Hannity compared a vote for Hillary Clinton to a vote for Hamas or Hezbollah

Summary: Sean Hannity compared voting for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to voting for Hamas or Hezbollah. When a caller to his radio show questioned the prospect of democracy spreading in the Middle East by noting that people are "vot[ing] for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas on the West Bank," Hannity replied: "Well, you could vote for Hillary Clinton tomorrow, too, for crying out loud."

On the May 3 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity compared voting for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to voting for Hamas or Hezbollah. When a caller questioned the prospect of democracy spreading in the Middle East by noting that people are "vot[ing] for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas on the West Bank," Hannity replied, "Well, you could vote for Hillary Clinton tomorrow, too, for crying out loud."

From the May 3 broadcast of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:

CALLER: The [Iraq] war was the greatest mistake in my lifetime.

HANNITY: It was not. You know what? It may be the greatest success in our lifetime, if, in fact -- if Reagan was betting on the fact that it is inherent in the human spirit to be free, that we are endowed by our creator that all men are created equal, and that given an opportunity the people in the Eastern Bloc would ultimately rise up and help in the beginnings of freedom. So, too, can it happen in this part of the world.

CALLER: Well, so, too, can it happen that they vote for Hamas, like they just did.

HANNITY: Well, the Palestinians -- this could be the beginning of democratization, and liberty and freedom in that part of the world. Do you deny that's a possibility?

CALLER: No, I don't deny it, but they can also vote for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas on the West Bank --

HANNITY: Well, you could vote for Hillary Clinton tomorrow, too, for crying out loud, [caller], but, I mean, does that mean that we sit back and do nothing?

CALLER: Well, don't send American kids to die for democracy in some damn place -- god-forsaken place on the other side of the world. I'm not for filling up Walter Reed hospital with a bunch of Americans because Sean Hannity is frightened.

HANNITY: Nobody is for that. Well, with all due respect, [caller], it's not a matter of Sean Hannity being frightened, but maybe you forgot -- I haven't forgot that 3,000 people died. We were attacked. It was the worst attack in history. They were at war with us for 10 years, and we didn't do a darn thing, [caller], and 3,000 people perhaps died unnecessarily.

—B.F.