Hannity did not challenge McCain's false claim that Alaska "provides 20 percent of America's energy requirements"
SUMMARY: On his radio show, Sean Hannity did not challenge Sen. John McCain's false claim during an interview that Alaska "provides 20 percent of America's energy requirements." In fact, according to the most recent figures of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Alaska is responsible for "just 3.5 percent of the country's domestic energy production," and only 2.4 percent of the energy the U.S. consumes.
On the September 17 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity did not challenge Sen. John McCain's false claim during an interview that Alaska "provides 20 percent of America's energy requirements." McCain made his comment in response to Hannity's statement that Gov. Sarah Palin is "very convinced she can convince you into drilling at ANWR [Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]." McCain replied, in part: "Who knows more about energy than the governor of the state that provides 20 percent of America's energy requirements?" In fact, as Media Matters for America has previously noted, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2005, Alaska is responsible for "just 3.5 percent of the country's domestic energy production," and only 2.4 percent of the energy the U.S. consumes.
In a September 12 article, FactCheck.org wrote that it is "simply untrue that Alaska produces anything close to 20 percent of the U.S. 'energy supply,' " and noted that according to the EIA, "Alaska actually produced 2,417.1 trillion BTUs [British Thermal Units] of energy in 2005, the last year for which full state numbers are available. That's equal to just 3.5 percent of the country's domestic energy production. And according to EIA analyst Paul Hess, that would calculate to only '2.4 percent of the 100,368.6 trillion BTUs the U.S. consumes.' "
In contrast to Hannity, during her September 17 report on NBC's Nightly News, correspondent Savannah Guthrie challenged Palin's claim that "[m]y job has been to oversee nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of oil and gas," saying, "[N]o matter how you slice it, she's wrong. Alaska accounts for only 3.5 percent of America's total energy production, 7.5 percent of oil and gas."
From the September 17 edition of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:
HANNITY: By the way, Senator, she's very convinced she can convince you into drilling at ANWR.
McCAIN: You know, that's what happens when you throw two mavericks together, you know. So, I'd -- listen, I -- she -- you know, we can talk about experience. What's one of the -- one of the major, if not the major, challenge to America? Energy independence. Who knows more about energy than the governor of the state that provides 20 percent of America's energy requirements, who is responsible for a $40 billion natural gas pipeline that's going to bring energy relief and independence -- move towards independence -- help us in our move towards independence than Governor Sarah Palin?
From the September 17 edition of NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams:
WILLIAMS: Sarah Palin in Cleveland earlier today -- hard to believe she made her convention debut just two weeks ago today in St. Paul. Americans, after all, are still getting to know her. Reporters are still fact-checking what they hear from her, as our own Savannah Guthrie does for us tonight.
GUTHRIE: Her running mate has said she knows more about energy than anyone in America.
McCAIN: She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America.
GUTHRIE: And in her first television interview since being nominated, Sarah Palin herself said this:
PALIN: As the governor of the state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy --
GUTHRIE: A remark she refined a bit this week.
PALIN: My job has been to oversee nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of oil and gas.
GUTHRIE: But no matter how you slice it, she's wrong. Alaska accounts for only 3.5 percent of America's total energy production, 7.5 percent of oil and gas. A campaign spokesperson now says the governor was only talking about oil.
MEGHAN STAPLETON (McCain-Palin spokesperson): When you look at the domestic oil production, we do supply 15 to 20 percent.
I don't think John McCain really knows what the truth is anymore...
BTW, I caught a little of Hannity's radio show this afternoon in my car and all I can say is that Hannity's head is going to explode if this election doesn't come soon. He is freaking out...
It will be interesting to hear Insannity during President Obama's swearing in ceremony.
In a moment of seriousness I've been saying that for months now. Palin gave them a glimmer of hope but the press has turned on McCain now that he no longer throws them fancy BBQs. McCain has really become unhinged what with his claims that the tone would be different if only Obama did what McCain told him to and accepted his unprecedented town hall meetings. What a lame excuse! It's like a kid in the schoolyard - "lick the frozen pole or I'll tell everyone you pee your bed still!".
Geez...
On Keith Olbermann last night, he said that just counting oil, it's 14%. Even using the most generous measure, 14% isn't 20%. It doesn't round up from 14% to 20%.
So, it's 2.4% or 3.5% or 7.5% or 14%, but it's not 20%.
And she's supposed to be an expert in the field? She had a leadership role in Alaska's oil and gas regulatory agency, and she doesn't know the relevant numbers?
That's the important thing to take away from this posting.
PALIN: My job has been to oversee nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of oil and gas.
MEGHAN STAPLETON (McCain-Palin spokesperson): When you look at the domestic oil production, we do supply 15 to 20 percent.
14% is not "nearly 20%". And when you look at domestic oil production, it's not 15-20%. It's 10-15%, since it's actually 14%. They just can't make themselves tell the truth, even when they've been caught. They're like the girl in Florida who likely chloroformed her little girl to put her to sleep so the mom could go out and party and accidentally overdid it and killed her. In any event, even if she didn't kill her daughter, she did nothing to try to find her for weeks on end, and even after she was found out, she continued to lie to everyone around her. Even after it was documented that she was a pathological liar, she couldn't help herself.
Palin, and Republicans in general, can't help themselves.
We need them to crash and burn in at least one more election cycle, preferably two, until reasonable people can kick the bums out and retake the high ground.
Suggesting that Hannity should have challenged the statement that Alaska produces 20% of US energy implies that he know that it is not true. If the McCain campaign or the Republican National Committee (RNC) has not given him a talking point about how much energy Alaska produces, of course he will accept any statement McCain makes.
If the RNC had given Hannity the figure, as the propaganda arm of Republican party, it would have been impolite to correct his possible future boss.