Beck's violent rhetoric keeps having real world consequences

On today's radio show Glenn Beck said he couldn't believe that Stephen Broden, a frequent guest on his Fox News show and a pastor who attended his 8-28 rally, said that violent overthrow of the U.S. government is an option that “is on the table.”

In fact, as the video shows, the reports of these comments are accurate:

Broden has appeared on Beck's show at least 6 times in the last year (via Nexis). In July, Broden was part of Beck's panel of “preachers and pastors” who were there to provide “a look at today's news.” Broden also appeared with Alveda King to discuss their version of the history of the civil rights movement. Beck cited Broden's association with Alveda King as one reason he didn't believe the charges of violent rhetoric. Notably, Alveda King has compared same-sex marriage to genocide.

It's notable that in the report on Broden's rhetoric, much of his most outlandish comments are major premises of Beck's radio and Fox News show. Broden discussed health care reform sending seniors to early graves, Beck has promoted the “death panel” myth. Broden claimed that the Obama administration planned the economic problems facing the country, while Beck has said that Obama administration is engaged in a plot to “collapse the system.” Broden compared the current administration to Nazis, while hardly a day goes by when Glenn Beck doesn't invoke the Nazis in his discussions of the Obama administration.

Beck has said that progressives support “armed insurrection,” and that President Obama is “poking and prodding” the Tea Party to violence, while simultaneously urging his followers to use peaceful means. But Beck's fans keep taking his violent rhetoric to its logical conclusion; his words have been echoed in the comments of Broden, as well as the actions of cop killer Richard Poplawski who reportedly was a Beck fan, and of course attempted assassin Byron Williams who was a devotee of Beck's numerous conspiracy theories.