Video and Commentary: Glenn Beck jokes about the political assassination of Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Glenn Beck betrays his own words with his most recent TV segment.

Glenn Beck was trying, and I stress trying, to be funny in a recent airing of his show in which he mocks Nancy Pelosi.  In the video clip which can be seen below Beck is having wine with someone impersonating House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).  Beck continually mocks Speaker Pelosi which is not unusual or even out-of-line but he then proceeds to go somewhere no one with a large audience should go.  Beck tells the "fake" Speaker Pelosi.

So, Speaker Pelosi, I just wanted to -- you gonna drink your wine? Are you blind? Do those eyes not work? There you -- I want you to drink it now. Drink it. Drink it. Drink it."

and he then proceeds to tell her in a "joking" fashion,

By the way, I put poison in your -- no, I -- I look forward to all the policy discussions that we're supposed to have"

I know conservatives may say he was just having some fun and that we should not take things so seriously.  After all, people made jokes about President Bush as well and all is fair in love and politics right?  Wrong.

First, there are some things which are unacceptable even if you are "joking."  These things are simply out-of-bounds even when it comes to comedy.  Off the top of my head those things would include cancer, abortion, fallen soldiers, and the victims of 9/11.  Suppose Bill Maher made a joke about a soldier being killed in Afghanistan.  Would conservatives really consider it a valid defense if afterwards Maher said "why can't you all just take joke?"  I think not.  Beck's humor is particularly dangerous given the current political atmosphere which in part is being created by Beck, Limbaugh, and other conservative commentators.  It is not a matter to be joking about when Congressional offices are receiving faxes with death threats. 

As for the "they did it to Bush too" defense.  First, whatever shameful depictions or threats were made against President Bush do not make similar depictions and threats acceptable toward President Obama or Speaker Pelosi.  All such threats should be condemned.  Conservatives were right to complain about depictions of President Bush as a blood sucking vampire.  Liberals do not lose the right to complain about Obama joker posters simply because of what some radicals in the past did to Bush.  Finally, I can not think of any incident in the Bush era when a liberal commentator the level of Beck made such a "joke" involving political assassination.  Beck has an audience of millions this is not some random blogger spouting off about killing a politician. This is a man many conservatives trust and admire.  If anyone can think of a similar incident in the Bush era please make a note in the comment section and please provide some source we can all refer to.

Regardless, Beck would be better off listening to his own show just a few days earlier in which he encouraged a civil and polite debate on health care reform.  There is nothing civil or polite about advocating your opponent be poisoned even if you are joking. 

The two clips (Beck advocating non-violence and joking about poisoning Speaker Pelosi) can be watched below.  The "poison" joke is in the second half of the clip.