Hannity misrepresents source of editorial to claim that "liberal media" outlet claimed Obama has "embarrassed America"
SUMMARY: On his radio show, Sean Hannity asserted that "the solid wall of the liberal media, in terms of support for [President Obama], may be starting to crack" and then read from what he claimed was a San Francisco Chronicle editorial criticizing Obama to support his claim. In fact, the editorial from which Hannity read was not from the Chronicle, but rather The San Francisco Examiner, which endorsed Sen. John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
On the March 10 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, Sean Hannity claimed that "the solid wall of the liberal media, in terms of support for [President Obama], may be starting to crack." To support this claim, Hannity said, "In fact, we have the leading newspaper in San Francisco, no less, complaining that it looks like amateur hour at the White House, and they're saying that Obama has, already, quote, 'embarrassed America.' " Hannity then read from what he claimed was a San Francisco Chronicle editorial criticizing Obama. In fact, the editorial from which Hannity read was not from the San Francisco Chronicle, which endorsed Obama in the 2008 presidential election, but rather The San Francisco Examiner, which endorsed Sen. John McCain in that race.
From the March 10 edition of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:
HANNITY: Now the solid wall of the liberal media, in terms of support for the anointed one, may be starting to crack. In fact, we have the leading newspaper in San Francisco, no less, complaining that it looks like amateur hour at the White House, and they're saying that Obama has, already, quote, "embarrassed America."
And here's their editorial today, San Francisco Chronicle: It was embarrassing enough that President Barack Obama insulted British Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week by handing him 25 movie videos as the chief executive's diplomatic gift to the visiting representative of America's most important ally. Compared to Brown's gifts, which included a pen holder which was made of wood from a British warship that helped stamp out the slave trade, Obama's gift, in the words of The Telegraph, looked like the kind of thing the White House might hand out to a visiting head of a minor African state. Even worse is the context in which the huge diplomatic gaffe took place -- a six-week succession of miscues, oversights, miscalculations, and outright errors that suggest things may have gone seriously wrong in the White House.
The list of Obama administration blunders include: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telling the European Union at a gathering that American democracy has been around a lot longer than European democracy. This no doubt particularly surprised the Dutch, whose republic commenced years before the U.S. won its independence. Somebody should tell Clinton about Athens, too.
Then they go on, they say White House chief of staff "Rahmbo" -- deadfish, my words -- and OMB director Peter Orszag saying that Obama's going to sign the $410 billion omnibus spending bill because it's last year's business, even though the bill requires the president's signature now to become law. Saying that a catastrophe would result from delays in passing the $1.3 trillion stimulus bill, according to Obama, who took a four-day shopping trip with his family in Chicago before signing the emergency legislation.
Remember [Sen.] Sherrod Brown's [D-OH] mother had died, and he had to fly back that Friday -- he didn't sign it until the following Tuesday. Attorney General Holder, calling Americans a nation of cowards.
Folks, this is the San Francisco Chronicle. And they're -- they're getting a lot -- they haven't even begun to touch the surface as we have.
Yet more dishonesty from one of the most dishonest "men" on radio today. He's a pathological liar, a lousy American, and I feel sorry for his kids, have an all-around loser like Sean Hannity as a father.
This seems to be the latest desperate attempt by the rightys at trying to appear to have an idea-- the liberals are throwing Obama under the bus.
Of course, a "liberal" is anybody who hasn't had a complete GOP Kool Aid transfusion, and "throwing under the bus" is any minor disagreement.
Hannity may be getting so increasingly incompetent that even Hannity would have second thoughts about using hannity as a source. He said on his radio show that he personally knows people who are slacking off at work to make sure they don't make a quarter million, in order to avoid being unished with taxes.
A semi-reasonable caller got through, suggesting that this was crazy, as that person would still be making more money, and only the amount above 250k would be taxed at a slightly higher rate.
Dim bulb Hannity got very upset with his misinformed caller, telling him that people earning more than 250k would actually be taking home less than people making below that mark.
The newest talking point that I've been hearing, spread all over the place by the right wingers is the teleprompter thing. As if it is some new and radical technology that was just invented just for Obama. I actually heard some righty (I forget which one right off hand), talking this evening about how he can't believe that Obama doesn't write all of his own speeches. I mean, he's supposed to be really smart right? So how come he doesn't write his own speeches? He could save some money by firing his speech writing staff, and do his own work.
And the sad thing is, he was serious.
I took a drive this week to VA from my home in Western NC, and about the only thing I had to listen to yesterday and today was right wing radio on the AM dial, it was about the only thing that would come in. I swear, you could have taped Limbaugh's show, and just played it for every other show (Hannity, Savage, Levin, and others), because they all talked about the same exact thing. Same talking points, same stupid jabs at Obama's use of a teleprompter, and so on.
The best thing was listening to Limbaugh rail on Obama about his phone call follow up to the NY Times and how it was "scary" that when Obama doesn't have his previous teleprompter, he stammers and stutters through the phone call, and the ultimate proof of this? Rush was going to play it to let his audience hear how "scary" it is that our President stammers and stutters. Thing is, Rush plays the phone call, and he's not stuttering. He's not stammering. He says "uh" and "umm" here and there, but not anymore than you or I would probably do when, you know, thinking before spitting something out. I mean, is this guy listening to something else that I wasn't?
The funny thing too is that the Republicans use "old" methods when giving their "prepared" speeches, i.e. at CPAC Rush kept looking down as he read from his "prepared" speech while at the podium.
Pres. Obama uses the "new" method by looking side to side at a teleprompter to read his "prepared" speech. So, "old" versus "new" and the Republicans always appear to be stuck with the "old". Just saying....
ML: Great point! Why doesn't President Obama just strap a radio onto his back like former President George Bush did during the Presidential Debate?
Hannity really is pathetic. He is so reliably dishonest that the moment I heard him say these things I immediately assumed there was something bogus about it. Not one word from this man's mouth can be trusted. And I agree with you, WZ, about his kids...
WZWRITER,RIGHT ON, I couldent have said it better myself. All SHEAR INSANNITY cares about is his $$$ and his FAR RIGHT NEO-CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY. He is a kind that would rather fail than compromise.
Oops! Well, no worries. I am sure Hannity will issue an apology tomorrow on his program. ;)
Ha...! Yea, right...don't hold your breath on that one. I'll bet he never mentions his lie...but, ironically, he will tell his audience what a liar Barack Obama is.
Hannity is more clueless than I thought, there is no crack in the impenetrable liberal media wall. it's rock solid.
I often wonder whether Hannity's more clueless or dishonest. Here, he is dishonest. He reads a San Francisco Examiner editorial and clearly lies to his audience to call it the SF Chronicle.
This is pretty standard stuff for him. It ranks right up there with the time he reported that "a bunch of liberals" were protesting at a fallen soldier's funeral. Found out later (not from Shyawn) it was Fred Phelps group...
Ill vote for DISHONEST.
why can't it be both.....we know he doesn't have a soul....probably sold it to alan sanford for the gold he bought
And how is the conservative, newly found fiscal responsibility wall, doing?
Facts are rock solid. Beliefs are not.
and the same goes to the neo con propaganda machine
Obama is an embarrassment because he gave movies as a gift to PM Gordon Brown??? They must have high standards at the SF Examiner. I hate to see what they call him if he gave German PM Angela Merkel an inapropriate massage from behind, or closed a G8 summit by saying, "Goodbye from the World's Greatest Polluter."
Yes. Obama really is an embarrassment to the US
The dvd 's did seem pretty goofy compared to the gift he got in return.That would have been about a 5% on the GWB scale, but I was hoping to get a president who didn't even register on the Bush scale, even occasionally.
Apparently so far dozens have taken up on Beck and sent the PM apologies. If it's considered treason for senators to visit foreign dignitaries to voice concerns against the president's agenda, what is it called when a radio jock does something like this?
It's the thought that counts.
And Hannity can't count past zero.
The only people that seemed offended, were the British Press. Any gifts those guys get, they don't keep anyway.
It one of Lil' Seannie's rules: just having "San Francisco" on the masthead means that it is a) liberal and b) probably gay.
foghornleghorn: Is there a difference?
another rupert in the making?
Brian: WADR, it's more like someone confusing Jim Creamer with a financial expert.
It does remind me of back in the day when Faux Noise would rant about an article it found in The Onion...
Hannity can say whatever he wants, ANYTHING, regardless how outlandishly false it is and his dumb minions lap it up. If tomorrow Hannity went on the air and, in breathless alarm, told his listeners not to be fooled, that the glowing orb in the sky was not the sun, that liberals had darkened the sky and covered up their deed by hanging an enormous light in its place - they would believe him. I am absolutely convinced they would believe him...
Hannity's dictionary:
freedom, security, reagan, conservatism, pelosi, reid, al gore, democrats, liberals, ideas, tax and spend, tax cuts, obama, troubled times, consequential times, grow the economy, clinton.
Some of the above are not words by themselves but ask him to construct a sentence without using any of above words and see what gives.
NOTHING! Crickets will chirp their way to death.
terrorists, homicide, bombers, muslim, israel, palestine, iraq, iran used to be in the dictionary but have recently disappeared. Since the explanation, by all of Right Wing Media, for Iraq stopped bearing any fruits (ratings/elections).
What I've noticed recently about right wing radio show hosts is the following:
1. They are all reading from the same scripts. We knew this already though.
2. In all of their bumpers, all of them, they always have some deep voiced guy saying something along the lines of, "Only will (insert name of radio host here) tell you the TRUTH about America! Nobody else will tell you what's going on in this country!!" In the background, there is always some uber patriotic country song in the background, Toby Keith, or something else appropriate.
You could tape one show, and play it for all of them.
magnolialover: Check out the RNC website. Read the press releases, and then listen to the right wing radio. There is a direct connection. They use the press releases as their talking points.
And the ultimate give-away is language. Remember when Sheer Insannity was fascinated by the word "embolden?" That word was only used in a single context. Dead solid perfect proof.
MAGNOLIA, YOU ARE CORRECTIn their world only RIGHT WING TALK SHOW HOSTS are capable of telling the truth.reality, however is quite different.
It's ok... Sean Hannity IS the most moronic and dumbest twit on all of TV and radio!
My guess.... even a majority of his followers must know it.... right?
While I'm all for MMfA exposing the lies of the corporate owned media and several of its many whores... I wonder if mentioning this idiot is even worth the time and effort?
My guess.... even a majority of his followers must know it.... right?
I think you underestimate the number of really, really, stupid, gullible people there are in this country. If Hannity's audience did not believe him his show would be off the air. They believe him alright... That's sad, amusing and dusturbing all at the same time.
Hannity has to apologize to Rush Limbaugh. How dare he try to e a bigger idiot than him!!!!!!
and bow and kiss his ring, and make an obligatory sacrifice dont forget
ain't it great. unless w. goes to a non extradition country.
A copy of The San Francisco Chronicle from the bright yellow box? Seventy-five cents.
A copy of The San Francisco Examiner from the ratty red box? Free.
Sheer Insannity not knowing or caring about the difference? Priceless.
You couldn't have put it better. There is always someone standing outside the BART station downtown near where I work, pushing that worthless Examiner off on unsuspecting people just trying to get to work.
I'm glad I refuse their "complimentary" paper.
Odd though, that they have to say, "complimentary Examiner" when they are always free anyway...
CSL: Thank you!
When the "real" Examiner folded there was a very convoluted agreement where the Chronicle paid money to have someone take the Examiner over. And now it appears to be worth even less...