Hannity again denounces Obama for comments later echoed by Defense Secretary Gates
On the October 20 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity suggested Sen. Barack Obama does not "sound like someone that understands our military" because in August 2007, Obama said that the military mission in Afghanistan "requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there." Fox News contributor John Bolton said: "I think he's very naïve. I don't think he understands how to represent or defend American interests. And I think we're going to learn at our -- to great pain, if he's elected, how much at risk we really are." Neither noted that in a September 17 statement, Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged and apologized for Afghan civilian deaths caused by coalition airstrikes, saying: "I offer all Afghans my sincere condolences and personal regrets for the recent loss of innocent life as a result of coalition airstrikes. While no military has ever done more to prevent civilian casualties, it is clear that we have to work even harder. I have asked for a detailed briefing this afternoon about our close air support as well as our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations."
Moreover, U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan and accounts of resulting civilian casualties have been widely reported in the media and have reportedly provoked criticism from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a British commander stationed there. Additionally, the Associated Press reported in a "Fact Check" the day after Obama's remark: "Western forces have been killing [Afghan] civilians at a faster rate than the insurgents."
Media Matters for America has noted several instances of Hannity attacking Obama for his August 2007 comments, including instances in which Hannity mischaracterized those comments.
From the October 20 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
HANNITY: Iran is a tiny country and not a serious threat. Those are Barack Obama's words. He said would you meet in your first year with people like Hugo Chavez and Ahmadinejad without preconditions? Yes, his answer was. He hasn't been held accountable, really, for a lot of these statements. And then he accused our troops of air-raiding -- this is Obama's words -- he accused our brave men and women of air-raiding villages and killing civilians. Does that sound like somebody that understands our military?
BOLTON: I don't think they do at all. I think he's very naïve. I don't think he understands how to represent or defend American interests. And I think we're going to learn at our -- to great pain, if he's elected, how much at risk we really are.
INSANNTIY: "And then he accused our troops of air-raiding -- this is Obama's words -- he accused our brave men and women of air-raiding villages and killing civilians."
"In the most obscene chapter in recent American history is the conduct of the Kosovo conflict when the president of the United States refused to prepare for ground operations, refused to have air power used effectively because he wanted them flying -- he had them flying at 15,000 feet where they killed innocent civilians because they were dropping bombs from such -- in high altitude." --- John McCain, 2000
Good catch. These guys have no real convictions.
What does SHEAR INSANNITY know about the military? He never served when he had the chance. All he is is another FAR RIGHT WING CHICKENHAWK. The REOUBLICANS are flooded with them
Exactly. The same can be said for Hannity's chickenhawk guest John Bolton, who admitted he joined the Maryland National Guard in order to AVOID serving in a war he claimed to support (Vietnam).
Bolton is quoted as saying, "I confess I had no desire to die in a Southeast Asia rice paddy. I considered the war in Vietnam already lost." (link: http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/14304 )
Does that comment show Bolton "understands how to defend US interests"?
We either have to win the war in Afghanistan on the ground with more troops than the Soviets used in the eighties and nineties or we have to bomb the country.
If we don't send the troops, we'll have to bomb or get out.
It's time for all of the young Republicans to suit up or shut up.
Yaaaawn...somebody wake me up if Hannity ever says anything about Barack Obama that isn't either a dishonest distortion or an outright lie.
Irony, Wake up, I think I just heard Hannity not tell a lie about Obama...Sorry, I was sleeping and was dreaming nice thoughts. And Seannie looked real pretty in that pink dress. To much rogue but he did look spectacular. (Gotta quit eating those jalapenos so late at night). Again Snoop, I'm sorry.
Say anything, Sean baby. It's all over.
Does Hanniturd somehow believe that our bomber crews have magic powers?
Actually, yes...because they're AMERICANS, damnit! Not the kind of Americans like you and me, though...Americans that populate John Wayne movies...with eagles soaring...square-jawed men gazing into the distance as patriotic music plays in the background....and Jenny, the girl back home, waits faithfully for he betrothed. In short, Sean Hannity doesn't live in reality. He lives in a dream world called USA! USA! USA!...
I remember a few years ago, a soldier was accused of shooting an unarmed, wounded Iraqi. The Conservatives were apoplectic, claiming that an American would never do such a thing. When a video of the incident surfaced, proving that it had really happened, their reaction was "So what.... it was only a terrorist." In their eyes, it was apparently okay to shoot unarmed, wounded prisoners... because we're Americans and can do whatever the hell we want to. Needless to say, they opposed any disciplinary action against the soldier.
There's a word that can sum up this whole thing. During the mid-90's, we were forced by the wave of neoconservatism to blow the dust off of this word - it had been relegated to obscurity after exemplary duty in the 60's & early 70's - and have it ready for situations like this. The word is "HUBRIS", and it's finding regular service for a whole new generation. It's also unfortunately finding regular MIS-use, as those for whom it most accurately is applied consistently replace it with the word "PATRIOTISM", or "GREAT AMERICAN".
But we need to be careful with it. Even as apropos as the word may be for the situation in which our country finds itself today, we must remember to NOT allow Hannity to become the poster-child of "HUBRIS". The reason being that eons from now, when some future archeologist digs up the word and attempts to derive its meaning, any relation to Hannity will likely result in the misinterpretation of it as meaning
"THE
DUMBEST
GUY
IN
MEDIA"
Otherwise, I don't think the use of "HUBRIS" has ever been more warranted in our history than in the age of neocons.
"THE
DUMBEST
GUY
IN
MEDIA"
Well on his way to becoming
"THE
DUMBEST
GUY
ON THE
PLANET"
The really sad part is that Hannity et all don't even care about this issue. They WANT us to kill civilians over there if it's good for the US. They have no regard for human life, not for the life of American soldiers and certainly not for the life of those darn furriners over in Farawayistan.
They try and pretend this is about an issue, but it's about finding ANYTHING they can to criticize Obama for, when in fact they don't even give a crap.
Sean doesn't want Obama in the Oval Office and resorts to distort. He knows exactly what he's doing. He knows that a majority of his audience are ill-informed and takes advantage of their ignorance. Don't underestimate Sean.
Luckily, some Republicans have seen through Sean as a fraud and will vote Democrat this year.
I must admit that I do not understand the typical Hanniturd sycophant. When I watch McCain rallies, I feel like I'm watching the opening scene from "2001: A Space Odyssey". When I see them salivating over the idiotic aw-shucksisms of Palintwit, I just have to say, WTF?...what planet are these people from?
To be fair, I'm sure they feel the same way about me.
I don't think it's fair to draw a relationship between McCain rally-goers and the opening scene of 2001.
The apes in 2001 actually evolved due to the infusion of knowledge, a feat that McCain rally-goers have yet to experience.
Unless you're referring to the beating with the bone. Hmmm, I'm starting to see the connection...
Insannity on repeat again? Could have sworn I heard him blast Democrats 2 years ago for criticizing the Iraq-War etc. for innocent lives being killed during the process; but he had no problem saying "This is war, it's going to happen". He said something like that. But surely enough when Obama says it, he goes all ape-s***.
Let me say this:
Iran is a small country and not a threat to us.
Because we have too few troops in Afghhanistan, our forces are conducting air raids and killing civilians.
Ana new President should meet with Chavez and Ahmadinnerjacket (and maybe even the actual ruler of Iran) because it would be a very good idea for the leaders of the world, friend and foe alike to learn who they're dealing with.
Even the aplogists aren't crawling out of the woodwork to defend this one.
Shawn -
I think it time to have another grand wizard a neo-nazi or a clown that juggles kittens on Hannitys America - what do yo think?
Hannity and Bolton are still insane. Check.
Next question?
Sean Hannity is sinking further into the depths of fear and irrelevance. His brain-dead diatribes aren't really worth discussing. Bolton is a crazy loon, who has brought our country shame with his UN performance, and he continues to run his mouth off to anyone who will listen. Fortunately, only people like Hannity will give him a forum. Hannity is the epitome of the new neo-con mantra: "If you can't find real negative facts to impune your enemy, a few big lies are just as good."
Hannity has one tiny message and I think 99% of Americans have long grown sick of his trash and his equally trashy neo-con guests.
It is obvious that political Tv and radio hosts like sean hannity better known as spin doctors are willing to twist and lie their way, just to get their simple ideologies across to their audiences. It wouldn't matter what Barack Obama said, sean and his band of overpaid radio and tv right wingers will continue to distort the truth. The sad part is the fact that their audiences dont care about the truth, they simply enjoy spewing their venom. The racism in the presidential elections is quite obvious. Doesnt have the same values, refuses to continue with our imperialist ideals, so he cant be one of us. Ofcourse their are a lot of Americans who need reinforcement of their feelings, and Rush Limpbaugh(no mistake)and sean hannity are able to continue the feeding frenzy. I wonder who is truly unamerican.