Has Obama set the Presidential blame record?

June 14, 2012

Writer

Has any U.S. President ever been re-elected based on blaming his predecessor throughout his entire first term? That's the question Glenn asked the audience this morning on radio.

Just look at everything Obama has said over the past few years:

"I love listening to these guys give us lectures about debt and deficits. I inherited a trillion dollar deficit. We had a surplus. They turned it into a did he sit, built in a structural deficit that extends for decades."

"We inherited a trillion dollar deficit, we signed $2 trillion of spending cuts into law. I laid out a detailed plan for a total of $4 trillion of deficit reduction."

"My opponent won't admit it, but even when you count the steps we took to prevent a depression and jump start the economy, right, so, you include the recovery, all the stuff we did to help states like Maryland-"

And perhaps most importantly: If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition.

"He's been in office now for 1200 and some days and he is still blaming George W. Bush nearly day and on many occasion, more than -- he's look a cuckoo clock. George Bush, George Bush, George Bush. Every hour on the hour, George Bush. He's used the inherited excuse over and over again. Not my fault, not my fault. Must be 1:00," Glenn said.

"His surrogates have used it over and over and over again on each of those days. It's possible that we have heard this excuse from this administration with all of its different forms and all of its different messengers about 10000 times. It is absolutely possible that that's about how many times you say a line often enough and people start to believe it and, yet, people don't believe it."

"Has any U.S. President ever been reelected based on blaming his predecessor throughout his entire first term? Has any President ever been reelected who said, four years later, It's his fault? This is just incredible."

"The other issue with what you just heard is it's just a pack of lies. Now, I realize that most Americans don't believe or don't want to believe that their President would just come out and blatantly lie to their faces, but the effect is -- and this is one of the things that separate the men from the boys, the weaklings from the cowards -- is when you have the truth, no matter how ugly it is, no matter how much you don't want to agree with it, the truth is the truth and as much as we don't want to believe the President would blatantly lie the to our face, the President is lying to us and he's not the first. You have Nixon that lied to us. You have, you know -- you have poor dear old Clinton who lied to his wife and lied to us."

"Now, can any rational American accept what he is saying here? Because we're not talking about an affair with some intern I did not have -- we're talking about I did not raise this $5 trillion deficit. I didn't do it. Now, you did and it's math. We're not having to look for cigars or stains. It's math. He's been saying that he's spending money at the slowest rate in 60 years. That's incredible. The debt when Bush left office was $10,626,000,000. Bush increased it by $5 trillion in eight years. This program was strongly opposed to the debt and the deficit. The out of control spending, strongly against the out of control spending and named names and were held -- we're holding the feet of George Bush, his administration, on this issue to the fire almost every day, to the expense of listenership because when the election started, nobody wanted to hear it."

"So, what's the bottom line on the debts these two Presidents have rung up? I can't believe we're actually having to spell this out for Americans. Bush ran up an average of $410 billion deficit spending per year. Obama is running up an average of $1.413 trillion per year. Again, one of these numbers is bigger than the other. Bush, $410 billion deficit spending, out of control. As President Obama said, it's unpatriotic, it's unAmerican at $410 billion a year. Obama, $1.413 trillion a year. Hum. So, that's just a tad more than a trillion dollars more than Bush."

" Numbers don't lie but politicians do."

"Here's some other staggering facts that the American people are now starting to get their arms around and there's no way to blame anybody else," he continued. "The real U.S. budget deficit in 2011, the real budget deficit in 2011 would have been $5 trillion if it weren't for Obama, you know, using all of the crafty mathematics accounting techniques that you and I would go to jail for. Now, it's not -- it's not just him. Bush used those same crafty -- this is a politician thing. However, that's what allows him to spin the numbers. The real deficit was $5 trillion in 2011. If you can't cook the books, if they did the budget the way you have to do it, the way I have to do it, in one year we were another $5 trillion in the hole. At this point the Federal Reserve is essentially monetizing most of the U.S. national debt. For example, Federal Reserve bought up approximately 61% of all the government debt issued by the U.S. Treasury department during 2011. Think of that. Where are they getting that money? How do they possibly have enough money to do that? The Federal -- the Federal Reserve has enough money to lend the largest debtor and the largest spender in global history? Wow, that's a sweet business. They're -- they must be thrifty. They must be saving their pennies for a very long time. The amount of money that the Federal Government gives directly to persons under Barack Obama has increased by 32%. That's why they're confident that you will vote for him. Today an astounding 49.1% of Americans live in a home where at least one person receives benefits from the government, almost half of us. Shockingly, 48% of all Americans are either considered to be low income or living in poverty under Barack Obama. Not George Bush, under Barack Obama. 48% of us are living in poverty? Real median household income has decreased $4,300 since Obama took office. Your salary is getting lower and they're depreciating the money at the same time. There are now over 46 million Americans on food stamps. There were 32 million when Bush left office, this apparently a good and healthy thing for the Obama team, since they're running commercials to try to ad to that total."

"When George Bush left office, the average price of gasoline was $1.85. Today it's 3.59. Housing prices are down 35%. Official unemployment rate has been positive above 8% for 40 straight months. There are 88 million working age Americans that are currently not employed and are not looking for a job. That's an all-time high."

"I could go on and on. Obama can and will go on and on blaming George Bush for all of these numbers another 10000 times if you let him, but it won't change the facts that Americans are waking up and there's no way to deny it. We're worse off than we were four years ago, much, much worse and he'll try to convince us, he'll try to tell us that this time, this time, with another four years, this time it will be better, this time, if he doesn't get it done in seven years, well, then it will be time for a change. "

"Please, Mr. President, spare your breath."

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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