UPDATED: Glenn Beck goes after Color of Change co-founder Van Jones

Glenn Beck used his popular Fox News show this afternoon to attack the background of Van Jones, a White House environmental advisor who co-founded an African American political advocacy group that organized an advertising boycott of his program.

During his 2 p.m. PDT show, Beck did not address the boycott spearheaded by Color of Change to protest the talk show host’s remark last month that he believes President Obama is “a racist.” 

Instead, he spent a large share of his program suggesting that Jones, who co-founded Color of Change in 2005, is a radical. Jones now serves as a special advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

During a six-minute biographical profile, set to ominous music, Beck said Jones was twice arrested for political protests and has described himself as a "rowdy black nationalist." The talk show host cast the piece as part of a broader examination of Obama's "czars," special advisers to the president who "don't answer to anybody."

"Why is it that such a committed revolutionary has made it so high into the Obama administration as one of his chief advisers?" Beck asked.

Christine Glunz, a spokeswoman for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, noted that Jones has been lauded as an environmental hero and said his entire focus is on “building clean energy incentives which create 21st-century jobs.”

“Glenn Beck is trying to change the subject,” said James Rucker, executive director of Color of Change, who noted that Jones has not been active with the group in almost two years. “The issue is his baseless fear mongering.”

Beck has gone after Jones in the past. On July 28, he called the activist a "self-professed communist" and questioned the role he was playing in the administration. His latest assault on Jones came as Color of Change announced that it has secured commitments from 36 companies who have pledged not to advertise on Beck’s popular program, including Wal-Mart and Sprint. However, some of the companies never had a presence on "Glenn Beck." Representatives of Procter & Gamble and AT&T – listed by Color of Change as companies that had signed onto the boycott – told The Times that their companies did not run spots on Beck’s program to begin with.

While the advertising boycott has generated substantial media coverage, Fox News said it has not impacted the network’s revenues or Beck’s audience. "The advertisers referenced have all moved their spots from Beck to other programs on the network so there has been no revenue lost," a spokeswoman said.

Since his Fox News show launched in January, Beck has attracted a sizable audience with his strident denunciations of the Obama administration and apocalyptic warnings about the country’s direction. Late last month, during an appearance on the morning show “Fox & Friends,” he accused Obama of having “a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.”

“This guy is, I believe, a racist,” he added.

The flap that ensued did not appear to dampen Beck’s viewership. This month, his show has averaged 2.25 million viewers, 99% more than tuned in during the same period last year, when the network aired “America’s Election HQ” during the time period. And his ratings are up from July, when Beck's program averaged 2.05 million viewers. Fan websites such as Defend Glenn have called for viewers to fight back against the advertising boycott, and some media veterans have denounced the tactic as a suppression of free speech.

The controversy has triggered a broader discussion about the risks to advertisers of running commercials amid the incendiary rhetoric of cable talk shows. Clorox announced last week that it was pulling its ads off all political talk shows.

"We do not want to be associated with inflammatory speech used by either liberal or conservative talk show host,” the company said in a statement. “After a comprehensive review of political talks shows across the spectrum, at this time we have made a decision not to advertise on them. Clorox has done very little advertising on political talk shows overall, and given the sometimes inflammatory nature of these shows, we feel our advertising investment is best directed elsewhere.”

-- Matea Gold

File photo of Glenn Beck by Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times

RELATED:

As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells

Comments

[Jim Vanderbleek]

The article above must have been written by a liberal media individual. Get off the boycott issue and focus on the facts about Van Jones. This individual sittith at the right hand of God (Obamam)and just take a look at his past. Every person reading this note is making decisions based on your past experiences in life. It is what makes you who you are today. For the author of the above article to say "he has not been involved in this org. for 2 years"...wake up!

All of the information that Glenn presented is public knowledge. He did not make this stuff up. He just did his homework.
Clear your lenses and forget about the boycott, that is peanuts compared to what is going on in the White House.

[S. B.]

The funny thing is that people like Beck and Limbaugh, who make millions a year, are laughing themselves all the way to the bank and investing their money in the same economy they denounce. They have completely perfected the art of preaching to the common man, yet they couldn't be more opposite than "common".

[KMH]

if you saw the show you would realize it had nothing to do with hate. you are totally missing the point of what was said. and, most importantly, you would stop with the national socialist party(NAZI) comparisons. the only ones that are seemingly on that path are the ones that are currently greatly increasing the executive branch's authority by leaps and bounds. you should really pay attention and find sources other than this to get your news.

[bditman]

Any way you look at it, this "Czar" thing is scary. Who are these people? Where do they fit in - in terms of money passing to politicians? It's just scary - period. They do not work for your or me or the American people - they work for special interests, and the money flows to pay off our elected officials.

[Rick]

I think it would be pretty cool if Obama + friends were actually communists. Too bad the American population is too stupid to understand what that idea really means; and that Obama (like Bushy) are corporatists.

Big sigh.

[Chagrined]

Glen Beck is part of the vulgarization of America! Glen Beck seems to have a problem with African Americans. He vilifies African American organizations and attempts to diminish them, but only diminishes himself. African Americans fought, sacrificed and died for our Democracy and Constitutional freedoms that Glen Beck's people immigrated to their country to enjoy. If Beck has a problem with African Americans, he should return to his Catholic country. Of course Rupert Murdoch is an immigrant who kept a bust of Lenin on his mantelpiece at Oxford and referred to Lenin in his letters home as "The Great Thinker."
Thomas Jefferson stated that the greatest threat to our Democracy is ignorance. Glen Beck and ignorance are synonymous!

[hellohidE]

I just have one thing to say; this is pathetic. Beck is right, as are all of the hosts on Fox News. There is a reason MSNBC ranks so low. I keep reading blog posts by libs that state things such as, conservatives lack intellectual intelligence, or we are crazy Hitler loving racists- give it up! I graduated with my MBA Magna Cum Laude last week thank you very much! I also come from a family of conservatives who all have Graduate degrees. I was a registered democrat for 11 years until I woke up. I will no longer utilize the products or services of ANY of the companies that pulled their ads; they too are drinking the Obama Kool-Aid! UGH, I feel so bad for my children, this administration has already made such a mess of everything. I just LOVE how colorofchange.org is asking for donations for their "movement;" please wake up people. Van Jones, you sir appear to be the racist. Stop playing the race card people, Beck said what he said AFTER Obama himself said the Cambridge police acted "stupidly." Stop the liberal insanity!

[anonymoose]

NKM: Believe it or not, the black man was better off as an investment (one that was well taken care of by most owners.) than to be killed by diseases and tribal warfare in Africa in those times.

Not to say their being taken advantage of in some cases is a good thing, but it is much preferable to death. "Slavery" was preservation. The world (black AND white, and everyone else) has benefited from what followed after the time of slavery; the education and preservation of the African race. (Carver, King, King Jr. Only to name a few)

Are there white racists? Yes. Are there black racists? You'd better believe it. Racism will always exist, always has, always will. It did not spawn out of the "rape of the negroes by the white man" .

The fact is, racism is fueled by the uneducated masses on both ends of the hatred. Blacks who refuse to be educated because they want to revert back to tribal (gang) lifestyles. Whites who don't understand what slavery was; not cruelty, but an investment.

Race has nothing to do with evil, evil is evil no matter who it takes the form of. And stupid is the same way; Obama has some stupid policies, not because he's black (anyone who plays the race card is the true racist.) Bush had some, every president has. Just like stupid exists in white and black in the senate and congress.

I'm so tired of the race war.

[jch]

Jones is black; therefore, no questions may be "axed" as they will be considered racist. [Glad to help!]

[MissButterfly]

Although I'm very conservative, but Glenn Beck has been too much of a "chicken little" drama queen for me. Since liberal groups are going after him - amazing how they only believe in free speech for themselves! - I watched him today and will probably do so at times in the future.
There's no doubt that Obama has picked not only the MOST czars, but the most bizarre and un-American - I can't believe what revolting people he's got advising him!

[Rick H.]

Vastly more people watch Glenn Beck than watch the kooks on msbsc. Libs can't stand being called out for what they are.

[sharon]

Who's Glen Beck?

[SM]

It really is too bad that the youth of the 60's grew up to be such fools. Perhaps the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll led to blindness at an established age.

All Beck is doing is questioning authority. Something many of you have forgotten.

Wake up and get past your indoctrinated guilt.

BTW: the LA Times seems to be going broke with the US treasury. Reading this defensive slant gives me pause for what once was a great read.

[glenn manglona]

Kazu means we have the same name. No offense but are you German? It seems your questionnaire and comments on the air are of German mindset. Very unamerican if you ask me.

[Reg]

Tom I'll answer that question: A racist has the ability
to prevent a human being opportunities to progress and
contribute to the nomenclature in a positive manner.
Fear is the biggest reason racist's are allowed to exist.

Tom the only time a Black / Minority has the "power" to
be an racist is when they deny other human beings /
Americans their right to pursue Happiness.

In most cases Tom you need "old money" for that too
happen and Blacks n Minorities just weren't at the Table
during the Founding of this Nation.

[Dean]

I sure hope the new health program has a mental health segment for people like Beck and his sheep who are in major need of some kind of treatment.

[Frank Chance]

Last week the president was a nazi and compared Hitler. This week, he's a racist.Who know's what the new catch phrase will be next week. Oh yeah, Glenn Beck has a ton of loyal followers......that just goes to show how many ignorant sheep there are in this country. Glenn says it....you believe it! Rush says it.....you believe it! It makes no difference, black or white. When you have nothing else to encite the masses, play the race card! And let's not forget,Hitler and the nazis spread their poisonous form of nationalism by spreading false propaganda and giving the majority a common enemy........history does repeat itself after all.....

[fredyt3]

Poor Beck is simply part of the 49% who didn't support candidate Obama and they will forever spew whatever hatred or divisive their minds can imagine. Somebody should wake them up because the last I checked President Obama is going about his business trying to get us back on track.........and surely you don't resolve the mess he inherited in 4 - 8 months, it takes years.
Beck and those like him are very predictable - they are seeking a reaction and in case some forgot - Palin tried the same antic, unfortunately she was preaching to the choir or those who would have supported her regardless.
I wonder what would happen if we, even the likes of Beck pulled together as one and truly supported our nation???????

[The GhostPony]

Faux News.

For folks too lazy to exercise their minds.

[Georeg]

This man is vile and disgusting and more reason I will not watch CNN and I am working with determination to dissuade my friends to not watch or view CNN until this racist is off the air. Like the fanatics at town hall meetings this wicked group of haters and racist are a cancer on this nation. They are the threat to Democracy and Freedom.