Glenn Beck paints beleaguered Wilmington, Ohio, as real life Bedford Falls

[hazlnut]

Glenn Beck paints beleaguered Wilmington, Ohio, as real life Bedford Falls

Beck is making the top 10 lies of the year lists already.

What a clown, how do people take him seriously.

To highlight his Wilmington story, Beck will hold a show titled "America’s First Christmas" at city’s Murphy Theatre on December 15. The proceeds will be donated to a charity in the city.

"I’m going there because I think this town needs to be highlighted," he said. "I think this town is going to help the rest of the country, not the other way around."

With such a large spotlight headed shining on the small town, Politifact Ohio decided to review Beck’s storyline that Wilmington shuns government assistance. We asked for Beck’s sources, but our e-mails to his producer went unanswered. So, we looked ourselves.

We quickly found Beck’s story full of holes.

The city of Wilmington itself has received federal assistance, including money from the federal stimulus bill that Beck often rails against.

Government and social service agencies that serve residents of Wilmington and surrounding Clinton and Clark counties have received state and federal money.

Development agencies and companies in Wilmington have received state aid or pledges of state aid.

Unemployed residents of the town and county are receiving unemployment and other jobless benefits.

 

[Whovian]

He lied. Obviously. That much is certain.

But do 'you' personally care more about bringing attention to the plight of Wilmington, Oh, and doing something to help them, or whining like a little girl that the evil Glenn Beck told a lie.

Here's an in-depth look at Wilmington, Oh, from 60 Minutes...
Wilmington, Ohio's Long Recession - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Considering all these people have been through, and are still going through, I'm perfectly fine with Beck or anyone else saying what he did, and going there like he did, to bring attention AND MONEY into that town. The end sometimes does justify the means.

Here's a VERY detailed piece on this story...
Media Matters: Glenn Beck Visits Wilmington, Ohio | America’s First Christmas

 

[Barbbtx]

He lied. Obviously. That much is certain.

But do 'you' personally care more about bringing attention to the plight of Wilmington, Oh, and doing something to help them, or whining like a little girl that the evil Glenn Beck told a lie.

Here's an in-depth look at Wilmington, Oh, from 60 Minutes...
Wilmington, Ohio's Long Recession - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Considering all these people have been through, and are still going through, I'm perfectly fine with Beck or anyone else saying what he did, and going there like he did, to bring attention AND MONEY into that town. The end sometimes does justify the means.

Here's a VERY detailed piece on this story...
Media Matters: Glenn Beck Visits Wilmington, Ohio | America’s First Christmas

Wow thanks. That was great. Hope someone from MM sees it. :lol:

 

[MoleMan]

I think all the linked articles in this thread are illuminating. I have major distaste for Beck, but I greatly respect what he's done for Wilmington; for certain, this is about people helping people. He lied, and that's shameful, but he's undeniably helping a town in desperate need. That's commendable. Leftwingers who politicize the town to attack Beck lend no help at all, they definitely don't provide jobs or help feed hungry mouths the way Beck is.

Nonetheless, the second article Whovian posted reveals that lefties aren't the only ones politicizing the issue. The blogger rightly criticized the response from the left, which gets caught up destroying Beck's image instead of helping to aid Wilmington, but he responded with the same destructive, partisan attacks.

"It’s quite obvious that George Soros and Media Matters have nothing but complete hatred for Glenn beck, and his considerably positive impact that he is having in America right now. They want to change America in the exact opposite direction from where most conservatives would like it to go. They (radical liberals) want to bring Socialism and Communism to American through violence, the collapse of the dollar, and revolution."

It's no secret that Media Matters hates Beck, but suddenly only conservatives only want to see Americans succeed and liberals only want to destroy the country? The liberals in Wilmington want to see it - see themselves - in even worse situations? This type of attack is the same damn problem. It's just loaded hyperpartisan rhetoric to further politicize the situation; it's the kind of thing we can all agree doesn't help. It's all BS.

The people of Wilmington need aid wherever they can get it; they damn well needed government funds, but they've also done a commendable job of providing for each other; and I guarantee you no one in the town cares too much about who's blue and who's red if they're contributing, not even if it's commie red. Politics is a sure fire way to make everyone miss the point.

 

[apdst]

1) Beck spotlights a town that is suffering because of the depression.

2) This spotlight could possibly help this town.

3) Libbos use the event as political fodder and **** on the effort.

All I can say to the Lefties, is, keep up the good work. What with the political awakening that's taken place in this country over the past couple of years and this attitude, you're going to make sure that a Conservative is a shoe-in for prez, in 2012.

 

[GPS_Flex]

Thanks for shining a light on this issue hazelnut. Next time I’m passing through that region, I’ll try to arrange a pass through Wilmington.

 

[spud_meister]

1) Beck spotlights a town that is suffering because of the depression.

2) This spotlight could possibly help this town.

3) Libbos use the event as political fodder and **** on the effort.

All I can say to the Lefties, is, keep up the good work. What with the political awakening that's taken place in this country over the past couple of years and this attitude, you're going to make sure that a Conservative is a shoe-in for prez, in 2012.

:lol: And Beck is entirely a-political. And I can't say I've read any libs saying that Becks help is a bad thing, only that he's made stuff up to justify it.

 

[UtahBill]

sarcasm alert....on

wow, that is so sad, those poor people, we should help them.....but won't that make them dependent on the evil govt liberal programs?
if we give them govt handouts, will they ever want to work again?
and if we help one town, won't we have to help others? Is there enough money in the govt coffers to help all these people without running up the national debt another trillion bucks?

sarcasm alert....off

 

[pbrauer]

1) Beck spotlights a town that is suffering because of the depression.

2) This spotlight could possibly help this town.

3) Libbos use the event as political fodder and **** on the effort.

All I can say to the Lefties, is, keep up the good work. What with the political awakening that's taken place in this country over the past couple of years and this attitude, you're going to make sure that a Conservative is a shoe-in for prez, in 2012.

Beck said they didn't recieve government money, but they did -- from the stimulus. Do you think Beck could say something nice about the Obama administration? Even if he said this in the beginning, he must now know the truth.

 

[DarkWizard12]

:lol: And Beck is entirely a-political. And I can't say I've read any libs saying that Becks help is a bad thing, only that he's made stuff up to justify it.

When you politicize something good like this for political points, you inherently turn it into a bad thing.

learn from your mistakes.

 

[roughdraft274]

1) Beck spotlights a town that is suffering because of the depression.

2) This spotlight could possibly help this town.

3) Libbos use the event as political fodder and **** on the effort.

All I can say to the Lefties, is, keep up the good work. What with the political awakening that's taken place in this country over the past couple of years and this attitude, you're going to make sure that a Conservative is a shoe-in for prez, in 2012.

I think plenty of lefties feel sorry for the town and everyone being hit by the recession and layoffs. If only there was a way to efficiently get unemployed people alittle bit of money just to cover the bills while they look for a job, or some way that we could give single mothers that just lost their job some kind of food assistance... If only some one in government would invest some money in infrastructure and and new technology so as to create more jobs for people like the ones in Wilmington.

But then again that's crazy talk. The best way to help this middle class town some help is to give rich people and corporations more of their money back so they can keep creating jobs in india and sticking the rest in the bank. That'll get em going.

 

[KevinWebb]

@roughdraft274 - The issue concerning jobs going overseas is real. However, it is our own government's fault regarding restrictions, taxes, regulations and more that keep these jobs going overseas. The fact that they are actually leaving is a secondary issue. We have to fix the primary issues if we want anything to change. The same can be said in regards to illegal immigration, and the jobs that they do in America. We cannot complain about them until we fix our border problems.

@Whovian - Thanks for posting my article.

Kevin Webb

 

[roughdraft274]

@roughdraft274 - The issue concerning jobs going overseas is real. However, it is our own government's fault regarding restrictions, taxes, regulations and more that keep these jobs going overseas. The fact that they are actually leaving is a secondary issue. We have to fix the primary issues if we want anything to change.

Kevin Webb

Agreed. This is one of the many reasons I tend to vote democrat. They seem like they actually want to tackle the issue.
Tax Incentives to Keep Jobs in U.S. Blocked in Senate - BusinessWeek

 

[Barbbtx]

@roughdraft274 - The issue concerning jobs going overseas is real. However, it is our own government's fault regarding restrictions, taxes, regulations and more that keep these jobs going overseas. The fact that they are actually leaving is a secondary issue. We have to fix the primary issues if we want anything to change. The same can be said in regards to illegal immigration, and the jobs that they do in America. We cannot complain about them until we fix our border problems.

@Whovian - Thanks for posting my article.
Kevin Webb

Thanks for writing it Kevin! :good_job:

 

[hazlnut]

1) Beck spotlights a town that is suffering because of the depression.

2) This spotlight could possibly help this town.

3) Beck lied and misinformed his audience.

Edited for accuracy.

 

[Whovian]

@roughdraft274 - The issue concerning jobs going overseas is real. However, it is our own government's fault regarding restrictions, taxes, regulations and more that keep these jobs going overseas. The fact that they are actually leaving is a secondary issue. We have to fix the primary issues if we want anything to change. The same can be said in regards to illegal immigration, and the jobs that they do in America. We cannot complain about them until we fix our border problems.

@Whovian - Thanks for posting my article.

Kevin Webb

you're welcome. It was a good read, and since to me the most important point of all this was not that Beck lied, but that he brought attention to the situation and people were helped, I felt posting your articel was a good way to show that.

 

[Whovian]

Edited for accuracy.

I guess that answers my initial question... it's MUCH more important to you that Beck lied, than the fact that his lie helped people who desperately needed it.

I'm not really surprised at that though.

 

[UtahBill]

What would be the conservative response if OBAMA told these lies?

 

[Conservative]

What would be the conservative response if OBAMA told these lies?

Conservatives would point out that Obama lies hurt the American people and the Beck "so called lies" actually helped the people of Wilmington and did so without taxpayer funding. the entire Obama Admnistration has been one big lie yet for some reason those lies are ignored.

On a side note I grew up 22 miles from Wilmington and know how badly it was hurt by the pullout of DHL. Beck did a good thing there actually helping the people but the Beck haters would focus on the so called lies. From what I am told Beck helped the citizens of Wilmington more than the taxapyer stimulus dollars that went to the city. Why aren't the Obama lies getting more scrutiny?

 

[KevinWebb]

@UtahBill, the point here is that Beck's "lies" had no impact on Americans well-being in the negative light. When Obama (and most politicians on both sides) tell a lie, it ends up costing us money, lives, freedom, health, etc.

If Beck would have mis-spoke about something that needed to be pointed out in order to protect people, help someone, etc., then sure, point it out.

However, when you try to destroy a man's reputation for literally boosting a local economy WITHOUT the use of tax dollars, stimulus bills, congressional hearings, terrible legislation, lies, earmarks, agendas, special interests, and lobbying... then what's the point?

I would even support a liberal democrat if they could do that within the terms and restraints of our Constitution.

 

[randel]

Conservatives would point out that Obama lies hurt the American people and the Beck "so called lies" actually helped the people of Wilmington and did so without taxpayer funding. the entire Obama Admnistration has been one big lie yet for some reason those lies are ignored.

On a side note I grew up 22 miles from Wilmington and know how badly it was hurt by the pullout of DHL. Beck did a good thing there actually helping the people but the Beck haters would focus on the so called lies. From what I am told Beck helped the citizens of Wilmington more than the taxapyer stimulus dollars that went to the city. Why aren't the Obama lies getting more scrutiny?

so called lies? isnt a lie a lie?

 

[KevinWebb]

... and why are people moderating other's posts to fit their likings? That is the quickest way to lose users. Maybe I need to read the rules on this site.

 

[KevinWebb]

The fact is that it wasn't a lie. At the most, he may have misspoke, but the spotlight of the point had nothing to do with government assistance. If it had, then I would be more weary of his statements. Beck simply threw a blanket statement out, that considering other facts, could still be considered complete truth. The point Beck was making was that the people were not relying on the government to get them out the tough spot, like others have.

The money they received was for projects that the government forcefully imposed. It was not welfare-type requested monies. SMH at all you guys who only understand things on the surface.

 

[Whovian]

What would be the conservative response if OBAMA told these lies?

My response would be exactly the same... the end sometimes justifies the means.

 

[Whovian]

... and why are people moderating other's posts to fit their likings? That is the quickest way to lose users. Maybe I need to read the rules on this site.

Kevin... if you mean quoting someone and altering it and saying 'corrected', it happens all the time. It's not an attempt to say so-and-so said this... it's an attempt at sarcasm... to express the viewpoint that they disagree with the initial posters statement or conclusions.