From a political perspective, the proper response to Glenn Beck in the past few weeks would have been to stand by Van Jones and Yosi Sergant. [I realize both had become political liabilities, but not even one-tenth the extent a political liability that being seen to cave into a talk show host creates.] Now that Beck is going after Valerie Jarrett, the proper political response would be (a) for the White House to ignore him and support Jarrett, while (b) sending out some heavy-hitting political surrogates to take him on. Having White House officials directly challenging Beck on an official White House website does not debunk Beck, it elevates him. Hell, at this point he appears to be getting more of Barack Obama's attention than General McChrystal in Afghanistan. At the same time it diminishes the power of the Presidency. Why? Because it says, in effect, This man has developed such a following that his lies now require the official attention of the government in lieu of real thin...

First I read this at Kids Prefer Cheese , and it started me thinking: "Beck is 45, tireless, funny, self-deprecating, a recovering alcoholic, a convert to Mormonism, a libertarian and living with ADHD. He is a gifted storyteller with a knack for stitching seemingly unrelated data points into possible conspiracies - IF he believed in conspiracies, which he doesn't, necessarily; he's just asking questions. He's just sayin'." [TIME] I assume that Mr. Beck is not really a Mormon, either. Both Libertarians and Mormons expect people to have a consistent set of beliefs. Exactly how does Glenn Beck the Libertarian get all upset at ACORN representatives for (1) helping a prostitute find some way to launder her money so she can buy a house; or (2) helping said prostitute rip off the IRS? Think about it: Libertarians generally hold that women own their own bodies, and that charging people for sex [as long as neither party is coerced] is their business and not the State...

... it's from outer space. Hasn't everybody who thinks he's anybody been swept up (almost like the rapture, but on cable) with Glenn Beck's We Surround You movement? Millions want to participate. Millions more want the ones who participate locked up and tried for sedition. Chuck Norris just wants a million people to come to his next karate tournament for geriatrics. And FoxNews is counting the millions all the way to the bank (where, because the bank has taken TARP funds there will be no Snapple or million-dollar bonuses for the executives). But I Googled "We Surround You" for my daily update, and discovered that: Glenn Beck is in fact an emissary from the High Council in the planetary system of Sirius!!!!!! I have proof. The Sirian High Council, providentially, maintains a website . This is important stuff, and better by far than those watered-down principles about God, family, and the Constipation. Here's the gist of the Sirian philosophy and movement:...