Bill Bennett on Glenn Beck's CPAC
remarks about the Republican Party

I love Bill Bennett. He makes so much sense, all the time, as far as I'm concerned. He posted an article today at "the corner," a blog for NRO (National Review Online). He's pretty much not too happy that Glenn Beck is bashing the Republicans as some kind of "Democrat-lite" group. I saw Beck's speech at CPAC--twice. He is a hugely talented guy, so comfortable talking in front of an audience. He also reads a lot and has educated himself--and that's laudable. However, as Bennett says in the article, he doesn't seem to be very good at listening to people around him. Hey Beck--take a breath. Maybe even take a month or so off.

The entire article, "Saturday Night Beck," is worth the read. Here are some quotes from it.

Glenn is among the best talkers in the business of broadcast. I am not sure he’s a very good listener.

Does Glenn truly believe there is no difference between a Tom Coburn, for example, and a Harry Reid or a Charles Schumer or a Barbara Boxer? Between a Paul Ryan or Michele Bachmann and a Nancy Pelosi or Barney Frank?

A year ago, we were told the Republican party and the conservative movement were moribund. Today they are ascendant, and it is the left and the Democratic party that are on defense — even while they are in control. That’s quite an amazing achievement. But anyone who knows the history of this country and its political movements should not be surprised. America has a long tradition of antibodies that kick in. From Carter we got Reagan. And from Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama we took back a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, with midterm elections on the horizon that Republicans and conservatives are actually excited about, not afraid of.

The first task of a serious political analyst is to see things as they are. There is a difference between morning and night. There is a difference between drunk and sober. And there is a difference between the Republican and Democratic parties. To ignore these differences, or propagate the myth that they don’t exist, is not only discouraging, it is dangerous.

Excellent article. Beck's thesis of late, the drum he keeps incessantly banging, especially on his television show, is this one:  a pox on all your houses. Frankly, I don't think that's terribly helpful. Yes, the Republicans and Bush made mistakes. However, to lump all Washington politicians together into the same wrong-headed group seems like lazy thinking. Beck, I love ya, but you need to sharpen up.