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On his radio show today Glenn Beck responded to Republican South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis’ statement that Glenn Beck is spreading fear, and people should turn off their televisions off when he comes on by saying that both sides are corrupt, and he said thank you to his fans for defending him, and he never denied spreading fear.

Here is the video from the town hall:

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After the crowd suggested that he should watch Glenn Beck, while screaming that they were afraid of Obama because he is a socialist. He said, “Here is what I suggest turn that television off when he comes on. Let me tell you why. Do you want to know why? He is treading on fear, and you know what here is what I think, if you tread on fear, you aren’t leading, you are following fearful people, so if you want to lead stop being fearful and move forward.”

Here is the audio of Beck courtesy of Media Matters:

Beck said, “There is something happening in America, and the first baseline, the first thing that people had to understand is that both sides are corrupt. That was the message in Common Sense. This is not about Barack Obama. This is not about the Democratic Party. This is about both sides. Has anybody seen the video of the Republican from South Carolina who said that you have to get away from Glenn Beck, and get away from his fear mongering? At the town hall meeting, did you see that? Somebody Tweeted it to me last night. It’s phenomenal. ”

He continued, “I Re-tweeted it if you will and said remember I am just a mouthpiece along with you for the GOP…Here is great example of how I am not a mouthpiece and neither are you. This is a town hall where they said hey, as a Republican you got to get away from Glenn Beck and all that fear he peddles, and the crowd went wild, and thank you, thank you, thank you, but it’s amazing to me how quickly people are waking up.”

I find it amazing that Glenn Beck managed to get message of Common Sense wrong, completely wrong. Paine did not argue in his pamphlet that both sides are corrupt. He made a powerful argument in plain spoken language to the American colonists against the monarchy and for independence. He wasn’t writing against both sides. He was clearly advocating for the colonists. Beck managed to warp and distort Paine’s message.

It is also fascinating that Beck did not deny fear mongering. Of course, he is fear mongering. He is not a mouthpiece for the GOP like Rush Limbaugh. Beck is a fringe conspiracy theorist, who doesn’t trust government. By watching the Inglis video, it is clear that many of the same people who tea bagged are showing up at these events.

I hope these folks continue their efforts because they are making the GOP look like an unruly mob. Once again though, the Republican Party has fallen into the trap of thinking that they can use the fringe right for their own political gain.

No matter what they do at these town halls, they aren’t going to stop healthcare reform. Democrats are going to pass the bill with or without Republicans, but in the end it really doesn’t matter because these people are going keep watching Beck and indulging in their conspiracy theory fantasies.