[We interrupt Stinque’s ongoing coverage of collegiate Sport (at halftime, which is a natural interruption point, so there) for a story about Glenn Beck being Glenn Beck.  Apologies in advance.  Sport thread appears below.]

So Glenn Beck made a pledge today to denounce extremism “from the Left, the Right or middle.”  [Note, of course, that two-thirds of that set is NOT HIM.]  Included in the pledge is this specific plea:

I denounce violent threats and calls for the destruction of our system – regardless of their underlying ideology – whether they come from the Hutaree Militia or Frances Fox Piven.

Well, isn’t that a refreshing thought from a guy — wait.  Rewind that last little bit there:

or Frances Fox Piven.

Dude.  I haven’t heard about Frances Fox Piven until today.  What puts her in the same discussion as a violent militia group?  Or anyone more radicalized than, say, Garrison Keillor?  Follow me for all the horrid details, post-jump.

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It took us a couple dozen clicks to confirm that this is one of the rotating background images on Glenn Beck’s website, but yes, it’s there.

[via StopBeck]

Drudge Jr.’s Big Journalism, Paragraph 1:

In an era when satellite imagery allows one to count cars from space, and in a country fascinated with numbers (weekly box office take, home runs, calorie counting, etc) the MSM is having a difficult time with the math on Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor rally held on the Mall in Washington yesterday. By all reasonable estimates, nearly half a million people were in attendance, and yet, confusion (or perhaps subterfuge) rules the day.

Paragraph 5:

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Seeing as I have never, in my life, watched Glenn Beck do ANYTHING (except of course in little snippets on the Daily Show and such), I guess I might be a totally neutral, unbiased observer of today’s doings. Just like Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa of the St. Louis Cardinals, who are going to observe themselves before tonight’s game against the Nats. The announcement of their appearance yesterday caused quite the stir over that Yahoo’s horsehide blog, Big League Stew, as evidenced by this sage comment:

This is non-political in the same way that MLK’s speech was non-political. All Americans with strong morals will find nothing to disagree with. The only people who will be upset are the America-haters and non-Americans. Beck is a modern day Martin Luther King. In the future, we will remember Beck as the great patriot who stood for American values in the face of tyranny. LaRussa and Pujols will go down as brave warriors who withstood the persecution of the liberal media to stand on the side of liberty.

Boy.  This will be ten different kinds of stupid.  Play-by-play, post-jump. Read more »

If nothing else, Tuesday’s Glenn Beck/Eric Massa meltdown produced a line for the ages: “America, I’ve got to shoot straight with you. I think I’ve wasted your time.” [Full video at Political Wire]

Remember Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment? Don’t worry, neither do Republicans:

DEMINT: Well, I’m not going to get involved with this race in Arizona. And if John McCain goes with this health care bill, I’ll be his biggest opponent and I think he knows that. But I don’t know that he’s going to do that. But what we’re trying to do is get some new senators from around this country who will stand with us on these key issues.

BECK: This is great news to me. So you are not endorsing him or helping him in Arizona?

DEMINT: No I’m not. I’m not getting involved with — I know J.D. well, and they can have their own race.

This wouldn’t have anything to do with SC teabaggers miscegenating with Republicans, would it? How much longer before Sarah Palin takes back her endorsement of Psychogeezer over teabagger favorite J.D. Hayworth? Maybe Sheriff Joe knows something.

DeMint Appeases Beck On McCain, Threatens To Be His ‘Biggest Opponent’ [ThinkProgress]

Enjoy it while it lasts, folks:

Today there is a concerted effort on all radio stations to get Birthers on the air. I have to tell you, are you working for the Barack Obama administration? I mean, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard…

I know it’s way out on a limb here. But as the guy who the media says is the king of conspiracy theories, all I do are forward conspiracy theories, let me forward this conspiracy. He was born here because it seems a little unlikely that somebody planted the birth records, okay, a little unlikely, in the newspapers. Now you would say, well, then why doesn’t he just produce? Good question. That one kept me up for minutes at a time, minutes.

Well, that was nice. But word to the wise, Glenn: Keep that up and we’ll take back your Stinque Award.

Birthers Birthing [Glenn Beck, via Washington Independent]