FRC Action Summit: Sean Hannity

posted at 11:15 am on September 13, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The conference needed a little energy by the time Sean Hannity took the stage, thanks to a serious and emotional presentation by Lila Rose about Planned Parenthood, and Hannity provided it in buckets.  He brought his sarcasm and humor in an opening attack on Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, James Carville, Paul Begala, and liberals in general that fired up the crowd.  He belittled Obama’s pretenses of secular messianism and called him Barack “Apollo” Obama, a reference to the Greek facade of his acceptance speech.

Getting more serious, Hannity said that 2008 would be known as “the year journalism died”.  He moved away from that theme immediately, but instead ran down a list of Obama’s deficiencies, including a lack of any significant accomplishments, his “57 states” gaffe, tire inflation and tune-ups instead of drilling, and his inability to distinguish between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.  Hannity especially hammered home the point that 130 “present” votes in the state Senate does not show a man willing to accept responsibility even as a legislator, let alone as an executive.

Hannity made an offer to Barack Obama.  Given Obama’s predilection for scolding America for not being charitable, Hannity offered to send Obama’s destitute half-brother in Kenya $1,000, if Team Obama can send Hannity his address.  If Obama will appear on his show, he’ll make it $10,000.

Afterwards, he returned to the media issue.  Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton’s strategist, told him that the media has lost a tremendous amount of credibility in this electoral cycle.  Rasmussen reports that 69% of the public believe that the media outlets have rigged their reporting to favor their candidate.  In no manner is that more obvious in the way they have treated Sarah Palin.  In six days, Hannity says, there were more questions about Bristol Palin than in 19 months about Obama’s association with William Ayers.

Hannity notes that he has been publicly attacked by Obama (5 times), Jeremiah Wright (4 times), Michael Pfleger and William Ayers (2 times each) for asking these questions.  “Someone has to ask the questions,” Hannity said, “because Charlie Gibson won’t.”  He went on a tear about why the media hasn’t done more investigative work into Trinity United Church and its reliance on black liberation theology, and Obama’s 20-year association with it.

He used the Tony Rezko scandal here as well.  While the media peruses Sarah Palin’s completely legal per-diem payments, most of them have ignored Obama’s connections to Rezko and the financial arrangements that allowed the Obamas to purchase their house.  Rezko raised $250,000 dollars for Obama’s political campaigns, but the media has mostly remained uninterested in their relationship since his indictment and even his conviction for political corruption.

How many times did the three broadcast network anchors accompany John McCain on his dozen trips to Iraq and Afghanistan?  One less than they did on Obama’s second trip to Iraq.  Why? He ripped into Gibson for his condescension and his attempt at “gotcha” questions, especially on praying for the soldiers going to Iraq.  Hannity noted similar language from Jefferson and Washington, and said that Gibson would have found them unprepared for the Presidency as well.

Hannity went on in a similar vein regarding feminists and Obama campaign oppo researchers.  The entire speech was by far the biggest stemwinder of the conference, and it fired up the crowd.  He derided the snobbery of the media, feminists, and liberals over Palin’s nomination.  He focused most tightly on the media, a target that most here appreciated.  If he went over the top at times, which he arguably did, he certainly made his point and got the conference energized to action.

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