'America Is Better Than Glenn Beck'

Mostly because he says so

(NEWSER) - It's the dawn of Glenn Beck's much-debated Restoring Honor rally on the anniversary of MLK's Dream, and Washington Post scribe Dana Milbank—the author of a forthcoming Beck biography—takes a somewhat incredulous look at the white guy with the borderline racist track record and his bid to co-opt the civil rights movement. Beck, he writes, "apparently has determined that the best defense is to be patently offensive." More»

But remember that he rejected 'hateful rhetoric'

(NEWSER) - The son of Martin Luther King Jr. says his father "would be the first to say" that Glenn Beck and his supporters have the right to rally in Washington this weekend—the anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech. But he'd like to remind everyone of a few of his father's values: "His dream rejected hateful rhetoric and all forms of bigotry or discrimination, whether directed at race, faith, nationality, sexual orientation or political beliefs," writes MLK III in the Washington Post . More»

Thousands attend his rally in Washington

(NEWSER) - Some highlights from the Glenn Beck rally, as rounded up by the Times , Post , Politico , and AP :

• Beck: "For too long, this country has wandered in darkness. ... We have had moments of brilliance and moments of darkness. But this country has spent far too long worried about scars and thinking about the scars and concentrating on the scars. Today, we are going to concentrate on the good things in America, the things that we have accomplished—and the things that we can do tomorrow."
• Beck again: “America today begins to turn back to God.”

She says rally isn't political

(NEWSER) - One King will be at Glenn Beck’s rally on the Washington Mall tomorrow—pro-life activist Alveda King, niece of the civil rights pioneer. “Americans are hungry to reclaim the symbols of our liberty,” she writes in the Christian Science Monitor . “Glen Beck’s rally … will give us that chance.” She argues that the gathering “is not a political event, per se. Instead, it is designed to be a refreshing exercise of freedom of speech.” More»

It's on the anniversary of MLK's 'I Have a Dream' speech

(NEWSER) - Glenn Beck's controversial DC rally is a go. The National Park Service has approved a permit to stage his "Restoring Honor" event at the National Mall on Aug. 28, the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the same location, reports the Washington Post . Sarah Palin will be one of the featured speakers. The agency is considering a permit for a counter-rally planned by Al Sharpton. More»