Beck, Palin to restore honor to 9/11 by cashing in with $225 "meet and greet"

[witness23]

At least its going to a good cause.......oops, nope, guess not.

link:http://mediamatters.org/blog/201009080028
September 08, 2010 2:33 pm ET by Will Bunch

September 11 is a very important day for Glenn Beck. For one thing, the king of all right-wing media talks about it all the time -- more on that in a second. What's more, the horrors of Sept. 11, 2001, are pretty much what made the Fox News Channel host into the national lightning rod that he is today. It was the vehicle that caused him to complete his journey from a Morning Zoo "rodeo clown" to a political guy who suddenly was replacing the so-9/10 Laura Schlessinger on radio outlets coast to coast and then leading a series of transparently self-serving honoring-the-troops rallies for Clear Channel.

But Beck has talked a lot about 9/11 over nine years -- and with the highly notable exception of his bizarre September 2005 attack on the family members of victims of the terrorist attack, the emphasis has been on extreme reverence for that day in American history. When he was getting off the ground on FNC, he used the images of 9/11 to launch project he claimed would bring Americans back together.

As recounted in my new book The Backlash, he said of the attacks on his now infamous March 13, 2009, "We Surround Them" program:

"[t]he skies were filled with black clouds and our hearts were full of terror and fear. We realized -- for the first time -- how fragile we really were." As Beck addressed his coast-to-coast audience, viewers saw images of anguished, tearful women, head in hands, mouths agape, staring at the hellish fires of the World Trade Center, then a mother racing down a Manhattan byway pushing two children in a stroller, away from the deadly dust.

The 9/12 Project, which devolved in a matter of days into an anti-Barack Obama backlash movement, was described by Beck as aimed:

to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and the principles of the greatest nation ever created.

In fact, Beck even told his much ballyhooed Restoring Honor rally in D.C. last month that 9/11 was a sign from the Almighty, presumably to turn Americans away from things like greed and back to the things that really matter:

BECK: He has been sending us wake-up calls, and you can send two kinds of wake-up calls. One through fear, like 9/11. Nine-eleven woke us up, and we stood shoulder-to-shoulder for a very short period of time. Politics didn't matter. Color didn't matter. It didn't matter if you were poor or if you were rich. We were Americans together. Beyond that, we were God's human creation standing together.

So, with that all as a backdrop, what matters the most to Glenn Beck on September 11, 2010, the ninth anniversary of the day that terrorists slaughtered nearly 3,000 innocent Americans and ripped apart the lives of their families and friends?

Cashing in, apparently.

In Palinland, of all places.

The spiritual guru of the 9-12 Project will be marking the anniversay of 9-11 along with his new best friend Sarah Palin with a high-priced (and as far as the actual program goes, somewhat mysterious) event at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The potential event has been rumored and discussed under the radar for days, possibly even as the launch of a Palin 2012 presidential bid.

But apparently, in the immortal words of Steve Martin in "The Jerk," it's yet another "profit deal" for the two leading high-def hucksters of the right wing. According to the Ticketmaster page, tickets for this solemn 9-11 commemoration run from a low of $73 to a top price of $130, and that's not all. There's also $225 for a special meet-and-greet with Beck (and possibly with Palin), so that die-hard (and not economically struggling) Beck fans can wish him a happy 9-11 in person.

If there's a contradiction or some sort of irony in cashing in over 9-11, that seems to have eluded the hosts. Palin wrote this week on her Facebook page: "We can count on Glenn to make the night interesting and inspiring, and I can think of no better way to commemorate 9/11 than to gather with patriots who will 'never forget.' "

Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Truth be told, outrageous as Beck's latest scheme is, it's almost hard to work up the outrage at this point because to those of us who aren't drinking the David Barton-fueled Kool-Aid, this is simply who Beck is: One of the most shameless businesspeople in America, who happens to be in the business of entertainment and warping some minds politically in the process. Beck has millions of fans -- and to him they are all walking ATM machines. He thinks nothing of selling the people who admire him overpriced gold coins or surivial seed banks and "Food Insurance" kits, none of which they need, and almost every Beck event not named "Restoring Honor" is designed around maximizing ticket prices.

That's why Glenn Beck made $32 million last year and Sarah Palin made $12 million in a matter of months.

The only difference is that this time it's 9/11.

And Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin are open for business 365 days a year.

 

[greg334]

So Witness,
Let me ask you this.

If it is a big deal for beck and palin to speak and get paid, then is it is big deal for people cashing in on 9/11 through a number of things that the feds did for them?

I am not talking about the children or spouses but the parents of married victims, the cousins, the sisters and brothers - all of them not dependent on the victim's income. If you get killed in an auto accident, the insurance does not pay the entire extended family for the loss, do they?

The other issue is why did the federal government compensate everyone in the first place, they failed to protect US citizens within our borders before and after - ever hear of the crime caused by our open border?

And a third issue could be that why is this any different than the people who sold their phone pictures and photos for 10s of thousands of dollars and those others who are selling other things, like tee shirts, stickers and so on - isn't that all cashing in on a tragedy?

Not belittling this national disaster but it seems when we see at least some attempt to gather people so not to forget the lessons learned by any means, there are some who look at the messenger and not the message and make everything about the event cheap and superficial. 9/11 has been hijacked by the people who wanted some sort of monument, those who cashed in long ago and those who think they own it for themselves. Mediamatters only brings the cheapness to the event.

 

[witness23]

So Witness,
Let me ask you this.

If it is a big deal for beck and palin to speak and get paid, then is it is big deal for people cashing in on 9/11 through a number of things that the feds did for them?

Yes.

I am not talking about the children or spouses but the parents of married victims, the cousins, the sisters and brothers - all of them not dependent on the victim's income.

If the Federal Govt. paid out cousins, sisters and brothers I am not aware of that, not saying they didn't, but do you have a link showing those allegations?

If you get killed in an auto accident, the insurance does not pay the entire extended family for the loss, do they?

Not sure. I am pretty sure you could find some case law out there where an insurance company has had to do just that.

The other issue is why did the federal government compensate everyone in the first place, they failed to protect US citizens within our borders before and after - ever hear of the crime caused by our open border?

My comprehension skills are failing me right now, I'm having a hard time figuring out what you are asking. Is it, should the Govt. compensate the victims because the Govt. failed to protect our civilians? Also, I have not heard of the "crime caused by our open borders." I did find this interesting site though on how they came up with compensating 9/11 victims and families and how it should be handled if, God forbid, we have a future terrorist attack.

RAND | Compensating the Victims of 9/11

And a third issue could be that why is this any different than the people who sold their phone pictures and photos for 10s of thousands of dollars and those others who are selling other things, like tee shirts, stickers and so on - isn't that all cashing in on a tragedy?

Yes. You are comparing two multi-millionaires to street vendors though. Either way, me personally, I don't agree with either.

Not belittling this national disaster but it seems when we see at least some attempt to gather people so not to forget the lessons learned by any means

I wouldn't accuse you of belittling the terrorist act, and there is nothing wrong with the gathering people of this country to remember that tragic day in our history, it should be done for remembrance of the events that happened on 9/11 every year.

there are some who look at the messenger and not the message?

Oh believe me, I am looking at the message and the messengers, that's the whole jist of the story. As mentioned before, Beck and Palin are Multi-Millionaires, so why sell tickets to an event remembering one of the most tragic days in our countries young history? Especially at $73 to $130 and the $250 meet and greet tickets that are going right into the pockets of Beck and Palin. I wouldn't be surprised if they come out before the event and name some sort of charity that a portion of the money is going to. If they are such Patriots then get together and do it pro bono and donate all proceeds to the families of the victims of 9/11. As of yet, that has not happened. Unfortunately I do not have the time to go over how this is wrong in so many ways.

Mediamatters only brings the cheapness to the event.

I would say that Beck and Palin are cheapning the event itself.

 

[cheri1122]

Witness: thanks for the link. Lots of food for thought!

 

[Pilgrim]

Not sure. I am pretty sure you could find some case law out there where an insurance company has had to do just that.

I doubt it. The extended family would only get money if they were listed as beneficiaries of the policy.

...Also, I have not heard of the "crime caused by our open borders."

You're kidding - Next time you're in El Paso, Laredo or Nogales pick up a local newspaper.

Oh believe me, I am looking at the message and the messengers, that's the whole jist of the story. As mentioned before, Beck and Palin are Multi-Millionaires, so why sell tickets to an event remembering one of the most tragic days in our countries young history? Especially at $73 to $130 and the $250 meet and greet tickets that are going right into the pockets of Beck and Palin. I wouldn't be surprised if they come out before the event and name some sort of charity that a portion of the money is going to. If they are such Patriots then get together and do it pro bono and donate all proceeds to the families of the victims of 9/11. As of yet, that has not happened. Unfortunately I do not have the time to go over how this is wrong in so many ways.

Fact is, at this point in time we don't know what they plan on doing with the proceeds from this event. One thing we do know is that the funds raised from Beck's Restoring Honor rally in DC went to the Special Operations Freedom Foundation; neither Beck nor Sarah Palin got a dime - this was conveniently ignored in the article. It seems this entire article is based on unfounded speculation. The liberal bias of Media Matters has become so extreme of late that they're no more credible than MoveOn.Org. Why don't we wait until we know for sure what they plan on doing with the proceeds before starting the usual attacks; if it turns out they're pocketing the money from the 911 event they deserve all the criticism that comes their way, but I seriously doubt that will be the case.

 

[witness23]

Witness: thanks for the link. Lots of food for thought!

You're welcome.

 

[witness23]

You're kidding - Next time you're in El Paso, Laredo or Nogales pick up a local newspaper.

I should've been more specific, I am aware of it, just not concerning the attacks on 9/11.

Fact is, at this point in time we don't know what they plan on doing with the proceeds from this event.

That's the point of the story, we don't know what they are planning.....oooooohhh its a big secret, the suspense is killing me. Did you happen to listen to his program when his colleague's where questioning him about his intentions? I did, and it was ridiculous, I highly recommend listening to it. Would you pay $75 to $225 to see Beck and Palin (or anyone else for that matter) give a speech on the anniversary of 9/11 without knowing where the money is going and who it is benefiting? Wouldn't it be more fitting if they came out and said what their plans are for that day and what they were doing with the money? Don't you think they might get more people to show up? If they do not give every red cent(and not after all expenditures either) to some type of charity then they are exploiting 9/11 just as they are being accused of.

One thing we do know is that the funds raised from Beck's Restoring Honor rally in DC went to the Special Operations Freedom Foundation

Yeah, whatever was left over went to the foundation. The following is from Beck's page:

link: Restoring Honor - 8.28.10 Scroll down to the bottom of the page in the fine print you will find this.

All contributions made to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) will first be applied to the costs of the Restoring Honor Rally taking place on August 28, 2010. All contributions in excess of these costs will then be retained by the SOWF. Tax ID 52-1183585.

neither Beck nor Sarah Palin got a dime.

Are you sure about that? I will do some research, since we are discussing this I am curious just how much this event cost, how much went to the Special Ops Foundation and if anyone did get paid for showing up to the event.

if it turns out they're pocketing the money from the 911 event they deserve all the criticism that comes their way, but I seriously doubt that will be the case.

If you are Beck and Palin why leave it open for speculation? Because that's what they want. Beck and Palin are preying on the rubes that follow these two media s.

 

[greg334]

If the Federal Govt. paid out cousins, sisters and brothers I am not aware of that, not saying they didn't, but do you have a link showing those allegations?

The Feds made sure that it was a blanket coverage. Read the NY Times, lots and lots of little snippets of who was paid and why. There are cousins and aunts and uncles who were compensated.

My comprehension skills are failing me right now, I'm having a hard time figuring out what you are asking. Is it, should the Govt. compensate the victims because the Govt. failed to protect our civilians? Also, I have not heard of the "crime caused by our open borders." I did find this interesting site though on how they came up with compensating 9/11 victims and families and how it should be handled if, God forbid, we have a future terrorist attack.

First is what reasoning does the federal government need to be involved in compensating anyone on 9/11 outside of military personal at the pentagon?

I don't see any reasoning behind it, even though there is an accusation that the feds dropped the ball, there are more murders and crime happening because of their refusal to secure the border which is a basic sovereignty issue which is a h*ll of a lot more important to this country. If it was good enough for the 9/11 people, then tax relief, tax refunds, medical costs, education costs and other things should be afforded to all who are victims of an open border too.

Actually you know who started cheapening this, outside the media, it was clintons and Sandy Berger. It seems when we start playing the political game of trying to blame people and others simply work hard to cover it up and then you have selected families who were beating up on Bush but defending Berger and Clintons. All made it a big circus.

 

[Pilgrim]

Yeah, whatever was left over went to the foundation. The following is from Beck's page:
link: Restoring Honor - 8.28.10 Scroll down to the bottom of the page in the fine print you will find this.

It's standard operating procedure for fundraising events like this to cover their expenses first - this is nothing out of the ordinary.

Are you sure about that? I will do some research, since we are discussing this I am curious just how much this event cost, how much went to the Special Ops Foundation and if anyone did get paid for showing up to the event.

That's what they claimed, and it's more credible than the gratuitous assertions from Media Matters and other liberal attack sites. It was announced in July that Palin would not accept a speaking fee for the event. I still can't help but be amused at the assumptions made by the left wingers that proclaim the worst case with absolutely no substantiation whatsoever.

If you are Beck and Palin why leave it open for speculation? Because that's what they want. Beck and Palin are preying on the rubes that follow these two media s.

Typical liberal condescention; there sure were a lot of rubes at the Lincoln Memorial that day.

 

[LDB]

So $225 is a problem. How about $10,000? Is that a problem? I believe that's what the trainee in chief gets.

 

[Pilgrim]

Actually, the prices for those tickets are no more than those for the average rock concert. But I'll agree that Beck/Palin should be more up front about where the proceeds will go.

 

[witness23]

Actually, the prices for those tickets are no more than those for the average rock concert. But I'll agree that Beck/Palin should be more up front about where the proceeds will go.

Count to 10, 1,2,3,4,5......oooohhhmmmm. It's not a rock concert! We don't even know what it is, all we know is Beck is in Alaska and he and Palin are each going to give a speech! Don't you get it? It is self promotion on a tragic day in our history and they are taking full advantage of it. Okay, okay, count to ten.

I have more to say about this and the whole restoring honor rally since you brought it up, but it is late I have to get some sleep.

 

[Pilgrim]

OK, here's the distilled version of where we are on this: until it's officially made known where the proceeds from this event are to be allocated, the Beck/Palin bashing by you, Media Matters and the rest of the liberal hoi polloi is simply baseless conjecture; in other words, you all don't know WTF you're talking about.

There are many of us that think it's not unreasonable for politicians and public figures to remind us of the attack by these barbarians on its anniversary, and that we're still at war with these Islamofascists. Let's see what they're rally is all about and where their proceeds really go before firing off the potshots.

 

[greg334]

I'm trying to figure out why anyone would give a crap if they are going to use the money for something or pocket it. Unless they are making it a point to say this is for charity and then not giving a dime, then there isn't much of an issue.

Speaking engagement fee are sometimes outrageous, Clinton has made millions off of his, Gore - well that's another mess of millions. BUT it does not matter if Palin and Beck want to make money, they have marketed themselves in a area that is starving for people to speak.

 

[davekc]

This was posted before on another site, but here is the yahoo version.
People read too much into stuff.
He is donating his portion.
Representatives say Glenn Beck to donate fee - Yahoo! News

 

[greg334]

OMG Dave, I just got my tickets and they say that they are in Alaska, I thought with the BIG deal being made it was at the WTC site. Crap I can't go to Alaska, I just turn down a load going there to be in NYC.

 

[davekc]

Does make you wonder.

 

[Poorboy]

This was posted before on another site, but here is the yahoo version.
People read too much into stuff.
He is donating his portion.
Representatives say Glenn Beck to donate fee - Yahoo! News

Guess that about sums it up! Now the Beck bashers have to find something else to rag on him about

 

[muttly]

Guess that about sums it up! Now the Beck bashers have to find something else to rag on him about

Agree Poorboy. I figured this was a baseless claim by Witness. He keeps getting spoon fed info by Media Matters all the time and it usually bites him in the arse.

 

[greg334]

Actually it is not baseless, there is confirmation through an equally credible source which is equal to CBS and Dan Rather's reporting.