Glenn Beck And Joe Klein Offer Dueling Versions Of Their Time 100 Summit

moment of glenn

by Glynnis MacNicol | 2:01 pm, May 5th, 2010

» 43 comments

Oh to be a fly on the wall for this conversation. After all his hooting and hollering over Time, and in particular Joe Klein, Glenn Beck apparently had no qualms about attending last night’s Time 100 bash…where, as luck would have it, he ran into said Mr. Klein. It apparently did not go well. May we present you the he said, he said.

Glenn Beck’s blow-by-blow (almost literally) account (audio below):

I’m standing at the bar [ordering a non-alcoholic drink] and Joe Klein comes up and at first I think he’s, I don’t know, Robert Reich, you know I’m really bad with names and faces and everything else. You know how somebody just kind of inserts themselves into your conversation? And they stand uncomfortably close to make sure you notice them. And this person did that so I kind of turned to him and am like — I had to look way down because I think he’s about 3 1/2 feet tall — and I’m thinking short bearded man, it must be Robert Reich…the guy I was talking to says “that’s Joe Klein…and I said ‘oh hey Joe’ and the guy [Beck was standing with] said ‘oh you got your pipe cause you should do your professor thing now, in front of him.’ And I just looked at Joe and I said ‘aannnyyy time.’ If I had my pipe I would have done it!

Alas. But there’s more.

And then he just got all in my face with his finger, and he’s doing some hulk, strongman grip on my arm, and then he said ‘yeah, maybe we should let go of eachother arms.’ And I’m like, you are a jerk. And I said, Joe, I have never once questioned this president’s birth certificate. You’re wrong, you know you’re wrong. Stop it. He said: You don’t question his legitimacy? You question his policies and say his policies don’t seem American to you, that’s questioning his legitimacy…So I just said, you are wrong in almost everything you have ever written. Stop it. And I walked away.

And here is Joe Klein’s slightly less detailed account:

A less enlightening meeting came at the Time 100, where Glenn Beck and I shook hands coolly. We talked about Miranda rights for alleged terrorists; we disagreed–I told him that I’d spoken with legal experts who believed there could be a limited exception in terrorism cases; he accused me of “shredding the Constitution.” He scolded me for claiming that he was a birther. I said to him, “Well, when you say that there’s ‘nothing American’ about Barack Obama, what does that mean?” He stalked away.

Conclusion: it was not a pleasant meeting. And Glenn Beck left first. Discrepancies aside, I find it strangely comforting that these two didn’t try to make nice, which is what often happens at these media schmoozefests, and always strikes me as utterly disingenuous. Below Beck’s audio. After the jump, Joe Klein and Glenn Beck: The Golden Years.

NEXT>>>>> Joe Klein and Glenn Beck: The Golden Years

Pages: 1 2

Glenn Beck, Joe Klein, Media Love Affairs, Sedition, Time 100

Bias-Media

…and Joe Klein’s persistent criticisms of President GWBush was “American”, right (sic)?? maybe by Klein’s standard…I don’t recall Joe Klein criticizing Beck when Beck was criticizing GWBush…

It’s obvious the two does not like each other. At least Beck show some integrity and didn’t even pretend that he liked Klein. What was Klein doing approaching Beck anyway?

On a side note…Joe Klein disagrees with Beck on Miranda rights? Given that Beck is for giving Miranda rights to any US Citizen (even terrorist), am I reading this right? Klein is against it?

anyone know what Klein’s position is on Miranda rights for the underware bomber? (Beck was against it since he wasn’t a US citizen…as I recall)…
MichelleF

Joe Klein is a tool and the only reason he approached Glenn, is because he clearly is under Joe’s skin. Priceless!
The Real Royal King

I tend to go with Klein. He’s a notorious liar, as we all know, but he is saner and more rational than Glen(n).
valkyrie101

Remember, Beck is an entertainer. I very good one.
valkyrie101

A very good one. :-)
foryoureyesonly

Klein is a tool. I’m sure Beck put him squarely in his place. Team Beck!!
Liberty – Not Redistribution

I give Klein credit for coming up to Beck. He’s a really small dude and it wouldn’t surprise me if he has “little mans syndrome.” What’s wrong with questioning Obama’$ or Bu$h’s legitimacy? I hate it when these political hacks claim it’s unpatriotic to question our government.
The_Reasonable_Lib

Do any of the conservatives who accuse liberals of blindly following Obama not see that you are doing the exact same thing with Beck?
valkyrie101

To understand Beck you have to understand professional wrestling. It is all about promotion, controversy, misdirection. And the show continues on outside the ring.
felixw

Klein’s position is typical of the depth of denial in the left wing media. It would be more impressive if a guy like Klein tried to defend Obama’s spending trillions of dollars of borrowed money, and expansion of entitlements that even the Congressional Budget Office agrees will bankrupt the nation. But since those core elements of the Democrat agenda can’t be rationally defended, Mr. Klein must resort to the infantile name-calling, that is the last desperate gesture of the American left.

So the best he can come up with a histrionic accusation of sedition, that Klein could never defend in open debate with Beck. The irony is that Beck is much more ardent defender of the U.S. Constitution than Klein or any of his fellow travelers. So the sedition charge is so vacuous as to be laughable.
Puter Boi

I miss Felix Unger and Oscar Madison…..
MediaWhore

Given that Glen Beck’s entire schtick is predicated on his apocalyptic predictions and fascist/tyranical/dictatorial takeover scenarios…is there a point at which the sheep figure out that none of the great apocalypse is occurring?

Or do you all just continue pissing your pants daily and stocking your basements with freeze-dried food while ignoring the reality that the sky isn’t actually falling?

Of course I realize there are a lot of gullible dullards who frighten easily and are susceptible to fear-mongers like Beck (and Levin/Limbaugh/Hannity), but are you all really dim enough to believe that the melodrama playing out on his retard chalkboard is anywhere close to becoming real? Is there a set time each day you peer out your front window waiting for the jack-booted thugs to break down your door, or do you do it randomly at intervals?

I’m truly intrigued to get inside the minds of the bed-wetters, so please enlighten me.
Bias-Media

@Mediawhore,

I’m not sure how to take you seriously…

unlike the Liberals and Progressives, who makes up a prediction (ex: racial profiling on the AZ Law; Tea Party members are racist), then spins the facts to support their predictions…

Beck derives his theories by matching historical accounts with observations and actions of current events (i.e..those who won’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it). You may not agree with him, and I will acknowledge that some of them are a bit far fetch for my taste…but I will give him credit for doing his homework to support his analysis. Oh, and btw…some of his *predictions* or *theories* have since became facts…can’t say the same thing about Liberal spins (I’m still waiting to see the video of racial slurs being made at Tea Party events at Black Congressmen)…
MichelleF

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 5, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Do any of the conservatives who accuse liberals of blindly following Obama not see that you are doing the exact same thing with Beck?

No we don’t blindly follow him, he’s just the first person on TV to finally say what we’ve all been thinking.
badr

Klein is a krazy pretentious princess.
Big_F-ing_Deal

“And then he just got all in my face with his finger, and he’s doing some hulk, strongman grip on my arm, and then he said ‘yeah, maybe we should let go of eachother arms.’ And I’m like, you are a jerk. ”

Beck always lies about his off camera meetings with people.

He did it with Barbara Walters, he did it with the Acorn guy he threatened to throw out of his studio (off camera lol), and he did it now.

The guy often confuses the facts with “telling a good story”.
Like the drunk guy at a party.
itzmec

@Big, how do you know if beck is lying about off camera meetings, if its off camera?
Big_F-ing_Deal

In the case of Barbara Walters he admitted it and apologized on The View and then got drunk and didn’t show up for work that day. lol
Ted

Uh Michelle – Beck says what you tea-baggers have been thinking? Geez, you don’t say.
writer

And Olbermann says what you far lefties are thinking. Even has the same psychotic temperament.
Ted

writer – before making yet another dumb comment you might want to read what MichelleF said about Glenn Beck – then re-insert foot in mouth. Thanks for the laugh.
writer

What was dumb about it? Beck does say what lots of people on the right are thinking (for example, Obama should never have had Van Jones as an advisor). And likewise, from reading your far left posts, you and Olbermann are on the same page. Rigid ideologues who hate anyone who doesn’t automatically agree with you one hundred per cent of the time.
MediaWhore

“No we don’t blindly follow him, he’s just the first person on TV to finally say what we’ve all been thinking.”

You mean you’ve been thinking that you should rehearse crying before the show and then go on TV to blubber and weep like a 3-year old whose cat just died?

—–”Some staffers say they have watched rehearsals, on internal monitors, in which Beck has teared up or paused at the same moments as he later did during the show.”—-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031500923_2.html
Ted

MediaWhore – You are aware that when you suggest that Beck is a phony and a professional bullshitter, it may very well mean more tea-baggers on psychotropic medication…which is good for the pharmaceutical industry I suppose.
WilsonTheHeretic

Man, Klein sounds like a first class piece of crap.
Newsjunky

Beck is such a stooge. Pus*y walked away cuz he couldn’t take being called out.
The_Reasonable_Lib

MichelleF says:
May 5, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Like I said, blindly follow. No matter how much Beck is debunked or how much violence he incites, you deny deny deny and provide excuses.
michaelhall66

I am amazed how reasonable you are in saying Beck has incited violence. Just a ridiculous statement and it shows you are obviously not at all reasonable.
The_Reasonable_Lib

michaelhall66 says:
May 5, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Beck has incited violence, the man who walked into a CHURCH and killed people had a link to a clip of Glenn Beck on his blog affirming his beliefs. He also said that the killing was “symbolic”. Glenn Beck claimed fema camps were a lie then turned around and said that he could not debunk them. Not to mention the numerous times that Glenn Beck has said that they( the government) are coming to get you. Once he even held a baseball bat while doing so.
ImNotBlue

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 5, 2010 at 10:08 pm

Like I said, blindly follow. No matter how much Beck is debunked or how much violence he incites, you deny deny deny and provide excuses.

So telling the truth isn’t really your think, eh Reasonable?

How much violence did he incite? Was it the AZ protesters throwing bottles at police officers? Was that is fault?

It’s not difficult to “deny deny deny” your claims… but mostly because they’re just claims. You have NO evidence to back them up. Sorry. Try again.

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 5, 2010 at 10:38 pm

Beck has incited violence, the man who walked into a CHURCH and killed people had a link to a clip of Glenn Beck on his blog affirming his beliefs.

And the NYC guy was a “registered Democrat,” something you railed against yesterday! I guess by your logic, you should blame Harry Reid, Obama, Pelosi, etc. for him. Go ahead… be consistent. I’ll wait.

Glenn Beck claimed fema camps were a lie then turned around and said that he could not debunk them.

You realize that by once again stating this lie to people who know it’s a lie, you kill any shred of credibility you have. He said he couldn’t prove it… so he went out and did the research, and then proved it… in long format. Stop lying… if you can.

Not to mention the numerous times that Glenn Beck has said that they( the government) are coming to get you.

Yes, oh so similar to George Bush listening to phone calls, AZ police arresting minorities for being minorities, and Dick Cheney causing the Gulf oil spill.

I don’t know what makes you more pathetic… your overt lies, your failure to acknowledge or admit your lies, or the fact that think nobody will notice your lies. At this point, the only bit of consistency you own, is spreading lies from post to post. Pathetic.
Sunnyr

I would LOVE to have been a fly on the wall. Of course my money is on Glenn Beck. He could have SHREDDED the little Putz!
mynwworld5

I agree that it was not a pleasant meeting. And obviously they two does not like each other anymore.
I am sure that Joe Klein is a tool and the only reason he approached Glenn. But one thing is disappointing me that it is not reasonable if we say Beck has incited violence.
r4
Liberty – Not Redistribution

@ Reasonable Lib,

You want to talk “inciting violence?” The Time Square bomber, according to many witnesses, made plenty of hateful statements about Bu$h. He was obviously inflamed because of the pure intolerance and hatred you liberals and your media stooges spewed on a daily basis for 8 years.
Big_F-ing_Deal

“He was obviously inflamed because of the pure intolerance and hatred you liberals and your media stooges spewed on a daily basis for 8 years.”

Yeah, I’m sure it had nothing to do with killing Muslims.
The_Reasonable_Lib

ImNotBlue says:
May 6, 2010 at 1:06 am
You know it’s funny. You come here and spout this bullsh*t about me not telling the truth, but when I prove my statements you have nothing to say. How very conservative of you. And yes, I do, Glenn beck on wanting to kill Michael Moore:
BECK: Hang on, let me just tell you what I’m thinking. I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out — is this wrong? I stopped wearing my What Would Jesus — band — Do, and I’ve lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, “Yeah, I’d kill Michael Moore,” and then I’d see the little band: What Would Jesus Do? And then I’d realize, “Oh, you wouldn’t kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn’t choke him to death.” And you know, well, I’m not sure.

And as I’ve said before. Their is no political affiliation for the crazy. No affiliation for Joseph Stack or Timothy McVeigh or this man. Stop trying to impose your random logic on me as it is irrational.

No? Glenn Beck on fema camps, watch and shut up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLd9Ymfta-0
He said that he couldn’t DEBUNK them, his exact words. He then turns around and tries to do so. In that instance he was in fact perpetrating the lie, whether you accept it or not. Reversing a position does not negate the fact that you advanced it.

I’m going to have to ask you for proof on your Bush/Cheney assertion.

I don’t know what’s more pathetic; the fact that you always call me a liar while not providing any proof of your own or the fact that when I provide proof you run away with your tail between your legs like a scared little b*tch.
writer

RL, you’re leaving out Olbermann. His nightly diatribes and insults are at least as inciting as anything Beck says, yet you never see him as a threat. Why? Simply because his ratings are much smaller than Beck’s?
The_Reasonable_Lib

writer says:
May 6, 2010 at 10:24 am
It’s honestly sad i have to post this as much as I do; I don’t watch Olbermann, the most I do is catch clips online or his convo with maddow at the beginning. Even so, from what I see of Olbermann, he does not try to convince his audience that the evil socialist government is coming for everything that you have to turn our society into 1984.

This is honestly like the 10th time I’ve said that.
writer

No, Olbermann simply spews hatred for anything and anyone that isn’t far left wing. Since you don’t watch him, glad to help out and let you know.
valkyrie101

writer,
KO does not spew hatred. Contempt? Maybe. Hatred? No. Just because he presents the other side of the coin for you conservatives, does not mean he espouses hatred. The poles are important, Beck and KO define those.
ImNotBlue

Big_F-ing_Deal says:
May 6, 2010 at 7:52 am

Yeah, I’m sure it had nothing to do with killing Muslims.

Wait. Are you justifying his actions, because you think the United States has, “killed Muslims?” Is that what you’re trying to say?!

Wow… you’re farther out there than I initially thought.

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 6, 2010 at 10:08 am

You know it’s funny. You come here and spout this bullsh*t about me not telling the truth, but when I prove my statements you have nothing to say. How very conservative of you.

It’s hard to talk when the situation you’re speaking of (you proving your statements) DOESN’T ACTUALLY EXIST. How very “reasonable” of you. Oh, and if you think it does… I sure would love to see it!

And yes, I do, Glenn beck on wanting to kill Michael Moore:
BECK: Hang on, let me just tell you what I’m thinking. …

Neat! A story sourced only to Media Matters… and from 2005, well before Beck was on FNC… AND the story is from his radio program! WOW! So to prove that Beck is currently inciting violence, you cite a source which notoriously takes things out of context, provides only the “offending quote” not the rest of the story around it, and is from a time well before Beck was on the network which you’re railing against. Yes… excellent proof. Oh, I’m sorry… I meant, you fail… again.

Strike 1.

And as I’ve said before. Their is no political affiliation for the crazy. No affiliation for Joseph Stack or Timothy McVeigh or this man. Stop trying to impose your random logic on me as it is irrational.

Another lie! Woo-hoo!

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 5, 2010 at 10:38 pm

Beck has incited violence, the man who walked into a CHURCH and killed people had a link to a clip of Glenn Beck on his blog affirming his beliefs. He also said that the killing was “symbolic”.

So you say that “there is no political affiliation for the crazy,” YET IN THE SAME POST, you contradict yourself, and pretend that Beck had something to do with this guy! WOW! You lied about what you said in the same thread! That’s pretty impressive!

Strike 2.

No? Glenn Beck on fema camps, watch and shut up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLd9Ymfta-0
He said that he couldn’t DEBUNK them, his exact words. He then turns around and tries to do so. In that instance he was in fact perpetrating the lie, whether you accept it or not. Reversing a position does not negate the fact that you advanced it.

So let me get this straight. Beck says he couldn’t debunk something, because he didn’t have all the information. Then goes out and gets all the information… debunks it… but he’s still wrong for initially saying he didn’t have the information. Wow, again.

I guess by that logic, if a news anchor says, “We’re getting word of a possible attack, but we don’t have all the information yet…” you see that as trying to “cover up” the story? You’d think because they didn’t provide all the information to begin with (even though they didn’t have it, hadn’t don’t the research yet, were previewing a developing story, or the event hadn’t taken place), they’re irreparably tied to that initial statement.

Beck said he couldn’t debunk it… but that he would get the information, and do a full report. He did. He debunked it. Yet you’re stuck on the statement he made before he had the information, addressing that he didn’t have the information, and would find out what was going on. I’m not sure if that makes you a liar, really pathetic, totally out of touch with reality, or a little of all. Either way…

Strike 3.

I’m going to have to ask you for proof on your Bush/Cheney assertion.

Really? You don’t remember the hoopla over Bush/Cheney and FISA?

Here’s one of my favorites… the very left-wing Glenn Greenwald calls out <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2008/06/26/Olbermann"Keith Olbermann and Jonathan Alter for changing his tune over the Bush program, once Obama re-instated it.

I don’t know what’s more pathetic; the fact that you always call me a liar while not providing any proof of your own or the fact

Well, that’s a lie. I have proven you wrong multiple times, and always shown proof. Again, if you have examples… speak up.

that when I provide proof you run away with your tail between your legs like a scared little b*tch.

Again, a lie. I have responded over and over again… and yet, once I throw up evidence YOU run away. Let’s see if you have the stones to respond to this. Although, I doubt it… I’ve already noticed the pattern of lies, anger, and incompetence. Go ahead… prove me wrong this time.

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 6, 2010 at 10:36 am

I think the above posted link does a good job of disproving that theory too! Check it out, a two for one special!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Westover/1496648721 Tony Westover

Joe Klein is such a coward. And pathetic, he got owned by a friggin’ rodeo clown! The funniest thing was how Beck kept on getting Klein’s name wrong on the television broadcast.
kieronnpollard

So I said, you're wrong in almost everything he ever wrote. Stop. And walked away.
memory card reader
The_Reasonable_Lib

ImNotBlue says:
May 6, 2010 at 1:02 pm
First of all, let me apologize for my absence, this was finals week for me.

Actually in the last conversation we had, you never posted anything, at the very least I saw nothing. And yes, i waited a long time. I waited until the next time you made a post on any board!

WRONG!!! First off, I did not actually get the story from mediamatters, I just searched on the internet. Furthermore, the diatribe was posted the day after the radio broadcast, so I’m inclined to believe it and you have nothing that says otherwise. And yes, he “incites” violence, the word that I used does not prescribe to only present tense, looks like you fail, internet boy.

Once again you’re wrong. I use Glenn Beck as a character reference. This is because in the wrong hands his words can be twisted. Just like Chapman and Hinkley claiming The Catcher in the rye motivated them to make attempts on the life of Lennon and Reagan.

And no, if you watched the full clip, you will see that he said nothing like “I don’t have the information”. Sorry, but once again you’re wrong. And yes, if you make the statement once, then you perpetuate it, you are partially responsible for it. In the same vein, Hillary is responsible for this Birther thing, she started the whole movement.

And no, I don’t, and I should also let you know that your link doesn’t wor, but fear not I found the article. maybe it was the capitol “O”, idk.

No, you have yet to prove that I am lying, and I would submit to you to prove that I am as well. After all, you are the one who’s spreading damnable assertions. No lies, no anger and no incompetence. I have managed to defend all of my arguments adequately=competent. Never displayed a lack of composure=not angry. And finally provided proof for my assertions=truth. So looks like what you’ve done is blatantly lie.

And no, it doesn’t. You have in no way proved that Olbermann is telling people that the government is coming for them. Such a thing is no where in that article. Please show me what you mean if you can that is. As soon as Keith holds a bat and warns you of the government coming to get you or pretends to cover a man in gasoline, I will believe you.