Spocko, Glenn Beck, and ABC

by Eric Boehlert

President George W. Bush's popularity has fallen to new lows, Democrats have been swept into office, and a strong majority of Americans now opposes the war in Iraq, but ABC has decided the time is right to beef up with more conservative pundits on staff and to strike out against a liberal online critic who raised questions about the network's policy of broadcasting hate radio.

Last week spotlighted ABC and its unfortunate trend toward irresponsibility, as the broadcasting giant hired Glenn Beck -- a high-profile war cheerleader known for grade-school level name-calling of Democrats -- to comment on the day's events for Good Morning America. ABC last week was also dealing with the messy fallout from its wrongheaded decision to fire off a cease-and-desist letter to a little-known blogger named Spocko who had been posting audio clips from KSFO in San Francisco, an ABC-owned talk station where hosts have advocated violence against, progressives, Muslims, and Democratic members of Congress.