MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan on Wednesday became the latest host at that channel to lash out at Fox News. He frothed that Glenn Beck is a "scumbag" for touting the company Goldline. Ratigan also promoted an investigation by Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner of the business.
He hyperbolically attacked, "The only problem here is that Glenn Beck and Goldline are largely snake oil salesmen and scumbags, trying to create money for themselves at the expense of everybody in this country." [Audio available here.]
Ratigan's over-the-top language continued as he ranted, "That man there [Beck] is paid by that other company to be a snake oil salesman at your expense. He's no better than the very politicians that he claims to be against."
For someone with such a sense of moral outrage, Ratigan certainly does like to smear people. On October 5, 2009, he trashed conservatives as the equivalent of killers: "I mean, there are people that are actually trying to derail health care in order to take down Obama, even if it means half the country dies."
Would Ratigan be so quick to attack Beck and Goldline if Fox News wasn't connected? It doesn't seem too likely.
During the health care debate, "scumbag" was one of the words that caused reporters to depict tea partiers as scary. On the March 24 edition of the Evening News, CBS opened with a protester screaming, "Baby-murdering scumbag."
Back in April of 1998, journalists were disturbed by Republican Congressman Dan Burton's use of the word:
On April 23 Today’s Ann Curry introduced a Gwen Ifill story on Burton’s comments: "On Capitol Hill the Congressman who heads the House committee investigating campaign financing is in trouble. This after some remarks he made about President Clinton." Ifill continued: "It’s not the most dignified why to describe a fellow lawmaker." ABC’s Asha Blake introduced a Good Morning America story on the comment the same morning: "...a controversy has erupted over some unusually caustic comments made by a top Republican about President Clinton....Ann, things appear to be getting personal." Ann Compton reported: "Such personal name calling is forbidden on the floor of the House, where the President’s defenders called Burton words outrageous and vile."
[Thanks to MRC intern Alex Fitzsimmons for the video.]
A transcript of the May 19 segment, which aired at 4:27pm EDT, follows:
GLENN BECK: Here's the deal. Call Goldline. Study it out. Pray on it. If it's right thing for you, then do it. But please study it out. Find the people that you trust. The people that I trust are the people at Goldline.
DYLAN RATIGAN: See, actually here's the deal. That man there is paid by that other company to be a snake oil salesman at your expense. He's no better than the very politicians that he claims to be against. In fact, today, a crusade to expose Goldline International and Glenn Beck as snake oil salesman. New York Congressman Anthony Weiner accusing Goldline of using misleading sales techniques to overcharge consumers for gold coins. He says paid conservative endorsers like Glenn Beck add to the illusion. Weiner is now calling for a federal investigation of company's tactics. Glenn Beck responding to the accusations on his radio show. Take a listen.
GLENN BECK: This is, again, another arm of this administration coming out to try to shut me down. Any sponsor that stays with me now they're targeting through- you want to talk about the McCarthy era, look at what this country is becoming!
RATIGAN: Now listen to me, if you want to buy gold because you're concerned about paper currency, which is very reasonable, I suggest you buy gold. Just don't do it with the extra subsidy that Goldline is delivering to Glenn Beck for his fear mongering which is 90 percent more than you could buy the same exact gold if you just went to the financial markets, the ticker is G-L-D. Feel free. You can buy it and sell it all day long. It trade at one the lowest fee investments that you can make. The only problem here is that Glenn Beck and Goldline are largely snake oil salesman and scumbags trying to create money for themselves at the expense of everybody in this country. You want to buy gold, buy gold. You want to get scared out of your mind and then buy gold, do that, too. Just don't buy it those stupid gold coins for twice as much of the G-L-D if you're worried about future of paper currency. It's dumb. You're not dumb, he's dumb, I'm sorry I looked at the camera. They're dumb, you're fine.
