Yesterday, CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck joined in on the right-wing meme that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) may be a Marxist. As proof, Beck showed his guest, National Review contributing editor Jonah Goldberg, some things he had “found on the Internet.” These “things” included a poster of Obama that looked like “revolutionary art” and one of his campaign workers allegedly with a Che Guevara flag.
But perhaps the most ridiculous moment came when Beck pulled out a hat one of his listeners had sent him. The winter hat had earflaps and a red star, similar to Soviet insignia. It also said, “Obama ’08.” Watch it:
As ThinkProgress first reported, former House speaker Tom DeLay also yesterday went on Mike Gallagher’s radio show and said, “I have said publicly, and I will again, that unless he [Obama] proves me wrong, he is a Marxist.”
In April, after Obama made his now-infamous “bitter” remarks, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol claimed in his New York Times column that it was a reiteration of “Marx’s famous statement about religion.” Karl Rove agreed, calling the comments “almost Marxian.” Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told Fox News Radio that it was “a good question” to ask if Obama is “a Marxist,” though he said he would “hesitate” to call him one himself.
(HT: TP commenter Mary)
BECK: Right. I want to — I want to show you some things that I found on the Internet. And I don`t know if you`ve noticed this. But if you look at the art work and even we have a picture here of one of the people that worked in his office. I think it was in Houston. Look at the art work here.
This is Soviet art. This is revolutionary art. And here`s one of his campaign workers with a Che flag. Socialism is cool right now. Right or wrong?
GOLDBERG: Oh, well, unfortunately, I don`t think it`s ever been uncool for people on the left. It`s a very strange thing. You know, Hugo Chavez is very popular. Che Guevara is very popular. Castro is still very popular.
And a lot of these posters that we see for Barack really come from the sort of liberation theology, left-wing sort of…
BECK: I know.
GOLDBERG: … where he`s a messiah-like figure. [...]
Jonah Goldberg, editor of “National Review” online, author of “Liberal Fascism,” joins me again.
Jonah, we were talking earlier that socialism is cool. A listener actually sent me this hat. It`s cold in here. Anyway, that socialism is cool now. These celebrities flock to people like Chavez. Why? Are they just stupid? Are they — do they know what they`re doing? Do they know who they`re embracing?[...]
GOLDBERG: And it`s — it`s — fine. Free speech. But that doesn`t mean these people are courageous for doing it. Like you are for that hat.
BECK: I`m going to have to tell you, I can`t think of anybody, Jonah, that, you know, you`d be afraid to speak out about. You know, here in America.
GOLDBERG: Well, if you can wear that hat, you can do anything.
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