Bob Beckel

Robert Gilliland Beckel[1] (November 15, 1948 – February 20, 2022) was an American political analyst and pundit, and political operative. He was an analyst and commentator on Fox News. He had been a commentator on Fox News where he co-hosted The Five until he was released in 2015 after being absent for several months while recovering from back surgery.[2] After departing Fox News in 2015, Beckel became a commentator for CNN. On January 16, 2017, he returned to Fox News as a co-host of The Five.[3] On May 19, 2017, Fox News announced Beckel was released again after he was accused of making a racist remark against another Fox News employee.[4]

Bob Beckel
Beckel in October 2011
Born
Robert Gilliland Beckel

(1948-11-15)November 15, 1948
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 20, 2022(2022-02-20) (aged 73)
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
EducationWagner College (BA)
Occupation
  • Political commentator
  • columnist
  • political advisor
  • government official
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Leland Ingham
​
​
(m. 1992; div. 2002)​
Children2
RelativesGraham Beckel (brother)

Early life

Beckel was born in Greenwich Village, Manhattan and grew up in Lyme, Connecticut.[5] He is the son of Cambridge Graham Beckel Jr. (author of Workshops for the World: The United Nations Family of Agencies)[6] and Ellen Gilliland Beckel.[7][8] He is the older brother of actor Graham Beckel.[2]

Beckel received a BA from Wagner College in Staten Island.[9] While in college, he played football[10] and worked for Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968.[2][11]

After college, Beckel served in the Philippines as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1971 to 1972,[12] and later was a graduate school professor of politics at George Washington University.[13][14]

Career

Government

In 1977, Beckel joined the United States Department of State as deputy assistant secretary of state for congressional relations, becoming the youngest deputy assistant secretary of state in the Carter administration.[11] In that role he helped to shepherd the Panama Canal Treaty through Congress to ratification.[11][15] The following year he was appointed special assistant to the president for legislative affairs, working on ratification of Salt II and Mideast treaties.[11][16]

Politics

Beckel was the campaign manager for Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential campaign.[17] During that campaign he became known as the man who effectively wrapped the Wendy's slogan "Where's the beef?" around Gary Hart,[11][10] Mondale's opponent for the Democratic nomination.

In late 1984 he formed the consulting firm Bob Beckel & Associates, or BBA, a lobbying firm that was succeeded in 1985 by Beckel–Cowan.[18]

In 2002 Beckel managed the campaign of Alan Blinken, the Democratic nominee for United States Senate in Idaho, until he resigned after it became public that he was a witness and victim in an extortion attempt by a prostitute.[19] In 2010, he made a brief appearance as himself on the Season 8 premiere of TV series 24 in a mock debate with fellow Fox News Analyst Monica Crowley.

Fox News

In 2011, Beckel joined Fox News as a co-host of The Five and co-hosted some 708 episodes,[20] until June 2015, when Fox announced that Beckel had left the program.[21][2][22] A Fox spokesman said: "We couldn't hold The Five hostage to one man's personal issues."[21] Beckel, whose last appearance on the show was in February 2015, had been absent while recovering from back surgery; he had also drawn controversy in the last episode prior to his dismissal, when he described himself as an "Islamophobe" in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting.[5][21][22] The network issued a statement, saying that Beckel had "entered rehab facility for treatment of an addiction to prescription pain medication."[23] On a Fox News panel in 2011, Beckel called for "illegally shoot[ing]" Julian Assange, the editor of WikiLeaks.[24] On January 16, 2017, Beckel rejoined The Five as co-host.[25] However, he was again fired in May of that same year, amid claims that he had made racially insensitive remarks to a Black employee.[26]

CNN

In October 2015, Beckel was hired by CNN to offer commentary on the 2016 election.[27]

USA Today

From 2005 until the end of 2015, Beckel was a columnist for USA Today, where he wrote articles with friend and political opposite Cal Thomas in the style of "point–counterpoint."[28]

Political views

Beckel is a registered democrat.[29][30] Beckel supports banning handguns[31] as well as supporting Single-payer healthcare[32] and Gay Marriage.[33] Beckel has been described as having anti muslim views.[34][35] Beckel once proposed temporarily prohibiting muslim students from entering the country in response to the Boston bombing.[36]

Personal life

In 1992 Beckel married Leland Ingham.[37] They had two children and divorced in 2002.[38]

Beckel was a recovering alcoholic.[2][39] He spoke openly about his past addictions to drugs and alcohol, admitting in July 2011 on The Five: "I'm a recovering addict and cocaine was my drug of choice."

In 2007 Beckel said that he was involved in an altercation in a Bethesda, Maryland, grocery store parking lot with a man who took issue with his anti–George W. Bush bumper stickers.[40]

In October 2011, Beckel nearly choked to death on a piece of shrimp at a Fox News reception, but was saved by Fox News chief Roger Ailes and The Five co-host Eric Bolling.[2][41]

In early 2015, Beckel was absent from The Five for a number of weeks, which led to speculation that he had been fired, but Fox later announced that his absence was due to "health-related issues." It was later revealed that he had major back surgery on March 26 at a New York–area hospital.[2]

Beckel got saved later in life.[2][42]

In late 2015, Beckel published a memoir, I Should Be Dead: My Life Surviving Politics, TV, and Addiction, co-written with John David Mann.[2] Cal Thomas hosted a book-signing party celebrating publication of Beckel's book, which aired in November 2015 on C-SPAN.[43][44]

Death

Beckel died at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland, on February 20, 2022, at the age of 73.[5]

Bibliography
  • Beckel, Bob; Mann, John David (2015). I Should Be Dead: My Life Surviving Politics, TV, and Addiction. New York/Boston: Hachette Books. ISBN 978-0-316-34775-4. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  • Thomas, Cal; Beckel, Bob (2007). Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That Is Destroying America (1st ed.). New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-123634-1. LCCN 2008541878. OCLC 166295043. Retrieved June 11, 2014. ISBN9780061236341.

References
  1. The Five, March 10, 2014 https://archive.org/details/FOXNEWSW_20140310_210000_The_Five#start/3540/end/3600
  2. Beckel, Bob; Mann, John David (December 2015). I Should Be Dead: My Life Surviving Politics, TV, and Addiction. New York/Boston: Hachette Books. ISBN 978-0-316-34775-4. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  3. "Bob Beckel returns to 'The Five'". Fox News. January 16, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. "Fox News Fires 'The Five' Co-Host Bob Beckel Over Racist Comment". Variety. May 19, 2017.
  5. Risen, Clay (February 23, 2022). "Bob Beckel, Liberal Operative Who Became a Fixture on Fox, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  6. New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1954, 1962 (rev. ed.)
  7. "The Lives Behind a Liberal [Bob] and a Conservative [Cal]". USA Today. September 3, 2009. p. 11A.
  8. Thomas, Cal; Beckel, Bob (2007). Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That Is Destroying America. New York: William Morrow. p. 19. ISBN 9780061236341.
  9. "Political Contributor Bob Beckel". Fox News. January 13, 2011.
  10. Weinraub, Bernard (June 8, 1984). "From Gloom to Exultation: Mondale's Long Campaign". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  11. "Bob Beckel Bio". CNN. Retrieved June 11, 2014. After a political baptism as a college student in Robert Kennedy's 1968 campaign, a tour of duty in the Peace Corps, and a successful stint heading up his own consulting firm, Beckel joined the government in 1977. As the deputy assistant secretary of state, he steered the controversial Panama Canal Treaties through Congress. He moved to the White House to head an administration effort to press Congress into passing the Mideast and SALT II treaties.
  12. "Business and Industry". Peace Corps. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013.
  13. Gurciullo, Brianna (February 22, 2013). "Former professor says rapes on college campuses are uncommon". The GW Hatchet. George Washington University. Retrieved June 11, 2014. ...Beckel, a liberal commentator who taught in the Graduate School of Political Management for more than a decade...
  14. "Bob Beckel". George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011.
  15. Mostafavi, Beata (April 25, 2008). "Pundits Cal Thomas, Bob Beckel spar, but on common ground". The Flint Journal. mLive.com. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  16. "Robert G. Beckel Exit Interview" (PDF). December 3, 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  17. Darling, Lynn (April 24, 1983). "They Are Driven: What Makes Campaign Managers Run?; Why Are the Campaign Managers So Driven?". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  18. "Chapter 13". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013.
  19. "Campaigner resigns after reported extortion attempt". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Lewiston, Idaho. Associated Press. September 1, 2002. p. 4C.
  20. The Five at IMDb Accessed December 31, 2015
  21. Balakrishnan, Anita (June 26, 2015). "Fox News releases Bob Beckel for 'personal' issues". USA Today.
  22. Byers, Dylan (June 25, 2015). "Fox News drops Bob Beckel". Politico. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  23. "Fox's Bob Beckel Undergoes Addiction Rehab". Mediaite.
  24. O'Malley, Nick (January 9, 2017). "From traitor to patriot: how the US right fell for Julian Assange". Sydney Morning Herald.
  25. "BOB BECKEL TO RETURN AS CO-HOST ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL'S THE FIVE". Fox News Press (Press release). Fox News Channel Press. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  26. Battaglio, Stephen (May 19, 2017). "Fox News fires Bob Beckel from 'The Five,' claims he made insensitive remark to black employee". Los Angeles Times.
  27. Wemple, Erik (October 21, 2015). "CNN hires jolly Islamophobe Bob Beckel, formerly of Fox News". The Washington Post.
  28. Beckel, Bob; Thomas, Cal (December 29, 2015). "Common Ground: It's time to say goodbye". USA Today.
  29. Lincoln, Ross A. (February 21, 2022). "Bob Beckel, Ex-Democratic Party Strategist Turned Fox News Host, Dies at 73". Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  30. Trepany, Charles. "Bob Beckel, former co-host of Fox News' 'The Five' and USA TODAY columnist, dies at 73". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  31. "Greg Gutfeld And Bob Beckel In Screaming Match Over Liberal Hypocrisy On Guns, 'Evil' NRA 'Thugs'". Mediaite. January 18, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  32. "Do media deserve credit for ObamaCare disaster? Bob Beckel's advice for President Obama". Fox News. March 24, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  33. "The Five Hosts Take On President Obama's New Gay Marriage Stance". Mediaite. May 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  34. "CNN hires jolly Islamophobe Bob Beckel, formerly of Fox News". Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  35. Rothkopf, Joanna (January 9, 2015). "Fox's Bob Beckel compares supporting radical Islam to supporting interracial dating". Salon. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  36. Edwards, Breanna. "Beckel: Halt Muslim student visas". POLITICO. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  37. Cooley, Joshua (February 14, 2001). "Beckel: From Beatnik Golfer to College Coach, Mother". The Gazette. Gaithersburg, MD: Post Community Media. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  38. Grove, Lloyd (September 4, 2002). "The Reliable Source". Washington Post. p. C3.
  39. "Beckel: It Takes Faith to Overcome Addiction". CBN. May 29, 2008. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  40. Argetsinger, Amy; Roberts, Roxanne (May 25, 2007). "And You Think He's Feisty on Fox: Beckel's Parking Lot Punch-Up". The Washington Post.
  41. "Bob Beckel Choking: Says Roger Ailes, Eric Bolling Saved His Life". HuffPost. October 14, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  42. "What are 'The Five' giving up for Lent?". Fox News. February 13, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014. Look, I'm not one of you Catholics. I'm a Protestant.
  43. Book Party for I Should Be Dead: Bob Beckel delivers remarks and mingles with guests at a book party for his book, I Should Be Dead: My Life Surviving Politics, TV, and Addiction, Newsvader, January 2, 2016. Accessed January 10, 2016
  44. Book Party for I Should Be Dead (Video), C-Span, November 15, 2015. Accessed January 10, 2016
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