Misrepresenting Obama's audiobook, Hannity claimed Obama said, "White folks' greed runs a world in need"
SUMMARY: On his radio show, Sean Hannity falsely asserted that Sen. Barack Obama had "openly complained about 'white folks' greed.' " Hannity played a clip from the audiobook version of Obama's memoir in which Obama says, "White folks' greed runs a world in need." However, the clip is taken from a passage in which Obama is quoting from a sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. In fact, Hannity himself acknowledged as much on Hannity & Colmes in March, saying, "Even the 'Audacity of Hope' speech or sermon had, you know, 'white greed' in there."
On the August 15 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity falsely asserted that Sen. Barack Obama had "openly complained about 'white folks' greed.' " To illustrate the claim, Hannity then played audio in which Obama says, "White folks' greed runs a world in need." However, Hannity did not note that the sound bite came from the audiobook version of Obama's memoir, Dreams From My Father (Crown, 1995), in a passage in which Obama recites lines from a sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. So, those words, which Hannity asserted "Obama himself has said," are a quote from Wright, a fact that Hannity has previously acknowledged.
Hannity brought up the quote in a discussion of the Obama campaign's refutation of the claims in Jerome Corsi's debunked and discredited book The Obama Nation. The response includes evidence contradicting several "factual inaccuracies" in Corsi's book and outlines Corsi's connections to conspiracy theorists who claim, among other things, that the U.S. government is covering up the "true" cause of the World Trade Center collapse on 9-11. The response also details Corsi's anti-Muslim and anti-Catholic statements and describes him as a "discredited, fringe bigot."
Hannity asserted: "[I]f I were Obama, I don't know if I'd be hurling around the word 'bigot,' given some of the things that Obama himself has said in the past. For example, if Corsi, the fringe bigot -- you know, what would you call a guy who openly complained about 'white folks' greed'?" Hannity then aired an audio clip of Obama saying, "White folks greed runs a world in need." Later in the broadcast, Hannity again commented that "I don't think [Obama] ought to be hurling around words like 'bigot,' given the things that he's said himself," and again aired the same audio clip. In neither instance did Hannity say that the audio clip is, in fact, Obama's quotation of Wright in his audiobook. From Page 292 of Dreams From My Father:
The title of Reverend Wright's sermon that morning was "The Audacity of Hope." He began with a passage from the Book of Samuel -- the story of Hannah, who, barren and taunted by her rivals, had wept and shaken in prayer before her God. The story reminded him, he said, of a sermon a fellow pastor had preached at a conference some years before, in which the pastor described going to a museum and being confronted by a painting titled Hope.
"The painting depicts a harpist," Reverend Wright explained, "a woman who at first glance appears to be sitting atop a great mountain. Until you take a closer look and see that the woman is bruised and bloodied, dressed in tattered rags, the harp reduced to a single frayed string. Your eye is then drawn down to the scene below, down to the valley below, where everywhere are the ravages of famine, the drumbeat of war, a world groaning under strife and deprivation.
"It is this world, a world where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where white folks' greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere ...That's the world! On which hope sits!"
Hannity falsely characterized these words as Obama's despite having previously noted that they were Wright's. On the March 28 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Hannity specifically referenced the quoted passage from Wright's "Audacity of Hope" sermon, noting that it was Wright's: "Now, there is some examination [of Obama's ties to Trinity United Church of Christ] going on, but there will be a full examination. What dates was he at the church? What sermons did he hear? Even the 'Audacity of Hope' speech or sermon had, you know, 'white greed' in there."
From the March 28 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
HANNITY: Let me go to these numbers here, because they're pretty astounding here.
DOUG SCHOEN (Democratic pollster): Sure.
HANNITY: Rasmussen had a poll.
SCHOEN: Yup.
HANNITY: Fifty-six percent of Americans, now, as a result of this controversy are less likely to want to vote for Barack Obama. Pew poll, nearly 40 percent of people --
SCHOEN: Right.
HANNITY: -- in that particular poll. Among Democrats, 17 percent of Democrats, Fox News poll --
SCHOEN: Right.
HANNITY: -- think that he shares the views of his pastor, think that all those incendiary remarks. That's hemorrhaging and beyond.
SCHOEN: Well, I made it clear to Alan that it is. Here's the real problem that the numbers underscore. Obama's running a campaign of unity, yet he has not distanced himself completely from a minister who is divisive. He said that Reverend Wright has apologized. The Reverend Wright has in no way apologized.
HANNITY: That's right.
SCHOEN: And until Obama makes it clear that he will have nothing to do with the Reverend Wright and completely repudiates him, these numbers will be a problem for him.
HANNITY: And Michael Steele [GOPAC chairman], there's more to this, too, as I pointed out. Now, there is some examination going on, but there will be a full examination. What dates was he at the church? What sermons did he hear? Even the "Audacity of Hope" speech or sermon had, you know, "white greed" in there.
STEELE: Right.
From the August 15 edition of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:
HANNITY: Anyway, part of the Obama attack against Jerome Corsi includes the allegation he's a, quote, "fringed bigot," based on criticism of the Catholic Church that Corsi posted on some websites during the priest sex-abuse scandal. And by the way, I'm a Catholic. So, I understand that there were people that really went over the line. And I'm not doubting any of this. And I even heard Corsi's going on some radical talk shows. I think that's a mistake.
But that doesn't take away from what is true or not true in the book. And if only the media would vet Obama the way they are Corsi, we might actually have a little knowledge about the candidate. But one has to wonder -- if I were Obama, I don't know if I'd be hurling around the word "bigot," given some of the things that Obama himself has said in the past.
For example, if Corsi, the fringe bigot -- you know, what would you call a guy who openly complained about "white folks' greed"?
OBAMA [audio clip]: White folks' greed runs a world in need.
HANNITY: You know, what would you call somebody who declared that his grandmother, who raised him, was prejudiced just like a, quote, "typical white person"?
[...]
HANNITY: And then we got Jerome Corsi. I'm -- this is hilarious. I mean, they're all -- Kerry and all the Obama people are doing -- his book's number one on Amazon right now. Go check it out.
And, you know -- and they're saying, "Oh, he's a fringe bigot." OK, but then we just went through a whole list of examples where Barack Obama I don't think ought to be hurling around words like "bigot," given the things that he's said himself.
OBAMA [audio clip]: White folks' greed runs a world in need.
HANNITY: Yeah. Or "the typical white person," talking about his own grandmother who raised him.
My mistake - he said this on his radio pukefest.
If the powers that be at Citadel Communications had even a shread of integrity, THEY'd fire Hannity.
Isn't he trying to instigate racial animus towards Barack Obama? In Repukelican America Obama is accused of playing the race card for first quoting Wright in the book that launched his cross over from Chicago politician to national prominence. To bad Hannity has no conscience. I think that is why Republicans do better in presidential elections. They can lie over and over for months on end and the voting public has too many lazy minded simpleton logic ditto heads. That should be ashamed, instead they think they are the cool people. A quick story from work the other day. Older guy walks into our break room (subsidiary of a fortune 500) and CNN is on because I turned it there from FOX. Musharaff resigned and Blitzer is talking about it and this idiot says, "I guess we know who Obama is picking for his VP, that guy". I responded to him with "Really, I thought that Musharaff was Bush's puppet. I thought billions of tax payer money given to him by Bush is unaccounted for. Since McCain is a continuation of Bush maybe that is who McCain is picking." He didn't say shiite.
Say what we all will about all the rightwingers that spew garbage on a daily basis.........
But Sean Hannity IS the most absolutely dumbest of all of them! I seriously don't see or hear a shread of intelligence from this man!
Even BillO can say something intelligent once in awhile!
A blind squirrel does occasionally find a nut. That describes O'Reilly pretty well, who about 1 line in 100 makes me say "Now THAT makes sense!"
Hannity is more like a blind, paralyzed squirrl that had a car run over it's nose, looking for a nut in the middle of a lake.
Then you've good Olberman who is more like a best-in-breed winning bloodhound looking for squirrels... ;)
LOL! That's great! So I'M WRONG - he's not a blind, paralyzed, etc... squirrel. He's actually the WORLD'S BEST squirrel!
Thank you for correcting my analogy! LOL!
InsHANNITY was born in the wrong time and in the wrong time zone. He would have made a fantastic propaganda minister for Hitler. He has repeated his BS for so long he actually believes it. He has brain washed himself. (autosuggestion does work). I also believe he smokes his own
p--p. I thought he got thrown out of "priesthood school" for having bad knees and thin lips.. or was that someone else?
"White folks' greed runs a world in need." However, the clip is taken from a passage in which Obama is quoting from a sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Wait, I thought Obama first said he never heard Rev. Wright say anything like this?
Then why don't we just blame Mccain for every bit of fool right wing idiocy his associates have said over the years. I am sure he admires some people who have said controversial things. Heck, maybe he admires sean Hannity and considers him a friend.
"yes, i've heard them."
But that would be a lie.
What dates was he at the church? What sermons did he hear?
Oh yeah Senator Obama, you may be half white but you look black so PROVE to us white folks that you don't hate us. <sarcasm>
This is total and complete bull sh*t! What in God's name does Obama have to do to PROVE to you freaking idiots that he doesn'think like Rev. Wright?
Let's examine Sean's close relationship with his friend Hal Turner: During an August 1998 episode of the show, Turner reminded Hannity that were it not for the graciousness of the white man, "black people would still be swinging on trees in Africa," .
You are wrong
about Lewinsky.
Hannity is such a hypocrite, he calls Obama a racist for quoting one but will gladly vote for John Gooks McCain who actually said "I hate the gooks, i will hate them till the day I die."
Oh yea but he's not racist cuz he's white.
This is a serious question, Science: why would you think that when Obama himself cites this passage in his 1995 book? If you honestly thought that "Obama first said he never heard Rev. Wright say anything like this" then I'd suggest that you try thinking harder.
He did say that. And, someone at mmfa is probably getting fired for putting that in the article. The left-wingnuts do not want you to know that he did hear many of the racist statements by the racist pastor. Now, O'bama is being quoted (and recorded) saying those racist statements. But, as long as the minion at mmfa keep saying Hannity's the idiot, then the minion will continue to believe it.
But, it's all Hannity's fault. Hannity should be fired for finding that recording and.... gosh.... playing it.
Have you seriously examined both men's policy positions...AT ALL?
Mary, how can you compare positions? McCain clearly has the upper hand hers! </snark!>
Aug. 16 - A direct transcript of John McCain's responses at the Saddleback Faith Forum...
When asked about abortion, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam no one ever, once, aborted their babies."
When asked about Christian faith, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam I spoke to the baby Jesus every morning and every night - he kept me safe."
When asked about gay marriage, McCain said when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam none of the men ever got married - but maybe they changed their mind when they got back to their home state"
When asked about embryonic stem-cell research, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam we sometimes had to stay in cells."
When asked about AIDS, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam we didn't even know what AIDS was."
When asked about troubled youth, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam the local kids always would get in trouble for trying to help us."
When asked about the conflicts in Georgia, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam the guy in the bed next do me had a girl pal called Georgia - I am sorry to hear they are fighting."
When asked about safe nuclear power, McCain said "when I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam the guy on the other side of me had deadly gas."
When asked about his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam McCain said "he'd rather not talk about it."
Missed his calling...
Hannity's face and voice so reminds me of Lou Costello that he probably could've made a career out of doing an Abbott & Costello look-alike show.
Big difference though... Costello only pretended to be an idiot.
Wither this "Left wing media" you speak of?
I have yet to find such an animal.
And for the record Joe Lieberman is an idiot for many reasons, none of which have have anything to do with his religion.
Joe Lieberman is an idiot for many reasons
1) He's speaking at the republican convention.
I never know what to wear to a (faux) race war.
Calling out racist BS is not partaking of a race war.
Besides some radio, and we'll see what Ms. Maddow & Obie can do. The rest, kind of outnumber them in audience by quite a lot.
"Next up we'll talk to a man who dealt arms to Iran and a convicted burglar about Obama's moral failings and, if we have time after that we'll get the opinion of an advocate for wholesale killing of an entire religion. Stay tuned for more fair and balanced coverage."
FQ Sean.
Good one.
Oliver North should be in jail, not on TV.
"It is this world, a world where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where white folks' greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere ...That's the world! On which hope sits!"
Oscar, do you object to the use of "white folks"?
Aren't white folks the dominante population and aren't the wealthiest citizens white?
But you know as well as anyone that Barack isn't just casting stones. He speaks at length on the problems in the black community and doesn't blame white folks for them. Barack doesn't need to demonize anyone to make us feel better about ourselves, that's what righties do. No, Barack emphasizes the ties that bind, not the perceptions that seperate us.
Heads of state and athletes as CEO's? Lame.
You can sit there and toss out all the fake populism you want to. With your charges of hypocrisy, you sound as ridiculous as Hannity.
You cons are disgusting to me.
Republican policy benefits the few, the privileged, the elite all the while you skunks underhandedly manipulate the good nature of salt of the earth Americans with your, "libs hate America," cultural bs. Meanwhile, you can't stand it when a liberal makes good. You envious punks want to scream foul when a liberal wants to swing open wide the doors of opportunity for the most people possible. I get it.
I know why.
Y'all don't want anybody but "the right kind of people," getting ahead and setting good examples for the rest of us. You love your elites, your strict social hierarchy, your moral order.
Fact is, Obama lifts up the common man. His American values of protection for working families through strong labor laws, yeah, I mean the fundamental human right to unionize, will rebuild the shrinking middle class. That and the the right to universal healthcare, investment in a green economy and the rehabilitation of our failing infrastructure will secure our future for decades to come.
So, no, you don't come out and say directly that Obama shouldn't criticize the entrenched wealth of the white leisure class. You simply deflect attention from the fact that the folks pulling the economic strings that make the world dance are white folks, whose wage race to the bottom for laborers enslaves populations for the sake of cheap consumer goods at Wal-Mart.
You can worship at the Republican altar of market fundamentalism, but you need to stand up, dude. Wake up and stand up before Republicans ruin everything good about America.
Don't bother telling me, "well I never said anything of the sort," because you said it with any vote you ever gave a damned Republican.
Oh One Who Can't Be Cornered, I equate Heads of State to CEOs because even though the titles are different the functions are (or should be) the same, especially in Third World countries that don't have the corporated infrastructure of the US. I don't know what Mr. Johnson (head of BET) for example does with his wealth compared to Jack Welch (former head of GE) and I don't care. I know that, as examples, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are doing good things (and I praise them, even though I probably disagree with them politically). I just don't want them, or you, telling me what I should have to do with my life. My responsibilities are mine, it is not up to them or you to determine what size or number of houses I own. I have the responsibility to study and make my own sensible decisions. Just how will BHO provide more opportunity than each of us already has? Don't like your job? Do something else. You are not chained to it or the place you reside. You have opporunities, but I think that instead of seeking them yourself, you want the government (the taxpayer/citizen) to provide it for you. Continue to vote Democrat and wait for the handouts. I will vote Republican when the candidate's beliefs most closely align with mine, Democrat or Independent the same.
I threw athletes in only because a great many of them are per McCain's off handed definition, rich, as rich as a great many of the CEOs in the country, so they should have some responsibility to contribute to society as you think CEOs should. But it is not up to me, or you, or the government to determine what that contribution should be outside of reasonable tax rates.
All I can say to that is that it's a stupid strawman.
"But it is not up to me, or you, or the government to determine what that contribution should be outside of reasonable tax rates."
Another stupid strawman and fake ass populism to boot. Not a damn liberal around desires such thing. It's about keeping the corporo-fascists from bending over the working class by paying dirt wages and raiding pensions (pensions: the only property right that cons hate)
Opportunity is about a living wage, healthcare for all and quality education for all. What you do with that opportunity is all about personal responsibility, we agree. It's about not being chained to the for profit, market fundamentalist bs'ers that fictitiously assert that unaccountable private interests does public service better than democratically accountable public institutions.
But as it is now opportunity is dependent upon how much opportunity you can afford. That is the recipe for killing the middle class.
And you can shove that hand out crap straight up your arrogant ass. A healthy economy requires risk takers to take risk and in the absence of a strong safety net, risk is too risky. I mean shit, boy, our laws work for and support corporations, it ain't no damn hand out to demand some equality for the working man.
I love my job, but I don't want to be like your CEO culture hero. I want to prosper as prosperity is just another way of talking about well-being. Well being is about not having to worry about how I'm going to afford medical bills or having to work more than one job to put food on the table. Shit, before your corporate cons destroyed the common good it was unheard of that one job couldn't pay the bills.
Kiss my ass, Oscar. Phony bastard.