It goes without saying that Fox News’s Sean Hannity is never one to mince words, especially when the subject matter is something he feels passionately about.
In such instances, one better strap oneself in tightly, for you're in for a bumpy, no holds barred ride.
Such was certainly the case Sunday evening when the outspoken conservative did a ten minute segment on “Hannity’s America” (h/t Tim Graham) about how the Democrat Party has been taken hostage by extreme left-wing forces on the Internet (video available here).
First, Hannity addressed the recent blog posting by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on the website that last year got itself into a bit of a brouhaha for publishing a blackfaced picture of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Connecticut):
Now, earlier this week Senator Clinton posted a statement on a left wing blog called firedoglake.com. Now, the posting itself was not controversial. It's about observance of equal pay day.
But as the "Washington Post" reported, it is her choice of Web sites that has some Democrats even upset. Now, last summer, the same person who runs the Web site posted this photo of Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman in black face along side of Bill Clinton.
Hannity offered a rather ominous scenario:
In nine short months voters across America will go to the polls to nominate the next crop of presidential candidates. For the Democratic Party, the candidates aren't just campaigning in coffee shops in Des Moines and diners in New Hampshire. For the first time in history real life voters pulling a lever may not determine who the nominee of the party is.
And that's because the Democratic Party is under siege by a group of left wing fanatics who are holding their candidates hostage. Now this isn't a new battle. In many ways it has been fought for decades. Will the soul of the party continue to drift into the left wing wilderness or will it appeal to a broader spectrum of Americans?
Next, Hannity exposed the tactics by one of the main financers of extreme left-wing causes in America, George Soros and Moveon.org:
They have run campaign ads that accuse Republicans of being criminals but the ads were pulled after stations around the country questioned their accuracy.
And once, during a competition on their Web site, a television commercial was posted comparing President Bush to Adolf Hitler.
How marvelous. Fortunately, Hannity was just getting warmed up, for he next demonstrated how tied at the hip the Democrat leadership is to this organization and its merry band of extremists in the blogosphere:
HANNITY: Now it should therefore come as no surprise that it was at a podium bought and paid for by Moveon.org that Al Gore launched into the most famous of his bitter post defeat tirades in 2003 accusing the Bush administration of lying to America.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: How dare the incompetent and willful members of this Bush/Cheney administration humiliate our nation and our people in the eyes of the world and in the conscience of our own people?
HANNITY: If you are the vanquished vice president of the United States and you want back in the spotlight, well, who else would you want to cater to? By the summer and fall of 2003 former Vermont Governor Howard Dean had become the new face of the Democratic Party.
He took a commanding lead in the early presidential polls and raised large sums of money on the Internet, a new phenomenon in presidential politics.
HOWARD DEAN, (D) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yeaaaarrrghhh.
HANNITY: In the end, though, it wasn't enough for the good doctor. Al Gore's endorsement in September of 2003 and the Dean campaign's completely disastrous performance in the Iowa caucuses gave the nomination to John Kerry.
But the nut roots weren't dead. They had been defeated this time around but they knew the Democratic Party was theirs and they were going to take it back.
In April of 2004 the Kerry campaign even hired Moveon.org's Zack Exley (ph) as director of online communications. And the money kept flowing.
During the 2004 campaign cycle, Moveon.org and other so-called grassroots contributors donated $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Even though Kerry lost the election Moveon.org wasn't done.
According to the "Los Angeles Times," when several Democratic senators, including Barbara Boxer of California tried unsuccessfully to challenge the electoral college votes from Ohio, moveon.org posted an on- line petition thanking them for their effort and providing them with the names of 100,000 signees, information that could be used for more fundraising.
Just a few months later in March of 2005 Moveon.org held a rally in Washington, DC and several prominent leaders of the Democratic Party spoke and heaped praise on their net root friends.
SEN. HARRY REID, (D) NV: We are depending on you. We are depending on you to make sure that this country stands for what we learned many years ago when Mr. Smith went to Washington.
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN, (D) IL: Moveon.org and everybody gathered here today, you are changing America for the better.
And, Hannity reported on one of the biggest successes – or failures – of this movement since its inception:
But raising money isn't enough. The blog nuts want to purge the Democratic Party of all but the most extreme voices. In one of the most highly publicized moments of fratricide in American history, the nut roots teamed up, tossed their weight behind a wealthy antiwar candidate with almost no experience in public service.
His name was Ned Lamont and their target was Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who had been the party's nominee for vice president just six years before but Lieberman had broken with much of his party over the war in Iraq and that singular unforgivable sin put him on the top of the liberal hit list.
Hannity demonstrated that any Democrat who doesn’t walk in lock-step with all of their extreme viewpoints is in jeopardy:
Now the nut roots have let it be known if you are not in line with the most far left leanings of an obsessed minority, well, you are vulnerable to attack.
Earlier this year, "The Washington Post" reported a similar effort to attack moderate Democratic Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher from California.
Moveon.org activists have protested at her office and someone created a Web site called Dump Ellen Tauscher. And why? This is a woman who votes over 90 percent of the time with the Democratic Party. Because she has taken moderate positions on issues like the estate tax and free trade. Well, basically, she isn't a left wing lunatic so, well, there isn't room in the party for her.
Hannity concluded:
And that's why the bloggers are in control now. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have taken a back seat to a bunch of activists who spent all of their time shouting at the rain (ph).
Even Howard Dean, the original facilitator of this movement has been marginalized. Perhaps they gave the Web site the wrong name. Maybe they should have called it "Move Over."
What follows is a full transcript of this segment.
SEAN HANNITY: Welcome to HANNITY'S AMERICA. Thank you for being with us. I am Sean Hannity. And we get right to the state of America tonight. And if you are a Democrat it is a nation dominated by left wing Internet advocates.
Now, earlier this week Senator Clinton posted a statement on a left wing blog called firedoglake.com. Now, the posting itself was not controversial. It's about observance of equal pay day.
But as the "Washington Post" reported, it is her choice of Web sites that has some Democrats even upset. Now, last summer, the same person who runs the Web site posted this photo of Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman in black face along side of Bill Clinton.
Now, it came at a time when the left wing Internet interests were attacking the senator during his primary run against Ned Lamont. Now, the Clinton campaign responded to concerns this week about the blogger named Jane Hamsher by saying that she had apologized for the photo and the Clinton campaign was trying to reach people on a popular Web site.
But it is telling that the whole thing happened just days after the senator thanked the Rutgers University basketball team for standing up for Don Imus. And it is proof of just how far will the Democrats will go to appease the bloggers and left radical interests who are now running the Democratic Party.
And that is the state of America. And it brings us to our special report this week, the bending over backwards to appease these left wing interests is nothing new for the Democrats. In fact it is a phenomenon that is getting worse. And as you will see tonight it is no longer the party leaders who are in charge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY (voice-over): In nine short months voters across America will go to the polls to nominate the next crop of presidential candidates. For the Democratic Party, the candidates aren't just campaigning in coffee shops in Des Moines and diners in New Hampshire. For the first time in history real life voters pulling a lever may not determine who the nominee of the party is.
And that's because the Democratic Party is under siege by a group of left wing fanatics who are holding their candidates hostage. Now this isn't a new battle. In many ways it has been fought for decades. Will the soul of the party continue to drift into the left wing wilderness or will it appeal to a broader spectrum of Americans.
Now, since the invention of the Internet, this war has been largely fought over the Web. And over the past few election cycles the most vocal left wing organization has been a group called moveon.org.
And as you will see tonight moveon.org has been successful not only in pushing the party of Franklin Roosevelt and Scoop Jackson further to the left but increasingly they control the Democratic Party itself through fear and intimidation. It is in some ways ironic that moveon.org was founded in 1998 with a petition supporting the censure of President Clinton.
And that's where the name came from. They wanted an end to the impeachment drama so that the country could just move on. Shortly thereafter the group expanded its reach, having a political action committee to, quote, "influence the outcome of congressional elections."
After September 11th, moveon.org posted a petition on their Web site calling for restraint and response to the attacks that killed 3,000 Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tom DeLay, Dick Cheney.
HANNITY: They have run campaign ads that accuse Republicans of being criminals but the ads were pulled after stations around the country questioned their accuracy.
And once, during a competition on their Web site, a television commercial was posted comparing President Bush to Adolf Hitler.
ADOLF HITLER, DECEASED NAZI DICTATOR: (German)
HANNITY: Their biggest patron over the years has been a billionaire financier George Soros. And one of their biggest beneficiaries has been film maker Michael Moore whose 2004 hit piece on President Bush was promoted extensively on the Move On Web site.
Through the years of funneling money, running Internet smear campaigns and now through a reign of terror, a relatively small group of Berkeley bloggers have co-opted the leadership of the Democratic Party.
And we know that because moveon.org has shouted it from their mountaintop. In an e-mail like a big booming voice in the sky, the leaders of moveon.org have proclaimed, quote, "Now it's our party. We bought it, we own it and we are going to take it back."
Now it should therefore come as no surprise that it was at a podium bought and paid for by moveon.org that Al Gore launched into the most famous of his bitter post defeat tirades in 2003 accusing the Bush administration of lying to America.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: How dare the incompetent and willful members of this Bush/Cheney administration humiliate our nation and our people in the eyes of the world and in the conscience of our own people?
HANNITY: If you are the vanquished vice president of the United States and you want back in the spotlight, well, who else would you want to cater to? By the summer and fall of 2003 former Vermont Governor Howard Dean had become the new face of the Democratic Party.
He took a commanding lead in the early presidential polls and raised large sums of money on the Internet, a new phenomenon in presidential politics.
HOWARD DEAN, (D) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yeaaaarrrghhh.
HANNITY: In the end, though, it wasn't enough for the good doctor. Al Gore's endorsement in September of 2003 and the Dean campaign's completely disastrous performance in the Iowa caucuses gave the nomination to John Kerry.
But the nut roots weren't dead. They had been defeated this time around but they knew the Democratic Party was theirs and they were going to take it back.
In April of 2004 the Kerry campaign even hired moveon.org's Zack Exley (ph) as director of online communications. And the money kept flowing.
During the 2004 campaign cycle, moveon.org and other so-called grassroots contributors donated $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Even though Kerry lost the election move on.org wasn't done.
According to the "Los Angeles Times," when several Democratic senators, including Barbara Boxer of California tried unsuccessfully to challenge the electoral college votes from Ohio, moveon.org posted an on- line petition thanking them for their effort and providing them with the names of 100,000 signees, information that could be used for more fundraising.
Just a few months later in March of 2005 moveon.org held a rally in Washington, DC and several prominent leaders of the Democratic Party spoke and heaped praise on their net root friends.
SEN. HARRY REID, (D) NV: We are depending on you. We are depending on you to make sure that this country stands for what we learned many years ago when Mr. Smith went to Washington.
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN, (D) IL: Moveon.org and everybody gathered here today, you are changing America for the better.
HANNITY: Even the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates have bent over backwards to appease the Internet crowd. In 2005, Senator Barack Obama, now a favorite of the Move On crowd, raised $800,000 for Senator Robert Byrd through a Moveon.org fundraising e-mail.
How much influence must one group have in order to convince one of the few African American senators in American history to campaign on behalf of a former member of the Ku Klux Klan.
But raising money isn't enough. The blog nuts want to purge the Democratic Party of all but the most extreme voices. In one of the most highly publicized moments of fratricide in American history, the nut roots teamed up, tossed their weight behind a wealthy antiwar candidate with almost no experience in public service.
His name was Ned Lamont and their target was Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who had been the party's nominee for vice president just six years before but Lieberman had broken with much of his party over the war in Iraq and that singular unforgivable sin put him on the top of the liberal hit list.
Although the primary campaign targeting Lieberman was successful, more reasonable heads prevailed and the senator defeated Lamont in the general election as an independent.
But the far left blogosphere wasn't finished. Sine his reelection, they continued to tar and feather the senator. A blog posting screened on dailykos.com screamed, quote, "It's official, Lieberman is not a donkey, he's a jackass."
The die has been cast. There's blood in the water. Now the nut roots have let it be known if you are not in line with the most far left leanings of an obsessed minority, well, you are vulnerable to attack.
Earlier this year, "The Washington Post" reported a similar effort to attack moderate Democratic Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher from California.
Moveon.org activists have protested at her office and someone created a Web site called Dump Ellen Tauscher. And why? This is a woman who votes over 90 percent of the time with the Democratic Party. Because she has taken moderate positions on issues like the estate tax and free trade. Well, basically, she isn't a left wing lunatic so, well, there isn't room in the party for her.
And that's why the bloggers are in control now. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have taken a back seat to a bunch of activists who spent all of their time shouting at the rain (ph).
Even Howard Dean, the original facilitator of this movement has been marginalized. Perhaps they gave the Web site the wrong name. Maybe they should have called it "Move Over."
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.



















Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Sean is one of my many conser
May 1, 2007 - 10:53 ET by wiwfSean is one of my many conservative heroes. When I lost his book "Deliver us from evil," it was one of the saddest days of my life. God bless this great American! :)
Sean gets old rather fast, th
May 1, 2007 - 11:23 ET by SouthJersey1953Sean gets old rather fast, though. My biggest problems with him are (1) he will not let the people answer his questions. If you cannot answer a question in one word (yes or no) he will cut you off. (2) He packs too many guests on his shows. They only have time to brush the surface of the subject before he cuts them off because they are out of time. (3) He complains about dems repeating the talking points, but he does the same (repeats the repub's talking points). I quit listening to his radio show after a guy called and asked Sean what his opinion was on the 'flat tax.' Sean didn't answer the question, just jumped into his "dems are going to raise taxes..." talking point.
He makes good points, but the delivery gets old..
"You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think." - Milton Berle
Sean
May 1, 2007 - 11:27 ET by JimboI don’t have a strong opinion of him either way. As for the yes or no answers, I tend to think a little differently. Sean tends to ask very direct and pointed questions of liberals. In typical liberal style, they will give their response over a 10 minute period and never actually answer the question. Therefore, more often than not, I like him to press for a yes or no answer, particularly if the question can be answered in that manner (which is often the case).
Jimbo says - "There is a fine line between freedom of speech and treason"
Not to appear wishy washy h
May 1, 2007 - 11:33 ET by Ran56Not to appear wishy washy here, but I agree with both posts above. Sean lost a lot of credibilty with me when a year or so ago, a lot of conserative radio commentators decided to go to Iraq, he was "Busy". Left me with a nagging feeling that he talked the talk, but couldn't walk the walk.
Yes, often they could and sho
May 1, 2007 - 11:37 ET by SouthJersey1953Yes, often they could and should answer with a yes or no, but sometimes he asks questions like "Do you still kick your dog?" Answer that one!
If you say no, you imply you used to......that was the point I was trying to make.
Some questions need more than a simple yes or no. If someone tries to answer the question above like "I have nev..." then Sean cuts them off before they have a chance to say "I have never kicked my dog."
"You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think." - Milton Berle
Hannity
May 1, 2007 - 11:41 ET by JimboI’d also like to see him lock horns with Alan Combs more too. The show seems disjointed to me. First one takes a crack at the guest, then the other. Sean and Alan are disagreeing with each other, but more often than not, not directly. To be honest, I don’t watch the show all that much, so I may be off base here, but that’s my observation based on what I’ve seen.
Jimbo says - "There is a fine line between freedom of speech and treason"
Hannity is hands-down the mos
May 1, 2007 - 23:07 ET by dangirmusHannity is hands-down the most partisan media figure out there. He doesn't even pretend to give his faux-liberal guests a chance to talk. He is a robot, spouting RNC talking points over and over and over with absolutely no thought to context or reality in general. If all conservatives were like Sean Hannity, I would be scared out of my mind for the future of this country. He and his ilk (i.e. Coulter, North, Morris) contribute nothing to the national discourse. In short, I'm not a fan.
In short, I'm not a fan.
May 2, 2007 - 12:46 ET by misterbill"In short, I'm not a fan."
Sir, you wouldn't make a blade on a good fan. You spin counterclockwise (to the left) and you add no benefit to our society!
One of the saddest days of yo
May 2, 2007 - 12:40 ET by j. frank wilsonOne of the saddest days of your life because you'd only had time to color in half of it? Don't work - there are plenty of copies offered in the Internets for $1. Overpriced at that, of course, but readily available nonetheless.
You crack me up frank, you
May 2, 2007 - 12:45 ET by MightyMouthYou crack me up frank, you think you are slamming most posters here! ROFL!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Sorry - it popped in too far
May 3, 2007 - 18:45 ET by j. frank wilsonSorry - it popped in too far down...
J frank
May 2, 2007 - 12:47 ET by misterbillWhere oh where has my baby gone? Anywhere, but with you!
Actually, misterbill, I belie
May 3, 2007 - 18:44 ET by j. frank wilsonActually, misterbill, I believe it's "Where or where can my baby be?" You were certainly close - but no guitar.
Hannity truthful comments,
May 1, 2007 - 11:39 ET by JDWHannity truthful comments, much like Giulian's, upset dems more than anything else.
One must remember that at the top of the leftist blog pyramid is Soros.
JDW
News media: Scoreboard for terrorists
That's what happens when your
May 1, 2007 - 11:58 ET by FastEdThat's what happens when your head is pointed!
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
The Soros influence has cro
May 1, 2007 - 12:15 ET by JDWThe Soros influence has crossed the boundaries.
JDW
News media: Scoreboard for terrorists
Does that make him an "u
May 1, 2007 - 13:57 ET by FastEdDoes that make him an "undocumented" liberal?
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
I am becoming increasingly
May 1, 2007 - 11:44 ET by MightyMouthI am becoming increasingly more disapointed in Hannity. For one thing he lets that goon Colmes get in the last word far too many times.
I do like it when Ann Coulter is on the show. When Ann is tearing up Colmes, the "dear in head light" looks on his face, are priceless!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
After reading the posts so fa
May 1, 2007 - 11:57 ET by FastEdAfter reading the posts so far, I'd have to agree and add comments. Sean, like other "talking hosts" forgets that his is not the only voice on the show. There are many times, and repeat - he's not the only one, there are times when he's more concerned with what somone is saying in his ear piece, then what his guest is saying - In other words, there are times when he just doesn't listen.
Sean, you will have to reach down and get back your original core - focus, focus, focus. Stay on topic. Try not to repeat a point too many times - true, with demolibs and the msm (Lsm) you have to repeat things, due to the fact that there aren't many brain cells available, but, the rest of us get the first time around. We not as dumb as THEY look.
He and others have the ability to REALLY expose the bias, BUT, they usually preach to the choir. Need to get into enemy lines, and slug it out. Would like to see, on tv, a face-to-face of "regular folks" (libs and conservs) versus the pundits. Be able to ask, outright questions like - "Is there anything good going on in Iraq?" "How can you say there is NO bias in the media, when you said THIS, but offered no proof?" etc.
TIlting at windmills, something like this will NEVER happen, 'cause of cowardace, either of networks NOT allowing it to happen (would possibly pull back the curtain of agenda they push) or by the "talking heads" who would then become accountable for thier deeds (would have to expose their own agenda).
Oh, but to dream of a better media world, a simple dream, but not an american one, I'm afraid. To bad there aren't any reporters around anymore (exceptions are usually posting here - they report, don't editorialize without saying so first)
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Thanks very much to Sheer Ins
May 1, 2007 - 13:22 ET by j. frank wilsonThanks very much to Sheer Insanity for explaining how "Berkeley bloggers" have taken over the Democratic Party. Now I know why the Party did so poorly in the November 2006 elections.
Of course, on the other hand the ultra-conservative right wing has no influence on the Republican Party. Nobody listens to Ann Falter, Pat Buchanan, ole BlunderRush - let alone the Silly Savage...
I've lost my label
May 1, 2007 - 13:26 ET by AgnosticEight years ago I was a "socially to the left" fiscal conservative and now I'm considered some type of conservative and not welcome at liberal websites. Can you help me with my label?
If you're a true fiscal conse
May 1, 2007 - 13:43 ET by j. frank wilsonIf you're a true fiscal conservative it wouldn't appear to me that you would be welcome in the Republican party. Have you read "Mr. Smith is Dead?"
Just like the moonbat Left ha
May 1, 2007 - 14:05 ET by Roger the ShrubberJust like the moonbat Left has taken over your side, the "Faux" (I know how much you LOVE that term, Franklin) Right (who would have been Democrats 40 years ago) have co-opted my side.
"November 2006 electio
May 1, 2007 - 13:28 ET by MightyMouth"November 2006 elections."
You mean the mid term elections, frank?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Yep.
May 1, 2007 - 14:12 ET by j. frank wilsonYep.
Well, you do realize the de
May 1, 2007 - 15:40 ET by MightyMouthWell, you do realize the dems did below average for the party not in power for mid terms(& second pres term)? They got 30 and the average is about 40. Not exactly a "mandate" is it?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
That's a very good point, a
May 1, 2007 - 17:16 ET by JDWThat's a very good point, a fact, so he will not respond.
The dems tend to exploit failure. There never seems to be a fight for improvement. Somewhere else today Frank was complaining about inferences made by taxpayer funded liberal biased NPR. These apes start whistling and he dances.
The Bush lost last election by popular vote, Cheney shot someone, Rice withheld 9/11 information has gone beyond nauseating. The news media is too damn biased to compare how long each side has served as well as what each candidate has done. It's a joke!
This upcoming book which is to reveal all of sen Clinton's past bads, who in their right mind thinks that behavior stops with the publication? Who thinks this now makes her clean as the wind driven snow? Remember, Bush was not fairly elected. Bush is a coke addict. Bush is an alcoholic. Bush is in Iraq for the oil...
JDW
News media: Scoreboard for terrorists
So your point is they won bu
May 2, 2007 - 12:43 ET by j. frank wilsonSo your point is they won but didn't win by enough? Or is that the Republicans lost but could have lost by more?
Making comparisons with historical averages isn't going to work for a variety of reasons - it is much harder to unseat incumbants than it once was.
My point was that the dems
May 2, 2007 - 12:47 ET by MightyMouthMy point was that the dems had below average performance for that particular type of election cycle. A fact you will most likely have to agree with.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
About the only hope for Ameri
May 1, 2007 - 15:31 ET by BeowulfAbout the only hope for America is that the Democratic party tears itself apart, as it seems to making strides in doing for the last couple of years. I predict even more vitriolic rhetoric and smear campaigns by Democrats against Democrats in the next year. They have polarized America. They are now doing the same thing to themselves. Maybe that's why the Republicans have been so quiet these last few months. Maybe they have a plan after all...
While I don't have many good things to say about the Republicans, I see two main differences between the parties. 1. The Republicans haven't allowed their extreme fringe take over their party, and 2. As the party philosophies stand right now, the Republicans will do far less damage to the nation than the Democrats. We can recover from corruption and mismanagement (something, incidentally, not limited to the Republican party - but that's a subject for another discussion), but we won't recover from the Socialist state the Dem leadership advocates...
The Closed Mind Builds Strong Barriers
At some future date, Hannity
May 1, 2007 - 17:27 ET by Chris NormanAt some future date, Hannity will compile these connections and say them in one sentence in one of his patented "speed lists of the Left"... :)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb