing something you saw on Fox News as "news."
Thousands of Americans were oppressed then, and Bush kept on keeping on...
What is Obama suppose to do?? follow Bush tactics and start another war?..No matter what he does you idiots will complain. He is our President fair and square so get over it. He is smarter than you and many of the mindless pundits and Republicans who have nothing to contribute but sarcasm. Party of JERKS!!!!
Beck is digging for anything negative to say. The man is an idiot.
He actually is an embarrassment to Bill O'Reiley. AT least, Bill has some common sense, but Beck shows is racism & stupidity everytime he opens his mouth.
If something happens to Obama, Beck will probably pay a price, and not a small one.
Phoenix86...repressed??....think you meant oppressed you idiot
No worries. Sophisitcated humor requires an education to be understood, and that is one thing Republicans fear more than anything else, a well-educated populace. The more educated people become, the less they are influenced by fear, stirred up by weird religous shammens, tribal leaders, and other testosterone based life-forms terrified they will loose their grip on power.
If you don't want to be misunderstood, don't even say it. I saw the clip and she looked very sincere. Her response to Beck is just another liberal BS "That's not what I meant" statement.
Her excuse is lame and CNN's reporting is even more lame. The rest of the quote to put it in context to allow the reader to draw their own conclusion as to the validity of her "explanation" is:
"The third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers: Mao Tse-tung and Mother Theresa - not often coupled with each other, but the two people I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is 'you're going to make choices; you're going to challenge; you're going to say why not; you're going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before."
I'm with Beck, I'm not seeing the "irony" there...
Glenn Beck is such a PUNK !
What branch of the Military did he serve ?
I have such disregard for dry drunk alcoholics such as Beck. They give there worldly advice from a reactionary closed mind !
So, claiming Mao is your hero is equivalent to reading Mao? Come on, wise up! It's important to read about these lunatics so as NOT TO REPEAT HISTORY....NOT TO QUOTE THEM AS YOUR HERO!!!! Go ahead Anita, do the backstroke....we'll award you the Oympic Gold Medal in swimming for 'trying so hard now' – why wait for the games to begin, huh?
why does the white house waste time dealing with fox news right wing nuts propaganda noise machine, for 24/7 it was negative news lies about Obama and he still won
Fox has a BOX of losers including Beck. Most of them are BLOWING things to such ridiculous heights that the garbage is going to come back down on them. The gullible idiots who listen to them don't realize that Beck and Limbaugh are laughing their way to the banks.....thanks to the stupidity of their followers!
What's the difference were she got the quote ? She apparently really likes it and believes in it since she likes to repeat it. It's amazing how good Obama and his brood of radicals are at spinning their BS back and blaming others when they let slip their real agenda.
It has obviously never occurred to Beck or his slack-jawed viewers that if Obama was even 1/10th as evil as Beck says, then Beck, Limbaugh, etc.,etc., would all have been "disappeared" long ago.
yeah sure we will get real truth from Glenn who hates The America that will never vote a mormon for president, but would vote for an african-American...i tell you his vendetta against America is quite personal.....silly republicans think he is on their team...lol no this is personal this guy hates America and his own party...why? A mormon will never be party head and would never be voted President...there it is the cats out of the bag!
Dunn says she intended this as irony, seems like everyone in this regimen has used this excuse. Also her defenders list Rove and Gingrich along with Van Jones as others that has quoted Mao. Does this mean that she has the same beliefs as they do? Rove and Gingrich are two of the most hated by this group and she says she is the same as them?
Glenn Beck is in desperate need of medication ... all he does is cry all the time in front of a camera ... adn twist people's words to fit his own purposes ... that is just plain WEIRD!
Robert Gibbs: "It is right there. You know it. I don't have specific examples but it is there. You guys know it to be true."
Anita Dunn: "Whaaaaaaa I got sand in my bathing suit! Whaaaaaa! Whaaaaaaaa!!!!!"
Barack Obama: "I'm just gonna sit back and let everyone else do all the work."
Nancy Pelosi: "My legacy will forever live on and I will go down as the greatest patriot in the history of this country ringer of true freedom for the common little person who is here illegally."
Tim Geithner: "Look, I'm in charge of the Treasury now, so just listen to me. I'll give you what you want, but I need you to do x,y and z. Just trust me. Don't worry about record deficits. We'll blame Bush."
Harry Reid: "Even though Democrats have controlled congress for two years and even though Obama our savior has been in office for 9 months, all of this. Listen to me. ALL OF THIS is the fault of GEORGE BUSH. He has ruined this country and Republicans are scumbags who are worse than Hamas."
This whole Obama thing is real fishy. I am no Hillary Clinton fan but Obama should never have been able to beat her in the primaries. A first term junior Senator that spent his first two years voting present and his last two years campaigning for the office of President, against Hillary's experience and popularity? and winning???? That by itself smells, but then to win the presidency of the US??? This whole situation is rank. No thinking or intelligent person would have voted for this guy. I guess it shows the dumbing down of America is working. America is being sent the same way the Roman Empire went and for the same reasons. Only a lot faster. At least the Roman's had a thousand years or so.
I didn't realize that phoenix86 was in on the Presidential Daily Briefing ... how do you know that President Obama is doing "nothing" regarding repressed Tibetans and Iranians?
Admit it, you just hate Obama and like Limbaugh and the rest of the GOP, you want our president and country to fail. How else do you explain your sudden concern with repressed dissidents in foreign countries?
You are SHAMELSS!
Beck is a Bozo. End of story.
solving bush and cheney problems are going to take alittle more though then what they put into them if you want to help tidetans stop buying cummunist china goods that means no wal mart
Why don't you go over there and help them; being that you are all knowing and such. Obama can't even get your senators to turn their backs on the Insurance lobbiests and do the tight thing for American Healthcare, so what, outside of the diplomacy he promised the Dali Lama he would try to initiate, do you expect him to do? Whatever it is, it will be more than George W. did; and a lot sooner.
Beck? Beck WHO?
@ phoenix 86.....
and Bush did...............????
It doesn't matter how she explains herself. The Ditto-Heads, Beck-Babies, and Savage-Wieners only get their info from hate radio and Fox News.
Ms. Dunn,
I think you should not dignify Beck's comments. We all know who he is and what he stands for: popularity and money. It is not worth it. It only calls more attention to him, which is exactly what he wants.
How wonderful there is a Nazi Glenn Beck is attacking her. How shame Nazi he is.
Loss of irony? What was the comparision with – Mother Teresa? Wake up America! These are the people who are in the White House! Gives me the chills .... We have to stop this!
Dunn used the words. They came out of her own mouth and now she tries to cover it up. How stupid the White House is to pick a fight with Fox. Don't they have anything better to do. I guess Obama doesn't like it when some one disagrees with his agenda. It isn't just Fox that disagrees, a lot of people don't like the way he is handling things.
The $250.00 olive branch he wants to hand the seniors is almost an insult. He wants to buy the seniors vote, it is not going to happen, we will not support his Obama Care agenda.
Plz.....Phoenix86....
Obama has an agenda but let the man atleast take care of things that are on the table now. Thats the problem...ppl want him to do everything and nothing at the same time.
Beck is a POS and should say some of those things to ppl are will not treat him Obama like.
glen beck says hewill not get flu shot hope he keeps his wood the man belongs in a strait jacket and rubber room
Before I did not mind so much, but saying "it was a joke" seems like a BIG FAT LIE!!!!!! Saying such things usually work for Obama when he brushes off criticism, will it work here???
The woman is a liar and a socialist.
Dont try to change your story now lady.
You are a socialist.
You read mao and you LIKE what mao believes in.
You are a leftist babe. Accept it and stop hiding it.
I dont mind that ALL of Baracks people are socialists or communists.
What I dont like is that they ALL LIE about it because the american people would shove them out.
But as long as they lie we all accept it as truth. Pretty funny.
Glenn who?..... If it is Glenn Beck, that guy apart from been cucko for cucko..? He is the most simple minded simpleton I have ever known who gets this kind of attention.
Glenn Beck is the most uninformed commentator in the USA, his antics (weeping & outright creation of his own "facts") is appaling.
Is this really what the White House should be focusing on? Obama's is so paranoid. He is the left wing Nixon! Oh, except Nixon succeeded in foreign policy.
Seriously though, any administration this worried about debate should creep people out.
Ask OBAMA about the 1.42 TRILLION added to the national debt.
Everyone liked calling out Bush for 5.5 Trillion over 8 years.
Well. I think Bush was wrong and he should have been booted for his lack of fiscal responsibility...
But call it as it is, Barack is a spend thrift socialist.
The health care bill is going to cost us.
The tax and trade bill is going to cost us.
We need to cut spending NOW.
I noticed that a wingnut talks of Tibet and Iran, but is OK with 45,000 Americans dying each year due to no health care. Oh the hypocrisy.
Clearly Mr. Beck does not understand that one can admire the pure political philophy of a person without admiring or condoning their political actions. It takes an educated, intelligent mind to understand the distinction and, again clearly, that is something that Mr. Beck is sorely missing.
victim of repub greed is obviously a victim of being lazy and unwilling to learn and work like the rest of the welfare class. Our President should be respected, but he should be constantly watched, critiqued and questioned....especially when this guy is trying to trample over the constitution.
BTW, we are now 1.42 Trillion in debt for the fiscal year. thanks stimulus
Hey phoenix86, do you care as much about the 45,000 Americans die every year because they can't afford health insuranc?
Gingrich, also a Fox News contributor, quoted Mao in a 1995 Roll Call profile."War is politics with blood; politics is war without blood," Gingrich said, citing Mao.
Karl Rove, another Fox News contributor, wrote in a December 2008 Wall Street Journal op-ed that President Bush "encouraged me to read a Mao biography."
Its these people (rove, newt & bush) Dunn should be wary of hanging out with ... but of course Glenn just takes a sound bite – something to rant about ... without a broader context.
Haven't Newtie Boy and Rove quoted Mao too?
Nothing was MADE UP.
You dems really drink the kool aid.
Even when they have her on tape and she states her case, you still refuse to believe it.
Much the same with Van Jones.
They have him on Tape Video. He joins the communist party. He stands against America,... But no in your eyes it never happened.
Yep and OJ didnt kill Nicole.
You people are loons and simply sheep.
Glenn Beck is clearly insane. Anyone who spends even one second of their life listening to his delusional rantings needs to think about what they are doing. The guy has completely lost it.
What the hell does Lee Atwater have to do with it? Does it mean it is OK to admire the political philosophy of a man who murdered millions if someone else does to? Was she actually trying to say Republicans admire Mao because some old dead guy did? She told a group of people she admired Mao's philosophy and relied on it. Since she did not state she did not approve of the brutality of it and the mass murder, you would have to assume she supported everything about Mao. If she did not mean what she said, she should not have said it. She needs to explain herself on what part of Mao's philosophy she admires and what part she does not. Beck has nothing to answer for and deserves out thanks for exposing her.
I watched 5 minutes of the clip not 5 seconds.
She said and meant what she said.
She believes in the ideals of socialism and communism. She just refuses to air it in public where she will be stopped.
She can move to China or Russia any time she wants.
What Beck has a problem with is the FACT that she would like to turn the United States of America into a socialist or communist country.
She is NOT a Patriot. She does not believe in the US. That is a fact.
The whole phoney socialist intellectual trend should have died in the 80's woth whatever drug inspired it. Cnn is just as left as fox is right. Just bandwagon nonsense for followers. The weak minded are easily controlled.
"exclusive video of Dunn discussing the communist leader, who was responsible for a cultural revolution in 1966 that included re-education camps and setting the army and students on witch hunts against his opponents."
Sounds like Obama alright. Especially that White House website that wanted people to report anyone making "false" statements about health care. Not to mention how Obama wants his supporters to get into people’s faces.
Health care reform forces people into a public option, Cap-and –Trade forces us to go “green. Then there’s the Fairness Doctrine.
I say Beck got it right.
Watch the video and make your own decision. She doesn't even pause or smile when she makes the "favorite political philosophers" reference to Mao and Mother Theresa. She just goes right into an explanation of why she appreciates his philosophy.
I would also offer the opinion that she makes a pretty terrible speaker for a communications director leading me to believe her position is the usual Chicago style "it's who you know, not what you know" political appointment.
With the continuing disclosures about the philosophies of President Obama's advisors and appointees, may be Ms. Dunn should brush up on another Chinese "philosophy", death by a thousand cuts, as this appears to be the future of the Obama Presidency.
Beck is a pathatic Rush Limbaugh want – a – be..........both are sick, lame excuses for MEN.......why any intelligent person would want to listen to their Lies, their Racist comments is beyond me......but I guess the majority of the Republican conservatives aren't Intelligent.......and are Racist just like them........
This is the problem: educated people often quote historical figures/philosophers if it is interesting or relevant to a given situation. That does NOT mean that they commend that figure's actions or career. For, example, Dunn was not quoted as saying how great it was to starve your own people. Beck, because he is poorly educated, does not think critically and does not distinguish between a quote and a career.
The whole phoney intellectual socialist fad should have died out in the 80's, with whatever drug inspired it. The weak minded are easily controlled.
Notice the White House has its weekly hate target. Tea Parties, racists, white cops, fox news, rush , beck, ....i mean i thought this was suppose to be change? This president is such a manipulator...you obamabots just lap it up all the way to the welfare office.
It is hilarious to see all the liberals on here go back to their name calling once again, when they can't actually refute anything that Beck said. Beck is the one doing the research and the liberals are the ones coming apart at the seams that he is exposing the paper heroes for who they are. Fox will win this battle and the Obama White House better wise up about taking on the media like they are. Poll numbers keep dropping for a reason. More people believe Fox than they do the President or his cronies.
The worst thing that could happen to Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, and their like is for the administration to ignore them. The best thing Americans could do is to ignore Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, and their like. They are comedians who are laughing all the way to the bank.
I can only imagine what these comments would look like if Bush said Hitler was his favorite political philosopher. Typical liberals.
This Dunn woman is an archetypical Obama administration liar. Now she claims that an quote about Mao Tse-Tung is something she plagarized from a long dead Republican political operative, and that far from idolizing Mao, she was being wittily ironic and clever. I think Obama must give all his appointees lie detector tests, if they fail miserably then they are hired on the spot. He has car czars that don't drive a car, clean air czars that think CO2 is a greenhouse gas(hello idiot we exhale Co2 and plants use it for photosynthesis). He hires communists like Van Jones, Cass Sunstein, and Anita Dunn to slowly infect the government with roach like efficiency in communist and marxist failed and immoral policies. Barrack Obama is the worst president ever, worse than even Franklin Pierce and Jimmy Carter
Is she for real? She made excuses about some dead guy saying the same thing. Does that make it OK then? And she pointed out a couple of Republicans who read a book on Mao or quoted something he said. Neither example displayed that the Republicans in question either admired or paterned their philosophy after Mao. But she clearly says she does. Pitiful. Contrasting Mao to Mother Teresa is funny. Admiring Mao is not. Keep up the good work Beck. We need to know who is in the Whitehouse, what they really believe.
FYI- Beck is not a republican. He has ripped on bush for years. He is a libratarian. To you left-wingers, that's is some who believes in less government interference, freedom and abides the by the constitution. Such crazy ideas.
If Beck and his think-a-likes had their way we would all be oppressed. All except the right wing enlightenend types who know whats best for everyone.
It's very sad that right wing has become synonymous with uneducated dolts.
But what do you expect from that clown Beck ? That insufferable pompous racist ass.
YBM – I am a thinking, intelligent person, and I voted for Obama. Leaders who are able to inspire such a large grassroots movement come along maybe once in a lifetime. The first time I ever listened to what he had to say, I knew he would be accomplishing great things.
Experience or time does not always make the best candidate for any job, you should know that! New leadership skills and ways of thinking usually come from outside of the system. He was elected because he inspired us all to do better; for ourselves and for the country. It was the American people taking their country and government back.
And if you don't like or believe in the democratic process....maybe you should be living somewhere else?
The moment I try to come back to Republican party after seeing all mess by Democrats, I get to see Glenn Beck program and then I stick with the lesser evil.
Democrats and Republicans are all politicians. They care abt themselves but I have to choose between the best among the worst.
Politicians and political strategists from the left, right and center have been quoting Mao's political acumen favorably for decades. He was an evil guy but a brilliant strategist (Karl Rove, anyone?). Acknowledging this does not imply an endorsement of Mao's actions or policies. Beck is getting pretty desperate for anti-Obama stuff when he resorts to this type of nonsense.
A tempest in a teapot. But, anyone who wants to rank a dictator who killed millions in relocation camps as one of their "favorite philosophers" better expect some criticism. And, trying to pass the buck to a GOP member just doesn't cut it...
Beck makes Rush look intelligent. Who cares about either one of these losers?
To paraphrase General George Patton: (Rommel)...I read your book. There is nothing wrong with studying the philosophy of any world leader. It does not mean she is a Marxist. Only a pinhead would limit their world view to people they agree with.
Beck needs to go back on his meds – as do his viewers.
quoting Mao is one thing; saying he's one of your favorite philosopher's is very different.
Did anyone ever think that Fox news has the highest numbers because they are the one and only extreme conservative news network, and the more liberal audience is divided among the other news networks? If you add all of the other news networks together, I bet the viewers are greater than that of Fox.
45000 people do NOT die because they don't have health insurance. that is a bs left wing blog item that has been disproved. How many people die for being fat, lazy and drunks? How many gang killings happen because teacher unions keep minorities together in awful schools? How many soldiers may die because Obama took money away from them for Ted Kennedy's museum?
You people are so gullable. When will this country wake up out of this trance of stupidity that King Obama has put them in???
Stephen...hahaha. Wrong article. The only boob being discussed on this thread is glenn Beck.
When are intelligent people (CNN, are you listening?) going to quit pretending they are covering real news, when they base their articles on anything that a simple-minded, bubble-butted gas bag like Glenn Beck pulls his "news-worthy nuggets" directly out of his posterior passage and then disseminates them on cable television?
Jobless Recovery
I used to listen to Beck's radio show faithfully. To say that he criticized Bush for years is definitely an exaggeration...
I heard him critique Bush a couple of times. It's nothing in comparison to the witch hunt that is being carried out now.
To the coward(s) posting as Dominican Mama and Sniffit....
Nice one. Very grown up of you...
You stay classy
Does the WH realize that the more they talk about these people the more free publicity they are giving them? I am all for freedom of speech and Beck is extremely controversial, but no different than some of the more left opinion shows were during the Bush administration.
I believe Beck also felt it was un-American to criticize Bush.
Go Glen Beck!!! Your so right dude!! Glen Beck is the man!
Maybe Anita needs to visit the "re-education" camps set up by her great idol.
Why does this administration whine so much?
Thank you Fox for exposing the truth..."a communist praising a communist"...Anita Dunn is finished...Adios!
Go Beck!
She looks like the offspring of Darth Vader Ginsburg and Richard Nixon. What is with the glasses on the head?
The white house is so devoid of soliving problems that they attack a cable network? anyone else disgusted by this fraud of an administration?
Beck was well repected before but now he is just the opposite. He is in the same boat as Hannity and Limbaugh. Fox New is good with the exception of these idiots.
Beck is such a dense tool.
Please stop reporting everything Glenn Beck says or does. He is a bigot, and he is anti-American. Leave the little bug alone, and he'll go away!!
that is harsh
Victim of Republican Greed, a classic example of a non-productive citizen mad at Capitalism and those angry racist white men for making them a non-productive citizen....
I know, Bush did it.
victim of republican greed October 16th, 2009 5:29 pm ET
I believe Beck also felt it was un-American to criticize Bush.
----------------------------
Once again you show you idiocy by commenting on something you know nothing about. Glenn Beck criticized Bush all the time! If you actually watched, or listened to beck, rather than listening to your liberal friends misquoting something they themselves don't listen to, you might sound a little smarter. Just a little though, because your are still a liberal.
I use to watch Glenn Beck show in HLN
After he left HLN one day I watched his show I couldn’t watch I don’t know what happened to him
I think new environment made him like this
Iits so sad to be a -victim -because you blame everyone else for you little miserable life .... sad way to live
I would put him a nut home.
Victim of Republican Greed, a classic example of a non-productive citizen mad at Capitalism and those angry racist white men for making them a non-productive citizen....
I know, Bush did it. This is evidenced by your inability to distinguish that 45,000 people die WITHOUT healthcare insurance, that statistic does not state that they died without receiving healthcare or that they would die regardless. Quit being a liberal tool fool!
This lady likes to twist and turn same as Barack Obama. She has to apologize to American people for teaching us Mao's doctrine. Do not point finger at others. Perhaps you must resign form the administration. You do not deserve to be there. Go away.
The Obama lemmings, the lapdog mainstream media and the inept members of this administration are the reasons why I will vote straight Republican next year.
TO "Jobless Recovery"
SO now you are disputing FACTS? You are saying that the 45,000 Americans DYING each year because they lack healthcare is "liberal propaganda"?
"Jobless Recovery" you need to do some research and attempt to THINK for yourself rather than allowing the GOP-haters to continue to LIED to you!
(excuse the yelling!) 45,000 AMERICANS, DIE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE HEALTHCARE, BUT THE GOPERS DO NOT CARE! THAT'S THE TRUTH!
Problem with the GOP is that you people, want to live in denial.
When President Obama took Office the U.S. was LOSING...... 700,000 jobs EACH MONTH....... starting in SEPTEMBER 2008.
Last month, we lost 263,000 jobs.
THE GREAT RECESSION BEGAN UNDER A GOP PRESIDENT, HE WAS WARNED ABOUT IT AND DID NOTHING!
(excuse the yelling)
Beck is clown, in some sense, but some issues he is raising have caused some real reactions and while he is very dramatic etc. etc., someone needs to raise issues (otherwise we can all move to China or Iran ourselves).
I find it strange that people are intolerant with someone who is obviously "different." For me the issue that the communication director at the WH considers Mao as a major political philosopher is of some interest. (I do not buy the irony excuse). Juxtaposition of her philosophy and the voice she raised against a cable network is also of some mild interest; we need free media (and free media means also media I personally find problematic or "different").
Poor Beck,he really is sick.