Conservative blogger Charles Johnson of the site Little Green Footballs reported yesterday that Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 special election, signed a pledge to uphold Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project principles in Congress. The signed pledge is available online, and Hoffman touts his endorsement from the 9/12 organization on his website. Like the lobbyist-planned tea parties, the 9/12 Project is a creation of Beck, used to go after Beck’s liberal enemies and to organize hateful anti-Obama rallies.
Although there is a groundswell of far right tea party and Beck-inspired candidates running for office in 2010, very few Republicans running for Congress or Governor have signed the 9/12 pledge. Noting that he signed a document pledging his “sacred honor” to uphold Beck’s list of values and principles, Johnson aptly deems Hoffman “The Glenn Beck candidate.”
Right-wing bloggers have been apoplectic at Johnson for daring to observe the fact that Hoffman has been bowing to an extremist like Beck. They have written that Johnson must “hate America” and is “infused with Derangement Syndrome.”
But the 9/12 pledge isn’t the only pandering Hoffman has done to secure Beck’s enthusiastic support. Today on his radio program, Beck continued to nudge Hoffman to be more conservative. After being prodded by Beck to say climate change is not caused by human activity, Hoffman announced, “Well, I think there’s a lot of debate on there. I don’t believe that it’s totally manmade.” Beck cohost Pat Gray praised Hoffman’s lurch to the right, noting “he’s getting stronger every second.” Beck chimed in, agreeing, “He’s getting stronger, there it is, every second.” Hoffman then groveled:
PAT: Every second. What about
HOFFMAN: I have good mentors here.
GLENN: Wait, wait. Wait, wait. Are they mentors that will show —
HOFFMAN: I’m talking about you, Glenn.
GLENN: Oh, okay. I was going to say all right, as long as they are standing out from the shadows. […]
HOFFMAN: No. Yeah, well, I’m going to keep in touch with people like you so I don’t get infected with that disease.
Listen here:
The interview today was not the first time Hoffman has pleaded to Beck for his support. On the October 21 edition of his radio program, Beck quizzed Hoffman on his conservative credentials and even offered his own “cocktail” of immigration policy solutions, which Hoffman quickly accepted. During the program, Hoffman serenaded Beck with adoring rhetoric, telling him once that the Founding Fathers envisioned “people like you and me to stand up” and take control of government. He also told Beck that he is a member of his local 9/12 organization.
In the past few weeks, Beck has promoted Hoffman on multiple occasions, directing viewers to the Hoffman for Congress website and inviting Hoffman onto his Fox News television program to promote his candidacy. In a firm rejection of the national GOP’s efforts to recruit moderate candidates for the 2010 midterm elections, Hoffman is now encouraging other insurgent right-wing primary challengers to step up. Along with his corporate front group allies like FreedomWorks and Club for Growth, Beck promises to ensure a continued purging of moderates from the Republican Party.