Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Monday, November 1, 2010

BECK AND FOX TARGET LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WOMAN WHO CONSEQUENTLY RECEIVED DEATH THREATS

Think about this as you enter the voting booth.  These are the people who want to take back America.

From ThinkProgress:

Woman Receives Death Threats Days After Beck Targets Her On His Show


The League of Women Voters has filed complaints with police in Evanston, IL and the FBI saying that one of their officials has been targeted by death threats relating to a candidatess debate she moderated last week. Kathy Tate-Bradish was a volunteer moderator at the October 21 debate in the state’s 8th District and sparked conservative outrage when she expressed what was perceived as “lukewarm” support for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.


Just as the debate was about to begin, an audience member asked Tate-Bradish whether the pledge would be recited. When she “explained the pledge was not scheduled to begin the event, almost all in the crowd of more than 300 stood and enthusiastically recited it anyway.” Tate-Bradish recited the pledge as well, but told the crowd afterwards that the Pledge is not typically recited at candidate debates moderated by the League.


Within a few days, Tate-Bradish went from an unknown local League official to a right-wing villain, thanks to Fox News host Glenn Beck, who devoted a significant portion of his October 25 show to attacking her personally:

The FBI told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald that Tate-Bradish’ complaint has been received and “is receiving due consideration.” League of Women Voters Illinois Executive Director Jan Czarnik, who filed the complaint, told the FBI that Tate-Bradish had been “turned into a cause celebre by Glenn Beck and Fox News.” Czarnik provided the FBI death threats posted on the Internet against Tate-Bradish, and “reported menacing posts on Fox News Channel’s Facebook page and Beck’s website, The Blaze.”



Joel Cheatwood, an executive who oversees Beck’s show, issued a statement yesterday saying, “We’re not going to comment on something that’s hypothetical as we have not heard about this complaint.”

BECK: We wanted to look at the moderator, Kathy Tate-Bradish, from the League of Women Voters. Oh, she sounds so neutral and everything. I mean, she’s even neutral on the Pledge, apparently — just a typical woman voter trying to get the truth out. No, not so much — not so much.



She is on fire for Obama. She is a big-time Obama supporter. In fact, so much so, she’s part of his Organizing for America arm. Hmm. She’s even hosted campaign event in her home in 2007, part of her post on OFA’s, Organizing for America Web site, “Hope Action Change.”
The FBI told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald that Tate-Bradish’ complaint has been received and “is receiving due consideration.” League of Women Voters Illinois Executive Director Jan Czarnik, who filed the complaint, told the FBI that Tate-Bradish had been “turned into a cause celebre by Glenn Beck and Fox News.” Czarnik provided the FBI death threats posted on the Internet against Tate-Bradish, and “reported menacing posts on Fox News Channel’s Facebook page and Beck’s website, The Blaze.”



Joel Cheatwood, an executive who oversees Beck’s show, issued a statement yesterday saying, “We’re not going to comment on something that’s hypothetical as we have not heard about this complaint.”


Update:   Mary Schaafsma, the issues and advocacy coordinator for the Illinois League, told ThinkProgress this afternoon that the only reason Tate-Bradish resisted reciting the Pledge was because it had not been included in the debate format, which the candidates had agreed to ahead of time, noting that the League has been doing candiate forums and debates like the one Beck highlighted "for decades." She also said that following the threats, the League locked the doors to its Chicago offices for several days and alerted the building management of the possible threat. “I’ve been working in politics and nonprofits for a long long time and I never seen this level and pitch of vitriol,” she said.





8 comments:

Charlene said...

I think the people who personally target a people are not patriots. Saying the pledge does not make you a positive force for America. Visceral reaction to something without enough information to correctly know why, assuming its some negative thing against you, is ignorance.

I pray we get a group of Congress members who work for the citizens of America. I'm afraid even prayer cannot save us and these loud rude people will get the government they are asking for.

By 2012 our President Barack Obama will be elected again in a landside.

Sue said...

wow what a story! Glenn Beck is showing us sane Americans he is the devil every time he opens his sickening, hateful, ugly mouth!

Saying the Pledge of Allegiance at a debate?? This is not elementary school!! Shaw I can hardly hold back my anger anymore and not say "f**kers"!!

Shaw Kenawe said...

I think you're correct, Charlene.

At least I'm hoping you are.

I'm still trying to get my head around Mitch McConnell's statement that the MOST IMPORTANT thing for the Republicans is to make sure Barack Obama is a one-term president.

I keep reading that and throwing up.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Sue, it's okay. We'll weather this insane time and come out just fine.

Leslie Parsley said...

Nothing like a little McCarthy type intimidation. What absolute morons.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Shaw,

Kicking women, handcuffing reporters, physical intimidation, threats of violence, ripping up political signs and shoving citizens at a political rally ... this is far worse than McCarthyism. This is late Weimar Republic (and we all know how this story ended).

This weekend, I listed my condo for sale. I have made my decision. I am moving to Europe.

TAO said...

Lets start a LIBERAL militia....

Shaw Kenawe said...

(O)CT(O),

I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there nothing that will change your mind?

TAO,

Who would we get to form the militia? And even if that were possible the "Liberal Militia" would spend all its time worrying about who not to offend.