Glenn Beck Strikes Back At Joe Klein: I'm Not Seditious. I Love My Country

Glenn Beck struck back at Joe Klein and John Heilemann Monday for practically accusing the Fox News host, Sarah Palin, and Rush Limbaugh of being seditious.

As NewsBusters reported Sunday, Time magazine's Klein and New York magazine's Heilemann made some rather inflammatory comments about the trio this weekend on the syndicated "Chris Matthews Show."

When Beck saw our piece at the Drudge Report Sunday evening, he said, "[I]t was like a horse stepped on my chest." 

"I love my country," said an emotional Beck. "I don't even understand how speaking out now can be sedition."

Beck then demonstrated how absurd AND hypocritical Klein and Heilemann's claims were (video follows with partial transcript and commentary): 

GLENN BECK: I think our country has changed so dramatically in the last year and we're entering dangerous, dangerous territory. Last night I turned on the computer and I saw -- turned on the Drudge Report. And I saw that Time magazine and Joe Klein said that I, said that I was engaging in sedition.

And my wife looked at me. And I know, I mean, I'm practically 100% chick. And, she looked at me and said, "What's wrong?" And, I mean, it was like a horse stepped on my chest.

And I said, "I love my country. I love my country." I don't even understand how speaking out now can be sedition. But that's what Klein said about me and also Sarah Palin and then Rush over the weekend.

Beck then played the clip in question, after which he continued:

BECK: Okay, first of all, the napkin makes me think that maybe Joe you should spend a little more time researching. The only piece of evidence he cited is that Rush uses the word "regime." Well, maybe Jon should have done a little napkin journalism, you know, and Googling before he went on the air as well. It may have helped him find out that the term "regime" was used 6,500 times to refer to the Bush administration since January 20, 2001. The host he was talking to used the term to describe Bush, and Heileman himself used regime to describe the Obama administration at least four times.

So I'm trying to figure out how they can use the word "regime" and it's not a problem, but Rush uses it. 

See, it's a game. It's a game. And, they're trying to get us to argue and call each other names and just ratchet it up. And I ain't going to play that game.

I mean, how is it seditious to disagree with the President of the United States in America? You know, how is it seditious to say the Democrats and the Republicans spend too much money? What is seditious about telling people to get involved, know your candidates before you vote?

I love my country.

I don't hate the government.

I hate what we have all of us allowed our government to become.

Indeed. And if Klein and Heilemann weren't both shamelessly shilling for the President they helped get elected, they'd be going after him rather than those expressing concern about the direction of the nation. 

Or would that be too much like journalism?