We’ve heard the various voices on the left that have hinted Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and talk radio were possible motivating factors that led Tucson shooting suspect Jared Loughner to go on a rampage earlier this month. And we’ve heard Sarah Palin’s response to her critics, but how does Beck feel about these allegations?
Beck appeared on Wednesday’s “Imus in the Morning” program on the Fox Business Network to promote the new book he co-authored with Keith Ablow, “The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life.” He was asked by host Don Imus how he felt about being blamed for the shooting.
“But I — I know — and when I read things, Frank Rich or these other people, Sarah Palin is — she’s fine,” Imus said. “But, what they are trying to blame what happened in Tucson on you, or on her or on right-wing radio, or whatever, or turns out now, left-wing radio. My question for you is how do you feel about that?”
According to Beck, he had been put through the ringer so much that he’s become immune to such attacks and finds solace in his company founded on “values and principles,” in addition to his financial standing.
“No, I have gotten to a place, they’ve said everything they could possibly say about me under the sun for the last two years,” Beck said. “I mean they blame me for everything and called me every name under the sun. You get angry and then you kind of go dead inside for a while and here’s the best thing. This year, I have completed — a company that is completely debt-free. We operate with values and principles that, you know, I think are above board. I can sleep at night. I have my family with me. And I have put into my bank account, I can go to New Zealand and live the rest of my life and pay for my kids’ college education and I don’t give a flying crap. I don’t care.”
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Beck elaborated on all his accomplishments over the last two years and told viewers his message has not been one of violence in his estimation. Imus said he viewed Beck as not being a bad person because of his sense of humor. Imus said he has never met a bad person with a sense of humor.
“Whether one agrees with you or not about taking our country back and getting all hysterical about socialism — that is irrelevant,” Imus said. “But, the thing about you, that I actually — I believe you are, one, a good person and, two, have a great sense of humor. I have never met anybody who had a great sense of humor, who was a bad person, ever. So, you were entitled to be wrong about everything which you are. But you’re not evil. You are not a bad person.”