UPDATED: Obama Official Linked to Racially Charged Boycott of Glenn Beck

by Michelle Oddis

Posted 08/13/2009 ET

Updated 08/14/2009 ET

A racially charged activist group called “Color of Change” founded by Van Jones, a special advisor to the Obama Administration, is trying to silence popular radio and Fox News personality Glenn Beck by calling for a boycott of Beck’s TV advertisers.

On July 28th, Beck made a comment on the Fox & Friends morning show about Obama’s reaction to the arrest of Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. During the discussion of “Professor-Gate,” Beck connected the President’s past association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright to Obama’s comment that Cambridge police officer, Sgt. James Crowley, acted stupidly. Though Beck acknowledged most of the Obama administration is in fact white, he concluded that the President’s world experience made him a “racist.”

Now “Color of Change” has bullied at least five of Beck’s big advertisers -- SC Johnson, Progressive Insurance, Geico, Procter & Gamble and Nexus Lexis -- to pull their ads from Beck’s national cable program. Jones, the founder of “Color of Change,” was named Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality -- a key administrative post -- this past March.

Putting tax-payer dollars to dubious use, the not-for-profit organization has hired well-heeled Hollywood publicist Ken Sunshine to further instigate the boycott.

For a related story go to RedState.com

For the Hollywood connection to the Beck boycott, click here.

UPDATE: HUMAN EVENTS has learned that SC Johnson’s Consumer Relations Center is disputing any withdraw of advertisements from Glenn Beck’s program claiming there is “potentially misleading information on the web,” issuing this statement to inquiring consumers:

“SC Johnson has not pulled or cancelled advertising for the Glenn Beck show, as we never directed our advertising to this particular program. In general, our goal is to provide good, informative ads and we select those programs and/or networks that make the most sense given our consumer base.”

Reports also claim that addition companies; Mens Wearhouse, Sargento, and State Farm Insurance will be excluding their ads from any rotation during Becks time slot. HUMAN EVENTS contacted Mens Wearhouse, Sargento, and State Farm to confirm these reports, our calls have not yet been returned.

A FOX News spokesman has confirmed that although advertisers have moved their spots from Beck’s time slot they have not been lost from the network as a whole so there has been no lost revenue.

Developing...

~~~~~~~

Three scenarios come to mind:

1. Either those advertisers agree with "Color of Change"

Or they agree with Beck, and

2. They're afraid of something or someone.

3. Someone is afraid to stand up to a bully.

In the case of scenario 1, they are entitled to their opinion. In the case of scenario 2, I wonder who or what they're afraid of that they'd cave to a bully. If it's three, the bully needs to be taken to the woodshed, and the advertisers should grow a set.

I know it's hard to stand up to someone, especially when you're dealing with the White House (no matter whose administration. People in general tend to be in awe of authority figures). I'm not about to say that I could tell an Administration figure that I wouldn't do something they wanted me to do.

But, Administration figures shouldn't be in the business of interfering with the Freedom of Speech. Beck has as much right to say something as any other citizen has to disagree with it. Open discussion is only the honorable way to settle a matter of this kind. Interference in the Right to Free Speech is a very serious matter and those involved should be dealt with severely.

As a matter of fact, Free Speech isn't the only issue involved here. How about interfering in free trade, or free commerce? If those advertisers pull their ads, the companies may lose money, and people could lose jobs. Is that what "Color of Change" wants to reflect on the White House? At this point in time, what with a recession or depression or whatever you want to call it? That may be a bad move to make, what with mid-term elections coming up.