Call it an ominous warning, but Fox News Channel afternoon host and ratings sensation Glenn Beck on Wednesday cautioned viewers that government is strengthening its grip of power and is not going to stop at the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Beck declared on his May 6 broadcast the government is out of control, noting that Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were a weekly occurrence, including efforts to make the TARP bailout more transparent earlier this year from the Treasury Department.
"We've got a government out of control and I'm telling you, it is up to you to control it," Beck said. "These stories of corruption and abuse of power, I'm going to continue to bring them to you as long as I possibly can, and everybody else on this network is dedicated. But it seems like every week this network is filing another Freedom of Information Act request. Even with all the resources of Fox, the truth still can't be fully exposed without you. I ask you, please - help us. Meet us here every day. Tell all of your friends what you learn here. Spread it. E-mail me. Tell me what I'm missing. We will do the best we can to provide you with the information, but it is a little overwhelming."
Beck encouraged his viewers to use word-of-mouth to rein the government back in and implored viewers not to pick based on party affiliation.
"And after we provide it to you, it is up to you to use your voice," Beck said. "They can move mountains. Tell your friends, spread the word - because despite the talk of all the change that we have heard over the past couple of years from both parties, that is the last thing they actually want to do."
Beck, never one to pull any punches when it comes to these sort of pleas, warned the consequences of not speaking out would not allow for a change of course and eventually could lead to the "silencing" of himself, "The O'Reilly Factor" host Bill O'Reilly and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
"The status quo is what gives them their status. It is what brings them to power and self-importance," Beck said. "Use your voice while you still have it. I tell you, with everything in me, I think they are going to silence voices like mine and Bill O'Reilly and Rush [Limbaugh] and everybody else - they will silence us. They can't let us continue to speak out. When the government is trying to influence what kind of syrup a restaurant uses, do you really think they're going to have a problem regulating opinion? Please."
As has previously been explained, all the signs of the current federal government attempting to bolster its power have been coming on a daily basis, but these actions are occurring with regular frequency, not allowing for time to react.
"America, we are in the middle of a power grab," Beck said. "It is happening - it seems rapid, but it is happening at a speed that you can't take a step back, but you have to. You have to look at the big picture. There is so much stuff coming at us every single day that the big stories from weeks ago - I mean, are we even talking about them anymore?"
Beck referred to the government stranglehold on corporate America, which has seen former General Motors (NYSE:GM) CEO Rick Wagoner forced out at President Barack Obama's behest and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in charge of Chrysler.
"It gets hard to keep things in perspective and we risk missing what is really going on," Beck continued. "What is this country going to look like in five years? You know, some hostile takeovers aren't noticed until it is far too late. We live in a time when the government is firing presidents of banks and auto company CEOs and bankrupting us, when the government is empowering unions with your tax dollars."
He also noted that lawmakers are insisting on oversight, but as Beck pointed out, seven out of 10 lawmakers skipped a House Oversight Subcommittee meeting concerning oversight for the $787-billion stimulus passed earlier this year. And, he noted a report, which Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is leaning heavily on International House of Pancakes restaurant owners to serve maple syrup in the state of New York.
"When going to college means the government will own your child from cradle to grave," Beck said. "When everyone on Capitol Hill is screaming, ‘We need oversight,' and then they don't even show up for the meetings. When you have a senator - which actually happened yesterday, Sen. Chuck Schumer went out yesterday and started talking - I'm not kidding you - what kind of syrup IHOP should use. What? Something ain't right."
